ISBN 0 7594 0366 X

COPYRIGHT © State of Victoria, Department of Education & Training 2004

The Department of Education & Training welcomes any use ofthis publication within constraints of the Copyright Act 1968.Provided acknowledgment is made to the source, Victoriangovernment and non-government schools are permitted tocopy material freely for the purpose of teaching students inschools, or for communication with parents and others in thecommunity. When a charge is authorised for supplyingmaterial, such charge shall be limited to direct costs only.When the material is sold for profit, then written authoritymust first be obtained.

Address copyright enquiries to the Manager, CopyrightServices, Department of Education & Training, GPO Box4367, Melbourne, Vic, 3001.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Author: Terry Weir

This resource has been developed by the Middle YearsStrategy, School Programs Division, Department of Educationand Training, Victoria 2003 with input from teachers andprincipals from schools involved in the Restart initiative. Thetime and energy given by those involved is much appreciated.

PROGRAM CONSULTANTSDepartment of Education & Training:

Tony Cook, Acting General Manager, Student Learning Division

Ruth Crilly, Senior Policy Officer, Student Learning Division

Kim Hamilton, Senior Policy Officer, Student LearningDivision

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ContentsPREFACE 4

PART A: ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS1 Background 6

2 Methodology 6

3 Analysis Of case Studies 6Organisational models 7Issues relating to organisational choices 9

4 Strategies and programs for successful intervention 10

5 Support for Restart 12

6 Outcomes reported by schools 13

7 Summary of Findings 13

8 Outcomes of Restart 14

9 Further suggestions 14Investigation of six schools in which students achieved only 35 per cent or less improvement from the restart program

10 Recommendations 15

Part B: RESTART SCHOOLS CASE STUDIESCase Study 1 18

Case Study 2 19

Case Study 3 20

Case Study 4 22

Case Study 5 23

Case Study 6 24

Case Study 7 26

Case Study 8 27

Case Study 9 28

Case Study 10 30

Case Study 11 31

Case Study 12 32

Case Study 13 33

Case Study 14 35

Case Study 15 36

Case Study 16 38

AppendicesAppendix 1 Restart Questiionnaire 39

Appendix 2 Texts recommended by schools in the survey 42

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PREFACEStrong literacy and numeracy skills are thefoundation for the future success of young people inpreparing them to meet the challenges of thechanging nature of work in our technologicalsociety. The Restart initiative provides additionalfunding for extra teachers in particular schools todeliver literacy intervention programs to improveliteracy outcomes for identified students in Year 7who have not achieved appropriate literacy skills.

An investigation of literacy intervention programsand strategies was carried out in the fourteenschools where 100 per cent of the Restart studentsshowed significant improvement in the first year ofimplementation. This document aims to share theachievements and approaches schools implementedto improve literacy outcomes for their students.

With schools focussing on improving learningoutcomes for ‘at risk’ students, educators areimplementing many exciting initiatives designed toincrease students’ engagement with learning andenhance their sense of wellbeing andconnectedness to school.

The intended audience of this publication includesteachers, coordinators and principals who areseeking to consolidate their knowledge of successfulintervention programs or who may be consideringtaking action and looking for alternative ways ofproviding support or wanting to affirm decisionsalready made.

This document provides evidence of a range ofstrategies schools have used successfully to achieveexcellent results as part of the Restart initiative.

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1 BACKGROUNDThe aim of the Restart initiative is to improve theliteracy skills of identified low achieving Year 7students. The three-year initiative that started in2002, provides additional funding for 100additional, appropriately qualified teachers to beemployed in 101 schools. Participating schools wereselected on the basis of a combination of informationincluding Year 7 literacy achievement, SLN index,Koorie enrolments and VCE achievement data.

At the beginning of 2002 the DevelopmentAssessment Resource for Teachers (DART) readingtest Danny’s Egg C was used in each of theparticipating schools, in conjunction with otherassessment procedures, to select the lowestperforming students to participate in the program.The next five lowest performing students wereidentified to become a control group.

At the end of 2002 the DART Myths and Legends B was used to reassess students and the controlgroup. The assessment material was changedfollowing surveys of participating schools mid-waythrough the year, which indicated that the Danny’sEgg test was too difficult for most Restart students.Schools recorded each students’ results in an Excelworkbook and emailed it to the Office of SchoolEducation at the end of the school year. TheAustralian Council for Educational Research(ACER), which developed DART, was consulted onthe selection of tests and analysis.

Analysis of the 2002 end of year test identifiedfifteen schools that achieved 97–100 per centstudent improvement. Case studies have beenundertaken of fourteen of these schools to provideall schools with information about successful literacyintervention strategies. One of the fifteen schoolshad only three Restart students and was in a remotelocation and was not included in the case studies.One of the fourteen schools operates across threecampuses. As there is some variation in the way theprogram has been implemented at each site, eachcampus is treated as a separate case study. The totalnumber of case studies is thus sixteen.

As part of this study, interviews were alsoconducted with six schools that had only achieved35 per cent or less improvement. Three of theschools were located in metropolitan areas andthree were located in large regional towns indifferent geographic regions of Victoria. A summaryof findings from these schools is included.

2 METHODOLOGYSchools to be visited were selected by analysing the2002 Restart end-of-year test. A questionnaire(Appendix 1) was prepared as a basis fordiscussion.

In one case, the questionnaire was completedelectronically and a telephone interview wasconducted. In the other fifteen cases thequestionnaire was provided to schools prior to aface-to-face interview. Interviews were conducted ateach school site involving the Restart coordinatorand in some cases other teachers involved in theprogram. Interviews were generally of one to oneand a half-hour duration. When there was a specialroom used for the program, it was visited during orafter the interview.

Following each visit, information from thequestionnaire and additional information that hadbeen provided during the interview was organised ina case study under the following headings:

• background, covering a brief profile of the schoolsize, location and any special characteristics ofthe school population

• the Restart program in the school, coveringnumber of students involved, organisation ofRestart sessions within the timetable, numberand backgrounds of teaching staff involved andlinks between Restart and other teachers andprograms in the school

• teaching methods, covering specific programsused, strategies and resources

• monitoring students

• student attitudes to the program

• support for the program including parentalinvolvement, attitudes of other staff andprofessional development

• main benefits of the program

• most valued strategies

• further suggestions.

3 ANALYSIS OF CASE STUDIESEach of the schools selected for the case studiesachieved excellent results with their Restartprograms. Various organisational models for literacyintervention and a range of strategies and resourceswere employed by these schools.

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Organisational modelsSuccessful results were achieved within differentorganisational arrangements, selected because oftheir applicability to each particular school’s culture.

Withdrawal or classroom-based assistance

Withdrawal was the form of organisation preferredby thirteen of the sixteen schools. In every caseteachers spoke of the value of withdrawal forremoving distractions and promoting students’concentration. One of the schools preferring thisform of organisation had trialled classroom-basedassistance in 2003 which indicated that learningwas not as effective as the learning that could beachieved in small groups. One other school in thisgroup had worked with a combination of withdrawaland classroom-based assistance in 2002 and hadfound it worked well in a context where there wasan ethos of team teaching. However, timetablingrequirements had made it necessary for the schoolto use withdrawal in 2003.

Many of the schools using withdrawal spoke aboutthe enhanced relationships that could develop in ashared, separate environment within the Restartgroup and between students and teachers.Withdrawal worked particularly well when otheraspects of school organisation ensured that therewere strong and positive links between the Restartteam and other year level teachers. Elements ofschool organisation that facilitated effective linksincluded a culture of collegiality within the schooland/or the pastoral organisation of Year 7 that had asmall number of teachers working with students.

Three schools have organised their Restart programsto contain a mix of withdrawal and classroom-basedassistance. These schools consider that this is moreeffective in ensuring the successful reintegration ofRestart students into mainstream classes and thatthere are also greater benefits for the teachingculture in their schools. In each of these cases,team teaching was a pre-existing and valuedelement of school culture.

One of these schools had used the system ofwithdrawal in 2002 but found that it led tostudents missing valuable time in various keylearning areas (KLAs). Also, in this case, studentsdid not respond well to the system of withdrawal (asascertained by the attitudes expressed at thebeginning of 2003 by students who had been partof the group). In addition, it was believed that theuse of team teaching for class-based assistance and

the associated spread of professional expertisewould lead to more effective integration of Restartstudents’ progress with their full range of studiesand an associated improvement in literacyoutcomes for all students across the college.

Although the school decided to move to apredominantly classroom-based model, there wasrecognition of the value of Restart studentsspending some time in a smaller group and havingthe opportunity in such a context to participate withmore confidence than might be possible in thelarger group. Consequently all Year 7 SOSE classeswere blocked together on the timetable with theRestart Coordinator taking the Restart studentstogether as a SOSE class. Regular SOSE texts areused but the Restart team have worked together toprovide additional scaffolding to ensure the work isaccessible to all members of the Restart group.

At this school, classroom assistance is organisedthrough team teaching. Three teachers are involvedin the program. They work with six other Year 7teachers to ensure there is a team approach toclasses in English, Art, Science and SOSE. Withinthe classroom, students have become accustomedto the presence of two teachers. The Restart teacherat times gives assistance to students not in theRestart program and the close communicationbetween all members of the team means that theclassroom teacher may be the one providingassistance to Restart students. At times additionalhelp outside the classroom is provided for individualstudents. In the class that has the largest numberof Restart students (eight), a seating plan isfollowed. The Restart students in this class includethose with the lowest reading levels. The Restartteacher ensures that students are assisted withorganisation and management of work in theclassroom.

In the second school, each student has threesessions of withdrawal and five sessions ofassistance in class over a fortnight. The whole groupis together for one of the three withdrawal sessionsin a week. There is a strong belief in this school thatRestart students should not be isolated. They needto identify themselves with their regular class groupand all the work they are undertaking is seen as abridge to getting them back into regular classes.

In the third school combining the two methods oforganisation, students receive in total about elevenperiods of assistance each week. Students arewithdrawn for three periods which run parallel to

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their regular English classes. The Restart teacher isalso present and provides assistance in Health,SOSE and other English classes. In addition, theRestart teacher works with students in some Mathsand Science classes, to assist students to interpretwritten instructions.

Selection of Restart personnel

In each of the schools the people selected to workin Restart had particular qualifications orbackground experience in literacy intervention.Across the schools there was representation fromteachers with primary teaching backgrounds and anumber with special education, literacy educationor teacher-librarian qualifications. In three of theschools the literacy coordinator was part of theRestart team. In some cases, setting up the Restartteam had required the employment of teachers fromoutside the school’s establishment to ensure thatexpertise was available.

In a number of the schools, teachers spoke aboutthe value of being able to devote a substantialportion of their teaching time to Restart. A numberof schools also commented on the high status ofthe Restart program within their schoolcommunities. This was due in part to recognition,by other staff members, of the expertise provided bythe Restart personnel.

Two of the schools which have team teachingarrangements in place have added one member newto teaching to their teams. Within each team,mentoring is being provided to support this teammember. The longer term planning in each case isto ensure that there is a spread of teachingexpertise.

Selection of students

In common with all other schools in the Restartprogram, DART was used as a primary instrumentfor selecting students for the program. However,with only one exception, additional information wassought and consultation was undertaken beforestudents were selected for the program. Additionaltesting included a range of reading, vocabulary andcomprehension exercises, as well as transitioninformation from the primary school.

In the most elaborate form of selection, anexhaustive process included consideration of allrelevant Year 6 information and analysis ofalternative forms of funding that could be availableto the particular student. Where appropriate,discussions were conducted with the speech

pathologist, student welfare coordinator and thespecial needs coordinator. Quantitative data wasused including, BURT, Dolch Sight Vocabulary, SASpelling Test, Gentry’s Development Spelling Testand a writing text. Finally classroom observation andobservations of attitude/attendance, Year 7 teacherrecommendations, informal chats with the studentsabout their own perceptions of need and informalcontacts with parents helped to select students.

Size of Restart groups

Eleven of the sixteen schools surveyed worked withgroups ranging in size from two to five students. Threeof these schools expressed the opinion that three wasan ideal number for creating positive relationships,ensuring maximum participation and minimising anybehavioural difficulties. The other five schools workedwith groups that ranged in size from seven to amaximum of ten students. However, in three of thesecases, two teachers were always involved with eachgroup. In the case of one school where seven studentsparticipated in a program that involved withdrawaland class-based assistance, the seven were onlytogether as a whole group for three periods a fortnight.In the five other sessions providing class-basedassistance over a fortnight, the teacher was frequentlyable to provide one-to-one assistance.

Time for Restart

The lowest number of Restart periods per week wasthree in five of the surveyed schools, although in twoof these cases provision was made for additionalindividual assistance as required. In one other schoolthe timetable had been arranged to ensure thatRestart sessions were always held in either periodone or two. In this case the teacher believed that thevalue of the early morning session compensated forthe relatively small number of classes. Four schoolsprovided four periods and five schools provided fiveperiods each week. One school, using team teachingand working with a group of up to ten, providedseven periods each week. Another school using teamteaching and organised to provide withdrawal andclassroom based assistance was providing assistancefor up to eleven periods each week.

Making space available for the Restart groups

It is not always possible for schools to have adesignated area set aside for small groupwithdrawal. However, of the schools surveyed, ninehad provided a specific room and it was evident ina number of cases that there were significantbenefits for students and teachers flowing from theallocation of a fixed, resourced room. In three

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schools with this arrangement Restart teachers hadfound that the room had become a focal point formany staff to develop a wider range of strategies touse in their regular classrooms.

Issues relating to organisational choicesTo ensure successful implementation of theirselected organisational methods, each of the schoolshad worked through a variety of issues includingtimetable arrangements, students’ attitudes toparticipation and maintaining links between theRestart program and students’ other classes.

Timetabling

In each school, careful analysis was made of thetimetable implications of withdrawing students. Thearrangements finally put in place reflected thepriorities most appropriate for each context. Forschools using withdrawal and classroom-basedassistance, it was necessary to have timetablearrangements that could place teaching teammembers together in appropriate classes. Therewere some common emphases such as notwithdrawing students from practical classes or othersubjects for which they had particular enthusiasm,or in which they enjoyed success. Successfulschools also demonstrated a capacity for staffmembers to work collaboratively to achieve the bestorganisational outcomes.

A common strategy was to ensure that there was awide spread of subjects from which students werewithdrawn so that one subject was never missedconsistently. To support the withdrawal of studentsfrom classes, most of the schools surveyed hadarrangements with other subject teachers to ensurethat work was made available to cover content.Frequently other teachers were prepared to makesome concessions in terms of expectations of workfor assessment.

One of the schools withdrew students from SOSEand English classes but provided courses that ranparallel to work being undertaken in the mainstreamclasses so that students were not disadvantaged bylosing content appropriate to the year level.

One school made the decision to timetable Restartsessions against two of the four electives availableto Year 7 students. In 2002 this school conductedtwo Restart groups. One of them was timetabledagainst two electives; the other group waswithdrawn from two periods of English and twoperiods of one elective. Results at the end of theyear showed that the students who had continued

regular English alongside Restart had improvedlearning outcomes at a higher level than the Restartstudents who were withdrawn from two Englishperiods. In 2003 the school decided that Restartstudents must continue mainstream English andconsequently all these students now have Restartsessions in lieu of two electives.

Two schools experimented with withdrawal ofstudents from LOTE classes. In one case thisarrangement was negotiated with the fullcooperation of LOTE teachers in the school whoachieve great success with the teaching of Germanthrough to VCE. LOTE teachers, in this case, foundthat the smaller LOTE classes made it easier forthem to work effectively with students who werelikely to continue with their LOTE studies. LOTEteachers in the second school were not happy withthe arrangement and in 2003 this school changedto a system of withdrawal across all subjects. Inpreparing for this change there was a great deal ofcollaborative work between the Restart team and allKLA teachers. The outcome was the incorporationof work from all KLAs into the Restart program. Inaddition, this school has set up a system ofmentoring and additional tutorial assistance forRestart and other students. Up to eight staffmembers are providing timetabled assistance intheir own subjects. Restart students are among themain student beneficiaries of this program.

In one of the schools using withdrawal, theorganisation of the Year 7 team teaching structurehas been a valuable structural basis for the Restartprogram. In this school, Year 7 core subjects aretaught as integrated units. The Year 7 team,including the Restart teacher, meets weekly to planthe delivery of these units. The Restart teacher isable to pass on information about procedures,successes and observations of Restart students andassists by suggesting ways in which core work in theregular classrooms can be made most accessible forRestart students.

A further dimension to the issue of timetablearrangements concerns perceptions among studentsand staff of the role of Restart in the curriculum.Many of the schools spoke about the value andimportance of having a regular, timetabled presencein ensuring the legitimacy and status of theprogram within the school community.

Student attitudes to withdrawal

Every school surveyed reported that studentsenjoyed the small group situation and found it

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supportive and confidence-boosting to work withothers at a similar level in a situation where therewas individualised attention and assistanceavailable. A number of schools had strengthenedthe positive response of students by:

• negotiating some aspects of the program withstudents. There was negotiation about certaintopics on which students worked, the selection ofbooks for reading, and negotiation about thetiming of the classes to ensure that students didnot miss classes in which they had particularinterest. Three schools had student self-evaluation at the beginning of the year toestablish with students the areas on which mostwork was needed.

• attaching certain privileges to the Restart group.Each school was working towards fullyreintegrating the Restart students back intomainstream classes. As an early part of thisprocess a number of schools spoke of the value ofbonding members of the group. In developingpositive relationships within the Restart group,students were strengthening the social skills thatwould enhance their ability to reintegrate with themainstream later.

To strengthen the bonding process one school hadtaken the Restart students away on a Literacy andSelf-esteem camp and another had organised end-of-term excursions for the group. Small tokens tomark birthdays and to celebrate individual studentsuccesses were other means of strengthening thepositive attitudes of students.

The experiences of these schools suggest thatwithdrawal provides a means of increasing socialskills and engagement of a group of students whohad often felt marginalised. Even those schools thatcombined withdrawal with classroom-basedassistance recognised the benefits gained fromsome time spent within smaller groups.

Maintaining links between Restart and students’classes

There was common recognition among the schoolsof the importance of establishing and maintainingstrong links between Restart , personnel and otherstaff members. Regular attendance at year levelmeetings and reporting back on Restart students toother year level teachers occurred at every school.In a number of cases, these meetings also providedan opportunity for Restart teachers to providestrategies that could be used by other teachersworking with these students. The continuing

reminders about these strategies ensured thatprofessional development learnings were put intopractice in the classroom. In several cases, Restartteachers commented that teachers within theirschools were significantly extending their repertoireof teaching practices in recognition of differentlearning needs and the presence of Restart was amajor factor in bringing about this change.

Very effective links were evident between Restartand other teachers in three schools, which haveintroduced professional learning teams, and in threeother schools which have other forms of teamteaching in place. In each case the stimulus fromRestart has been very valuable in broadeningteacher awareness of appropriate ways to respond tovarying student learning needs.

There is a natural connection between Restart andother literacy programs operating in schools. Nineschools were making use of Access to Excellencefunding to provide continuing literacy support inYear 8. Two schools had been able to strengthen theresource base and widen the teaching strategiesused by linking with the Koorie program.

4 STRATEGIES AND PROGRAMS FORSUCCESSFUL INTERVENTIONNo single program is in universal use across theschools. Schools are adapting elements from anumber of sources to meet the learning needs oftheir cohort of students. However, a number ofcommon teaching and learning strategies emergedacross the schools.

• In every case, teachers spoke of the importanceof creating an atmosphere of support andencouragement within the small group. In threecases Restart teachers spoke of their recognitionof the social difficulties that were compoundinglearning problems for many of the Restartstudents. Their close relationships with studentsand subsequent liaison with the student welfarecoordinator had led to a variety of forms ofappropriate support, in addition to literacyintervention, being made available to assiststudents. The teacher/student relationships thatcould be developed within the small groupsituation were particularly important in developingtrust and confidence in students who, in manycases had low self-esteem. Collaborative workwith one other person or in a small group withothers of comparable skills encouraged thesestudents to participate effectively. The creation of

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an appropriate environment was often based onpersonal recognition in the form of incentives forthe students.

• Most teachers recognised the value of structurewithin their Restart programs. At the same time anumber of teachers emphasised that it was veryimportant to respond to student interest in theselection of topics and activities and to retainflexibility in management of the program toensure continuing student engagement. There isno necessary contradiction between theserecommendations. For example, one teacher,working in a designated room which is wellstocked with literacy resources, spoke of regularlyadjusting the program in response to students’attitudes or requests. However, within theprogram students still understood that in everysession there would be some reading, writing,vocabulary development and recall. The order ofthose activities, the form in which they might beundertaken and the content of the readingexercise were all areas in which adjustmentscould be made without reducing the security of apredictable structure.

• The full range of middle years literacy strategieswas in use across these schools. These includedpre and post-reading activities such asbrainstorming existing knowledge, identifying keywords prior to reading, modelling reading (andwriting) using graphic organisers and other visualaids, visualising, reciprocal reading,deconstructing sections of text, summarising,retelling and paraphrasing, clarifying andverbalising what had been learned. In several ofthe schools at the conclusion of every lessonstudents had to verbalise what they had learnedin the session and explain how they would applythe particular strategy or skill in other classes. Anumber of the teachers also emphasised theimportance of their own verbal exchanges withstudents. They spoke about the importance ofkeeping their instructions clear and explicit andthe value of explaining in the simplest waypossible what was to be done by the students andwhy they were doing that particular task.

• Visual stimulation was recognised as useful forthis cohort of students. In four of the schools thathad use of a room for Restart, visual aids wereused to good effect to promote interest inreading. Visual clues and reminders wereprominently displayed to provide reinforcementand repetition to assist students.

• All schools recognised the value of providingvariety within the Restart sessions. Most indicatedthat fifteen minutes was the optimal time tospend on any one activity. Several schools haddeveloped a range of hands-on, highly interactiveactivities, such as word games. These played arole in programs by providing concrete examples,engaging students through an element of play andcompetition and provided an opportunity for somemovement around the room during the session.

• Most of the schools identified the importance ofproviding texts that were stimulating andinteresting to students and age-appropriate interms of content. For boys, in particular,informative writing had been found to interestthem and in several of the schools the Restartroom was well stocked with such texts covering arange of hobby, sporting and popular sciencetopics. In two of the schools where resourceswere limited, teachers had found a wealth ofappropriate material available in texts reflectingpopular culture, such as magazines and dailypapers. Informative writing had also been foundto provide effective models for student writing,once scaffolding support was provided. Twoteachers spoke about these students being sick of‘baby books’ and being asked to write ‘stories’.

• Scaffolding was identified by three schools as avery important strategy to ensure that work wasmade accessible to students. This took a varietyof forms but generally was based on texts orwriting tasks being presented in small,manageable sections, and a number of additionalsteps being provided as students moved througheach task. Strategies such as highlighting anddiscussing key words and concepts and usingguided questions ensured that understanding wasfirmly in place at each point of the task. Concreteexamples were used to guide students’understanding and skeletal structure was providedas students, working with others, moved on towriting. With such support, Restart students wereproducing written work of a high standard in avariety of genres.

• The writing element of Restart programs was alsoworking particularly well in one school where realaudiences, in the form of local primary schools,had been established. Students were taking greatpride in creating books for younger readers inthose settings and in providing regularinformation for newsletters. In this case, the useof computers in the Restart room was enabling

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students to present their finished work inprofessional-looking formats.

• A small number of schools had found it useful toincorporate some elements of Corrective Readingto improve students’ specific skills of decoding,but expanded and moved beyond the limits ofthis resource by progressively adding middle yearsliteracy strategies and in particular substitutingtests drawn from Australian popular culture. Oneschool introduced a range of strategies includingoral comprehension in response to spontaneousquestions that arose in the course of reading.Strategies of repetition, reinforcement, predictionand retelling were added to provide more of achallenge and extension for students. Modellingwas used and students often read in pairspreparing rehearsed and timed readings.

In two schools Corrective Reading was rejected bystudents. The content was considered to be tooboring, and the teachers found it didn’t extendstudents. In addition, its reflection of Americanculture was seen as culturally inappropriate.

• In developing and implementing various strategies,schools made use of a variety of resources. Inmany cases teachers had developed their ownresources based on texts readily available frompopular culture, or within the general schoollibrary. Several of the schools requested furtherinformation about resources used by other Restartschools. A list of the resources mentioned in thecase studies is provided in the appendix. Inaddition, an on-line discussion group has beenestablished to facilitate the exchange of suchinformation. (Although a number of the schoolsidentified early difficulties with accessing on-linesupport, the website has now been modified toensure easy access.)

5 SUPPORT FOR RESTARTA majority of the schools reported that theirprograms enjoyed strong support within theirschools and in some cases the Restart teammembers were playing a central role in wideningteaching practices throughout the whole school.Support was experienced most strongly in thoseschools in which a culture of team teaching andcollegiality existed. In only one case, where a singleteacher conducted the program with the assistanceof a teacher’s aide, there was an expressed need foradditional support.

Each of the schools had approaches in place toensure parental support for the program. They usedregular newsletters, information evenings, personalletters, involvement in students’ Individual LearningPlans, home-based spelling assistance andsupervised reading to ensure parents remainedinformed about student progress. A number of casesschools had invited more direct parentalinvolvement but this had only occurred in oneschool for one semester.

Professional development was an important sourceof support for Restart teams. Restart providers inevery school had attended the Restart professionaldevelopment either in Melbourne or in one of severallocations throughout the state. Most of the schoolshad continued to participate in regionally organisedprofessional development. In several cases particularmention was made of the professional developmentprovided by Dr John Munro who suggested strategiesfor effective literacy intervention. Networkparticipation was identified by several schools as aparticularly valuable form of support with teachersfinding great benefit in sharing ideas aboutstrategies and resources.

In many of the schools, targeted professionaldevelopment had been provided to all staff toenhance practices that improved students’ literacyoutcomes. One result of such PD was that staffmembers were according literacy a higher priorityand were more able to understand and welcome therole of the Restart program within the whole schoolcurriculum. PD for the whole school includedMiddle Years Literacy and Thinking OrientedCurriculum, (four schools), Literacy Across theCurriculum (four schools), Motivating Boys andLiteracy (one school) cooperative learning (oneschool), Strategies for Scaffolding (one school) andone of the schools in the surveyed group had twoMiddle Years Literacy Leaders on the staff who hadorganised a six week course in Literacy Across theCurriculum for other staff members.

A number of the schools had been able to establishvery effective links between Restart and otherinitiatives such as Access to Excellence. Typicallythese schools were extending the benefits of Restartin Year 7 to students as they proceeded into Year 8and beyond. Links between Restart and the KoorieLiteracy Links Program had enabled the developmentof a stronger resource base and the identification anduse of teaching strategies particularly appropriate toa particular cohort of students.

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6 OUTCOMES REPORTED BY SCHOOLSThe schools in this study used DART as a performancemeasure. In terms of the DART results alone theprograms would be regarded as achieving extremelypositive outcomes. However, every school in the studyreported positive outcomes for students in addition tothose that could be measured by the DART.

Such outcomes were evident in demonstrations ofincreased confidence and willingness to participate,both within the Restart group and at the point ofreintegration into mainstream classes. For somestudents the close and trusting relationship thatwas developed with the Restart teacher and liaisonwith the student welfare coordinator enabledassistance to be provided to remove further socialbarriers to effective learning. Several teachers spokeabout the relative narrowness of the DART as aninstrument for determining students’ progress inliteracy as it ignored the importance of improvedself esteem and personal confidence and the effectsthat these improvements were likely to have on thecontinuing ability of students to use and improveliteracy skills.

Most schools reported anecdotal evidence that Year8 teachers were recognising the improved skills offormer Restart students. Every school in the studyhad some continuing support available if requiredfor Year 8 students with literacy difficulties. Therewere four schools which had formal tracking offormer Restart students in place. Each of theseschools reported that the majority of the 2002cohort was no longer requiring additional literacysupport. As the initiative is only in its second yearthere is no basis for determining long-term effectsof intervention at Year 7 at this point.

A number of Restart teachers identified benefitsfrom the initiative for their own teaching practiceand for the teaching culture within their school.They reported a broadening of their ownunderstanding of effective intervention practicesand an increased awareness across their schools ofthe need to develop teaching strategies to ensureinclusiveness.

Every participating school confirmed the value ofRestart. The opportunities it provided for intensive,personalised responses to students’ learning needswere most enthusiastically welcomed. There was alsoa generalised recognition that learning outcomes formany other students in each school would be greatlyenhanced if the program could be extended.

7 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS The findings below are a summary based onresponses made by the teachers interviewed.

Organisational arrangements

• Withdrawal from regular classes was the mostwidely used form of organisation of Restartsessions.

• Withdrawal worked well where there had beencareful analysis of the timetable; effectivecollaboration with other staff members; andstudents had a positive attitude to their owninvolvement.

• Classroom-based assistance, accompanied bywithdrawal for a limited number of periodsworked well in schools where a team-teachingculture existed.

• Small group work was recognised as particularlyvaluable for students' social development as wellas for the opportunities it provided for intensivework on aspects of language development.

• Most schools preferred to work with students ingroups of from two to five. If groups were anylarger, provision was made for team teaching oradditional one-to-one assistance outside thegroup.

• Students benefited most from regularparticipation in Restart sessions. Successfulschools generally were providing at least fiveperiods a week.

• The selection of Restart staff was an importantelement in the success of programs. In thesesuccessful schools, Restart teachers had beenable to bring a breadth of backgroundunderstanding and experience to their work inliteracy intervention.

• Students’ attitudes to Restart were crucial to thesuccess of the program. Successful schools used arange of strategies to ensure that the Restartenjoyed high status in the school and that studentsheld positive attitudes to their involvement.

• The provision of an appropriate room for Restartsessions was of significant value.

Teaching and learning strategies

• The creation of encouraging and supportiveenvironments was crucial in providing a base fromwhich students could approach learningchallenges with confidence.

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• Most teachers in the study reported theimportance of structure, predictability andregularity within the Restart sessions in assistingthese students with personal organisation and thedevelopment of effective learning strategies.

• Within a strong overall structure, flexibility to respondto student interest was regarded as very important.

• Half the schools incorporated some elements ofdecoding within their programs.

• Variety within each Restart session was a commonstrategy to retain student engagement.

• Different learning styles were accommodated bystrong use of visual aids, oral activities,collaborative work with others and the opportunityfor hands-on activities.

• Repetition, verbalisation and reinforcement wereimportant means of consolidating skills.

• In a number of these schools, elements of theThinking Oriented Curriculum were incorporatedto ensure that students were challenged andextended within their programs.

• Scaffolding, modelling and reciprocal readingwere valuable strategies to assist students to gainaccess to age-appropriate texts and tasks.

• Texts of age-appropriate content, across a numberof genres, were selected to reflect student interestand increase interest in reading.

• Students’ interest in writing was increased when realaudiences were provided and technology was used toenhance the appearance of their finished work.

• Competitions, play and the use of incentiveswere useful means of engaging and sustainingstudent interest.

• No single approach emerged as being appropriatein all contexts. Most schools were creative incombining elements from many sources to meetthe particular needs of their group of students.

Support for Restart

• Parents were supportive of the program althoughthere was little direct involvement of parents inany of the programs.

• In most cases other staff were supportive of theprogram. When there was lack of support it wasgenerally connected with concern aboutwithdrawal of students from classes.

• Restart had the strongest support in schools whereliteracy was a high priority in the school curriculum.

• Schools that established effective connectionsbetween Restart and other initiatives such asAccess to Excellence and Koorie Literacy Linkswere creating infrastructures within their schoolsthat supported strong developments in literacyacross the whole school.

• Targeted professional development providingeffective literacy intervention strategies played animportant role in supporting Restart teachers.

• Whole school professional development in literacyhad been valuable in sensitising schoolcommunities to the importance and value of literacyintervention and in creating a climate of support.

8 OUTCOMES OF RESTART• Restart demonstrated that intensive,

individualised assistance provided by teacherstrained in strategies of literacy intervention couldprovide measurable, beneficial learning outcomesfor students with low literacy skills.

• Benefits of the program extended beyond thedevelopment and application of literacy skills.Every school reported marked increases in socialcompetency for participating students.

• Most schools reported that anecdotal evidencesuggests that students are maintaining thebenefits of Restart in their reintegration intomainstream classes.

• Many participating teachers reported their ownprofessional satisfaction in increasing theirunderstanding of literacy intervention and theconsequent broadening of their personal teachingrepertoires.

• A number of the schools reported significantchanges within the middle years culture of theirschools that they attributed in some part to theexistence of Restart and the associated increasedinterest in effective literacy intervention.

9 FURTHER SUGGESTIONS• The initiative should be continued beyond the

initial three-year period. It has provided effectiveintervention for groups of students whose lowliteracy skills block their continuing access to andparticipation in learning.

• Teachers who participated in the three-yearprogram will accumulate a body of expertise andpractical experience in literacy intervention that

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represents a resource within their own schoolsand for other schools. They should be supportedin disseminating their understanding throughsuch means as mentoring or network facilitation.

• Professional development to support effectiveliteracy intervention should be continued andextended to reach other teachers of middle years.

Investigation of six schools in whichstudents achieved only 35 per cent or lessimprovement from the Restart programAs part of this study, interviews were conductedwith six schools that had only achieved 35 per centor less improvement. Three of the schools werelocated in metropolitan areas and three werelocated in large regional towns in differentgeographic regions of Victoria. Face-to-face visitswere conducted with the Restart co-ordinator atthree of those schools. The three remaining schoolswere in distant locations throughout the state. Forthese schools information was gatheredelectronically and completion of a questionnairewas followed by at least one telephone interview ineach case.

Findings

The findings below are a summary based onresponses made by the teachers interviewed.

• There was no one single factor common to allschools that could explain the relative lack ofsuccess of their programs.

• Two schools found insufficient support within theschool from the leadership and other staff for theproject in its first year of operation.

* In one school, timetabling was identified as themost important factor preventing thestructured, sequential, intensive form ofassistance appropriate to the program.

• In another, timetabling and personnel issuesrestricted the full development of the program. Inthis case no permanent location was provided forRestart sessions and other teachers were resentful ofstudents being withdrawn for the program. TheRestart teacher was not able to begin the programuntil the beginning of Term 3 and did not participatein the selection of students for the program.

• In two other schools the main contributing factorsappeared to be inexperience in literacy educationof those implementing the program and anassociated absence of appropriate resourceswithin their schools.

* In one school, regional support is now in place,teacher professional development andappropriate resources have been provided andthe school administration is providing fullsupport for the teacher who conducts theprogram.

* In the second school, which also experiencedinsufficient support from other staff, a team ofteachers has received advice on strategies andresources from a regional Middle Years Officer.The team implementing the program has notundertaken any targeted professionaldevelopment but with resources in place theprogram ran more effectively in 2003.

• Teacher illness had prevented the program fromoperating effectively in one school for the wholeof Term 4. As the program had only begun at thebeginning of Term 2; students had insufficienttime within the program at this school. (In 2003the program operated well with two permanentmembers of staff sharing responsibility forimplementation.)

• The sixth school attributed the relative lack ofsuccess to problems with the DART as a tool ofanalysis. In this case there was an artificially highrecording of students’ literacy skills using theinitial test. Although students definitely improvedskills during the year and benefited significantlyfrom the program, this was not apparent in post-testing against the incorrect earlier judgment.

RECOMMENDATIONSThis review of case study schools has identified thefollowing key aspects of intervention for improvingthe literacy skills of students:

• promoting positive relationships between teacherand students by providing a designated teacherfor intervention

• providing at least three to five sessions of explicitintensive instruction per week

• using experienced literacy teachers to facilitatethe intervention

• maintaining flexibility within the program toaddress changes in individual students’ interestsand needs

• working with other teachers to extend support intomainstream classes

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• monitoring and collecting evidence of students’skills using a range of procedures

• ensuring whole school support for the programand for literacy improvement

• allocating a warm, inviting room for withdrawalsessions

• developing all teachers’ knowledge about literacylearning and expanding teaching repertoiresthrough appropriate professional development.

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CASE STUDY 1

BackgroundThe school of 950+ students is situated in thewestern metropolitan area. The area is one of highgrowth with several other schools in close proximitycatering to the post-primary years. The school hashigh Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA)levels. Issues of concern are low parental support,low literacy levels and high absenteeism. There is arelatively low ethnic mix with the majority ofstudents Australian-born.

Restart in the SchoolIn both 2002 and 2003 Restart involved twenty-onestudents. They were selected on the basis of theDART, analysis of reading effectiveness and analysisof student achievement against CSF levels.

In 2002 the program was based on withdrawal ofstudents. Despite excellent results at the end of2002, significant changes were introduced in 2003because of concern about students missing contenttime in various KLAs and unfavourable studentresponse to withdrawal. The school had a strongethos of team teaching. It was decided to build onthis to support a system of classroom-basedassistance, combined with one separate classinvolving all Restart students. This organisation wasseen to be one which would result in a spread ofprofessional expertise and ultimately more effectiveintegration of Restart students into regular classes.

Extensive consultations with all teachers at Year 7led to different arrangements for 2003. The twenty-one Restart students are divided into three homegroups. Three teachers, including the literacycoordinator and Restart coordinator, have primaryresponsibility for the program. The Restart studentsare blocked together for SOSE, which is taken bythe Restart coordinator and a SOSE teacher. Attimes, additional help outside the classroom isprovided for individual students. Six additionalteachers are involved in a system of team-teaching,which occurs in English, Art, Science and SOSE.Time is set aside once a fortnight for a curriculumplanning session that involves the nine teacherswho form the Restart team.

Teaching ApproachesUsually the Restart students are working with textsin general use at the year level. At times this workwill be supplemented by specific comprehensionactivities. The three main teachers meet for regular

planning sessions and have developed a series ofcommon lesson plans making use of middle yearsstrategies. There is consistency between all teammembers in their approach to the development ofbasic skills. Extensive use is made of modelling andreciprocal teaching. The strategies suggested by DrJohn Munro during professional development havebeen followed closely when structuring lessons,particularly in the SOSE classroom. There is anemphasis on reinforcement of preceding work andproviding clear instructions and simple steps toenable students to achieve success and gainconfidence.

A concerted effort is being made to communicatedevelopments in Restart to all year level teachers.This occurs at year level meetings and one-to-onePD provided by the literacy coordinator. The literacycoordinator works closely with all year level teachersand uses Curriculum and Standards Framework(CSF) levels to assist teachers in the developmentof class work that ensures access for all students.

Monitoring StudentsThe Restart teachers keep and share journals, whichprovide a record of work covered, individual studentresponse and further ideas and strategies. Studentprogress is reported upon half yearly within KLAreports. At the end of Year 7, in addition to the DART,other tests are conducted for the lowest students.

There has not been formal tracking of 2002 Restartstudents in Year 8; however, feedback from Year 8teachers indicates that former Restart students showincreased confidence and interest in participation.

Student AttitudesIn 2002 there was some negativity towardswithdrawal from regular classes. In 2003 studentsaccepted the team-teaching style as a normal partof school life. Students in the SOSE classresponded well to the structure of their classes.

Support for RestartAlthough consistent efforts have been made toinvolve parents through letters and informationevenings there is a low level of parental involvement.

The three central members of the Restart team haveattended all middle years PD and Restart sessions,including PD in distant regions as well as locally, tofamiliarise themselves with a variety of approachesand strategies. Improved literacy is a major schoolgoal. The school is participating in the Access toExcellence initiative and has established a literacy

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working party looking at all aspects of literacyacross the curriculum. In-school Middle YearsLiteracy Professional Development was provided forall year level teachers at the beginning of 2003 andfourteen staff have received training in middle yearsliteracy strategies. Regional support has beenprovided through middle years PD and Restartprograms such as Modelling/Reciprocal TeachingPD. Some funding was provided to facilitatenetwork arrangements. In 2003 with the changedorganisation of the program and emphasis ondeveloping team planning there was growingsupport within the school.

Main Benefits of RestartStudents have benefited with improved skills inreading and comprehension. They have also shownsignificant improvements in self-confidence,engagement, personal time management, goalsetting and organisational skills.

For teachers, the program has led to a strongerteam ethos and increased awareness of the value ofsharing resources, ideas and practical strategies andthe value of CSF judgments in determiningappropriate teaching styles to ensure inclusivity.

Most Valued StrategiesTeamwork has been a key strategy with shared ideasand strategies creating a consistent approach. Theprogram has contributed to a broadening ofteaching practices throughout the school.

Further SuggestionsFurther professional development opportunities tomeet with other Restart teachers in order to sharestrategies would be highly desirable. Ideally thisshould occur before the end of each year. Inparticular, further professional developmentcovering specific teaching and learning strategiesfor Restart students would be valued.

School organisation of the Restart groups would beimproved if schools had the means to determinemembers of the Restart group by the end of Year 6.This could be achieved by earlier testing or closercollaboration between primary and secondary schools.

CASE STUDY 2

BackgroundThe P-12 college of 450 students is situated veryclose to the city. The college population isethnically diverse with a fair gender balance.

Demographic changes in the surrounding area areimproving the socioeconomic status of the students.The school population draws in part from a largepublic housing estate and there is a high rate oftransience among students. Although the school hasa well-established program of literacy intervention,student transfers have meant that it receives manystudents with poor levels of literacy.

Restart in the SchoolIn both 2002 and 2003 there were thirteen studentsinvolved in the program. They were selected on thebasis of the DART, analysis of Corrective Readingtests (which has been in place in the college for anumber of years) and close consultation betweenclass teachers and the Restart coordinator.

The approach is one of withdrawal from regularclasses. Two teachers are involved, one with 0.6 andthe other with 0.5 time allotments to the program.Each of the teachers has training in primary schoolteaching and one also has secondary teachingtraining. One of the teachers also has trained inReading Recovery. All Restart students are mappedaccording to their individual corrective reading needsand are then placed in different small groups forwithdrawal. Those who are able to decode, engage inmore intense comprehension activities in theirRestart sessions. Those with the lowest readinglevels may also receive individual one-to-onecorrective reading assistance. All students in theprogram are withdrawn for at least one period a day.

Care is taken to ensure that students are notremoved from one subject area consistently and thatstudents do not miss practical classes in which theyhave a particular interest, thus minimising anynegative effects of withdrawal.

There is very close formal and informalcommunication between Restart teachers and otherteachers at the year level. The Restart coordinatorattends all year level meetings, provides diagnosticinformation and suggests strategies relevant toparticular students. Year level teachers are providedwith information about all aspects of the Restartprogram as it is being implemented.

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Teaching The program is highly structured using CorrectiveReading materials and the Key Comprehension Series(Into Interference and Into Organisation, TriunePublications, New Zealand). Activities are conductedas set out in these programs and as appropriate forthe reading level determined by pre-testing.

The small group methodology and teaching stylehas created a highly individualised, supportiveenvironment in which students feel confident totackle reading and comprehension. A positivelearning relationship has been built up between theRestart teachers and the students.

Monitoring StudentsDaily observations of each student are recorded.Testing occurs regularly after thirty lessons. Regularinformal contact with other Year 7 teachers providesanecdotal evidence that the skills acquired in theRestart sessions are transferable. No officialmonitoring of 2002 Restart students has beenundertaken in Year 8 although there has been positivefeedback from staff.

Monitoring StudentsStudents generally seem to enjoy the small groupsituation although there has been no formal survey.In 2003 one student dropped out temporarily buthis mother insisted on his return. He participatedwith some reluctance.

Monitoring StudentsParents have been kept informed of the programthrough information evenings and letters. There is agroup of Steiner primary school parents who initiallyfelt concerned about the methods of CorrectiveReading, but are now more supportive of the program.

Professional development was organised privately forCorrective Reading and associated comprehension.Restart staff members have attended all Restart PDorganised centrally and in the region. Restart staffmembers attend Reading Recovery meetings eachmonth. Although these are designed for assistancewith Year 1 students there are some benefits fortheir work with Year 7 students.

Other staff members are accepting of the Restartprogram and recognise its benefits.

Main Benefits of RestartStudents have shown dramatic improvement inreading and comprehension ability. Other teachershave commented that this improvement is evident

in their work in general classes. Their new skillshave added greatly to their self esteem andconfidence in themselves as learners.

Most Valued StrategiesThe small group situation and the highlypersonalised attention made possible within Restartare most highly valued. For these students theinteraction with others who are operating at thesame level has provided a platform of confidence onwhich skills in reading can be built.

Further SuggestionsThe Restart program is highly valued and seen asvery necessary. For this school, Corrective Readinghas been valuable for addressing the specific needsof the students participating in Restart.

CASE STUDY 3

BackgroundThe school of 300+ students is situated in theeastern metropolitan area. Students in the schoolgenerally come from low socioeconomicbackgrounds with 40 per cent of students receivingEMA. In recognising that some students have issueswith engagement, low literacy levels and lowretention rates to VCE the college had alreadyimplemented a number of compensatoryeducational programs to address these issues priorto the implementation of Restart.

Restart in the SchoolDuring 2002 and 2003 the program involved 8students in each year. Students were selected forthe program on the basis of the DART, PAT(Progressive Reading and Achievement Test) whichprovided information about reading comprehensionand vocabulary and transition information aboutstudents’ abilities and needs.

The approach in the school is based on withdrawalof students in groups of two to four to the Restartroom, as well as individual instruction based onparticular needs of the students. Each student hasat least one session each day.

One teacher with long-standing experience ofteaching upper primary classes conducts theprogram. Another teacher who has developed andprovided a Compensatory Education Literacyprogram in the school provides professional supportby exchanging ideas and strategies. There is veryclose liaison between the Restart teacher and the

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Home Group, English and SOSE teachers of eachstudent. There has also been very close liaison withthe student welfare coordinator in relation to issuesof social isolation, harassment, personalorganisational skills and hygiene, which haverepresented barriers to learning for some Restartstudents.

Teaching ApproachesThe Restart room is set up in a very central positionin the school. It is warm, inviting and laden withresources. Visual aids and displays create anatmosphere very conducive to effective literacylearning. No single program is used. A multitude ofresources has been developed to ensure that alllearning styles and needs are catered for. Many ofthe resources developed by the teacher caterextremely well for active learning and visualisationwith plenty of movement and interactivity by thestudents. Resources include card games based onjoke matching/proverb matching/ hyphen hunt andusing speech bubbles to get students started onshort pieces of writing. Word games such asScrabble, Stackers, and Alphabetics are othermeans of engaging students and introducing varietyinto lessons. Literature is selected based onstudents’ interests and humour in the form ofrhyming verse and jokes.

A lot of work is done on building students’knowledge and understanding of vocabulary,comprehension and word families. In reading,students are assisted to develop and use strategiesof prediction, clarification, questioning, visualisingand summarising as included in reciprocal teachingand suggested by Dr John Munro duringprofessional development for Restart teachers.When weaknesses in oral reading suggest that someaspects of decoding need to be addressed, theteacher makes use of her own compiled word listsand phoneme charts. For comprehension work, useis made of black-line master worksheets that areskill-based. These assist students to use contextclues, make inferences, identify central ideas anddraw conclusions. Cloze exercises are also used.

Monitoring StudentsEvery session involves informal monitoring ofstudents’ word attack skills, confidence,comprehension difficulties and vocabularyimprovement. Students’ worksheets and workbooksare kept in the Restart room. Records are kept ofstudents’ test results at the beginning, middle andend of year.

Restart students from 2002 continue to bemonitored through additional assistance providedwithin the school’s pre-existing literacy supportprogram. In Year 8 increasing use is made ofcomputer-based literacy strategies.

Student AttitudesThe great majority of students are willingparticipants in the program and in some cases haveasked for extra lessons. Student attitudes have beengauged by comments from students, requests forparticular activities and from responses toattitudinal tests provided by the Department.Students have some involvement in the content ofthe program because they have all providedinformation about the areas of literacy in which theybelieve they need to improve. There is negotiationabout topics and books that they choose for freereading.

Support for RestartUnfortunately parents have expressed little interestin the program. A note is sent home early in Term 1informing parents of the selection of their child forthe program. Parents are asked to respond if theydo not want their child to participate. No responseswere received in either 2002 or 2003.

All members of staff acknowledge the need forliteracy intervention strategies in the schoolalthough some teachers become frustrated with thesystem of withdrawal at times.

Professional development support has beenprovided through Middle Years Literacy ProfessionalDevelopment. The school has organised whole-school professional development on cooperativelearning strategies and literacy. Regional supporthas been provided through Restart meetings. Thesemeetings of two to three hours duration, once eachterm, have been a great support and avenue forsharing ideas, resources and strategies.

Main Benefits of RestartWilling, receptive students have shown an increasein confidence, self esteem and enjoyment ofreading. They have become more capable of dealingwith the reading and writing demands inmainstream classes (especially English and SOSE).

Most Valued StrategiesFlexibility to respond to students’ individuallearning needs is a key strategy. This is madepossible in an environment where a diverse resourcebase has been developed. Strongest emphasis is

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placed on vocabulary development, development ofreading comprehension skills and strategies foreffective, independent learning.

Further SuggestionsThe program is highly valued and it is hoped that itwill be extended beyond the initial three-year period.

CASE STUDY 4

BackgroundThis small secondary college of 274 students islocated in the Southern Metropolitan Region. Thestudent population has very high numbers ofstudents of non-English speaking background andEMA levels are very high. The school population ismulticulturally diverse. Forty different countries oforigin are represented and 60 per cent of studentsare of Asian origin.

Restart in the SchoolDuring 2002 and 2003 there were eight studentsinvolved each year in the program. Students wereselected on the basis of the DART, TORCH and PATtests and extensive discussion with teachers in Year7 following admission.

The program operates by withdrawing students fromregular classes. A trial was conducted early in 2002of withdrawal together with some time spent inclass. It was judged that learning with thisapproach was not as effective as the learningachieved by withdrawal and from that time studentshave been withdrawn in small groups (usuallyseven) for one period each day. A small room is setaside for this purpose. One teacher-librarian deliversthe program. Restart classes make up 0.5 of thisteacher’s allotment and additional time in thelibrary allows a great deal of informal contact andpersonal assistance to be provided for students inthe program.

The school is one in which a high level of pastoralcare is provided to students at Years 7 and 8. It hasbeen long-standing practice to limit the number ofteachers dealing with students at these year levels.As a consequence there has been good formal andinformal communication about the individuallearning needs of students. The Restart teacherattends all year level meetings and provides regularupdates on the progress of each student.

Teaching ApproachesThe program is based on pre-existing resources

which had been used for literacy programs withinthe school. Decoding, using word attack strategies,is the first element of the program and initially thelessons are highly structured. It is believed that thestructure is reassuring to students and assists themto develop self-discipline in learning. The structureguarantees initial success in reading which is agood basis for continuing work.

Typically, students move from the decoding basis toliteral comprehension. Students learn to usestrategies of prediction and speculation to increaseunderstanding. Comprehension is a crucial area inwhich these students need continuing assistance.

Based on individual progress, students move on tocomprehension-based extension activities, includingessay writing. Students are assisted to developstrategies for independent learning derived from theMiddle Years Literacy Professional Development,such as predicting, clarifying, questioning andsummarising. A wide variety of resources derivedfrom popular culture are used to assist thesestudents in their understanding and use ofcolloquial language.

Monitoring StudentsThe Restart teacher makes daily assessments ofeach student and records these in her own journal.The decoding program provides regular tests, whichare carried out progressively through the year. DARTresults and AIM results are used at the end of Year7 to determine which students will requirecontinuing individual assistance into Year 8. As partof the general pastoral care at Years 7 and 8, aprofile is developed for each student at thebeginning of Year 7. This is added to at thebeginning of each term and is the basis forindividual learning plans, which are followed foreach student.

Student AttitudesMost students are appreciative of the assistancethey are receiving. At times there can be reluctanceto attend because of other classes that are beingmissed. Occasionally there is seen to be somestigma, indicated by individuals identifyingthemselves as being ‘too smart’ for the program.

Support for RestartThe school has a fairly close relationship with manyparents and this has been a useful basis to gainparental support in supervising short sessions ofdaily home reading.

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Professional development was organised privatelyfor Decoding Strategies and associatedcomprehension activities. Restart PD organisedcentrally and in the region has been a source ofsignificant support with network meetings and visitsbetween Restart schools being particularly valued.PD sessions around the Thinking OrientedCurriculum and Middle Years Literacy ProfessionalDevelopment have each provided useful strategiesthat are employed within the program.

Other staff members endorse the program and see itas fitting within the general ethos of the school andthe long-standing commitment to literacy. Goodcommunication between the Restart teacher andother teachers has made it possible for an exchangeof ideas and strategies to benefit all students.

Main Benefits of RestartThere has been good feedback from Year 8 teachersabout the ability of Restart students from 2002 tointegrate their skills into the regular Year 8programs. Students have shown dramaticimprovement in reading and comprehensionabilities and in levels of self-confidence.

For staff, the program has resulted in better teacherknowledge of the learning and other needs of eachstudent. Restart has played a role in furtherspreading the literacy message across thecurriculum.

Most Valued StrategiesThe small group situation and the highlypersonalised attention made possible within Restartare highly valued. Lots of praise and encouragementis used to provide incentive. Realistic but firmexpectations are held of all students and theirdiligence is demanded in ensuring that their work iscompleted to standard. In 2003 there was lessemphasis on the decoding aspects and anincreasing use of activities reflecting middle yearsliteracy strategies.

Further SuggestionsThe program is highly valued and seen as verynecessary in this school where many students haveunusually disrupted primary school experiences. Itmakes possible the intensive student-teacherrelationship that is crucial for successful literacyintervention. More resources are needed to widenthe range of activities that can be undertaken withstudents. In this school there is a need for morecomputer-based resources that could play a role infurther stimulating literacy learning.

CASE STUDY 5

BackgroundThe school of 300 students is situated in theSouthern Metropolitan Region. The school has highrates of EMA with many single parent or pension-dependent families. Boys make up 60 per cent ofthe school population. Issues of concern include ahigh level of literacy difficulties among studentswith the majority of students testing at CSF Level 3on admission, and problems of recurringabsenteeism.

Restart in the SchoolDuring 2002 and 2003 Restart involved sevenstudents each year. Students were selected on thebasis of the DART; analysis of an additional writingtask and reading and comprehension analysisconducted by the English KLA coordinator andliteracy coordinator; analysis of studentachievement against CSF levels; consideration oftransition information; and consultations betweenthe curriculum coordinator, principal and Englishand SOSE KLA teachers.

The approach, based on withdrawal of students,operates in the Restart room, which is brimmingwith resources and items of visual interest.Students are withdrawn for three sessions eachweek in small groups (two to three), or occasionallyfor individual attention. The literacy coordinator,who has special education/English qualifications,conducts the Restart sessions.

Teaching ApproachesA number of different strategies are used, althougha predictable structure is followed in each lesson.There will always be a segment of revision of theprevious lesson, discussion, which includesprediction and the creation of contexts to enablestudents to make more immediate sense ofparticular reading that is being undertaken. Sometime will always be set aside for reading, usingstrategies that students are assisted to develop.Towards the end of each term students may begiven assistance with work from other classes if thisis seen as necessary.

At the beginning of the year students complete aliteracy self-evaluation and personal interestquestionnaire. This is a basis for planning lessonsthat respond to student interest and a platform forstudents to engage in regular self-evaluation ofprogress.

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The approach is friendly, with an emphasis on thebelief that students’ difficulties present anopportunity for building strategies that will bringabout improvements.

Many hands-on activities have been developed.These include language games such as up-words,crosswords, literacy question cards and the use of adice to choose questions to answer. Many smallincentives are built into work and students arerewarded with small prizes for achievement. Acomprehensive library of texts reflecting students’interests has been developed.

In writing, real audiences have been established bybuilding on students' links with their previousprimary schools. They engage in writing letters,creating books for younger students and writing forthe Newsletter. Computer access is available in theRestart room and computers are used frequently inthe presentation of work.

Monitoring StudentsProfiles based on the exhaustive testing andevaluations made at the beginning of Year 7 arekept for all students. Student progress is monitoredclosely through the year and there are frequentconsultations between the Restart teacher and allother teachers of Restart students.

In Year 8 a file is kept for each former Restart student,building on the profile developed during 2002. TheRestart coordinator in her capacity as literacycoordinator is providing on-going support for oneperiod each week for these students in small groups.

Student AttitudesStudents have shown a positive attitude to theirinvolvement. This has been evident in the degree towhich they engage in set work and the pleasurethey take in display of their work as well as theirresponses to a survey. There is a high level ofstudent involvement in negotiating the time of theirlessons (to avoid their withdrawal from classeswhich they value particularly) and to some degreethe content of their sessions.

Support for RestartOne parent was involved in assisting with theprogram during one semester in 2002. She hadgood rapport with students and was assisted withreading and discussions. Generally, however, it hasbeen difficult to get parental involvement despiteinformation evenings and communication by letterand newsletter.

There has been good support from other staff, whohave seen Restart as a necessary part of theschool’s literacy program. Professional developmenthas included Middle Years Literacy CoordinatorTraining and Middle Years Twilight PD sessions.Strategies suggested by Dr John Munro in PDsessions have been used extensively. Teachers haveattended Restart and DART PD and networkmeetings provided by the region. In particular it hasbeen valuable to have the opportunity to visit andobserve reciprocal reading in practice at a localprimary school and to share ideas and strategieswith other Restart teachers. The school has alsoorganised very useful PD on motivating boys toimprove their literacy.

Main Benefits of RestartIt was valuable that the program established cleartargets for students to which the Restart teachercould direct her efforts.

Students have shown significant improvements inmotivation and engagement. There was a generalbenefit for Year 7 teachers and an increasedemphasis on individual needs. Teachers were moreaware of different learning styles and ways in whichwork could be made more accessible. Teachers wereled to question, improve and adapt their ownrepertoire of teaching styles.

Most Valued StrategiesFriendliness and approachability of the teacher hasbeen crucial in building trust and confidence instudents. The involvement of students in allprocesses of their learning, beginning with self-evaluation and conscious work on the strategiesthey needed to develop is also important.

Further SuggestionsThe program is highly valued and it is hoped that itwill be extended beyond the initial three-yearperiod. However, the need for assistance extends farbeyond the limited number of students for whomprovision is made. The individual analysis of literacydifficulties made possible by Restart has exposedthe enormous range of social factors that may beaffecting some students and their learningcompetencies.

Case Study 6

BackgroundThe school of 950 students is located in theNorthern Metropolitan Region. The school

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population is multiculturally diverse with 64 percent of the student population having a non-Englishspeaking background and 24 per cent born outsideAustralia. The school draws from an area which isof low socioeconomic status and there is a very highlevel of transience within the school population.

Restart in the SchoolDuring 2002 and 2003, the program involvedtwenty-seven students each year. In determiningadmission to the Restart program, DART results,CSF levels and transition information were allconsidered. The school has used a range of literacyinterventions in the past and had an assessmentprocess already in place to determine the readingability of all Year 7 students and then to developindividual learning profiles.

The Year 7 students who tested at the lowest levelacross each of the DART, CSF levels and oninterview, formed the Restart group. Students arewithdrawn in groups of four to ten for seven periodsa week from English and SOSE classes. Twoteachers work as a team with each group and teamteaching is in place from day one of the schoolyear. Three teachers have primary responsibility forthe program. Two team members have extensiveexperience in literacy education. The third memberof the team, from the English KLA, is new toteaching. The other team members and the literacycoordinator provide mentoring support for thisteacher. Classes take place in a specific area setaside for small group work.

Teaching ApproachesThe work undertaken is parallel to the curriculumfollowed in regular Year 7 English and SOSEclasses. Work is not modified but scaffolding,structure and strategies are provided to assiststudents to build skills and understanding. CSFdescriptors are used to determine learning goalsand there is a constant focus on developing skillsthat are relevant to mainstream work based onsupport materials such as Effective Reading inContent Areas and Writing in the Subject Areas.

Modelling and deconstructing are used to makeexplicit to students the processes they shouldfollow. Active thinking and participation pervade thelearning environment. Reading, for example, isnever passive. Practical assistance is provided forstudents by the use of graphic outlines, structuredoverviews, reciprocal teaching and other strategies.Their use is repeated from topic to topic to assiststudents to become independent learners.

There is some negotiation about the approach thatmay be taken to various topics. Students are guidedto develop an understanding of their own strengthsand areas that need further work and to reflect onthe process of their learning.

Monitoring StudentsIn addition to the DART, students complete fiveEnglish and four SOSE work requirements in eachsemester. The school has established professionallearning teams in each KLA. These teams worktogether to moderate CSF judgments made on workrequirements produced by Year 7 students includingRestart students.

Restart students from 2002 were tracked during2003. Of those twenty-seven students, twenty-fiveno longer needed intervention. The other two wereplaced in a Year 8 group and received continuedsupport.

Student AttitudesStudents have a very positive attitude to theprogram. Many of the Restart students have not hadpositive feedback and encouragement in the pastand respond very well to the highly individualisedapproach of the program.

Support for RestartParents are notified of the inclusion of their childrenin the program and an information evening is held.Parental assistance with reading is welcomed.However, in many cases the parents have lowliteracy levels themselves and are not aware of theproblems being experienced by their child.

Professional development is an important elementof the program and has produced significantbenefits for the whole school. Regional support hasbeen provided through courses such as the MiddleYears Literacy Professional Development, Restartand Modelling/Reciprocal Teaching. Within theschool there are two Middle Years Literacy Leaders.They have conducted a six-week course in LiteracyAcross the Curriculum in weekly one and a halfhour sessions for staff members. The school’sparticipation in the Access to Excellence initiativehas enabled the establishment of professionallearning teams in English, SOSE and Maths. Thework of these teams in raising awareness anddeveloping expertise in literacy across the subjectareas has been an underpinning support for theRestart program. Throughout the school there isrespect for the Restart teachers and their program,which is recognised as a high priority for the school.

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Main Benefits of RestartCommonly the Restart students are those who havemissed out on some crucial early steps in literacydevelopment. They do not have specific learningdifficulties. Once they have the opportunity to make upthe gaps in their literacy development they have beensuccessful in re-entering the mainstream program.

There has been a huge benefit to the learningculture of the school from Restart. Other teachers inYears 7 and 8 are taking up strategies used inRestart to respond to individual learning needs.

Most Valued StrategiesThe decision to run the Restart program as one ofparallel learning has been crucial to success. Theprogram is viewed by students as ‘the real thing’ Itis not an ‘add on.’ The intensity of seven sessions aweek in a small group has generated energy.

Withdrawal has been a successful strategy. Initiallythe program was conducted with Restart teachers inother classes but this caused discomfort for someteachers. Teamwork in planning and organising theprogram has been a key strategy as has been theeffective use of the team members across the school.

Further SuggestionsThe program should be extended beyond the initialthree-year trial period. The teachers brought intothe system for Restart constitute a tremendousresource for the school and ways should be found tomaintain their use.

CASE STUDY 7

BackgroundThe school of 300 students is located in theNorthern Metropolitan Region. The school has a veryhigh EMA rate (76 per cent) and a high level ofabsenteeism is an issue. The school ismulticulturally diverse with 65 per cent of thestudents having a language background other thanEnglish. Islam is an important element in the schoolculture as a third of the students are Muslim.

Restart in the SchoolDuring 2002 and 2003 the program involved ninestudents each year. Students were selected on thebasis of the DART and TORCH tests. In addition, allYear 7 students undertook the Woodcock ReadingTest.

Students for Restart are withdrawn in small groupsfrom class for one period each day. Classes areconducted in a small room with students sittingtogether around a central table. Initially thestudents were withdrawn for the same period eachday. However this resulted in them missing toomuch time in particular subjects. In 2003 there wasa more even spread of withdrawal across subjects.

In 2002 one contract teacher with qualifications inadult literacy implemented the program. In 2003 ateacher’s aide provided additional assistance. Theteacher’s aide assisted those Restart studentsfunctioning at the lowest levels and continued thatsupport to some students in Years 8 and 9.

Teaching ApproachesCorrective Reading is used as the basis for theprogram because decoding strategies are regardedas important for this group of learners. TheCorrective Reading program is American and ittakes some time for students to engage with thecontent, however, they are reassured by thestructure and some students find the strongdecoding component helpful.

A number of other strategies supplement theCorrective Reading lessons. Oral comprehensionwork comes from spontaneous questions posed bythe teacher in relation to the text being read.Repetition and reinforcement, prediction, retellingand modelling are used and students often read inpairs preparing rehearsed and timed readings.

In 2003 once the Corrective Reading component oftheir program was completed, Restart sessions wereconducted in classes across various KLAs. TheRestart teacher provided support in a team teachingsituation to ensure the integration of improved skillsacross the curriculum.

Use of cooperative learning strategies ensures that asupportive atmosphere is created in which studentsfeel confident. Many incentives, including smallprizes and group excursions are built into activitiesand contribute to student enjoyment and bondingwithin the group and with the teacher.

Monitoring StudentsStudent progress is monitored through closesupervision and regular testing. There is regularchecking and marking of student workbooks.Regular notes are kept on each student in theteacher’s journal. A comment on progress isprovided in each semester’s report.

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The progress of students is monitored into Year 8and when necessary additional reading assistance isavailable from the literacy aide.

Student AttitudesStudents enjoy the program although there weresome concerns about missed classes prior to thetimetable changes made in Term 3, 2003.

Support for RestartParents are notified of the inclusion of theirchildren in the program through letters, the schoolnewsletter and in some cases by phone. There hasnot been feedback from parents about theirattitudes to the program.

The Restart teacher has attended regional PDsessions on literacy strategies advocated by Dr JohnMunro. Many of these strategies are nowincorporated into Restart.

The Restart teacher has felt somewhat isolated inthe school. There has not been much contact withother staff members although she has attended yearlevel meetings and has offered to work with otherteachers to ensure that their subject area is coveredin the Restart sessions. Timetabling has been adifficult issue to resolve as initially some teacherswere resentful about student withdrawal.

Main Benefits of RestartThe program has been a great self esteem boosterfor students, and reticent students have becomemore prepared to participate.

Students have expressed pleasure at the closerrelationship they are able to establish with theteacher in a small group situation.

Most Valued StrategiesThe group has benefited from the withdrawal andthe division of Restart students into two smallergroups of like ability. Students’ learning needs havebeen addressed more effectively as a result.Students with lower literacy levels felt that they hadbeen holding others back, thus sapping confidence.

The use of incentives and a great deal of positivereinforcement have worked very well to motivate students.

Further SuggestionsTeachers working as the single Restart person in aschool benefit greatly from PD in which they havethe chance to meet with other Restart teachers andto look at a range of organisational structures,

resources and strategies. This is necessary if thefull range of specific learning needs is to beaddressed most effectively.

CASE STUDY 8

BackgroundThe school of 400 students is located in theNorthern Metropolitan Region. There is a genderimbalance with boys making up 70 per cent of theschool population and draws its enrolments from alower socioeconomic community. The school isculturally diverse with a growing enrolment ofstudents from Middle Eastern family and languagebackgrounds.

Restart in the SchoolDuring 2002 and 2003 the program involved eightstudents each year. In 2002 the group was madeup of seven boys and one girl. In 2003, despite theschool’s gender imbalance, there were five girls.

Students were selected for inclusion on the basis of theDART, Burt, Corrective Reading testing and transitioninformation. The school uses a teacher’s aide toconduct a Corrective Reading program. This programhas continued alongside Restart, providing assistance tothose students with the lowest reading levels.

The program is based on a combination ofwithdrawal and assistance in class. There is astrong belief that Restart students should not beisolated. They need to identify themselves with theirregular class group and all the work they areundertaking should be seen as a bridge to theirreturn to mainstream classes. Each student hasthree sessions of withdrawal and five sessions ofassistance in class over a fortnight. The wholegroup is together for one of the three weeklywithdrawal sessions. Withdrawal sessions areusually conducted in a small room adjacent to thelibrary. Other literacy groups in the school also usethis room so timetabling constraints mean that forone period a fortnight the class is conducted in aregular classroom.

One teacher from the existing staff runs the Restartprogram. As part of the Access to Excellenceinitiative the same teacher is able to provideadditional literacy assistance to other Year 7students by working in a team-teaching situation intwo Year 7 classes.

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Teaching ApproachesTeaching methods follow many of the middle yearsstrategies proposed by Dr John Munro in theprofessional development provided by theDepartment. To equip students with the strategiesthat will help them to become independentlearners, part of each session is spent reading andspelling, preceded by discussion that helps themwith prediction. For wider reading, students areexposed to different text types that relate to othersubject areas besides English.

Many incentives are provided for students. Theatmosphere in the withdrawal groups is lively andfriendly and students have fun with their learning.The close relationships developed within the smallgroup and with the teacher are an aid to studentsincreased confidence.

Monitoring StudentsStudent workbooks are retained by the teacher andchecked regularly. The teacher maintains her ownrecord after each session. DART results andinformation from testing are used to monitor progress.

Based on reports from teachers in Year 8, Restartstudents from 2002 are still weak in some areasbut they are continuing to show improvement.

Student AttitudesStudents are very positive about their participation.Anecdotally, students frequently comment on theirown improvement.

Support for RestartParents have been kept informed about the progressof their children through letters and student diaries.Parents seem supportive of the program.

PD support has been provided centrally andregionally. In 2002 there were Restart meetingsorganised by the region, providing useful strategiesfrom Dr John Munro. These strategies were laterpresented to the whole school in an internallyorganised literacy PD day. There was also a valuableregional Restart network.

Main Benefits of RestartStudents have definitely shown greater self-confidence in their own abilities and skills. Therehas been a turning around of negative self-images.

Team teaching has supported teachers within theschool and has assisted in producing better literacyoutcomes for all students. Class time can be usedmore effectively in the team teaching situation.

The whole school has benefited from learning moreabout literacy strategies and approaches to teachinghave been widened as a result of this.

Most Valued StrategiesDr John Munro’s strategies have been veryimportant in ensuring that students are equipped totake control of their own learning.

The small group situation has enabled closerelationships between teachers and students. This benefithas extended to the work with individuals in class.

Further SuggestionsThere are many more students who would benefitfrom literacy intervention. Resources shouldcontinue to be directed to making this possible andif possible providing more time for staff runningsuch programs in schools. The Restart programcombines well with Access to Excellence in buildingthe practice of team teaching.

CASE STUDY 9

BackgroundThe school of 670+ students is located in a largeprovincial city. The school population is culturallydiverse and includes a small group of Kooriestudents. The area from which students are drawnis of low socioeconomic status. Unemployment hasaffected many families and there are many singleparent households. The school had a number ofpre-existing literacy and other programs already inplace to support ESL, Koorie and gifted studentsand those with disabilities and impairments.

Restart in the SchoolDuring 2002 and 2003 the Restart programinvolved fifteen students each year. Students wereselected for inclusion on the basis of the DART.

Small group withdrawal is the model used in theprogram. Students participate in three sessions aweek, which are timetabled against LOTE. No groupis larger than ten. Two teachers conduct theprogram and are both present in all sessions. Oneteacher has a background in English, LOTE, andspecial education and has worked in tertiaryeducation as well as schools. The other teacher hasa background in primary teaching and specialeducation. The school has a strong culture ofcollegiality and the teachers receive assistance froma number of volunteers, including a parent withprimary school teacher training, a friend of theschool with qualifications in special education, an

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aide with training in Reading Recovery and somestudents from Year 11 who act as mentors forRestart students.

Teaching ApproachesGroup sessions are conducted in the Restart room.The room is adjacent to the library and has a warmand welcoming atmosphere. There is a central tablefor shared work; lots of visually stimulatingresources and computers are available for students’use. Students are able to move around the roomduring the Restart sessions. The room is full ofresources and there are tea making and cookingfacilities which students use at times. The roomoperates as a drop-in centre providing literacyassistance for many students in the school.

In each session there will be three differentactivities. These include some phonics work usingresources developed by one of the teachers, readingand comprehension and a game, which is phonics-based. The pace of the lesson is always lively,entertaining and informal. The resources that havebeen developed within the school are based onstudents’ interests. The language-skills gamessegment of each session is highly competitive andrequires concentration and application.Expectations of students are made explicit and theyknow that staff members have high expectations oftheir attitude and level of effort.

There is an emphasis on bonding relationshipswithin the group. A camp was held at the end of2002 and for many of the participating studentsthe advances in social competencies and theexperiences of inclusion have been very importantin removing barriers to learning.

Monitoring StudentsStudents are tested each term using the SouthAustralian Peter’s spelling test and the ACER openreading and Schonnel silent reading systems.

All worksheets completed by students are kept andused to measure student progress against theindependent learning plan and improvement panprepared for each student. Students have access toall their previous work and are encouraged to seetheir own progress. They are told aboutimprovement in their test results.

In Year 8 the Access to Excellence initiative ensuresthat continued support is available to assiststudents as they move towards full transition to themainstream classroom.

Student AttitudesStudents are very positive about their participationand comfortable with the Restart sessions. Theyhave also expressed pleasure at the positivefriendships that have developed from the smallgroup situation.

Support for RestartParents are supportive of Restart, althoughinvitations to parents to provide assistance at homefor students have not been taken up.

PD support has been provided centrally andregionally through the Middle Years LiteracyProfessional Development course, which wasthorough, comprehensive and up-to-date. The regionhas provided Restart activities, including strategiesfrom Dr John Munro. Restart network meetings havebeen organised every term. Within the school PDhas been organised based on the Thinking OrientedCurriculum. Restart staff attended a literacyconference in Melbourne.

As literacy is a Charter priority and the sessions runin addition to normal English there is a lot ofsupport among other staff. Support services assiststaff members and Access to Excellence staffmembers further help to create a structure ofsupport within the school.

Main Benefits of RestartStudents have shown great increases in confidenceand social competencies and this has assisted inimproving their attitudes to learning. There hasbeen some transferral of skills to other classeswhich has been observed and commented upon byclassroom teachers.

Most Valued StrategiesThe informal and friendly atmosphere of the smallgroups combined with a variety of activities hasbeen very important in increasing studentparticipation and success. The strong interpersonalrelations made possible through the intensity ofcontact have enabled teachers to recognise andrespond appropriately to individual learning needsof students. It has also assisted teachers to increasetheir expectations of each student and students areshowing a willingness to meet these standards.

Using incentives, friendly competition, peer supportand resources that are appropriate to studentinterests have also been important strategies.

Timetabling of sessions against LOTE has workedvery well to ensure that there is strong staff support

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and that students do not miss out on normalEnglish classes.

Further SuggestionsThe program is working well and is highly valued.The establishment of a fully developed literacycentre would allow even more effective coordinationof programs and initiatives such as ESL, Access toExcellence, Gifted Students and Students withDisabilities and Impairments.

CASE STUDY 10

BackgroundThe school is located in the Northern MetropolitanRegion. There are 420 Years 7 and 8 students andthis number is expected to increase steadily incoming years. A majority of the students are ofTurkish or Arabic background although the culturaldiversity of the student population is increasing.Almost 70 per cent of students receive EMA.

Restart in the SchoolIn 2002 there were fifteen students in the program.During 2003 with an extra allocation for growth instudent numbers, the program involved thirtystudents. They were selected on the basis of theDART and the TORCH tests, which were undertakenby all Year 7 students.

The program withdraws students for four periodseach week. Restart groups are made up of threestudents, a group size which is seen as ideal forrelations within the group and for behaviourmanagement. In 2002 students were withdrawn fortwo sessions from English and for two sessions froman elective. In 2003, it was determined that it iscrucial for Restart students to be part of regularEnglish classes as well as having Restart support.Consequently the timetable was arranged so thatRestart classes occured at the same time as two ofthe four electives undertaken by Year 7 students.

In 2002, two teachers conducted the program. Oneteacher had a Masters degree in Literacy and abackground in teaching ESL. The other teacher hada background in English and ESL teaching. In2003, the original two teachers were joined byanother two teachers. One of these has abackground in English, ESL and literacy. The fourthmember of the team is new to teaching and hasqualifications in English and SOSE. There is veryclose collaboration between all team members.

The whole school is organised in professionallearning teams to deliver curriculum in each subjectarea. The members of the literacy learning teamhave each developed a semester-length unit of workbased on the resources and strategies that haveproved most effective with Restart students. Theunits rotated across each group over the year.

Teaching ApproachesThe Restart team works on the basis of a needsanalysis for each student as conveyed by the DARTresults. They have developed structured materialsand worksheets which cover foundational skills inliteracy such as alphabetical order, sentencestructure and vocabulary and different levels ofreading comprehension.

They make use of a wide range of text types usingcontemporary materials, which are of high interestto students. Concrete examples are used along withconstant modelling, visualising and paraphrasing toensure that work is relevant and accessible forstudents. There is a strong focus on strategiesderived from teaching ESL, including vocabularyand pronunciation, retelling, modelling, describingand repetition. The team uses the Stages ofReading strategies suggested by Dr John Munro forpre-reading, during reading, and post-readingactivities. The group situation is used to buildconfidence through techniques such asbrainstorming and shared reading.

In their work with students the team’s aim always isto move from existing knowledge and skills to theestablishment of a level of skills and understandingthat allows full integration into the mainstream. Theunits of work are designed to assist students todevelop strategies for reading, understanding,including the ability to respond to inferential levelquestions, and writing in any subject.

Monitoring StudentsThere is ongoing assessment of oral presentations,assignments, reports, grammar exercises, readingcomprehension and reading for fluency. Studentprogress is monitored after initial testing. They areplaced on a reading development continuum (usingthe WA First Steps Program). Samples of work arekept as records of progress.

It was planned at the end of 2002 to continuesupport for Restart students into Year 8. Aspreparation for this, all Year 8 students wereTORCH tested at the beginning of 2003. Restartstudents from 2002 performed well and it was

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found that there were other students who were ingreater need of continuing support into Year 8.Anecdotally the reports from other teachers indicatethat former Restart students who are now inmainstream classes do not require specialisedliteracy assistance any longer.

Student AttitudesSurveys have been conducted to determinestudents’ attitudes to the program. Other measuresare attendance, progress and behaviour. On each ofthese measures, students seem comfortable withthe program and express their greater comfort inworking within a small group. At times somestudents resent missing electives but the school’sjudgment is that attendance in mainstream Englishis crucial.

Support for RestartParents are kept regularly informed about theprogress of their children and seem supportive ofthe program.

Restart staff have attended central and regionalRestart professional development programs. Theschool has provided its own PD for Literacy Acrossthe Curriculum and the region has providedworkshops with Dr John Munro on strategies thathave been useful to integrate into the program.

There is good support from the rest of the staff.Literacy is a Charter priority and teachers in allKLAs have been keen to share resources and to getadvice about strategies to use in their subject areas.

Main Benefits of RestartThere has been marked improvement in the self-confidence and self esteem of students as theyhave seen the improvement in their skills andunderstanding. Students from 2002 are nowoperating well in the mainstream.

Most Valued StrategiesThe use of concrete examples and constantmodelling have been particularly useful strategies.Strategies developed from the PD sessions havebeen very effective, particularly Stages of Readingand Seven Steps for Approaching a New Topic.

Further SuggestionsThe program is highly valued. There are a largenumber of other students who would benefit fromindividualised support if the program could beextended. When there are teachers without previousexperience in literacy (as was the case with one

member of the team in 2003) it would be useful ifspecific PD were made available to provideadditional support.

CASE STUDY 11

BackgroundThe school of 900 students is situated in a high-growth area in the Southern Metropolitan Region.The school population is multiculturally diverse witha slight gender imbalance, favouring boys. Theschool places a high emphasis on literacy and had anumber of literacy support programs in place priorto the introduction of Restart.

Restart in the SchoolFourteen students participated in Restart in 2002and 2003. Boys have predominated in thecomposition of each group. Students were selectedusing DART results combined with analysis oftransition information and other testing.

In 2002, the school used a combination ofwithdrawal and assistance in class in theirimplementation of Restart. Two teachers from theEnglish KLA conducted the program with theassistance of the assistant principal and Restartstudents received four periods of assistance eachweek. In some cases additional time was madeavailable for one-to-one assistance.

In preparation for the program the Restart teachersspoke to all other KLA teachers. They worked withclassroom teachers to modify class work in allsubjects to ensure its accessibility for Restartstudents. In cooperation with the class teachers theyworked in the classroom, undertook team teaching orwithdrew three to four students at a time to giveassistance outside the classroom environment.

The school was happy with the combination ofwithdrawal and class intervention across a number ofsubject areas, but in 2003 timetabling requirementsled to a change in organisation. Three teachersworked with the students and the vice-principalcontinued to provide support. The Restart classeswere blocked against English and the studentsconcentrated on the English curriculum withindividualised attention and modifications to workused to ensure the material was accessible.

Teaching ApproachesAs a first step the school placed a strong emphasison reading and spelling, recognising that many ofthe students needed assistance in decoding.

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Student interest was a key criterion in determiningsuitable reading materials with short stories, humourand strong visual reinforcement such as diagrams,used to engender interest in reading. Pre-readingactivities such as prediction have been used to buildreading confidence. Modelling in both reading andwriting has been used with VCE student mentorsproviding assistance. Cooperative learning withstudents working in pairs has been another strategy.

Elements of the Thinking Oriented Curriculum havebeen introduced with reading, comprehension andwriting activities devised to challenge and extendstudents in such activities as investigating,developing and producing a travel and holidayprogram. The emphasis on responding to studentinterest is carried into negotiation of topics andforms of presentation of student work. Computershave been used regularly and are seen as assistingthese students in presentation of their work.

Monitoring StudentsStudent progress is monitored closely throughmaintenance of individual files for each student.Marks are allocated and recorded for completedwork. The school’s involvement in the Access toExcellence initiative has meant that Restart studentsfrom 2002 have continued to receive support and tofurther extend their skills in Year 8. Liaison withteachers and cumulative comments have made itpossible to monitor continuing progress.

Student AttitudesSome students were initially cautious about theirinclusion in the program. However, they havebecome progressively more relaxed and expressenjoyment of the small group situation.

Support for RestartParents have been provided with information and havebeen invited to contact the school with any queriesabout student involvement. Some have done this.

Professional development has been provided throughparticipation in the Middle Years LiteracyCoordinator training and central and regional RestartPD. In addition the whole school has participated inWhole School Literacy PD with Sarah Culican fromDeakin University and there have been beneficialmeetings with other Restart teachers.

Other staff members are generally supportive of theprogram and recognise its value.

Main Benefits of RestartRestart has definitely lifted the skills of theparticipating students and is seen as a very positiveinitiative. Students have shown increased pride intheir work and greater self-confidence andenthusiasm as the quality of their work hasimproved. In addition the opportunity to workintensively with small groups has meant that theschool has picked up a number of disabilities andimpairments that had not been detected in primaryschool and the students concerned have becomeeligible for special assistance.

In terms of school organisation Restart has made itpossible for other resources to be freed up in theschool to provide additional assistance forintegration students within the school population.

Further SuggestionsThe school routinely tests all Year 7 students atentry for literacy levels. The testing reveals thatalmost 50 per cent of students are operating belowexpected standards. Continuing support for programsin literacy and numeracy is believed to be essential.

Restart staff believe that they would be assisted intheir work by having more opportunities to learnabout best practice in literacy education.

Opportunities for continuing one-to-one work withstudents as they enter Year 8 is seen as highly desirable.

CASE STUDY 12

BackgroundThe school of 360+ students is situated in acountry town in middle Victoria. Students are drawnfrom surrounding rural areas with some travelling upto two hours per day to attend the school. The townin which the college is located has a fairly transientpopulation. The availability of relatively cheaphousing has created population movement withsome low income or single parent families movingfrom Melbourne into the area.

Restart in the SchoolIn 2002 there were fifteen students in Restart. In2003 the year began with fifteen students but thetransfer of families has reduced the number tothirteen. Not all students are withdrawn for a fullyear in Restart. If the degree of improvement issufficient during the year they are returned tomainstream classes with support.

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A number of measures was used to determine whichstudents had the greatest literacy needs and shouldparticipate in the program. All Year 7 studentsundertook the DART test, along with the ORCHID,at the beginning of the year. The combinedinformation from these sources was consideredalong with transitional information. The AIM wasalso useful and showed close correlation with thejudgments that had been made.

The program is based on withdrawal in smallgroups. Each student has three periods a week ofRestart assistance. (In 2002 students had fourperiods of assistance.) Sessions are timetabled forperiods one and two every morning and students arewithdrawn from a variety of classes, but not fromsport or other practical classes.

One teacher with a background in Maths andScience and special education is contracted todeliver the program and to provide numeracysupport for selected students. Students work inavailable classrooms.

Teaching ApproachesAs a number of the students initially register nocomprehension at the most basic level there is aconcentration at first on word study, theidentification of key words and the development ofvocabulary using Corrective Reading as a basis.Activities are adapted to include students workingin pairs, with shared reading and modelling beingamong the strategies used. Accuracy and speed inreading are checked frequently.

Monitoring StudentsStudent progress is monitored closely throughtesting which effectively occurs every day.Workbooks are retained by the Restart teacher andprovide an ongoing record of improvement. TheDART and AIM tests provide an evaluative basis formeasuring progress.

Although there has been no specific monitoring ofRestart students from 2002 in Year 8, the schoolprovides literacy assistance to students in Years 8and 9 following testing at the beginning of each ofthese years.

Student AttitudesStudents are very positive about the benefits of theprogram although some admit that they find thestructure a bit boring. Students speak about the‘break through’ in their understanding.

Support for RestartInformation evenings have been held to informparents about the program. There has been verypositive feedback from parents.

The whole school has undertaken Literacy Across theCurriculum professional development and membersof the staff attended the regional Restart introductorymeetings. The literacy coordinator and Restartcoordinator organised a visit to another college in theregion to look at their program. The literacycoordinator attended the Middle Years LiteracyProfessional Development course in Melbourne.

Staff members are generally supportive of theprogram as literacy is a Charter priority. There havebeen positive comments about improvement instudents’ skill levels and the transferral of skills intoother learning areas. At times there have been someissues related to withdrawal and timetable difficultiesin terms of ‘catch-up’ opportunities. However, manyteachers have been prepared to modify theirexpectations to minimise such problems.

Main Benefits of RestartThere has been marked improvement in the self-confidence and self esteem of students as theyhave been aware of the ‘break through’ they havemade with reading and comprehension.

Most Valued StrategiesThe highly structured nature of the program hasbeen reassuring for some students. The focus onphonemic awareness has enabled students tounderstand the ways in which language works andthe small group situation has been a source ofsupport and a basis for developing self-confidence.

Further SuggestionsThe opportunity to provide literacy intervention atYear 7 is highly valued. In this college there is stilla large, unmet need for support with about 50 percent of students operating significantly belowexpected levels.

CASE STUDY 13

BackgroundThis 7–10 college of 340 students is located in a smallrural community in eastern Victoria. There is a highlytransient local population with changes to traditionallocal industries creating socioeconomic difficulties forthe local community. Koorie students make upapproximately 10 per cent of the school population.

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Restart in the SchoolIn both 2002 and 2003 the program involved ninestudents. Students were selected following appraisalof all Year 6 information and use of a range ofquantitative data including DART, BURT and SASpelling Test. Where appropriate there wasconsultation with the special needs coordinator orother specialists who had worked with individualstudents. Also classroom observation, teacherrecommendations, and informal chats with parentsand students were used in determining participation.

The program is one of withdrawal in small groupsfor writing and spelling with one-to-one assistancefor developing reading skills. Students receivesupport for at least three sessions a week. A furthertwo sessions are available as needed. The Restartroom is attached to the library. Its locationfacilitates informal contact between the Restartteacher and her students when they are working inthe library in other subjects.

One teacher with a background in primary teachingand as an Early Year’s coordinator conducts Restart.Very close links are maintained with all other yearlevel teachers through the organisation of the Year 7team teaching structure which has core subjectstaught as integrated units. Links with the Year 7team occur through weekly team planning sessions.The Restart teacher is also part of the collegeliteracy team and attends faculty meetings whereRestart is included on the agenda.

Teaching ApproachesLessons are highly structured with step-by-stepexplanation provided. There is a great deal ofrepetition and students are required to verbalise theirunderstanding, revisiting what has been covered andexplaining how they will use it in other classes.

Session work remains as thematic as possible, inkeeping with the Year 7 integrated curriculum. Thelesson plan is treated with some flexibility to respondto student interest. Modelling using audio booksassists reading. For writing there is a focus oninformation reports. Students have welcomed this, asmany of them are tired of ‘writing stories’ afterprimary school.

Students are assisted to be actively involved in their ownlearning through the development of individual learningplans. The notion of student engagement is constantlykept in mind. Incentives such as special lunches,popcorn for birthdays and small prizes for competitionsare used, as are strategies to bolster self esteem.

The Restart teacher has developed close personalrelationships and a high level of trust with herstudents. She fills the role of advocate for many ofthese students, a number of whom are regarded asbehaviour problems at times in other classes.

Monitoring StudentsRunning Records and weekly teacher observationrecords are maintained for every student, (in mostcases recorded observations are discussed with thestudent). Students maintain writing portfolios andthere is regular assessment of CSF levels byteachers. Tests are used, such as the DART, DolchSight Vocabulary, Gentry’s Development Spellingtest and the SA Spelling Test. The teacher’sprogram includes weekly reflections on the progressof each student based on all available information.

Support for students into Year 8 can continue wherenecessary with further assistance being providedthrough the Access to Excellence initiative.

Student AttitudesStudents are very positive about being part of theprogram. This is evident in their eagerness to attend,willingness to be withdrawn, enthusiasm for invitinga friend to designated sessions and the absence ofany discipline issues during the sessions.

Support for RestartParents are involved through initial discussion at ameeting where the individual learning plan for theirchild is discussed. Parents have given their supportto informal contracts and a simple homeworkframework is currently being trialled.

Professional development support has been providedby Restart personnel at the initial launch and atregional meetings. There have been a few networkmeetings. Regional curriculum consultants havebeen very helpful when contacted by the school.

Year 7 staff members in the school are verycommitted. At planning sessions, programs areworked on for every ability level. The administration,is very supportive and have encouraged attendance atPD sessions, provided a budget and set aside a room.

Main Benefits of RestartStudents have shown improved self esteem,increased connectedness and reduced absenteeism.Organisational skills have improved and studentshave increased awareness of their own strengths,weaknesses and strategies most appropriate to dealwith these. There has been an increased awarenessin teachers of student needs.

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Most Valued StrategiesWithdrawal is seen to be crucial for teaching skills.Students must have time and a structured and quietenvironment to master new skills. The trustingrelationship that can be developed in the small groupsituation is very valuable. It enables students to gainconfidence and take control of their own learning.

Incentives and some degree of competition are usefulstrategies in maintaining student engagement.

Further SuggestionsDART works best when it is given individually andcombined with a number of other assessment tools.

Timetabling is an issue for Restart schools. Theprogram will only work if students are happy to bethere and want to learn.

It can take some time for all staff to recognise thevalue of the Restart program. With increasedrecognition of the specialised abilities and strategiesthat Restart personnel bring into a school there areopportunities for all teachers to benefit and widentheir teaching repertoires in ways that respond moreeffectively to individual learning needs.

CASE STUDY 14

BackgroundThe school of 320+ students is situated in theNorthern Metropolitan Region. Students in the schoolgenerally come from low socioeconomic backgrounds.The school population is highly transient withabsenteeism and unstable family situations beingmajor issues. There are quite a number of Kooriestudents for whom the school has received additionalfunding. The school has a strong ethos of pastoralcare. Team-teaching is practised widely through theschool and is well accepted by staff.

Restart in the SchoolDuring 2002 and 2003 the program involved sevenstudents each year. Students were selected on thebasis of DART results and consultation with Englishteachers after students had been in Year 7 classesfor the first three weeks of Term 1. Transitioninformation was used although feeder-schoolestimations of CSF levels were often found to beinconsistent with judgments made at the college.

The approach is a combination of withdrawal andtime in class, providing in total eleven periods ofassistance a week. Students are withdrawn in twogroups, one all boys and the other all girls, for three

periods that run parallel to their normal Englishclasses. The Restart teacher is present and providesassistance in Health, SOSE and other Englishclasses and also works in some Maths and Scienceclassrooms assisting students with interpretation ofwritten instructions.

One teacher who is also a member of the Access toExcellence team conducts the program. She has abackground in ESL, English, literacy and specialeducation She works in very close collaboration withclassroom teachers.

Teaching ApproachesThe Restart room is set up in a very central position inthe school. It is warm, inviting and there are lots ofattractive literacy resources available for student use.

When students are withdrawn from English classesthey work intensively on skills. Some techniques ofCorrective Reading are used, in combination withscaffolding, which is the major strategy used. Thecontent of Corrective Reading is not used, beingseen as culturally inappropriate and insufficientlyextending students skills.

The main approach used is based on scaffolding asdeveloped by Dr David Rose of Sydney University.This program has been developed as part of aresearch program on indigenous literacy. Itincorporates reading, spelling, interpretation andwriting. It presents students with challenges and as ituses techniques that can be exercised on any pieceof writing, avoids any ‘dumbing down’ of content.

In a typical session, students work collaboratively insmall groups. A lively pace is maintained and anumber of different activities occur in every sessionwith no segment being longer than fifteen minutes.As reading is modelled, or shared, students usehighlighting pens to identify key words and ideas.The meaning of words is elaborated in discussion.There is ‘hands-on’ activity as students reassemblewords, or phrases that have been cut out of thetext. In this system of scaffolding, reading isaccompanied by a particular form of questioning.Guided questions are used to draw out structureand imagery so that students are actually analysingtexts as they develop skills of reading.

In writing, the scaffolding system provides studentswith the model and then the skeletal structure ofthe form of writing that is selected. With group workassisting in the identification, meaning and choiceof appropriate words and images to construct newpieces of writing in the provided framework,

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students are enabled to produce work far beyondtheir previous abilities. The model of text patterningis a way of providing students with strategies thatthey are able to transfer across all KLAs.

Monitoring StudentsRunning Records are maintained for all students.Each student keeps a folder and a journal. Sectionsof the journals are photocopied to show concreteevidence of improvement through the year. Reportsare provided for individual parents. There is noofficial monitoring of 2002 Restart students in2003. However, of the seven students, only threehave required continuing assistance in Year 8alternative English in 2003.

Student AttitudesThere are some issues related to ‘labelling’ whenstudents are withdrawn from classes although theydo enjoy the small group activities. They are notembarrassed when assistance is provided in theclassroom. The demands of concentration forscaffolding are quite intense. Students can becomea bit tired and have problems in sustaining focusthroughout the whole session.

Support for RestartThere is a positive response from parents who oftenrecognise the need for assistance more clearly thanthe students.

Professional development support has beenprovided mainly through the Koorie EducationProgram, which enabled whole school PD with DrDavid Rose. This was inspiring and has proved veryvaluable within the program. The Restart teacherand the alternative English aide have attendedregional Restart PD but found these meetings didnot allow enough time for useful interaction withother teachers.

Initially teachers did not fully understand the aimsof Restart. To overcome this, the Restart teacherprovided an interpretation of results of the DART toall Year 7 teachers and accompanied this withsuggested strategies and work that could be usedwith students who were operating at levels as low asCSF Level 2. Most staff members are nowsupportive of the program and the team teachingworks well.

Main Benefits of RestartStudents have been able to improve skillssignificantly. Associated with this has been anincrease in confidence and self esteem.

Most Valued StrategiesThe techniques and structure of scaffolding havebeen extremely valuable. There is also a consciouseffort to provide students with enriched languagemodels. The combination of withdrawal and workacross a variety of classes has worked very well.

Further SuggestionsThe program is highly valued. However, there areconcerns about the use of the DART as a means ofdetermining literacy needs, including the culturallyspecific nature of the content of the test and alsothe intimidation of a testing situation.

CASE STUDY 15

BackgroundThe school of 420 students is situated in theSouthern Metropolitan Region in an area whereunemployment levels contribute to generally lowsocioeconomic status. The student population ismulticulturally diverse and boys make up 55 percent of the student numbers. The school had inplace a pre-existing program in which all studentswere tested on entry to Year 7. On the basis of thistesting the school provided a system of individualtutoring for students who were found to haveliteracy difficulties.

Restart in the SchoolSeven students participated in the Restart programin 2002 and in 2003. Each group has contained amajority of boys. Students were selected from DARTresults combined with analysis of transitioninformation and staff and counsellor consultation.At the end of 2002 results of the AIM also formeda part of the process of selection.

In 2002 the school used a system of withdrawal ofstudents in groups of three to four for three periodseach week from LOTE classes. One teacher with abackground in special education and humanitiesconducted the program with the assistance of thestudent support coordinator. In addition support wasprovided for teachers in other subjects by modifyingwork to make it more accessible for Restartstudents. LOTE teachers in the school were nothappy with the withdrawal of students and as aresult, for 2003 there were a number oforganisational changes.

Students were withdrawn from across all subjects.There has been a great deal of collaborative workwith classroom teachers to incorporate elements of

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their work into the Restart program. An additionalsix hours of Restart assistance has been providedfrom another staff member with a primary teachingand humanities background. This has made itpossible for additional one-on-one assistance to beprovided for Restart students.

Although the students have only three officialRestart periods each week the school has also putin place of staff mentoring as one element of wholeschool reform. Up to eight staff members havetimetabled tutorial groups covering literacy in theirown subjects. Restart students are among thestudents who benefit from this program.

Teaching ApproachesRestart classes are conducted in a room set upespecially for the program. It is centrally locatedand provides a welcoming and visually stimulatingenvironment.

There is a central focus on reading for meaning.The program responds to students’ interests with anemphasis on reading for pleasure and enjoyment.For those students needing assistance withdecoding a phonetic approach is used for somesessions. Reintegration of Restart students into themainstream classes is very important. Consequentlyactivities providing vocabulary enrichment are animportant element in the program. A consciouseffort is made to move away from modifying workand to providing appropriate support to scaffoldstudent achievement.

Lessons follow a recognisable structure and alwayscontain elements of reading, writing, playing gamesand recall. Skills of prediction are increasedthrough pre-reading activities, which are seen as animportant aid to students and applicable in allsubjects. Elements of the Thinking OrientedCurriculum are incorporated to challenge andextend students. Shared reading is used and ifstudents are reading silently their understanding istracked by use of questioning. Instruction isexplicit, with the purpose and instructions madeclear and backed up with the use of visual aids. Toassist students with personal organisation their workis kept within the Restart classroom.

Computers are used within the program and someof the Restart students create most of their workusing computers.

Monitoring StudentsStudent progress is monitored closely throughregular assessment of performance on tasks. Awritten record is kept of individual responses anddifficulties. In addition attitudinal surveys havebeen used for progressive testing. Involvement inthe Access to Excellence initiative, and in school-wide adoption of the program You Can Do It, hasmeant that Restart students from 2002 havecontinued to receive tutorial support and to furtherextend their skills in Year 8.

Student AttitudesThere has been strong positive response to theprogram. The small group situation has beenperceived as comfortable and supportive. They arehappy to complete work and projects.

Support for RestartParents have been positive about the program. Theschool intends to produce a book dealing with ways toassist students at home for parents.

Support of other teachers is evident in the numbersthat have volunteered to be part of the Literacymentoring/tutorial program.

Professional development has been providedthrough the Middle Years Literacy Coordinatortraining and regional Restart PD. In additionThinking Oriented Curriculum PD organised by theregion has been of value.

Main Benefits of RestartFor students, the main benefits have been evidentin a great improvement in literacy and generallearning skills. Students have shown great increasesin personal confidence, reflecting their recognitionthat change is possible. The program has beeninstrumental in positively changing the teachingand learning culture of the school. Such benefitshave included:

• the establishment of the Restart room which hascome to be seen as a major resource for teachers.Effectively, the Restart program, along with Access toExcellence and the whole school focus on improvingliteracy and numeracy and the level of studentengagement, is revitalising teaching practices.

• a rigorous consideration of the implications forassessment when students are still operating at alevel that requires modification of work. Therehave been professionally rewarding opportunitieswithin the school to determine a means by which

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students can achieve successful learningexperiences while keeping in place the learningoutcomes to which they must ultimately aspire.

Further SuggestionsThe program is seen as very beneficial and one thatshould be continued. Continuing professionaldevelopment for literacy educators is veryimportant. There are issues about the cost of PD toindividual teachers, which create some difficultiesfor individuals to attend all beneficial PD.

CASE STUDY 16

BackgroundThe school of 900 students is situated in a rapidgrowth corridor of the Southern MetropolitanRegion. The school population is multiculturallydiverse with a slight gender imbalance favouringboys. The school has an emphasis on Literacy andhad a number of programs in place to identifystudents with low literacy levels and provide somedegree of support.

Restart in the School14 students participated in the Restart program in2002 and in 2003. Each group has contained asignificant majority of boys. Students were selectedfrom DART and TORCH results combined withanalysis of transition information.

In 2002 the school used mostly a system ofwithdrawal of students from LOTE classes. Onespecialist teacher in literacy education conductedthe program. Students were withdrawn in groups of3–4 for 4 periods each week. Timetabling issuesand problems of space within the school created anumber of difficulties with this form of organisation.Consequently, the system of withdrawal wasmaintained but for 2003 there were a number oforganisational changes.

There are now three teachers involved with theprogram, which is timetabled against English for 4periods a week. The teachers have backgrounds inEnglish, IT/English and English/library. Students aredivided into two groups of 7. Two teachers work atone time with each group in a team-teachingsystem, which makes it possible to provide someone-to-one assistance as it is required.

Teaching ApproachesRestart classes are usually conducted in the library.The program is based centrally on the Englishcurriculum in the school and is designed to assiststudents to develop a repertoire of literacy practicesand strategies, which are applicable across all KLAs.

The content used responds strongly to studentinterest and is generally based on popular culture.Lessons follow a recognisable structure and alwayscontain some elements of reading, writing andspeaking. Computers are seen as useful adjuncts tothe program and are used whenever appropriate.

Monitoring StudentsStudent progress is monitored closely throughobservation of an Individual Learning Plan for eachstudent with Restart teachers making regularobservations. The schools involvement in the Accessto Excellence initiative has meant that Restartstudents from 2002 have continued to receivesupport and to further extend their skills in Year 8.

Student AttitudesStudents have generally responded well to thecomfortable atmosphere of the small group situation.

Support for RestartParents have been positive about the program.

Professional development has been providedthrough the Middle Years Literacy ProfessionalDevelopment course and regional Restart PD. Theschool is beginning to make use of ProfessionalLearning Teams to provide continuing support.

Main Benefits of RestartFor students the main benefits have been evident intheir significant improvements in literacy andgeneral learning skills.

For staff there have been professional benefits inthe opportunities for joint planning of activities.

Further SuggestionsThe program is seen as very beneficial and one thatshould be continued. More financial assistance toprovide a designated space within the school andadditional time for more intensive one-to-one tuitionwould be welcomed.

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APPENDIX 1

Restart Questionnaire

SCHOOL PROFILE Can you provide a brief profile of your school?

Size, EFT allocation, number of students, gender breakdown, and any special features in terms of student population?

DESCRIPTION OF THE RESTART PROGRAM IN YOUR SCHOOL

How many students were in the program in 2002?

What was the gender breakdown?

2003?

What assessments or criteria were used in selecting students for the program?

How many teachers were involved in the program?From which KLAs were they drawn?What was the form of their involvement in each case?Does this remain the same in 2003?

Were there links with other class teachers? If so, how were these links made and have they been maintained?

Have parents been involved in the program?

What has been the form of their involvement?

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What model/s of literacy support have you adopted?(If a particular program was, or is, being used, please specify.)In the case of a specific program please outline the lesson framework.

For how many sessions each week have students received support?

How have students felt about being part of the program?How have you been able to gauge student attitudes to their involvement?

Have students had input into the content and assessment of the program. If so, what has this been?

Where do the Restart activities take place?

Are there particular strategies that you believe have been most helpful to students? What are they? In what ways have they been of help?

What texts have you used in the program?

SUPPORT FOR RESTART

What professional development was provided for participating or other staff?

What regional support was provided?

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How effective was the supportreceived?

What sort of commitment was there from other staff?

What additional support from the region or centre would be beneficial?

MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES

What records did you keep of student progress?

What qualitative and quantitative data do you hold to monitor student progress?

Do you plan or are you undertaking any continuing monitoring?

BENEFITS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

What positive outcomes have you seen from the program for students and teachers?

Have you made any changes to the program this year?If so, why?

Is there anything else about the program you would like to change/ improve upon?

Are there any further comments you would like to make about your experience of the program in your school?

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APPENDIX 2 Texts recommended by schools in the survey

STUDENT READING

Alderson, J. Crash in the Jungle (2nd ed.) Classic Spirals, 2001 (non-fiction)

Aussie Nibbles/Bites/Chunks, Puffin, Penguin Books, Australia

Chapman, G., the Phenomena series, Howitz Martin Education, NSW, 1999

Donkin, A., Atlantis the Lost City (and other books in this series) Dorling Kindersley, Australia, 2000

Gleitzman, M., Misery Guts, MacMillan Children’s Books, 1992.

Laser Beam novels

Pike, K. & McEvoy, P., Brain Waves. Set 1. Plants that Bite Back (and other titles in the series), BlakePublishing, Australia, 2003

TEACHER REFERENCE

Adcock. D., Comprehensive Assessment of Reading Strategies: Book 4 (Cars and Stars), Hawker-Brownlow,Australia, 2000.

Lamb. L. & Sherwill, M., Bridges, The Middle Years Literacy Program, Shepparton Australia, 1999

Murphy, N., Stepping Stones, Heinemann Reed Education, Victoria, 2002

NSW. Literacy Learning Journal

Rasmussen, G. & Rasmussen, T., Ideas to Go, Hawker Brownlow Education, Australia, 1992

TEACHERS’ MATERIALS FOR TEACHING AND TESTING ACTIVITIES

Barwick, J. & Barwick, J., English Skills for Primary Students, Howitz Martin, UK, 2001

Boning, R., SRA Multiple Skills: Reading Series, McGraw Hill, USA, 1998

Brownie, M. & Morcom, M., Reading Between the Lines 4, 5 and 6, Horwitz Martin, UK, 2000;

Twine, S. Comprehension Lifter (and other texts in the series), RIC Publications, Western Australia

Delange, B. & Kennedy, A., ARK: For struggling readers/writers

Englemann, S. & Meyer, L, et al, Decoding Strategies, McGraw Hill, USA, 1999

First Steps (Reading), Rigby Heinemann, Western Australia, 1998

Horsefield, A., Opportunity Class English Tests. Excel Pascal Press, 1999

Howard, P., Creative Writing Skills, Nightingale Press, NSW, 2001.

Johnson, P. ,Phonics Matters, Lingo Press, University of Ballarat, 2002

Reading for Detail, RIC Publications, Western Australia

Yeates, I., Spelling Skills for Secondary Students

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The Department of Education & Training does not endorse any resources for use by schools. Schools makeinformed decisions about texts, resources and professional development they use based on local needs. Thisis not a complete list of all texts used by all schools visited. It represents those that particular teachers foundto be helpful either for their own preparation of material, use in class or for student reading.

A useful source for exchanging information about resources is the Restart on-line discussion group athttp://ww2.sofweb.vic.edu.au:8080/~restart/

Research shows there are some students in middle years (Years 5–9) who need extra support in developingliteracy skills. The Department of Education & Training in response to a need for support materials to assistschools in working with these students is currently revising Making a Difference: a literacy developmentprogram for middle years students. The revised Making a Difference is aimed at students in Years 5-9. Itlooks at developing the students’ skills in literacy beyond the decoding aspect of reading, emphasising theneed for these students to have self-management strategies. The Middle Years Research and DevelopmentProject identified that middle years students want and need the opportunity to learn from others and discusstheir work. For this reason the intensive instruction lessons have been changed to a small group withdrawalusing Guided: Reciprocal teaching as a basis.

A copy of the revised Making a Difference will be distributed to all government schools during Term 1 2004.Details regarding professional development on Making a Difference can be obtained from regional offices.

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