Mission
The SiMERR mission within Australia: SiMERR works with education communities on issues of national concern to Australia but ensuring rural and regional voices are strongly represented. The aim is to achieve improved educational outcomes for all students so that:
- Parents can send their children to schools knowing they will experience equal opportunities for a quality education
- Teachers can work in schools and be professionally connected and supported
- Students can attend schools and achieve their academic potential.
The SiMERR mission Internationally: SiMERR undertakes strategic applied research in key areas of educational policy linked to an equitable approach to overcome disadvantage by:
- collecting valid and reliable data before using appropriate high-value data analysis techniques;
- producing credible and readable Reports that link findings to practical ways to proceed;
- taking the collected evidence and recommendations to inform policy development and future practice; and
- ensuring that the findings can be scaled manageably and in efficient and cost-effective ways.
Aims
- To provide a national focus for issues relevant to Science, ICT, and Mathematics Education in rural and regional Australia.
- To undertake strategic research into critical areas of need related to the enhancement of student learning outcomes in rural and regional Australia that will inform curriculum development and professional teacher learning
- To bring together, as a coherent body of knowledge, new current and past research and professional development initiatives directed at improving rural and regional education in these subject areas.
- To facilitate communication and collaboration among all stakeholders.
Strategies
- Establish and support State/Territory hubs
- Undertake a national survey to identify issues in teaching Science, ICT and Mathematics
- Link with national bodies
- Create a dedicated Web site
- Develop research agendas responsive to rural and regional needs
- Apply for ARC, DEST and other competitive grants
- Model of best practice
- Identify or create solutions
- Provide directions and advocacy for rural and regional education policies
- Disseminate information via the Web
- Establish professional networks
- Work closely with state and territory education providers
- Convene a summit.