Teaching and learning

Purpose of resource

This guide supports teachers to use student work samples as an immediate source of data on student understanding and progress. When using work samples to identify evidence of impact, it is important to be strategic about student selection and the framework for analysis.

The guide is designed to support school leaders and teachers to evaluate the impact of professional learning on student growth and performance as part of a cycle of continuous professional learning. It supports the application of the High Impact Professional Learning (HIPL) model and aligns with the Professional learning for teachers and school staff procedure within the School Excellence policy.

Target audience

School leadership teams, aspiring leaders and teachers can use this resource to evaluate the impact of professional learning on student growth and performance.

When and how to use

This resource supports teachers to:

• use student work samples as an immediate source of data on student understanding and progress while a teacher applies new learning from professional learning into their practice
  

• consider a range of factors when identifying target students, including the focus for the improved practice or approach and intended outcomes, the target students and whole school goals or priorities

• establish a framework for analysis, for example, external assessment devices, learning progressions, syllabus outcomes, criteria developed through professional learning undertaken, identified high leverage strategies explored in professional learning or school-developed rubrics.

The resource includes an implementation guide, a planning template and an illustration of practice which provides an example of what application of the resource looks like in a school context, including suggested time frames.

Research base

This resource is informed by and aligns to the department’s High Impact Professional Learning (HIPL) model which is embedded in the Professional learning for teachers and schools staff procedure within the School Excellence policy. The HIPL model is underpinned by extensive research about teacher professional learning to ensure that professional learning in schools has maximum impact on student growth and performance. Additional research includes:

• What works best in practice (Ch4: Use of data to inform practice) (2020) CESE, NSW DoE

• Evaluating the impact of professional learning (2020) – AITSL

• Planning Professional Learning (2014) Guskey T
  

• Evaluating Professional Development (2002) Guskey T

• Research on professional learning: Measuring impact (2021) DoE - which has informed the HIPL model and the DoE PL Policy

Alignment

Alignment to system priorities and/or needs – This resource supports teachers and school leaders to implement the department’s Professional learning for teachers and school staff procedure within the School Excellence policy.

Alignment to School Excellence Framework – This resource aligns with the following elements and themes:

Teaching Domain > Learning and development > Professional learning

Teaching Domain > Data skills and use > 'Data analysis' and ‘Data use in teaching’

Alignment to Our Plan for NSW Public Education – This resource aligns with the following themes:

• Support staff development through high-quality and accessible professional learning

• Support schools to deliver school excellence through continuous improvement

• Improve how data is used to inform teaching
  

Alignment with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers – 3.2.3, 3.2.4, 3.6.3, 3.6.4, 6.3.3, 6.3.4

Consulted with: APC&I leaders, LEED and Quality Teaching Practice evaluation and PL teams

Reviewed by: Director, Quality Teaching Practice and Executive Director, Teaching Quality and Impact

Related resources

• Professional learning for teachers and school staff procedures
• High Impact Professional Learning website
• CESE - 'What works best' toolkit
  
• Curriculum professional learning K-12
• Professional learning planning guide
• Photovoice
• CESE - Guide to evidence-based models of collaborative inquiry

Contact

Provide feedback on this resource by completing this short survey.

Email questions, comments, and additional feedback about this resource to professionallearning@det.nsw.edu.au using the subject line ‘Using student work samples evaluation resource’.