On behalf of the National Education Research Forum (NERF), the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) commissioned two issues of an evidence-based bulletin for practitioners, aimed to provide a conduit for research to reach teaching communities across England. The effectiveness of the Bulletin was evaluated by obtaining a representative…

The Increased Flexibility for 14-16 year olds Programme (IFP) was introduced in 2002 by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) in order to "create enhanced vocational and work-related learning opportunities for 14-16 year olds who can benefit most." Partnerships between a Lead Partner, usually a college of Further Education, partner…

Behaviour and Education Support Teams (BESTs) are multi-agency teams, which bring together a range of professionals, working to support schools, families and children (aged 5 to 18) who present or are at risk of developing emotional, behavioural and/or attendance problems. Teams include professionals from the fields of education, social care,…

This research project, which was carried out between October 2003 and November 2004, aimed to address a lack of empirical evidence surrounding the admission and exclusion of pupils with special educational needs (SEN). While the relevant legislation and government targets are directed towards the equal treatment of pupils, regardless of their…

This project aimed to undertake a scoping study of existent and potential research into the relationship between education and conflict, peace building and post-conflict situations, both nationally and internationally. Within this aim, the project investigates the main research dimensions of this area, identifies gaps in the research literature,…

This study set out to provide an evidence base concerning the effectiveness of the transition from the Foundation Stage (which applies to children aged three to five years) and Year 1 (for children aged five to six). The study had two main aims: (1) to provide a solid evidence base about the effectiveness of the transition from the Foundation…

This research project was commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) in 2004 to examine barriers to vulnerable children accessing examinations at the end of key stage 4 and to identify strategies employed to overcome these barriers. Key groups of vulnerable children identified by the DfES included: (1) Looked-after children;…

The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) was commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) to conduct a study of primary, secondary and special maintained schools in England to assess the use of data in teaching and learning. The study sought to identify how data is used to promote learning in primary, middle,…

This report presents findings from the three-year evaluation of the Early Professional Development (EPD) pilot scheme. The research was conducted by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) on the behalf of the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the General Teaching Council for England (GTC). Building on the results of…

This summary outlines the key findings from a national evaluation of the first-year trials of the New Relationship with Schools (NRwS) carried out by a team at the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER). The trials took place in the period September 2004 to July 2005 and involved 93 schools in eight local educational authorities…

Good teachers form the foundation of good schools, and improving teachers' skills and knowledge is one of the most important investments of time and money that local, state, and national leaders make in education. Yet with the wide variety of professional development options available, which methods have the most impact on student learning?…

With about 60 percent of American children under age 5 spending part of their day in care outside the home, many policymakers seem to be jumping on the early childhood education bandwagon. Most states now fund or are creating preschool programs, many have developed learning standards for young children, and it is becoming widely accepted that…

This article reveals the intrinsic connection between the constructs normality, identity, meaning, cultural tracking, and school achievement. In particular, it illuminates the indirect connection between cultural tracking and a reduction in the meaningful engagement of school tasks. As documented elsewhere, learning proceeds in a meaningful…

The paper describes an action research study investigating ICT as an integrated artefact in lower secondary schools in Norway. The study is part of a national project called PILOT, which focuses on the pedagogic use of ICT in education. The aim of the project is to develop an understanding of how ICT can become an integrated part of the teaching…

The paper reports three studies addressing the role of numeral writing for arithmetic performance. About 650 children in the age range 5-7 years participated in the studies. The results demonstrate a positive correlation between number of digits correctly written and number of arithmetic problems solved. The correlations between number of reversed…