Around the world, governments, charities, and other bodies are concerned with improving education, especially for the lowest-attaining and most disadvantaged students. Making Schools Better for Disadvantaged Students presents detailed research into how poverty affects student segregation and underachievement in schools. It contains the first ever large-scale evaluation of how funding can best be used to lower the poverty attainment gap for disadvantaged students. Drawing on a wealth of empirical research from England, India, and Pakistan as well as worldwide reviews of relevant studies, the book presents high-quality evidence on the impact of funding policy initiatives, such as the Pupil Premium funding in England, and the many variations of similar schemes worldwide. It analyses education measures which have been put in place and discusses ways in which these can be used efficiently and fairly to allocate funding to students who are persistently at risk of underachievement. The book is unique in synthesising many forms of evidence from around the world and finding a definition of educational disadvantage that can be used fairly across different contexts. Offering significant implications for ways to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged students, the book will be essential reading for students of education policy, sociology of education and educational practices, and all researchers, school leaders, and policy-makers working in this area.

This edited volume illustrates the idea of a successful research capacity model, critically addressing preconceived notions of early career research projects’ impact and drawing together insights and implications around the encouragement of newer researchers to conduct useful, robust studies with real-world effect. Centring on research undertaken at the UK Durham University Evidence Centre, the volume features contributions from authors based at universities in the US, China, India, and Pakistan. The book discusses 15 substantial studies which explore themes such as children’s wider outcomes in school; disadvantage in education; and the supply of professionals for the teaching workforce. Novel in approach and highly interdisciplinary in nature, the book showcases a broad range of experience and knowledge sharing, from experienced researchers and policymakers to new academic staff, current doctoral students, and masters’ students conducting ambitious large-scale projects, thereby giving voice to those just starting out in their career. Illustrating powerful studies that are feasible for students and beginners with limited or no resources, this book will appeal to new researchers, scholars and academics involved in the fields of educational research and research methods, continuing professional development, and education policy more broadly.

Across OECD countries, almost one in every five students does not reach a basic minimum level of skills. This book presents a series of policy recommendations for education systems to help all children succeed.

Where schools working in adverse conditions are achieving outstanding learning outcomes, what is it that these schools do to achieve these outcomes? Are there common factors here which could apply everywhere, or at least in the vast majority of circumstances? Drawing on a range of research, including interviews with children, parents, teachers and school leaders in rural and urban contexts in England, Greece, India, Malaysia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, and the USA, the authorship team explores these important questions. The excitement and enthusiasm for, and a commitment to, learning in which every single person there was involved seems to underpin the achievement. While this often sprang from the school's leaders, who set the tone and were highly visible inspirations to everyone else, leadership was found at every level of these schools with people feeling empowered to lead and manage in the way that worked for 'their' learners. The book is filled with case studies, showcasing examples of children and young people who have overcome huge disadvantages in their lives and circumstances to achieve their potential at school. These children and young people are not 'super heroes' but mostly children with normal abilities and talents who have succeeded thanks to highly effective work and strategies by leaders, teachers, and staff in their schools. Whilst some of the obstacles which prevent disadvantaged children from achieving in education can only be removed through changing features of certain education systems themselves, there are clear identifiable strategies to be used and actions that can be taken in any school to raise the achievement of those children from disadvantaged contexts. After describing and analysing the causes and consequences of various kinds of disadvantage, the book puts forward key principles and show how they underpin actions and strategies for leaders and others to apply in their schools, at whole school, classroom and individual level.

Jonathan Boston and Simon Chapple have written the definitive book on child poverty in New Zealand. Dr Russell Wills, Children’s Commissioner Between 130,000 and 285,000 New Zealand children live in poverty, depending on the measure used. These disturbing figures are widely discussed, yet often poorly understood. If New Zealand does not have ‘third world poverty’, what are these children actually experiencing? Is the real problem not poverty but simply poor parenting? How does New Zealand compare globally and what measures of poverty and hardship are most relevant here? What are the consequences of this poverty for children, their families and society? Can we afford to reduce child poverty and, if we can, how? Jonathan Boston and Simon Chapple look hard at these questions, drawing on available national and international evidence and speaking to an audience across the political spectrum. Their analysis highlights the strong and urgent case for addressing child poverty in New Zealand. Crucially, the book goes beyond illustrating the scale of this challenge, and why it must be addressed, to identifying real options for reducing child poverty. A range of practical and achievable policies is presented, alongside candid discussion of their strengths and limitations. These proposals for improving the lives of disadvantaged children deserve wide public debate and make this a vitally important book for all New Zealanders.

How can greater expectations lead to greater outcomes for schools and the students they teach? The London Academy of Excellence (LAE), Newham, is one of the leading sixth-form schools in the UK. The LAE’s mission is to combat disadvantage by providing ambitious young people from lower-income homes with an education on a par with the best available in the independent sector. In its first decade, the LAE sent over 1,300 students to Russell Group universities, over 200 to medical schools and more than 150 to Oxford or Cambridge. Most of those students were the first in their family to attend a university. The authors sift through the school′s practices to reveal universal concepts and ideas that school leaders, in any context, can consider for their own schools. These ideas include: Understanding the curriculum as a source of social mobility Planning for high quality destinations from first contact with prospective students Exploring challenge strategies to achieve academic excellence across subjects The book culminates in a list of strategies that can drive greater expectations in any school. Alex Crossman is Headteacher and Ian Warwick is Chair of the Education Committee at the London Academy of Excellence.

The Latin American Economic Outlook (LEO) 2020 focuses on the role of digital transformation in helping to navigate through challenging times. The Covid-19 pandemic is having a profound impact on socio-economic conditions, accentuating the already complex scenario faced by a region with significant structural weaknesses. This unprecedented crisis comes at a time of high aspirations and reinforces the need to transform the very foundations of the development model in the region.

Since 1997 when Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, a string of education reforms have been introduced to improve the quality of education and maintain Hong Kong’s economic competitiveness in the age of globalization. This book provides a comprehensive and critical analysis of major issues and challenges faced by the education system, ranging from pre-school to higher education. It analyses the prospects for educational development in Hong Kong. It further addresses how the Hong Kong government has responded to the perceived challenges of the external environment and internal forces and explains the rationales for the actions taken. Not only does it review how the reform initiative challenges have been dealt with, it also reviews how effective these initiatives are and its implications on future directions.

Presents the findings of an Australia-wide project managed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), which sought the views of teachers, students, parents and other interested individuals on how Australia's schools might be made more effective. The research covers curriculum, staffing, parent and student involvement, and the administration of schools. Included are tables of survey responses and a list of references. Co-authors are Kevin Piper, Diana Banks and Beryl Evans.