SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

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SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

• A way forward for Tasmanian Catholic Schools

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Our rapidly changing world

• Young people live in a world of massive ongoing
  change
• Technology
• Social structures
• Median and communications
• Global interconnectedness
• The only thing that remains constant is the
  guarantee of change and more change!

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• We need schools that prepare our learners to
  lead productive lives in this complex, high-tech
  and fast-changing world - schools that are
  responsive, fluid and adaptive to emerging needs
  and opportunities
• Wald Castleberry, 2000

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School Improvement

• Involves a process of analysis and evaluation of
  information and the use of that information in a
  systematic way to widen understanding and to plan
  programmes and school practices.
• (Mitchell et al, 2002)

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• It is school-based,
• learning centered and
• future oriented

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The heart of the matter?

• Working to the best of our ability so that every
  child has access to the best possible educational
  opportunities

• How can we make good things better and put bad
  things right?

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• There is no blueprint for a good school each
  needs to work out the meaning of this for
  themselves
• Cameron Mitchell, 2002

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• It is the attitudes and capacity of the school
  to learn and respond to information (internal and
  external) about its own performance which is at
  the heart of school improvement. There needs to
  be processes in place to enable this learning and
  conditions (time, setting) for it to occur
• Mitchell et al 2002

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Live, Learn, Grow

• A School ImprovementFramework for Tasmanian
• Catholic schools

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Shared vision, values and principles
Rigor Catholic identity and ethos Consistency S
hared accountability Clarity Professionalism Empo
werment Flexibility Respect Consultation
Collaboration Participation Celebration Support
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A conceptual model

• A shared understanding and language that
  facilitates
• Communication
• Consistency
• Dialogue
• Debate

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• The school as an organization functions as a
  complex reality
• Activity in one area has the potential to yield
  multiple associated effects on other aspects of
  the schools life and work.

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DOMAIN
A sphere or field of function within a schools
life and activity
Element
A core area of activity within the domain
Features of each element
Theme
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PURPOSE DOMAINS
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ENABLING DOMAINS
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School Improvement Processes
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Two core purposes
School Accountability (Summative)
Professional obligation to self-check practice as
expression of ethical commitment to students and
their learning
School Development (Formative)
Develop expertise and knowledge for the good of
the school, its students and the profession as a
whole
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• Accountability
• and
• School Development
• exist side by side

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The Internal component

• School self-evaluation

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School Self-evaluation
Process of critical reflection on ones own
practice
made systematic and transparent with the aim
of improving pupil, professional and
organisational learning NCSL
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School self-evaluation

• Contextualized within the unique culture of each
  school
• Development as a professional learning community
• Evaluates performance against indicators of
  quality practice

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• Consultative collaborative processes
• Continuous cycle of critical reflection, review
  and development ie collection and analysis of
  relevant and accurate data
• Utilizing the skills and steps of strategic
  planning eg goal-setting, decision-making,
  prioritizing and change management
• Internal capacity needs are built into the
  process

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Flexible to allow for local design

• Processes
• Duration and detail of strategic plan
• Tools and strategies for data collection and
  consultation
• Ongoing local response to emerging needs and
  issues eg rolling planning

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• Each school identifies its own needs and goals,
  addressing them in its own unique way, informed
  by its self-evaluation process and the external
  validation process, supported by its Senior
  School Consultant and other CEO services.

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Key expectations
At least ONE element each year in each of the
five Domains. A school may identify other
elements not listed in the framework
Elements preferable linked to a core strategic
focus and to each other to achieve an integrated
approach to school development and planning
Over the full period of the schools Strategic
Plan all 24 elements would be addressed.
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External Validation Process

• Working and learning together

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• Process of validation of schools self-review
  processes and findings that is consistent across
  the whole system
• A dynamic of listening, dialogue and questioning
• Shares best practice and experience
• Recognition of shared responsibility and
  accountability

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• Recommendations inform the schools ongoing
  strategic direction
• Significant source of data for reporting and
  development needs of the system
• Reporting to the schools Governing body

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Assess and Assist (Education Review Office NZ)
Assess Examine, explain and validate each
schools progress and improvement Identify common
regional and system needs, successes, trends and
issues
Assist Provision of targeted resources and
support for each school and across the system
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Features of the framework
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Learning centred

• School performance is evaluated against the
  touchstone
• How does this impact on student learning and
  achievement?
• Everyone is a learner!

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School empowerment

• Based on the belief that sustainable improvement
  is more likely to be achieved through empowerment
  of the school rather than through the exercise of
  authority by an external authority alone
• Growth as a systemic interdependent culture
  rather than one dependent on externally provided
  support
• Targeted support to meet specific and system-wide
  needs as they emerge

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A holistic, integrated framework

• Processes woven into the natural rhythm of the
  school
• An integrated approach to the building of
  internal capacity and subsequent planning
• A multi-faceted approach to goal-setting that
  addresses several needs in a creative,
  resource-friendly way. Mind mapping not lists!
• Other system requirements aligned to minimize
  levels of demand on the school

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An organic framework

• Engagement with core tools that develops
  collective understanding of quality indicators
  not merely for measurement of performance but as
  identification of improvement strategies
• Simple tools that can be applied in multiple ways
  in different contexts to meet different needs
  increasing and deepening
• Old tools replaced by new approaches and
  ideas produced by individual schools
• Draws from and develops system wisdom

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Data informed

• Data drawn from a wide range of sources
  quantitative and qualitative internal and
  external.
• Evaluation of performance by comparing
  self-generated evidence against a standard
  determined by indicators of quality discerned
  from the study of current practice, research and
  literature
• Generates a rich database of quality indicators
  and evidence of quality on a school-by-school
  basis

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Self-generating/self-sustaining

• Shift in focus from assumptions of success and
  failure to one informed by a focused
  investigation of performance
• Recognition of school performance as a
  pre-requisite for authentic ownership
• Recognition of successes and achievements as a
  platform for confident management of the change
  process

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Leadership building

• Professional learning as a core means of building
  leadership capacity - a tailored program that
  maximizes the effective use of processes and
  tools.
• Enhancement of learning gained through experience
  as a validator (external personnel) or as a
  school improvement leader (internal personnel)

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The power of the internal imperative

• Stimulation of energy and clarity of direction
  through engagement with the framework and its
  integrated processes
• Difficult for resisters to remain opposed or
  detached
• Based on the conviction that teachers as a
  profession are fundamentally committed to the
  welfare of their students

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• Objective measure of performance as a stimulus
  for change
• Early recognition of success and achievement as a
  motivator for confident positive engagement in
  improvement strategies
• Builds a positive environment characterised by
  debate, dialogue and collective responsibility
  for maximising success

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School designed/System supported

• School management of self-evaluation processes
  supported through the provision of a
  comprehensive range of support materials
• Mentoring and support by school consultant to
  build leadership capacity, to demonstrate how to
  best use the materials and to act as a catalyst
  for change
• Adaptable processes and resources to suit local
  school needs and contexts

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Factors that make a difference

• Trust
• Focus on process rather than product
• Time
• Training
• Team
• Leadership
• Support

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• The transformation of schools means the
  transformation of work for those engaged in the
  core business of learning and teaching
• Teachers work is increasingly research-based,
  outcomes-oriented, data driven, and team focused
  with lifelong professional learning the norm
• (Caldwell 2005)

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• Vision without action is merely a dream.
• Action without vision just passes the time.
• Vision with action can change the world
• (Joel Barker)