2019 AR evaluation of improvement measures indicated that further consolidation of pl in relation to data informed teaching, collaborative practice and feedback is required. The validity of teacher judgment needs to be a focus based on student outcomes analysis.
Focus area 1
Increase the number of students achieving expected growth in Numeracy and Reading NAPLAN through data use and explicit teaching.
Assessment
- formative assessment
- whole school monitoring of student learning
Student performance measures
- student growth
- internal and external measures against syllabus standards
Data skills and use
- data use in teaching.
Implications/problem of practice
2019 TTFM (Tell Them From Me) student survey says 34% of children are confident of their skills but don’t find the work challenging. The state comparison is 26%. Year 5 Numeracy expected growth is significantly lower than the target. There is a decline from K-3 results to Year 3-5 results in both Reading and Numeracy in NAPLAN. The trend over the past 3 years shows Value-add - K-3 is Sustaining and Growing (S&G), Y3-5 is Delivering, Y5-7 is S&G. Using data in teaching and data use in planning will also be a focus of strategic direction one, ensuring teachers clearly understand and develop the full range of assessment strategies, and use them to determine teaching directions, assess progress and reflecting on teaching practice.
Lack of challenge could be part of the Year 3-5 Numeracy decline in top 2 bands. This needs further investigation through a document analysis of assessment data and Numeracy programs, NAPLAN gap analysis, focus groups with students and interviews with teachers to fully understand problems of practice and investigate the best way forward in relation to best pedagogical practice. Structures need to be put in place to identify students who need intervention within and beyond the classroom. Students not showing growth will be identified every 5 weeks (including those students working at higher levels), referred to LaST for a 5 week intensive learning program, provided a PLSP targeting specific needs and monitored for improvement.
The instructional leadership model delivered through the QTSS release will be improved upon. While QTSS release will focus on collaborative practices in SD2, an additional instructional leadership position at DP level (2 x 0.5 FTE – K-2 & 3-6) will be funded through equity loadings. This structure will enable development of school leadership capabilities required for SD3 by providing class teacher to AP and AP to DP higher duties through EOI.
Focus area 2
Improve teacher practice and effectiveness through explicit systems for collaboration and feedback.
Effective classroom practice
- feedback
Learning and development
- collaborative practice and feedback
Implications: Using data in teaching and data use in planning will also be a focus of strategic direction two ensuring teachers clearly understand and develop the full range of assessment strategies and use them to determine teaching directions and assessing progress and reflecting on teaching practice. We need specificity around what a quality reading or numeracy lesson looks like, as in modelled, shared, guided and independenrt. We also need to provide opportunity for teachers to collaborate on lesson design and provide feedback through supportive peer observations. The QTSS staffing release will be dedicated to collaborative practices.
Focus area 3
High expectation and continuous improvement culture.
Data skills and use
- data use in planning
Educational leadership
- instructional leadership
- high expectations culture
School planning, implementation and monitoring
- continuous improvement
School resources
- staff deployment
- financial management.
Implications: It has been difficult to determine the impact of strategies across the school due to limited evaluative practices. This has resulted in missed opportunities to review, revise and refine processes as well as missed opportunities to celebrate and grow successful strategies across the school. Effective processes for benchmarking school performance are necessary for the school to move forward.
The leadership team needs to ensure resources are allocated to provide significant time for teachers to learn, plan and work together. Clear and accurate monitoring and analysis of student achievement data on a regular basis will inform whole school resource allocation for maximum impact and improvement. Continual monitoring of student performance data will determine areas of need and success at a whole school level. The involvement of the whole school community in this process will be essential and work across the learning community should be utilised if possible.
The leadership team will participate in action research on evaluative practices for continual school improvement. This action research will provide a ‘narrow and deep’ focus on evaluative practices, a deeper understanding of the SPaRO software and the School Excellence Policy and guidelines.