ACT Minister for Education and Youth Affairs, Yvette Berry, has released the ACT Government’s Strong Foundations Phase One Implementation Plan, outlining the priority actions being undertaken to strengthen literacy and numeracy in ACT public schools.
These priority actions include:
- Providing ACT public schools with additional funding to support purchasing evidence-informed resources for teaching literacy and numeracy in kindergarten to year 2;
- Phasing in the Year 1 Phonics Check, starting with 26 ACT public schools this term;
- Providing all ACT public schools with improved literacy and numeracy assessment tools;
- Upgrading data tools for teachers so they can easily see assessment results.
The Phase One Implementation Plan shows how the ACT Government has started implementing the eight recommendations of the Literacy and Numeracy Education Expert Panel’s Final Report, the Minister said.
The Expert Panel recommended that ACT public schools shift to a more consistent approach to curriculum, teaching, assessment, targeted support for students, and professional learning for teachers and school support staff. Strong Foundations will deliver this with a focus on:
- Improving literacy and numeracy outcomes for all students, with multi-tiered systems of support to ensure no student is left behind;
- Supporting an overall reduction in workload for teachers and school leaders;
- Providing families with easy-to-understand information on the evidence-informed approach to learning in ACT public schools.
The ACT Government has taken the advice of the Expert Panel and worked with public school leaders and key stakeholders to develop a phased approach to implementation, beginning in 2025:
- Phase One (2025): focused on Policy and Program Planning;
- Phase Two (2026-27): focused on Strengthening Supports in Schools;
- Phase Three (2028): focused on Consolidation of Consistency.
“The work of the Expert Panel reaffirmed that a strong foundation in literacy and numeracy begins with evidence-informed teaching,” said Minister for Education and Youth Affairs, Yvette Berry.
“That’s why our first phase of delivery focuses on establishing agreed approaches to curriculum, teaching, and assessment across ACT public schools.
“Our teachers are experts in their field. This plan outlines how the ACT Government will support our current teachers and new educators entering the system with additional evidence-informed resources and professional learning,” she said.
Parents and carers will also be provided with information, resources and fact sheets to help better understand how ACT public schools teach students, as well as practical ways they can support their child at home.
Read the Phase One Implementation Plan and more about the Year 1 Phonics Check at https://www.education.act.gov.au/our-priorities/strong-foundations.
