The godfather of needs-based school funding now has a team in place to examine the best ways to spend the extra money governments are giving students.
Businessman David Gonski will lead a panel of eight educators and policy experts in a nine-month look at how to ensure the boost in resources leads to better student results.
He will reunite with former NSW and South Australia public education boss Ken Boston, who was part of the original Gonski panel that recommended the needs-based funding model.
Other members of the new panel are Smith Family chief Lisa O'Brien, education and management consultant Terrey Arcus, independent schools representative Valerie Gould, Catholic schools representative Lee-Anne Perry, and public school principals Wendy Johnston and Michael Roberts.
Mr Gonski said this team offered the balance of skills and backgrounds to work on quality reform ideas.
"The review panel has a unique opportunity to assist in putting Australian schooling on a better path for success," he said.
Education Minister Simon Birmingham said now the federal government had passed its new 'Gonski 2.0' school funding package, to start in January 2018, schools and teachers had the necessary support to focus on programs best suited to their students.
The review would make suggestions about which were most effective, he said.
"We must now ensure we get maximum bang for our record investment, that needs-based funding helps lift performance across all schools and that credible evidence informs the use of the most effective programs and initiatives," he said.
He encouraged everyone with an interest in school systems to think outside the square when engaging with the review.
The panel will report by March.
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