Building aboveaverage outcomes on a below average resource base

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Building above-average outcomes on a below
average resource base
International Congress for School Effectiveness
and Improvement - ICSEI 2005

• Susan Pascoe
• Graeme Jane
• Catholic Education Commission of Victoria,
  Australia

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How one system of schooling organised itself to
build capacity

• The Literature
• Background and Context
• Systemic Initiatives
• Contribution to Educational Provision
• Contribution to Community Building
• Conclusions

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The Literature

• Research on system wide education reform
• Research commissioned by the Catholic Education
  Commission of Victoria
• Literacy Advance
• Contribution to the Victorian Community
• Welfare needs
• Affordability
• Public and Private Education

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Structures and Funding

• 136,200 students (CEOM)
• 328 schools (CEOM)
• Parish schools
• Commonwealth, State and school fees
• Fewer resources than Government (21 primary and
  6 secondary) and Independent schools (31
  primary and 33 secondary).
• Average School fees - 990 and 2990
• High level of autonomy

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Systemic Initiatives

• Religious Education
• Literacy
• School Improvement Reports
• Information and Communication Technologies
• Networked Learning Communities

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Religious Education

• RE Curriculum Frameworks
• Professional Development
• Exemplar materials (RESource)
• Formal study for RE Coordinators
• 50 Master Degrees
• 500 credentialed courses

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Literacy

• Literacy Advance Strategy
• Childrens Literacy and Success Strategy
• Ongoing research and development
• CLaSS is voluntary with 79 take-up
• Building Literacy 3 to 4
• Middle Years Literacy Project.

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School Improvement Reports

• Online reports for all schools
• 6 key areas with 16 reports
• Summative reports over time and comparison
  reports with Like schools
• Indicators and targets for key policy objectives

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School Improvement Reports
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Information and Communication Technologies

• Four key dimensions
• Hardware
• Connectivity
• Digital content
• Professional development
• Information and Support Portal
• Standards (myinternet)
• Core Infrastructure (Internet service)

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Information and Support Portal
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Networked Learning Communities

• eNetworks using myclasses
• Networks to
• Communicate
• Collaborate
• Share best practice resources
• Networks of
• Principals
• Curriculum and program coordinators
• School leaders

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Features of initiatives

• Building social capital
• Evidence and research based
• Extensive support and collaboration
• Infrastructure and Standards

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Contribution to Education Provision
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Literacy Results
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CLaSS Results
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CLaSS- Key Factors

• Systemic, evidence based strategy
• Ownership at the school level
• Proven and consistent design
• Phased roll-out
• Professional development model
• Facilitators
• Use of data
• Receptive teachers
• Instructional Leadership
• Beliefs and expectations

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VCE Results

• Mean VCE Score, Males, by SES decile, adjusted
  for ability 2003, Catholic/Total ()

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VCE Results

• of VCE Subjects where the actual VCE scores are
  above the predicted scores adjusted for student
  ability, gender and the average ability of the
  group of students in the school

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Transition to University
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Contribution to Community Building

• Strong social capital is put by the CSES
  researchers as an explanation for the higher than
  average educational outcomes in Victorian
  Catholic schools at lower than average costs.
• Social capital in Catholic schools is linked to a
  variety of networks from the parish and local
  community to religious, professional and sporting
  groups as well as the presence of role models,
  religious traditions, beliefs and value systems.

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Conclusion

• Social capital found in Catholic schools has a
  positive impact on student outcomes
• Catholic schools make a key contribution to the
  wellbeing of local communities and to the economy
  
• Catholic schools take seriously their shared
  responsibility to community cohesion, nation
  building and economic wellbeing.

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• The challenge for the future will be to maintain
  a Catholic ethos in an increasingly secularised
  environment, to achieve equitable funding and to
  maintain above average performance in an
  increasingly competitive environment.
• www.cecv.melb.catholic.edu.au
• Under Research and Seminar Papers