1www.cemcentre.org

Using the Sutton Trust

Toolkit to Improve

Outcomes

Christine.Merrell@cem.dur.ac.uk

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• We require evidence-based practice, not just common sense and intuition

Can we make a difference?

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Put these in rank order of effectiveness:• Feedback/reinforcement

• Peer tutoring

• Performance related pay

• Homework

• Ability grouping

• Teaching assistants

• Assessment for learning

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RCTs, Meta Analyses and Effect Sizes to measure impact

• Why randomly assign?

• What is a meta-analysis?

• What are Effect Sizes?

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Effect Sizes

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Put these in rank order of effectiveness

• Feedback/reinforcement ES = 0.73• Peer tutoring ES = 0.50• Performance related pay ES = 0.0• Homework ES = 0.36• Ability grouping ES = 0.12• Teaching assistants ES = 0.0• Assessment for Learning ES = 0.32

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Sutton Trust ToolkitE

ffec

t S

ize

(mon

ths

gain

)

Cost per pupil

Promising

May be worth it

Not worth it

Feedback

Meta-cognitive

Peer tutoring

Homework

Learning styles

Individualised learning

AfL

ArtsAbility grouping

Summer schools

Parentalinvolvement

Sports

Performance pay

ICT

After school

Pre-school

1 : 1 tutoring

Smaller classes

Teaching assistants

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Peer Learning

Centre For Peer Learning at Dundee University for resources

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Peer Tutoring

• Cross-age is best

• Children aged 10 tutoring children two years younger

• How do you select the pairs?

• Frequency of sessions

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Peer Tutoring

• Tutees select book that interests them

• Readability– 5 finger test– 5 pages– Between 5 & 10 errors in all means suitable

readability

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Peer Tutoring

• Pairs read together

• Tutee reads independently

• Error correction– Tutor waits 4 to 5 secs for tutee to self correct– Tutor corrects if necessary– Tutor praises– Pair read together until tutee signals otherwise

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Peer Tutoring

• Same-age tutoring didn’t work as well– Reading attainment didn’t improve

significantly– Tutors corrected more errors– Pairs spent more time talking about book

than reading it

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Motor and Cognitive Development

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What new initiative would you like to implement?

How will you implement it?Training for teachers?Which year groups?

How will you measure its impact?What assessments will you use before and after

the intervention?

How might you practically turn a strategy that is effective in research studies into a workable programme for your school?