First released in late 2014, What works best: Evidence-based practices to help improve NSW student performance was an early publication of the newly established Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (CESE). Succinctly laying out the research for seven of the most effective practices in education, What works best quickly found a wide audience among New South Wales (NSW) educators. This update of What works best offers eight themes for schools to consider. Assessment, which was included in a number of the original seven themes, has now been included as a separate eighth theme, in recognition of the key role it plays in teaching, learning and student achievement. Research shows that quality teaching practices tend to benefit students regardless of their background, but it also shows that not all students have access to these effective strategies. These practices are not a complete list of effective educational practice, or the only things that school leaders and teachers should focus on to improve student outcomes. They are, however, some of the best evidenced practices in education, and attention to these strategies is almost always evident in our high-performing schools. The eight themes are: 1) High expectations; 2) Explicit teaching; 3) Effective feedback; 4) Use of data to inform practice; 5) Assessment; 6) Classroom management; 7) Wellbeing; and 8) Collaboration.