Be You releases 2021–2023 Evaluation and plans to better support learning communities.
The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) has completed an independent evaluation of Beyond Blue's Be You initiative, assessing its implementation and outcomes from July 2021 to June 2023.
The evaluation, which drew on comprehensive national data sets and stakeholder feedback, concluded that Be You is operating as intended at this stage of its implementation and continues to demonstrate positive impacts for educators and learning communities.
The evaluation highlighted several key achievements of Be You, including its success in building educators’ capacity to promote mental health and wellbeing. Educators who are highly engaged with Be You reported higher levels of mental health knowledge, self-efficacy and overall wellbeing.
Additionally, the approaches promoted in Be You align with and support early learning services to meet and exceed the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) National Quality Standards.
The findings revealed that attending a Be You school that is highly invested in student wellbeing is associated with improved social, emotional, and learning skills among both primary and secondary students and improved wellbeing outcomes among secondary students.
Consultant support, which is essential to the implementation of Be You, remains highly valued by Action Team Leaders and learning communities.
The evaluation included 12 recommendations, focusing on opportunities to enhance Be You’s impact and better meet the needs of its key audiences. These recommendations will guide Be You’s activities as part of its strategic plan for 2023–2027, with priority areas identified in a response to address evaluation findings and ensure continuous improvement.
For more information, including the full evaluation report and Beyond Blue's response, visit: https://beyou.edu.au/about/research-and-evaluation