Smarter school national partnerships

Section 3 – Communities Making a Difference

Overview

Through the Communities Making a Difference National Partnership (CMaD NP) South Australia is working to achieve improved educational outcomes for students in two different ways:

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  through specifically identified schools participating in ‘whole of school’ strategies and approaches (all three schooling sectors), and
  

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  through ‘Individualised Targeted Support’ strategies and approaches for students who are disconnected and disengaged from learning and education pathways (Government sector).
  

In 2012, there were 223 schools (193 Government, 23 Catholic and 7 Independent schools) participating in CMaD NP ‘whole of school’ interventions across South Australia, with a total student enrolment of 61,726 students.

Almost two thirds (140) were designated junior primary/primary schools, with just under half of the total student enrolments in CMaD NP schools. This reflects the important focus on improving learning outcomes in the primary years. As well, 19 schools (8.5%) were Aboriginal/ Anangu schools and 9 schools (4.0%) Special schools.

Just over half the CMaD NP schools were situated in regional South Australia, with 52.7% of all CMaD NP Indigenous student enrolments in these schools. There were 54 CMaD NP schools in the northern suburbs of metropolitan Adelaide, which includes some of the most disadvantaged areas in the state, with around a third of the total student enrolments in CMaD NP schools. Over 90% of the schools had participated in the CMaD NP since 2011.

Over 11,000 students were supported through DECD individualised target support programs in 2012 and a further 27,000 students were supported through ICAN Community partnership grants programs and youth development programs. A total of 8,908 of the 11,000 students have been tracked.

2012 Significant Achievements/ Highlights

Schools and sectors have strengthened and consolidated their implementation activity. The momentum for school improvement and action, generated by the extent and depth of CMaD NP activity, is spreading more broadly across the schooling sectors and, where appropriate, initiatives are becoming embedded and systematised.

Positive trends and impacts are being seen within CMaD NP schools and in their students’ attendance and achievement as a result of the hard and continuous work of implementation. Each sector has developed an approach suitable to the context and needs of their school communities.

In the Independent sector, a strategic approach to CMaD NP reform has been implemented through three key areas:

School diagnostic reviews and development of implementation plans

In 2012, the AISSA School Review and Development team assisted the seven CMaD NP schools with the implementation of their School Improvement Plans, which were developed as a result of the diagnostic reviews. Support for staff professional learning was a key aspect of these plans.

School Leadership and governance support and professional development

With a focus on leadership and school improvement, during 2012 school leaders from CMaD schools have undertaken significant professional development. Leaders are now applying their new knowledge and learning to their own school contexts.

Engagement with community and the provision of in-school support

A key program within CMaD has been the provision of in-school specialist support to assist principals, teachers, students and their parents to meet the needs of vulnerable students. There is an ongoing focus on building the capacity of classroom teachers and schools to provide enhanced learning opportunities for these students. The specialist services include psychologists, speech pathologists and an occupational therapist. In 2012, 40 teachers (classroom and special education teachers and school leaders) and 10 School Support Officers participated in this program from the seven CMaD schools.

During 2012 the network of CMaD schools in the Catholic sector continued to pursue a number of shared objectives which included: developing whole school strategies in building leadership and teacher capacity; developing stronger connections with families and community; and developing whole school practices in the collection and use of data to monitor individual student progress, and informing differentiated learning plans.

The Strategic Planning Process as implemented in the Catholic sector has been beneficial to the participating CMaD Catholic schools and their experience is informing a concurrent sector development of school improvement frameworks.

Highlights of the CMaD NP implementation in the Catholic schools were:

twenty three schools engaged with the Strengthening Family and Community Engagement in Student Learning Resource, with all schools setting engagement goals in one or more of the six family and community engagement dimensions

the Principal and Teachers CMaD NP Network was strengthened, with schools engaging purposefully with the resources of the network

CESA’s continued association with Professor Michael Fullan (an international expert on strategic school reform and improvement) focussed on conversations about local school improvement strategies and the sustainability of local school initiatives

Professional Learning Communities were established as the strategy for developing social and professional capital in schools

Ten schools invited students to evaluate school pedagogy and acted to meaningfully respond to the students’ assessment

increased consistency within schools in the use of assessment data to inform the design of teaching/ learning programs for students, and development of strategies for whole of sector practices in collection and use of non-NAPLAN data.

In the Government sector, a dual approach to system wide reform through the CMaD NP has been implemented through whole-of-school improvement strategies and initiatives and the provision of a comprehensive suite of individualised support programs for young people who had become disconnected from school, were at risk of leaving school early and/or who had disengaged from learning.
The whole school improvement strategies and initiatives included:

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  The Teaching for Effective Learning Pedagogy Research Project, which is investigating the relationship between teachers’ pedagogy, learner engagement and learner achievement.
  

In 2012, 22 schools were involved (including two secondary schools) and extensive data collection included 4,040 students completing the Student engagement questionnaire, 399 classroom observations and 281 teacher interviews. Findings were used to inform improved teaching practices and student engagement.

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  The Principal as Literacy Leaders program and Secondary Principal as Literacy Leader program, provided principals with strategies for whole school literacy improvement. A number of schools now have in place common agreements, processes and expectations in literacy and customised and highly targeted literacy support.
  
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  The Supporting School Improvement and Diagnostic Review initiative and Regional Leadership Consultants
  

A further 28 diagnostic reviews were conducted in CMaD schools, with a specific focus on improving literacy teaching. The 12 Regional Leadership Consultants support principals in their region with implementing school improvement strategies.

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  A range of Recruitment and Selection strategies aimed at attracting and retaining teachers and leaders in low-socio-economic status schools.
  

In 2012, 22 schools and pre-schools have benefitted from this program including in the three ‘hardest to staff’ country regions of South Australia.

The individualised targeted support in the Government sector in 2012 included:

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  Innovative Community Action Networks (ICAN) engaging and re-engaging in learning students experiencing multiple disadvantage and disruption in their lives; students who have become totally disengaged from schooling, often well before the compulsory school leaving age; and students with additional responsibilities, such as caring for a parent or child.
  

ICAN provided intensive support for 5,282 Low SES students (554 primary and 4,728 secondary students) who were enrolled through a Flexible Learning Option in schools across the state. Case management for these young people is provided by professionals.

Additionally, there were 706 children and young people provided with a case management service to assist them to stay in mainstream school learning programs and prevent them from ‘dropping out’.

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  Community mentoring, secondary student mentoring and Aboriginal student mentoring to improve the engagement, learning and wellbeing outcomes students.
  

A total of 563 students in Year levels 5 to 7 received mentoring support from 440 community volunteers.

A total of 1,589 secondary students received mentoring support. Of the previous year’s group (2011), 80% of the Year 12 students in the program completed their SACE.

Across 67 schools, 1,459 Aboriginal students received mentoring support. Participation in this program has increased students’ organisational skills and preparedness to engage with learning.

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  Learning Together supported 391 families with their pre-school children’s learning and literacy development.
  

Observable, positive interactions between parents and children increased during their participation.

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  Vocational education and training (VET) scholarships assisting 868 students to undertake higher level VET in 64 different qualifications.
  

All three sectors have taken steps to strengthening parent and community engagement in student learning across their sector during 2012, including participating in an Action Research Project documenting how schools engaged with the new Strengthening Family and Community Engagement in Student Learning Resource, which was released in early 2012 and developed through the Smarter Schools National Key Reform project led by South Australia.