High Performing Victorian Government Schools How our best performing schools come out on top A...

High Performing Victorian Government Schools

How our best performing schools come out on top

A snapshot

EMR Breakfast Session, 24 August 2010

There is a well-documented link between socio-economic characteristics and learning outcomes

What some teachers do



Differential performance


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


Precondition 1Strong 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


Precondition 2High 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


Precondition 3Ensuring 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 under-

performing schools


Precondition 4A 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)

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 CommitteeEMR Breakfast Session, 24 August 2010


Sustaining improvement

Six key interrelated strategies that:

•Build on the preconditions for improvement

•Sustain ongoing improvement momentum beyond the initial successes achieved

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)



Effect on Achievement over time?

Decreased EnhancedZero

0 .20

Typical Effect Size

1.0.40


Influences on Achievement

.40.30

.15

0

.50.60

.70

.80

.90

1.0REVERSE

Developmental

Effects

Typical

Teacher

Effects

ZONE OFDESIREDEFFECTS

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


The measured effectFeedback to students on their work 0.73+Direct instruction 0.59Study skills 0.59Peer tutoring 0.55Integrated curriculum programs 0.39Homework 0.29Reduce class sizes 0.21Home-School programs 0.16Open rather than traditional classrooms 0.01Hold a student back a year -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



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

High Performing Victorian Government Schools How our best performing schools come out on top A...

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