Research and Development Peter Tymms

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Research and Development Peter Tymms
www.cemcentre.org
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Outline

• Evidence based education
• Scottish study
• International comparisons
• Progress at school
• Criteria for starting school

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Evidence based Education

• Is pre-school intervention a good idea?
• 1960s in the USA
• Intervention with 3-year-olds
• Single parents
• IQlt80
• Inner city
• Random assignment to intervention
• Headline outcome
• For every spent seven were saved

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What was done

• Work with parents and children
• Piagetian based cognitive interventions
• How does this compare with what is being
  advocated now?

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Children starting schoolin Scotland

• What children know and can do when they start
  school
• Evidence of an optimal age for starting school in
  Scotland.

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What children know and can do
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P3 ages
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Link to age
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Attitude with age
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Policy Implications Age of starting school

• No support for a change.
• But there are limitations ..

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Alternative criteria for starting school

• Start school in the first term after 5th birthday
• Parents decide de facto
• Start school on your 5th birthday
• Start school when you are ready

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References

• Campbell, D. T. (1969). Reforms as experiments.
  American Psychologist, 24, 409-429.
• Mullis, I. V. S., Martin, M. O., Gonzalez, E. J.,
  Kennedy, A. M. (2003). PIRLS 2001 International
  Report IEA's Study of Reading Literacy
  Achievement in Primary Schools in 35 Countries.
  Boston, Mass International Study Center, Lynch
  School of Education, Boston College.
• Ramey, C. T., Ramey, S. L. (1998). Early
  Intervention and Early Experience. American
  Psychologist, 53(2), 109-120.
• Tymms, P. B., Jones, P., Merrell, C., Henderson,
  B., Cowie, M. (2004). Children Starting School
  in Scotland http//www.scotland.gov.uk/Publication
  s/2005/02/20634/51600
• Tymms, P., Jones, P., Albone, S., Henderson, B.
  (2009). The first seven years at school.
  Educational Assessment and Evaluation
  Accountability, 21, 67-80.
• Tymms, P., Merrell, C., Henderson, B. (1997).
  The First Year at School A quantitative
  investigation of the attainment and progress of
  pupils. Educational Research and Evaluation,
  3(2), 101-118.
• Tymms, P., Merrell, C., Henderson, B. (2000).
  Baseline Assessment and Progress during the First
  Three Years at School. Educational Research and
  Evaluation, 6(2), 105 - 129.
• Johnson, S., Hennessy, E., Smith, R., Trikic, R.,
  Wolke, D., Marlow, N. (2009). The EPICure
  Study Academic attainment and special
  educational needs in extremely preterm children
  at 11 years. London Nottingham/London/Warwick.