Symposium Understanding how effective interventions work: psychologically enriched evaluation Prof Tony Cline, University College London In the current changing and challenging national conditions the contributions that educational psychologists can make to local evaluation studies are becoming increasingly important. Ambitious large scale evaluation activity is likely to be curtailed by funding restrictions and in any case can usually present only part of the picture of what makes an intervention successful. This symposium, which presents some recent and current work undertaken during the UCL professional doctorate programme, will illustrate some ways in which traditional expectations of evaluation activity may be met but also exceeded by focused initiatives at local level. The rationale for developing evidence–based practice in education will be outlined and its implementations will be questioned. Illustrations will be provided of how psychologically enriched evaluation may support the evolution of effective interventions. Paper 1 Effective interventions: The research base and professional practice Prof Tony Cline, UCL & Dr Sean Cameron, UCL & Independent Consultant Objectives: This presentation will introduce and summarise the main themes of the symposium, providing an overview of major issues that must be addressed if evaluation activity is to support and enhance effective intervention. Background: In the current changing and challenging national conditions the contributions that educational psychologists can make to local evaluation studies are becoming increasingly important. Ambitious large scale evaluation activity is likely to be curtailed by funding restrictions and in any case can usually present only part of the picture of what makes an intervention successful. This symposium will illustrate some ways in traditional expectations of evaluation activity may be met but also exceeded by focused initiatives at local level. Key points: The rationale for developing evidence‐ based practice in education depends on the predictive validity of the research base across settings and over time. Two important and apparently conflicting issues relating to the implementation of evidence‐based research are maintaining intervention fidelity and the need for professional creativity. Conclusions: The evaluation of intervention effectiveness is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for enhancing the quality of educational programmes. In addition, it is important to probe key constructs that underpin what has been done, investigate the process of change as well as its outcomes, and examine contextual variables that may affect the generalisability of study finding. It has been demonstrated that the relationship between fidelity and creativity in EP practice can be symbiotic rather than confrontational. Paper 2 The role of reading self‐concepts in early literacy: Individual children’s progress within an experimental study Dr Ben Hayes, Kent EPS & UCL Objectives: To provide a brief overview of an experimental study that investigated children’s self reading concepts. To illustrate different children’s individual experiences of the intervention as a way of exploring hypotheses about how the interventions worked Design: This study investigates if young children’s self concepts would change in response to four different interventions lasting 12 weeks that differed according to specific teaching approaches. The study employed an experimental design, random allocation of interventions and a control group. 104 pupils for 20 schools (22 classes) took part in the study. Method: Domain specific self concepts for reading were measured using the Reading Self Concept Scale (Chapman and Tunmer 1995). The four matched interventions varied across two independent variables, each with two levels. The first, orientation of teaching logic (print to sound or sound to print) and the second, size of phonological unit taught, (large phonological unit or small unit phonological unit). Results: Of the two independent variables the first, orientation of teaching logic, had no significant impact on how children saw themselves as readers; the second, size of phonological unit taught, produced a significant effect. Overall findings indicate that children’s self‐concepts can be influenced through early intervention, and furthermore that there are particular benefits from using a small unit phonic approach. Information about individual children’s day to day progress during the programme will be presented to illustrate different experiences. Conclusions: Beyond the overall conclusions that can be drawn from an experimental study of a number of children, individual children’s experience of the intervention might potentially help to explain ‘why’ it worked. Paper 3 An evaluation of the effectiveness of a brief solution focused teacher coaching intervention Sue Bennett, Barnet EPS Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a brief solution focused coaching intervention could be effective in addressing the focus area chosen by a teacher for their coaching sessions, and whether coaching would lead to an increase in the teacher’s sense of self and teacher efficacy. Design: The coaching, which consisted of a 30‐minute observation and two one‐hour coaching sessions, used a solution orientated theoretical model and was provided by a team of external coaches from within the Children’s Service. Method: Eighteen teachers working in primary and infant schools in a North London Borough who had asked for coaching and later agreed to participate in the study completed the Teacher Efficacy Scale at intervals before and after their coaching sessions. At the final session they also completed a semi structured questionnaire evaluating the coaching process. Results: Teachers rated coaching as having a positive impact on their target area addressed in the coaching sessions. There was an increase in the teachers’ professional development. Teacher coaching can increase teachers’ sense of self efficacy after the coaching intervention but no difference in their ratings of the efficacy of teachers in general. Conclusions: A short two‐hour solution‐focused teacher coaching intervention can have a positive impact on areas of teachers’ professional development. Teacher coaching can increase teachers’ sense of self efficacy which has been shown to have a positive impact on teachers’ sense of general teacher efficacy. Paper 4 An investigation of the work of an outreach service with mainstream schools supporting children with complex needs Dr Louise Tuersley‐Dixon, Wigan EPS Objectives: Many children with complex needs (CN) are included in mainstream schools with social inclusion as a primary aim. This study investigated an outreach service supporting such children, examining support in relation to needs, and social inclusion outcomes. The research, informed by attribution theory, tested hypotheses that the more visible/severe the needs of the individual the greater their social acceptance. Design: A correlation design enabled observation of typical service delivery. Framework analysis of outreach session plans allowed qualitative and quantitative analyses. Method: Children attending mainstream schools with CN (N=20) supported by a special school’s outreach service, their ‘typical’ classroom peers (N=528), mainstream teaching staff (N=28), outreach teachers (N=15) and parents (N=26) participated. Outreach plans were collected over one year. Social inclusion was assessed using sociometry and parental/teacher assessments of socialisation. Individual needs were assessed by parental/teacher assessments of adaptive behaviour. Results: Attainment formed the core of service delivery. Children with social inclusion needs received social inclusion support. Between‐groups analysis indicated that children with CN had equivalent positive social status to their mainstream classmates. Increased visibility of disability was associated with increased social acceptance. Conclusions: Children with CN, supported by an outreach service, can have positive social inclusion. Suggested implications of the research are that children with less visible disabilities may require great social inclusion support than their peers with more obvious needs. Support professionals may have a role in facilitating evidence‐based strategies such as peer education to help typical peers to formulate more positive attributions about children with hidden disabilities.