Schools can now access free, practical, and easy-to-use resources to help them implement evidence-based practices in ways that work in their own contexts.
The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) today rolled out a new suite of resources designed to help schools build and operate effective implementation teams.
The resources include an instruction module with video as well as practical guidance on team building, goal setting, and planning processes.
Developed with insights from AERO's Learning Partner project, the resources support a deliberate and structured approach to implementation — an approach that shows promise in strengthening leadership, building teacher confidence, and improving student outcomes.
AERO CEO Jenny Donovan said the resources aimed to help schools bridge the gap between knowing what works and embedding it in everyday practice.
'Schools are increasingly drawing on evidence-based practices to improve student learning, but how those practices are implemented makes the difference,' Dr Donovan said.
'Our work shows that forming a strong implementation team, choosing a small number of well-sequenced implementation strategies, and planning for sustainability from the outset helps schools make lasting change.'
'The point where effective teaching practices become 'the way we do things around here' is when students really benefit.'
Currently, schools in the Learning Partner project are trialling AERO's approach and new resources as part of their implementation of explicit instruction.
School staff leading implementation teams report that the approach is making a difference.
'What was important from our previous experience is making sure that we had a sustainable model that wasn't coming to us via a narrow funnel,' said Donna Summers, Assistant Principal at Kotara South Public School.
'It was coming to us across an umbrella. The growth of teachers has been astronomical in the sense of the refinement of their practice.'
These resources have emerged from AERO's ongoing Learning Partner project.
Since its launch in 2023, the Learning Partner project has involved 53 schools across four states, in both metropolitan and regional areas. Each school receives direct support to strengthen implementation leadership and sustain evidence-based practices.
'As the national evidence body for education, AERO is excited to be able to share what we learn from this project,' Dr Donovan said.
'To strengthen our implementation work, we will continue to investigate ways of providing scalable and practical support that can be accessed by all Australian educators.'
Schools can access AERO's free practical implementation tools and guidance to strengthen their own evidence-based teaching practices.
AERO's implementation resources can be accessed here.
