Around the School Table
Around the School Table
Podcast Description
Around the School Table" brings together the many voices shaping primary and secondary education across Australia, from principals and teachers to education thought leaders and system innovators. Whether you're in the classroom, the staff room or the boardroom, this is your podcast to be informed, inspired and connected.
About Xuno
Xuno Suite is an all-in-one school management system for Australian K–12 schools. It simplifies administration, boosts communication, and supports student wellbeing. Core features include attendance, reporting, payments, incident tracking, and a parent app for real-time updates. Teachers can manage assessments, schedules, and contact families through the platform. Additional modules like Accelerus (advanced reporting) and Student Maps (learning analytics) offer deeper insights. Xuno complies with ACARA and ST4S standards, is locally supported, and trusted by over 500,000 users nationwide.
Website: https://xuno.com.au/
Email: [email protected]
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers various topics in education focused on innovative practices, technology integration, and student well-being, with notable episodes including discussions on AI's role in creating safer schools, the impact of bilingual education on student achievement, and the use of emotional intelligence to enhance learning environments.
Around the School Table” brings together the many voices shaping primary and secondary education across Australia, from principals and teachers to education thought leaders and system innovators. Whether you’re in the classroom, the staff room or the boardroom, this is your podcast to be informed, inspired and connected.
About Xuno
Xuno Suite is an all-in-one school management system for Australian K–12 schools. It simplifies administration, boosts communication, and supports student wellbeing. Core features include attendance, reporting, payments, incident tracking, and a parent app for real-time updates. Teachers can manage assessments, schedules, and contact families through the platform. Additional modules like Accelerus (advanced reporting) and Student Maps (learning analytics) offer deeper insights. Xuno complies with ACARA and ST4S standards, is locally supported, and trusted by over 500,000 users nationwide.
Website: https://xuno.com.au/
Email: [email protected]
In this episode of Around the School Table, produced by Xuno, host Steve Davis is joined by Dr. Gina Biancarosa, Ann Swindells Chair in Education, Professor in the Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences, and Director of the Center on Teaching and Learning at the University of Oregon (uoregon.edu), to explore the origins, purpose, and growing impact of DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) in schools across Australia and beyond.
Throughout the conversation, Gina explains how DIBELS was developed to help educators identify students who may need additional support with reading. Rather than relying solely on lengthy assessments, DIBELS uses brief, targeted measures that provide valuable insights into a student’s literacy development. As a result, teachers can monitor progress more frequently and make informed instructional decisions.
The discussion explores the science behind key DIBELS assessments, including letter naming fluency, phonemic awareness, nonsense word fluency, oral reading fluency, and comprehension measures. Furthermore, Gina explains how each assessment aligns with the research on how children learn to read and develop reading comprehension over time.
Steve and Gina also examine the importance of reading for meaning. While decoding words is essential, comprehension remains the ultimate goal. Consequently, the episode highlights why effective literacy instruction must support both accurate word recognition and deep understanding of text.
In addition, listeners will learn how Australian educators have embraced DIBELS through professional learning communities, including the highly active DIBELS in Oz network. Gina reflects on the collaborative efforts that led to the development of an Australasian version of DIBELS, ensuring greater relevance for Australian and New Zealand students.
The conversation also explores how literacy data can be used responsibly within broader school improvement strategies. While assessment data can guide intervention and goal-setting, Gina emphasises the importance of using DIBELS for its intended purpose rather than as a blunt accountability tool. The discussion also touches on how DIBELS data can be analysed and interpreted within broader school improvement processes using tools such as Student Maps.
Beyond assessment, Gina shares her personal reflections on reading as a lifelong gift. From childhood favourites to supporting readers with vision impairment, she highlights the profound opportunities that literacy creates throughout life.
This episode offers valuable insights for teachers, school leaders, literacy specialists, and education professionals seeking practical ways to support reading growth while maintaining a strong focus on student understanding and success.
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