The Ministry of Education is committed to aligning policy and practice to improve students’ achievement. It must be informed by and respond to information about what works, under what conditions, for whom, why and how and what makes a bigger positive difference. However, not all knowledge will inform better decision making, and not all good decision-making will lead to better outcomes – the path from research to policy is not straightforward.
The Iterative BES Evidence-based Policy Project (EBPP) has been developed as a change-management pilot project that seeks to influence the balance of adaptive and generative learning in the Ministry of Education through an examination of factors influencing the relationship between research and policy practices.
The Iterative BES programme is a key source of learning outcomes-linked evidence that could inform generative learning within the Ministry.
To provide a framework for appreciating the contexts of policy advice, the literature review for this project focused initially on the effectiveness and impact of the use of outcomes-linked research evidence in policy development practices. Where possible literature originating in New Zealand takes priority and international findings are applied with caution.
Purpose
The New Zealand Ministry of Education's best evidence synthesis iterations draw together, explain and illustrate through vignette and case, bodies of evidence about what works to improve education outcomes, and what can make a bigger difference for the education of all our children and young people. The BESs are intended to be a catalyst for systemic improvement and sustainable development in education