Supportive School Communities Policy Framework 2003-2007

Note: Since 2003 a significant emphasis on inclusive education in Tasmanian schools has shifted thinking to the extent where the language of this Policy Framework is now out of date and in need of review; however, the principles of this document remain the same.

Foreword

Tasmania is committed to building a world-class education system. A crucial foundation for such a system is the provision of supportive school communities. Such communities emerge from the interaction of a shared set of beliefs, attitudes and actions. Through the Tasmania Together and Learning Together processes Tasmanians have identified clear directions they want to take into the future. One of the central intentions of Learning Together was to ensure that all students are provided with ‘a fair go’ and that all education environments are safe, supportive and inclusive.

The Supportive School Communities Policy Framework will help educators committed to this fundamental value to build supportive, inclusive and equitable environments for all students by providing a coherent framework within which to view, and then plan for improvements in, their entire school culture. It helps educators to see the interconnections and interrelatedness of the various policies, strategies, services, curriculum initiatives and other educational opportunities. It will help educators better understand the links between the Essential Learnings Framework and school culture and the educational opportunities available through collaboration with their wider school community.

The Elements of a Supportive School Community will provide educators with an invaluable audit tool enabling them to evaluate their school cultures and to develop a clearer picture of just how fair and inclusive they really are. I am proud of the achievements of our education system and confident that this Supportive School Communities Policy Framework will further enhance the achievement of our Learning Together goal of providing “safe and inclusive learning environments that encourage and support participation in learning throughout all of life.”

Paula Wriedt, MHA
Minister for Education (September 2003)

Contents

• Purpose
• Statement of Values and Beliefs
• Elements of a Supportive School Community
• Social and Educational Context
• Department of Education Policies Integral to the Supportive School Communities Policy Framework
• Diagram  of Department of Education Policies Integral to the Supportive School Communities Policy Framework
• Implementation of the Supportive School Communities Policy Framework
• Appendix 1: Elements of a Supportive School Community

1. Purpose

This policy framework has been developed to refocus the Supportive School Environments policy that was released in 1989.While the initial intention had been to develop a revised policy, it became clear that a framework was needed to bring together the numerous related departmental policies, statements, guidelines, programs and services which had been developed in the intervening years.

There is an increasing expectation that schools will be responsive to the needs and aspirations of its community, and supportive and inclusive of the diverse groups that comprise that community. Schools are being reconceptualised as a central component of the continuum of provision for lifelong learning that includes childcare at one end and a range of adult and community education provisions at the other. Interagency co-ordination, partnerships, clear pathways and collaborative action are imperative if educational provisions from birth to adulthood are to be effective for all participants.

This framework aims to help schools to address the issues they face as a result of significant changes in the educational and social climate in the last decade particularly in the quest for continual improvement of outcomes for students. It also promotes effort towards achieving goals identified in Learning Together and Tasmania Together which relate to improving the health and wellbeing of students in Tasmanian schools.

At the same time:

• it specifies the policy initiatives which now exist to address the impact of those changes and seeks to achieve the goals of those key Departmental policies through a range of strategies. These are listed in Section 5 of this document;
• it provides a framework for schools and colleges to be able to develop a more coherent approach to the delivery of related services to students and staff. Refer to the diagrammatic representation of this framework in Section 5;
• it provides a structure to allow future relevant initiatives to be incorporated in a coherent way;
• it provides a basis for improved efficiency in interagency tasks. Interagency protocols have been designed to assist with interagency cooperation and partnership. Examples are Sharing Responsibility ( for cases of suspected child abuse or neglect) and Working Together (for children under care and protection orders).
• The Policy Framework also offers a means by which schools can reassess the supportiveness of their school culture. It provides a guide to action which can enhance the effectiveness of school communities as key contributors to social and community strength, through access, participation and achievement and which maximises the learning outcomes of all students.

2. Statement of Values and Beliefs

A supportive school community views everyone as an individual, with unique qualities and abilities to be developed and nurtured and for whom the community has collective responsibility. A supportive school community emerges from the interaction of a shared set of beliefs, attitudes and actions. It is a place of learning for all, based on the belief that all children can learn, in which everything that happens contributes to the intellectual, social and emotional growth of all its learners, the professional growth and personal wellbeing of staff, and positive involvement of the community.

These values and beliefs align with those underpinning the Essential Learning Framework, which are:

• connectedness, including developing a sense of community;
• resilience, including recognising strengths and maximising potential;
• achievement, including attaining personal success and pursuing individual excellence;
• creativity, including valuing original ideas;
• integrity, including being honest and ethical;
• responsibility, including accepting individual and collective responsibility and contributing to community development; and
• equity, including developing tolerance and a commitment to social justice, acknowledging diversity, respecting difference and encouraging distinctiveness.

3. Elements of a Supportive School Community

Closely aligned with these values and beliefs are a number of elements integral to the development and maintenance of a supportive, inclusive and equitable community.

The elements that constitute a supportive school community are:

• a school culture that reflects care, concern and respect for diversity, models democratic processes, develops a sense of community and contributes to a healthy cohesive society;
• leadership that has a clear vision based on a set of shared values, beliefs, and respectful relationships; that brings people together to make decisions; and promotes practices that are inclusive and democratic;
• school organisation which is flexible, enables the development of strong relationships, allows for variable student groupings, and provides time and space for teachers to work and plan together and support one another;
• a curriculum which engages all students at a level appropriate to their knowledge, skill and ability, across a full range of learning experiences; that facilitates the development of individual social and communication skills and that builds student resilience;
• learning and teaching that caters to differences in student needs, learning styles, performance levels, and individual capacities, while maintaining high expectations for all students;
• assessment, monitoring and reporting that are integrated into learning and teaching, are inclusive of all students and their families and contribute to the supportive culture of the school;
• relationships with parents and the broader community which foster access and participation; reciprocal support; shared directions and purposes; and positive partnerships that build on community services and resources and develop strong interagency links; and
• professional development, within a learning community that is focussed on enhancing teacher understandings and competencies that enable the implementation of the curriculum and teaching practices central to supportive schooling.

Questions relating to these elements have been developed. Elements of a Supportive School Community: Key Questions for Discussion (Appendix 1) provides a basis for discussion and reflection on provision of supportive and inclusive schooling.

4. Social And Educational Context

Tasmania Together and Learning Together are significant documents which impact on much of the work undertaken in schools. Specific goals to which our schools must respond are:

Tasmania Together

Learning Together

The Department of Education’s Report Card states a commitment to achieving the vision and policy goals established in Tasmania Together and Learning Together. Tasmania Together performance indicators have been included as Report Card performance measures that the Department is committed to achieving.

The Report Card is centred on three key performance categories in which the Department’s ultimate value as an organisation is evident:

• achievement;
• participation; and
• access.

... More importantly, the Key Performance Categories also provide a performance model to which all sections of the agency and everyone who works in the Department can relate their work. This can be phrased in terms of a single question:

“What influence, consequence or effect will my work have on achievement, participation and access both within and without the agency?” Our Report Card, DoE, Tasmania 2003

The contribution of any sector, school or individual should eventually be able to be linked to improvements in achievement, participation and access. A school community in which these factors are a priority is likely to be supportive of every individual, regardless of circumstances, and ultimately lead to improved learning outcomes.

Since the release of the Supportive School Environment Policy in 1989, the social and educational context has undergone significant, wide-reaching changes, some of which have been external to education, while others have resulted from new ways of thinking about educational provision.

The Supportive School Communities Policy Framework has been developed in the light of these social and educational changes, and aims to better inform school communities working towards better learning outcomes for their members.

4.1 Social changes

Changes in the economic and social circumstances of successive Australian generations have implications for society, and for its institutions and policies. Generational changes in incomes, living standards, family size and living arrangements can affect the economy, the communities where people live and the provision and funding of services ranging from schools and hospitals, through to pensions and other income support. Understanding generational changes and trends will assist in assessing their impact and in developing appropriate responses.

In response to these social changes a ‘whole of government’ approach to social policy has been developed. This demonstrates a wider recognition of the importance of community capacity building and structures that support the community, exemplified by:

• establishing interagency approaches to disability policy and implementation;
• an interdepartmental Multicultural Policy;
• and Our Kids, a Strategic Policy Framework from the Department of Health and Human Services which aims to develop policy and operational links between government and community services.

Aspects of young people’s lives in which changes are most apparent include:

The structure and character of families

In recent times the incidence of marriage breakdown has increased, with more than one third of marriages ending in divorce. Of these, 52.7% involve children under the age of 18. (ABS, 2000)

As a result, many families have one parent, with the mother assuming major responsibility for the family in most cases. In Tasmania, lone-mother families make up 22.7% of all families with children under 15 years of age, compared with lone father families at 1.8% of the same group. The number of blended families and families headed by same sex couples has also increased. Fewer children are a part of an extended family network and more families experience poverty.

The changing nature of families of itself is not the issue. Problems arise when the dislocation is accompanied by violence, financial distress, separation from social groups or significant others, or other such outcomes, and where there is no capacity for individuals to reduce associated anxiety or for external support to counterbalance the distress. Schools always have been counterbalancing institutions for many young people.

Patterns of employment and high levels of poverty

In Tasmania, some families have experienced unemployment for three or four generations. The Anglicare Report The Cost of Education: Two Classes in One Room (2002) states that

As a state, Tasmania has experienced high levels of unemployment since the mid 1970s. Entering the new century, nearly 40% of the Tasmanian population are dependent on Commonwealth pensions and benefits as their main source of income. (ABS, Australian Social Trends, 2001)

Other families have access only to casual and usually part-time work. More redundancies, increased mobility and upheaval in order to obtain work, less certainty about employment and low family incomes all contribute to a sense of futility, insecurity and pessimism in many young people.

The nature of work has changed considerably, with fewer options for young people and unskilled workers; career pathways are becoming less clear; there exists an expectation of frequent career changes; retraining is becoming increasingly common, and higher qualifications are required. Tasmania at 20.9% has the highest rate of children under 15 living in families where no parent is employed, compared with the national figure of 17.9%. (ABS, 2002)

There is a significant relationship between unemployment and poverty. Local data supports the finding by the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM) that "the major groups living in poverty in Australia today are the working poor (24%), the unemployed (23%) and other recipients of government benefits." (Anglicare Report, 2002)

"Students and unemployed Australians are surviving on social security payments that are between 20% and 39% below the poverty line." (ACOSS 2001) http://www.acoss.org.au/media/2002/mr0723_povline.htm

Again, poverty of itself is not the central issue. Even those young people who live in poverty can grow into strong and resilient individuals given appropriate and timely support. Schools, along with other institutions and agencies, are potentially powerful forces in mitigating the effects of poverty.

Dependence vs independence

The impact of changes to Commonwealth welfare funding arrangements for young people which require that they continue their schooling in order to be eligible for allowances, coupled with reduced job opportunities, means young people are remaining dependent on their parents much longer than was previously the case. Retention rates have risen in recent years, with approximately 70% of young Tasmanians continuing their schooling into Year 12.

This sometimes results in the perception that independence is more difficult to attain, adolescence is protracted and acceptance of personal responsibility is postponed. Financial and personal independence may be delayed, resulting in family and individual tensions.

The rise in retention rates is a positive outcome nevertheless, with greater numbers of young people remaining connected to social groups and significant adults, and exposed to opportunities for participation in ongoing learning and in a wide range of school-based activities.

Mental health and personal wellbeing

Mental health is a state of emotional and social wellbeing in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively or fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. WHO (1999)

The relationships between the prevalence of mental health problems and the demographic characteristics of children and adolescents are clear; children and adolescents living in sole-parent, step/blended or low-income families were more likely to have mental health problems. In addition, both males and females living with parents not in paid employment had a higher incidence of mental health problems than those in families where parents were employed. These demographic characteristics may not have caused the mental health problems, but the interrelationship warrants further study. Sawyer et al (2001) Mental Health of Young People in Australia

“It has been suggested that the importance of poverty in contributing to mental health problems and mental disorders is related to the many stressors that stem from a lack of resources, including for example exposure to physical illnesses, family stress, inadequate social support and parental depression.” (Parker, Greer and Zuckerman 1988) National Mental Health Strategy (2000) Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention for Mental Health, A Monograph

Increases in stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health problems have been well documented in the last decade. It is estimated that up to two-fifths of Australia’s young people suffer from depressed moods in any six-monthly period; the World Health organisation identifies depression as the fastest growing health problem, stating that by 2020 depression will represent the second highest health burden world wide (WHO, 1996). Over 20% of 12-16 year olds have a mental health problem, and 24% of young people will experience depression by the age of 18. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 1999 Australia’s Young People – Their Health and Wellbeing

Risk-taking behaviours including problematic substance use have increased and suicide rates have risen. These trends apply to young people as well as the wider population. To date, ‘drug misuse has tended to be seen as an isolated health-risk behaviour. There are strong arguments for conceptualising drug misuse as one of a range of health risk behaviours, including school problems and delinquency, which have common risk and protective factors, and which share common health-and-welfare compromising outcomes, such as mental health problems, school failure, unemployment and suicidal behaviour.’ ANCD Research Paper (2001) Structural Determinants of Youth Drug Use

School communities across Australia have been responding systematically and energetically to this phenomenon with targeted programs such as MindMatters, with Commonwealth support and in tandem with other agencies and institutions.

Technological developments

Recent rapid increases in technology have impacted on young people’s lives, and on the lives of their families. Much, but not all of this impact is positive. For example, the changing patterns of employment described above have largely resulted from technological changes in industry, commerce and communication. In schools, technological change has also had a major impact on pedagogy and curriculum. The use of technology in homes has extended access to information, leisure and communication but in many instances highlighted inter-generational differences, adding another dimension to the ‘generation gap.’ This rapid take-up of technology has resulted in a large segment of the community being unable to afford to participate, thus resulting in lower technological literacy among this group, and a sense of alienation from the mainstream.

The education sector has the capacity to at least partially bridge this gap, widening access to such technology through schools and adult education avenues, especially with its focus on lifelong learning.

4.2 Developments in the educational context

In response to, and concurrent with changes in society and young people’s lives, education systems, structures, priorities and approaches have adapted and developed. New policies and programs have been implemented, with an increased focus on outcomes, accountability, relevant learning experiences and broader educational provisions.

School Improvement Review (formerly ASSR) process

Since 1997, Tasmanian schools have implemented a reflective process of review, decision-making and development. The process resulted from principals, District Superintendents and policy-makers working together towards the shared goal of school improvement. The process helps principals and their communities know and understand the context within which the school exists. It is a cyclic process of review, evaluation and reporting, and requires data collection, stakeholder involvement, target setting and implementation planning to achieve targets set out in a Partnership Agreement. Continuous improvement in teaching and learning is central to the SIR process.

“By focussing on teaching and learning, promoting evidence-based reflection and being clear about requirements, responsibilities and accountability, School Improvement Review supports schools in achieving improved educational outcomes for all students.” (SIR Guide 2003)

Other key educational developments

These include:

• increased recognition of diversity within the student population; The diverse nature and needs of the student population in relation to Aboriginality, cultural and linguistic background, ability and disability, gender, socio-economic disadvantage, geographical isolation are now recognised. The potential impact of this diversity on the individual and the community is better understood and strategies required to overcome associated disadvantage and to optimise potential benefits are in place.
• inclusive schooling practice Greater understanding of and commitment to inclusive schooling has led to wider use of strategies such as social skill teaching, co-operative learning approaches, collegial support, ‘buddy systems,’ multi-layered curriculum and differentiated outcomes.
• recognition of anti-discrimination and anti-harassment issues; In 1992, the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act was proclaimed, followed in 1998 by the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Act. The Department of Education released its Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy in 1998, and support materials (2000) challenging discrimination on the basis of race, gender, disability, physical stereotypes and sexuality.
• the changing nature of students; Schools and colleges report increasing numbers of students with challenging behaviours and those who engage in risk-taking activities, and a different population in Years 11/12 as a result of changes to government financial support structures. In the last decade the department has responded with the establishment of a range of strategies, including the MARSSS Program (Managing and Retaining Secondary School Students).
• the shift towards lifelong learning; There is increased recognition of the value of lifelong learning, with a focus on early education in the 0-4 year old age range and systemic links with child care provision, as well as Adult and Community Education (ACE), post-school options, transitions, Vocational Education and Training (VET) and the University of the Third Age (U3A).There is more flexible educational provision in order to motivate more students to want to learn, as demonstrated by middle school initiatives and grade 11/12 provision in remote schools to extend student access.
• complex community and interdepartmental relationships; With devolution and the concept of self-managing schools there has been increased participation and partnership between schools and their communities. School communities are working with other government agencies to improve educational outcomes and build community capacity, with early intervention and parenting programs, drug education initiatives and a range of flexible provisions to support families. Positive relationships between agencies at all levels are fostered by interagency protocols. For example changes in mandatory reporting requirements demand interdepartmental co-operation.
• impact of improved data collection; National and State requirements for assessment, monitoring and reporting have had significant impact at all levels. With statewide testing particularly in relation to literacy and numeracy, and the impact of the School Improvement Review and Partnership Agreements leading to an 'outcomes orientation,' schools are becoming more aware of the degrees of effectiveness of their educational programs and are able to prioritise accordingly. In this context, teaching is becoming more intentional and staff and students are coming to terms with new ways of working.
• changed pedagogy and curriculum; Educators acknowledge and understand the challenges that are faced by young people at various stages of their lives. Awareness of such needs has led to curriculum reform that has identified the essential elements of a progressive curriculum model that is underpinned by explicit values. Not only has there been an examination of what is taught but a greater emphasis has been placed on learner-focussed environments that encourage student motivation and provide relevant learning experiences.

5. Department Of Education Policies Integral to the Supportive School Communities Policy Framework

This new Supportive School Communities Policy Framework is formulated on the premise that the school community will be supportive if other key policies and practices are in place and they in turn can only succeed if they are implemented within a supportive context. The diagram identifies many of the policies, programs and practices which together enhance the supportive, inclusive nature of school communities. The list is not exhaustive, and the relevance of some of these policies and initiatives will vary according to each school context.

5.1 Policies, plans, programs and guidelines that sit within this framework include:

• Policy on Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in Regular Schools (1994);
• Equity in Schooling Policy (1995);
• Gender Equity: A Framework for Australian Schools (1997);
• School Improvement Review (formerly Assisted School Self-Review) Process (1997);
• Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy (1998);
• Education for Students who are Gifted (2000);
• Policy on Educational Provision for Students with Challenging Behaviour (2001);
• Policy on Management of Drug Issues and Drug Education in Tasmanian Government Schools and Colleges (2002);
• Assessment, Monitoring and Reporting Policy (2002);
• Attendance, Participation and Retention Policy (2003);
• Student Health and Wellbeing Program;
• VET in Schools/Vocational Education and Learning;
• Managing Workplace Diversity (previously Equal Employment Opportunity Policy);
• Inclusive Practice Competency Framework (2003); and
• Managing Student Behaviour Competency Framework (2003).

Graphic Representation of Policies Integral to the Supportive School Communities Policy Framework.

Other policies/guidelines proposed or under development include:

• Aboriginal Education Policy (under development);
• Multicultural Education Policy (to be developed in 2003);
• Post Compulsory Education and Training Strategy (in progress); and
• Transition Planning and Support for Students with Disabilities (Under development).

Through the implementation of this Policy Framework it is intended that all schools and colleges will have an increased capacity to provide a supportive, inclusive environment in which all students will achieve optimal learning outcomes. Such an environment will promote care, concern and respect for diversity, model democratic processes, foster a sense of community and contribute to a healthy cohesive society.

From 2004, the School Improvement Review (SIR) process will include additional actions in relation to the implementation of this Policy Framework at the school level.

6.1 The process will require schools to:

1. Undertake a Supportive School Community audit within the school at a time in the SIR cycle that best suits the needs of the school community. For this purpose, a set of questions is provided at Appendix 1, the Elements of a Supportive School Community: Key Questions for Discussion, consisting of eight broad questions which relate to the Elements of a Supportive School Community (page 6) and a number of probe questions within each element. It is not expected that schools will address each question. Rather, schools will use them as a guide and support during the audit process.
2. Analyse student outcome and other data already available, which relates to equity target groups and to supportive schooling.
3. Use this data, and any other that a school might consider relevant, to identify what the school does well, and what could be done better as well as to identify gaps in provision.
4. Address identified gaps and areas for improvement within the Partnership Agreement and the associated School Improvement Plan.

6.2. Implementation support

In addition to the SSC Key Questions for Discussion (Appendix 1) there are numerous data sets currently collected in the Department of Education, through the Office for Educational Review (OER) and other mechanisms and resources that will be of use in implementing the Policy Framework.

* It may be useful for some schools to collect specific data such as numbers of people who have attended professional development relating to students who may be at risk, such as those from culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds, those affected by social or economic disadvantage, Aboriginal students or those with disabilities.

6.3 Key Performance Indicators for the Department of Education

1. The number of schools that have in place a SSC Plan which incorporates the elements of a supportive school community as outlined in the SSC Policy Framework.
2. The number of schools that have identified a relevant data set and have incorporated this with targets in the SSC Plan.
3. The number of teachers in schools and support services undertaking professional learning in the area of supportive and inclusive schooling, including undertaking the Graduate Certificates in Inclusive Practice and in Behaviour Management.
4. Data from School Improvement Review, including Organisational Health Surveys, indicate that practices in DoE schools are inclusive and democratic.
5. Parents and the broader community express satisfaction in relation to student achievement and community access and participation in schools.

Appendix 1

Elements of a Supportive School Community

Key Questions for Discussion

Schools are invited to use these questions to audit and reflect on their own provision of supportive and inclusive schooling.

1. School Culture In practical and philosophical terms, how would you describe the culture of your school?
2. Leadership And Decision-Making How do senior staff develop and implement a shared view of appropriate provisions for all students?
3. School Organisation How has school organisation been responsive to the needs of students at educational risk?
4. Curriculum How has the school modified the curriculum, both in content and delivery, to include diverse student needs?
5. Learning and Teaching In what ways does teaching cater to differences in student needs, learning styles, performance levels, areas of interest and individual capacities?
6. Assessment, Monitoring and Reporting How does the school assess, monitor and report on progress of all students?
7. Community and Parents How would you describe the school’s relationship with its parent body and the broader school community?
8. Professional Learning How has the school dealt with staff professional learning needs in relation to improving outcomes for all students?

The questions on the following pages will enable deeper inquiry into each of the elements above.

1. School culture

In practical and philosophical terms, how would you describe the culture of your school?

1.1 What are the everyday practices that reflect care, concern and respect for diversity? How does the school communicate and celebrate its values and beliefs about a supportive school environment to its community?

1.2 How does the school reflect the belief that schooling contributes to a socially cohesive and culturally rich society? In what ways does the school support the development of global citizenship for all its community?

1.3 In what ways does the school indicate it has high expectations of all students?

1.4 What processes are used to sustain a commitment to a supportive, inclusive and equitable environment? What processes are in place to enable the school community to review and discuss how supportive, inclusive and equitable its environment is (a) as a school and (b) in terms of the wider community?

1.5 What opportunities exist for students to develop and sustain meaningful relationships with significant adults? How are students recognised for demonstrating caring relationships, showing concern or respecting others?

1.6 How does the school build positive relationships:

• between students and teachers;
• between teachers and teachers;
• between senior staff and staff;
• staff and support staff; and
• staff and other agencies?

2. Leadership and decision-making

How do senior staff develop and implement a shared view of appropriate provisions for all students?

2.1 How directly does the senior staff take responsibility for educational provision for students in the equity target groups? How does this take place? What mechanisms are used for allocating responsibility to senior staff?

2.2 How do senior staff allocate resources to students in equity target groups?

2.3 In what ways does the school leadership demonstrate the centrality of programs and practices that ensure access and participation in the curriculum for all students? What role does senior staff have in ensuring access and participation in the curriculum by all students?

2.4 How does the school leadership ensure that all students have access to and participate in the curriculum? How is this documented?

2.5 How does the school leadership ensure collaborative processes prevail in decisions that affect the diversity of the school population? How does the school leadership ensure that all staff participate in planning to create a climate which fosters an inclusive supportive environment? How do school practices reflect participatory decision-making?

2.6 How does the senior staff support teachers and facilitate the capacity to cater for a diverse range of students?

2.7 How do staff, including senior staff, model and build respectful collaborative relationships:

• with senior staff;
• with other staff; and
• students?

2.8 How does the school reflect differences between leadership and management practices?

3. School organisation

How has school organisation been responsive to the needs of students at educational risk?

3.1 In what ways has school organisation been modified to meet the needs of students at educational risk?

3.2 What plan is in place for the allocation of time, staff and resources to be linked to the needs of the equity target groups?

3.3 What programs are in place to support transitions in the student’s schooling?

3.4 How are support services linked to an overall plan for a supportive school environment?

3.5 How are initiatives for students at educational risk central to and integrated with whole school organisational practice?

4. Curriculum

How has the school modified the curriculum, both in content and delivery, to include diverse student needs?

4.1 How do you know the curriculum is meeting the needs, interests and concerns of all students?

4.2 How does the curriculum seek to engage all students with real world issues that educate them as citizens with the capacity to view the world critically and to act independently, co-operatively and responsibly?

4.3 How does the curriculum ensure students’ outcomes from schooling are free from the effects of negative forms of discrimination, harassment and violence related to gender, class, race, sexuality, cultural background, disability, socio-economic background or geographic location? [National Goals for Schooling in the Twenty-First Century]

4.4 How does the curriculum provide for students to exercise judgement and responsibility in matters of morality, ethics, social justice and diversity? [National Goals for Schooling in the Twenty-First Century]

5. Learning and teaching

In what ways does teaching cater to differences in student needs, learning styles, performance levels, areas of interest and individual capacities?

5.1 To what extent do teachers use explicit teaching, self-directed learning and new technologies?

5.2 What evidence is there that teachers create supportive learning environments which:

• respect diversity;
• respect the individual; and
• respond to individual needs?

5.3 What different assessment methodologies do teachers use to cater for the diverse needs of students?

5.4 How does the organisation of learning and teaching provide for a multi-layered curriculum, flexible delivery and individual learning plans?

5.5 How does the school utilise the expertise of particular staff members in eg mentoring? What processes/mechanisms support this skill-sharing?

5.6 In what ways does the classroom organisation recognise differences in student needs, learning styles, performance levels, areas of interest and individual capacities?

5.7 How does the school arrange teaching groups so that all students are valued and supported in their learning?

5.8 What interventions are in place to ensure age appropriate literacy and numeracy outcomes and pro-social behaviours?

5.9 In what ways do school staff and support services staff work together to improve outcomes for students at educational risk? Describe the mechanisms used, both formal and informal, and the leadership role of senior staff in this process.

6. Assessment, monitoring and reporting

How does the school assess, monitor and report on progress of all students?

6.1 Which measures are used to demonstrate improvement against benchmarks and school targets?

6.2 How are monitoring and assessment data used to make judgements about curriculum directions?

6.3 How does the school identify students who are not achieving age appropriate literacy and numeracy outcomes? How is this data used to inform curriculum or address the needs of students?

6.4 How does the school’s Partnership Agreement demonstrate targets for improved outcomes for students from the equity target groups?

6.5 Which areas of the Partnership Agreement contain targets related to supportive, inclusive equitable schooling?

6.6 What mechanisms are used to track the access, participation, success and attainment of students from the equity target groups?

6.7 In what ways does the reporting model contribute to the supportive school environment?

6.8 How is tension resolved between being ‘supportive’ and reporting progress or lack of progress?

7. Community and parents

How would you describe the school’s relationship with its parent body and the broader school community?

7.1 How do members of the school community contribute to the development of the school philosophy, policies, processes and procedures?

7.2 Is representation encouraged from the equity target groups on the school council or parent representative groups? What processes exist to ensure this representation?

7.3 What information about the school is currently available to the school community? Is it considered necessary that other information should be available to the school community? How is information about the school made accessible to:

• parents;
• students; and
• the wider community?

7.4 What role does the school consider it does/should have in representing students?

7.5 How is the school pro-active on behalf of students?

7.6 What processes and strategies are used to systematically link the home, the previous school, other service providers and the wider community?

7.7 What partnerships exist between the school and the broader community?

7.8 How are positive relationships built between families and teachers?

7.9 How are parents included in the education of their children?

7.10 How are curriculum expectations and outcomes explained to students, their parents and communities?

7.11 How does the school demonstrate that it values differences within its community?

7.12 How does the school foster community participation amongst students?

8. Professional learning

How has the school dealt with staff professional learning needs in relation to improving outcomes for all students?

8.1 What opportunities are provided to extend teachers’ understandings and competencies in teaching and making appropriate provision for students from the equity target groups?

8.2 What induction processes are available to ensure new staff members are educated about the school’s culture and are cognisant of policies, processes and practices which enhance a supportive, inclusive school?

8.3 What approaches exist to develop teachers’ capacities to challenge discriminatory behaviour and to educate for democratic participation?

8.4 What whole school professional learning has there been in co-operative learning, individual learning styles and multi-layered curriculum?

8.5 What support and training is in place to assist staff to manage students with challenging behaviours?

8.6 How have non-teaching staff been educated to promote a supportive and inclusive culture?

8.7 Have Individual Professional Learning Plans been used to monitor the skills and knowledge of teachers in the area of supportive, inclusive and equitable schooling?