Surette van Staden has worked for the CEA since August 2003. As a researcher, she has been involved in a number of projects within the centre. Some of these include an evaluation of the Validation of the General Education and Training Certificate Project as contracted by Umalusi in partnership with the IEB, the development of assessment frameworks and literacy tests for Grade 3 and 6 as part of a project for the Joint Education Trust as well as being involvement in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Surette has served as co-national research coordinator for the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2011. She was also project leader for the PIRLS 2006 adult literacy study, conducted in 2007 and 2008 and funded through a Thuthuka Grant. She was recently project coordinator for the FET Mathematics and Science evaluation, which was undertaken in 2009 for the Gauteng Department of Education. Surette was appointed to the Department of Science, Maths and Technology Education in June 2011. As a result, she teaches at second-year level, on the PGCE programme, at Honors-level and is also a lecturer on the Master’s Programme in Assessment and Quality Assurance. She is currently involved in a the supervision of a number of Masters degree students.

 Mathematics & science evolution.