Find out how Mastery Schools Australia Springfield harnesses the power of DI programs to transform educational outcomes for their students in this video case study.
Wes Becker Excellent School Award 2024
students
Mastery Schools Australia opened its first campus in Varsity Lakes in 2021 to provide a quality educational alternative for students who are disengaged or at risk of disengaging from mainstream schooling. MSA aims to develop the academic foundations and resilience which allow students to re-enter mainstream education Australia wide.
They offer evidence-based, structured approaches to support learning and development across a range of student needs. The school meets students where they are at and ensures they have the proper support and systems to leverage their strengths and potential to accelerate their learning. With campuses located across the east-coast of Australia, they are a middle school that caters to students from years 4-10.
A wide variety of data indicates that there are a significant number of middle school aged students who have disengaged from mainstream schooling due to learning difficulties. In addition, data from the Grattan Institute suggests that up to 40% of students in Australian schools could be classified as disengaged.
The school has an emphasis on exceptional teaching, quality curriculum and high expectations of students and staff. DI programs are used exclusively across all campuses.
Winner: Wes Becker Excellent School Award 2024
This award is named after Wesley Becker, co- creator of Direct Instruction and longtime Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Oregon. It is given to a school for exemplary implementation of Direct Instruction.
Location: Springfield, QLD
School Principal: Sharyn Angel
Number of students: 260
Products Used: All DI Programs
In January 2022, MSA Springfield opened its doors in Springfield Central, calling The World Knowledge Centre home. The campus was MSA’s first facility to open outside the Gold Coast region and has experienced rapid growth since its initial opening. MSA Springfield has built strong community partnerships, working closely with several affiliated providers as well as local schools to better the educational experience in Springfield.
“After one term at MSA, [our daughter] can read fluently. We are thrilled. This means that one term of research-based hard work from all MSA staff has greatly improved [our daughter’s] literacy. MSA’s research-based approach and the hard work of the staff has made [our daughter] literate. This will change her life greatly. I appreciate your presence and hard work.” MSA parent, 2023.
“I don’t know how other education institutions can use other approaches.” Chad Willis, parent of Jackson Willis (winner, The Wayne Carnine Student Improvement Award 2024).
“My hope is that more and more mainstream schools will adopt Direct Instruction programs. I would encourage all educators to read Project Follow-Through – it is undeniable evidence about the power of DI.”
“We use Direct Instruction wherever possible. It is the only pedagogy that has been proven by science to get more than one year of learning out of one calendar year.” Sharyn Angel, Principal, MSA Springfield Campus.
“I would 100% recommend that any future schools I taught at would use DI programs.” Rachel Crane, Assistant Teacher, Springfield Campus.
“Direct Instruction makes it so that you actually get the good stuff!” Jackson Willis, (MSA Year 7 student: winner, The Wayne Carnine Student Improvement Award 2024).
“It gave me so much more confidence and I feel like now I can actually answer stuff – I would not be stuttering over my words.” Amber Blythe, MSA Year 10 Graduate.
Direct Instruction (DI) is the efficacy-proven methodology at the core of McGraw Hill’s literacy and numeracy tiered curriculum solutions. For over 50 years, DI has empowered educators to deliver learning experiences proven to transform students at all levels into highly skilled and confident learners.
DI isn’t just a program—it's a proven methodology that encompasses a range of distinct McGraw Hill products, such as Spelling Mastery, Reading Mastery, Corrective Reading, and Connecting Maths Concepts.
DI provides educators with an explicit, systematic framework and time-tested resources that help students consistently meet and exceed achievement goals.
At the heart of DI is rigorous research. Decades of studies have consistently shown significant academic gains for students taught using DI programs. Learn more on our research portal.
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