School Improvement                              

The School Improvement Framework is the evaluative component of the School Excellence Initiative. It is a system of tools and processes that allows schools to monitor and evaluate the extent to which they are achieving the standards to which they aspire.

The School Improvement Process

1. The College establishes a School Improvement Committee to oversee the school improvement process.
2. Schools assess their performance across any or all four domains.
3. School boards produce a plan that describes the school’s strategic intentions and evaluation measures based on the assessment of  performance across the domains.
4. School boards monitor and review school performance and report on it to the chief executive, parents of students at the school, and staff.
5. An external panel validates judgements about school performance and school planning processes in the third year of the cycle.

Year One in the Cycle
Lake Tuggeranong College is currently in Year 1 of the school improvement cycle and as such will be undertaking the following steps:

Preparation
School boards determine how the School Improvement Framework will be managed and implemented. The DET Educational Review Unit collaborates with the school and will support all phases of preparation and implementation if requested.

Information about school domains
Schools assess their performance in four domains – learning and teaching, student environment, leadership and management, and community involvement.. Performance in these areas is assessed using the Tool for Self Assessment of School Domains.

System surveys
System surveys are used to gather the views of all stakeholders – students, staff and parents – about school performance. The survey seeks feedback about performance across the full range of school domains. The School Improvement Unit supports schools in conducting this survey.

Making judgments about information gathered
All key school stakeholders should be involved in the school self assessment each year. Many will be involved in making judgments about the information gathered. In this way implementation of the School Improvement Framework is closely linked to normal learning and teaching practices in the school.

The school plan
The school board uses the information to document its goals and priorities for the next three years, recognising that there may be amendments to the plan as new priorities emerge. This does not preclude schools from including priorities that may extend beyond three years. The school’s strategic plan forms the basis for the continual monitoring of school performance.

Implementation of the school plan
Implementation of the plan begins as soon as the school board is satisfied that the plan is ready. In practice implementation of the plan will usually mean making a smooth transition from the previous plan to the newly adopted plan.

Reporting on the school plan
The school board reports annually to the Chief Executive Officer and the school community through the School Board Annual Report.

David Briggs
School Improvement Coordinator

July 2008