|
The DISS project »
Reports and papers on the UK's largest study of Teaching Assistants
Current research »
Our collaborative work on improving TA deployment
Inset and consultancy »
Find out about our work with schools and LEAs
Latest news »
Read about news and events involving the research team
About us »
Meet the research team
Contact us »
Get in touch with the research team
Links »
Links to useful websites and other research projects |
Welcome to School Support Staff.net - the website of the ground-breaking DISS study on the Deployment and Impact of Support Staff, carried out by the Institute of Education, London.
"I believe the DISS project is the most seminal research project to address SEN in the past decade"
Jean Gross, The Communication Champion
LATEST NEWS...CONFERENCES...PAPERS & ARTICLES...TRAINING...EVENTS...
| Extra training event added - 30th March 2012, Winchester: 'How to make the most effective use of TAs' |
|
Following the success of initial sessions, we are pleased to announce an extra date for our innovative course, run in collaboration with Hampshire County Council. The one-day course will run on 30th March in Winchester. The course uses our research findings as a basis for training in the effective management, deployment and preparation of TAs. Participants have said the course is "very thought provoking". As part of the course, participants will receive a copy of our new book, 'Reassessing the Impact of TAs'. For further information and to book, click here, and enter the code MN036E into the 'Keywords' box.
added 29th January 2012 |
|
OUT NOW!! The DISS project book: 'Reassessing the Impact of Teaching Assistants' |
|
We are delighted to announce the release of a comprehensive book on the ground-breaking DISS project, published by Routledge, titled 'Reassessing the Impact of Teaching Assistants: How Research Challenges Practice and Policy'. Click here for our page on Amazon.co.uk or here to order direct from the publisher. For a book flyer, click here.
added 25th November 2011 |
| Article in Headteacher Update |
|
A leading practitioner magazine has published an article on the findings from the DISS project, written by the research team. Headteacher Update is the only magazine sent to every primary school headteacher in the UK. An online version of the May 2011 edition is available here. The DISS aritcle can be found on pages 18 to 21.
added 9th June 2011
|
| Papers published in leading international journals |
|
Four new papers on findings from the DISS projects have been published in three leading educational research journals.
The wider pedagiocal role of teaching assistants by Webster et al, appears in the journal School Leadership and Management, 31(1) this February.
Double standards and first principles: Framing TA support for pupils with SEN and Engaging with the question 'should TAs have a pedagogical role?', both by Webster et al, are published in the European Journal of Special Educational Needs, 25(4). These papers form part of a symposium feature, where the 'Double standards...' paper is critiqued by three academics, one of whom is Prof. Michael Giangreco. The 'Engaging with...' paper details our response to the critiques.
The forth paper is Enhancing learning?: A comparison of teacher and TA interactions with pupils by Rubie-Davies et al, which appears in School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 21(4). For the full references for all three papers, click here.
added 16th February 2011
|
| Research expertise at the Institute of Education - a case study of the DISS project |
|
The DISS project features in a new series of short case studies produced by the Institute of Education, describing the impact of its research on education policy and practice in the UK and around the world. The case study documents the contribution of the DISS project and the work the research team have been involved with over the last year. Click here to download the case study.
added 30th July 2010
|
| School Support Staff.net team launch new research project on improving the deployment of TAs |
|
The School Support Staff.net team have commenced a follow up study to the DISS project, funded by Esmèe Fairbairn Foundation. Over the 2010/11 academic year, we will work in collaboratively with headteachers, teachers and TAs across a number of schools in order todevelop and evaluate school-based strategies for the effective deployment of TAs. Find out more by clicking here to see the project webpage.
added 7th June 2010
|
| Keynote symposium at the British Educational Research Association Annual Conference |
|
The DISS project findings were unveiled in a Keynote address at the BERA Annual Conference at the University of Manchester. Delegates rated the symposium given by the DISS project team as the best of the six Keynote symposia given during the conference. Our presentation scored highly across the evaluation categories for its content, conherence, quality and relevance to an international audience.
added February 2010
|
| Publication of the DISS project findings |
|
The DISS project final report was covered on national radio, the BBC news website and in the print and online versions of leading UK broadsheets, and was the lead story in the Times Educational Supplement on 4th September 2009 (Click here for the TES article and here for the editorial). The research was also featured in The Economist. Click here for our press release.
The DISS team have written and contributed to a number of articles in practitioner publications to conincide with the release of the final reports. Click here for references.
added February 2010
| |
