Transcript High Performing Victorian Government Schools

High Performing Victorian
Government Schools
How our best performing schools come out on
top
A snapshot
There is a well-documented link between socioeconomic characteristics and learning outcomes
EMR Breakfast Session, 24 August 2010
What some teachers do
EMR Breakfast Session, 24 August 2010
Differential performance
EMR Breakfast Session, 24 August 2010
10 Lessons — Two sorts
10 lessons were identified which identify the key
success factors; but these lessons, which
inevitably overlap, were of two different sorts
•Those which constitute preconditions for
substantial improvement
•Those which enable the schools to sustain
improvement over time
EMR Breakfast Session, 24 August 2010
Precondition 1
Strong leadership that is shared, stable and
sustained over time
‘I know of no improving school that doesn’t have a
principal who is good at leading improvement’ —
Michael Fullan
•Strong, stable leadership with a clear vision and
direction for the school
•The leadership load is willingly shared and leadership
capacity built
•Though teaching is key, leaders establish the
conditions for high quality teaching
•Instructional leadership as the focus
EMR Breakfast Session, 24 August 2010
Precondition 2
High levels of expectation and teacher efficacy
• High expectations — challenge the argument
‘you cannot expect more from these kids’
• Higher aims and targets than matching
equivalent SFO schools
• High expectations for students flows through
to staff and promotion of teacher efficacy —
we can make a difference for the students we
teach
EMR Breakfast Session, 24 August 2010
Precondition 3
Ensuring an orderly learning environment
where every student is well known
• A fundamental precondition for improved teaching
and learning, and subsequent improvement in
student outcomes
• The starting point for improvement in each case
• A key mechanism for getting teacher consistency
• The basis for further united action in the school
• The mirror image of the situation in underperforming schools
EMR Breakfast Session, 24 August 2010
Precondition 4
A focus on what matters most
• Relatively few priorities focused on core things
students need — generally literacy, numeracy
and VCE results
• A clear sense of how to prioritise and put first
things first
• Reflects the importance of leadership
(Precondition 1)
EMR Breakfast Session, 24 August 2010
Some quick wins from these schools
The orderly learning environment in every case
— uniform, punctuality, etc. (‘The story of the
red bags’)
•Understudies
•The observation room
•Work Ethic Committee
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Sustaining improvement
Six key interrelated strategies that:
•Build on the preconditions for improvement
•Sustain ongoing improvement momentum
beyond the initial successes achieved
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The sustaining factors
• Building teaching and leadership expertise
• Structure teaching to ensure all students succeed
A greater focus on research is required to support
instructional leadership in the school — A short digression
(An exercise you can use in your schools)
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Effect on Achievement over time?
Typical
Effect
Size
0 .20 .40
Decreased
Zero
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1.0
Enhanced
Influences on Achievement
.30
.40
.50
.60
.15
.70
0
REVERSE
ZONE OF
DESIRED
EFFECTS
.80
.90
1.0
EMR Breakfast Session, 24 August 2010
Rank these 10 effects:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Home-School programs
Direct instruction
Reducing class sizes by 5 students
Feedback to students on their work
Open rather than traditional classrooms
Homework
Study skills
Integrated curriculum programs
Hold a student back a year
Peer tutoring
EMR Breakfast Session, 24 August 2010
The measured effect
Feedback to students on their work
Direct instruction
0.73+
0.59
Study skills
Peer tutoring
Integrated curriculum programs
Homework
0.59
0.55
0.39
0.29
Reduce class sizes
Home-School programs
Open rather than traditional classrooms
0.21
0.16
0.01
Hold a student back a year
EMR Breakfast Session, 24 August 2010
-0.16
The sustaining factors
• Building teaching and leadership expertise
• Structure teaching to ensure all students succeed
• Using data to drive improvement
• A culture of sharing and responsibility
• Tailoring initiatives to the direction of the school
• Engender pride in the school
EMR Breakfast Session, 24 August 2010
Conclusion
• Many of the lessons are no surprise and reflect the findings
of research
• The distinction between preconditions for improvement
and other factors related to sustaining momentum is new.
This has implications for how the Department and schools
approach improvement
• Two factors related to preconditions are either new or
demonstrated in more significant ways — the extent to
which success relates to leadership; and the central
importance of an orderly learning environment
• The successes of these schools were not achieved
overnight. A stable and consistent leadership team worked
on their strategic approach for a significant number of
years
EMR Breakfast Session, 24 August 2010