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New Australian research demonstrates that teachers who are able to teach their students attitudes and behaviours for learning improve the learning ability of their students - particularly where students are struggling. Former Dean of Education at the University of Melbourne, Professor Brian Caldwell, stated that the study has important implications for policy and practice: "No amount of testing and reporting of student achievement will improve levels of literacy in Australian schools unless students' attitudes and behaviours prepare them for learning. Professor Bernard's study shows how this can be achieved through an innovative program that has been tested and found to be successful under experimental conditions."
AB4L - media release (98KB pdf)
Summary And Overview (86KB pdf)
Full Final report (545KB pdf)

"School climate matters. Positive and sustained school climate is associated with and/or predictive of positive youth development, effective risk prevention and health promotion efforts, student learning and academic achievement, increased student graduation rates, and teacher retention." National School Climate Survey 2010.pdf 

New School Climate Standards.pdf

The Centre for Analysis of Educational Futures at Flinders University has published a large volume of materials on the evaluation of aspects of the KidsMatter programs. The papers are all available at the CAEF KidsMatter Evaluation website. Download the Evaluation Report Executive Summary here (1MB pdf): kidsmatter-exec-summary-report

Waverley Council has been working across five local government areas with funding from NSW Better Futures, to create an integrated approach to out of school hours and recreational services. The Waverley Council Better Futures Inner and Eastern Sydney Supporting Young People (9-13 years) Project (SYPCAP) has developed and produced a service framework that sets out the approaches taken to improve integrated service provision and distils in a practical way, the findings and expertise of the Waverley Model.

The Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) has started a regular blog on Social and Emotional Development "to exchange information, post relevant research and reports and share their ideas and expertise on how we can better meet the social and emotional developmental needs of children and young people."

Together For Humanity has been given responsiblity to create a world's best practice resource for students and teachers in order to assist students to respond positively to diversity, particularly diversity of beliefs. They are looking for someone (Sydney based- prefered) with substantial experience in curriculum writing, teacher guidance/training, and in the classroom, to lead the creation of this resource (details follow).

This on-line study initiated in New Zealand explores individual wellbeing five times over the course of a year.  The next cohort begins in September 2010.  It is anonymous and will take approximately 30minutes to complete each time.  Go to http://www.wellbeingstudy.com 

Our focus is on how to build friendly and safe school communities rather than addressing the problems of individual bullies and those that are bullied. Wellbeing Australia takes the view that bullying will only be properly addressed when whole school / whole class policy and practice support students (and others in the community) supporting each other. 

The focus is on children, education and developing resilient communities.

A collection of reports on past, present and ongoing work in the field.

Respect in Education: The Challenge of Emotional Literacy in Practice

The concept of emotional literacy in education is developing as schools take on board a range of initiatives which promote constructive relationships and the knowledge and skills which underpin these.

Planting the Peace Virus

Robyn Hromek

This book describes a systematic whole-school approach to creating an ethos of non-violence in primary schools. It is based largely on a program implemented at Byron Bay PS for which the school received an anti-violence award. Evaluation of the program indicated that violence and harassment declined and after several years was rare. The 'peace virus' had grown.

Mentoring programs to increase emotional literacy

Alison Soutter
NSW Department of Education and Training

Restorative Practices - Building Connectedness and Fostering Emotional Literacy.

Peta Blood
Circle Speak