Evaluative thinking in the school planning process
NSW Public Schools engage in a three-year planning cycle, governed by the School Excellence policy.
As the video below demonstrates, the disciplines of evaluative thinking are woven throughout the school planning process. These include:
- starting with self-assessment and consultation
- planning with the end in mind
- selecting evidence-based strategies
- regular monitoring and evaluation
- the plan as a living document.
For guidance, resources and contacts relating to school planning, please follow this link to School Excellence and Accountability
Resources for drafting a strategic direction and milestoning a process
For schools developing or reviewing their 2018-20 plans, the following workshop activities may be of some assistance:
- download the worksheets (print these in colour, A3)
- download the slides and notes, either as a PDF or a PowerPoint file.
This scaffolded approach uses sticky-notes and a set of colour-coded steps that connect different parts of the plan, including the ‘5Ps’ of a strategic direction and the yearly milestoning of the processes within it. The approach:
- supports the School Excellence Implementation Guidelines – School Planning, which is the one source of truth for school planning
- is just one way that a school might choose to go about constructing its plan
- lends itself to a collaborative workshop environment
- highlights the prominence of evaluative thinking in the school planning process
- is an iterative and fluid process that allows you to come back and refine aspects of your earlier thinking at any point
- has been developed as part of an ongoing partnership between Principals School Leadership, High Performance and the Evaluation Capacity Building team to support schools in a consistent, transparent way.
For advice on school planning, contact a PSL or your Director.
