High Performing Victorian Government Schools

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High Performing Victorian Government Schools

• How our best performing schools come out on top
• A snapshot

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There is a well-documented link between
socio-economic characteristics and learning
outcomes
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What some teachers do
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Differential performance
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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

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Precondition 1Strong leadership that is shared,
stable and sustained over time

• I know of no improving school that doesnt 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

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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

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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

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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)

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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
1.0
0
.20
.40
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Influences on Achievement
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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

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

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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