SMARTER SCHOOLS NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR LOW SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS SCHOOL COMMUNITIES FAST FACTS
Through the three Smarter Schools National Partnerships (SSNP) the Australian Government is providing significant additional funding to the states and territories to implement systemic and sustainable education reform that will improve literacy and numeracy outcomes for all Australian students, strengthen the capacity and resilience of disadvantaged school communities and drive quality and continuous improvement in teaching. 
The National Partnerships are now achieving significant reform at the national, state and local school community levels. State and territory SSNP Annual Reports and Progress Reports available from this site provide an overview of some innovative strategies being progressed.
States and territories are also contributing through new funding or the redirection of existing resources. The amounts detailed below are the Australian Government’s contribution only.

Focus
•	The National Partnership for Low Socio-economic Status School Communities (Low SES NP) will support a range of school level and broader reforms that address educational disadvantage associated with low socio-economic status school communities. 
•	It will support the implementation of reforms to better support student learning needs and wellbeing and to foster a successful transition to further education, work and active participation in the community. 
•	The reforms will be directed at school leadership, teaching, student learning and community engagement.
•	Schools implementing reforms under the Low SES NP will be better equipped to address the complex and interconnected challenges facing students in disadvantaged communities. 
Funding
•	The Low SES NP provides $1.5 billion in Commonwealth funding to facilitate the reforms over seven years from 2008-09 to 2014-15.
Low Socio-economic Status School Communities National Partnership funding
NSW	VIC	QLD	SA	WA	TAS	NT	ACT	Total	
$593.3m	$275.3m	$231.8m	$159.8m	$96.8m	$70.1m	$70.1m	$3.0m	$1.5b	
39.6%	18.4%	15.5%	10.7%	6.5%	4.7%	4.7%	0.2%	100%	
Figures based on DEEWR data (current as of 29/07/2011).

Totals may not add due to rounding.

Impact
•	The reforms have been implemented progressively from 2009, with full implementation expected to occur in 2011 and 2012.
•	Approximately 1,700 disadvantaged government and non-government schools (17% of all Australian schools) will directly benefit from participating in the Low SES NP. This includes 147 schools that are in both the Low SES and Literacy and Numeracy NPs.
•	Approximately 464,000 students (13% of all students), including 65,000 Indigenous students (42% of all Indigenous students), will be supported by the Low SES NP. This includes students that are being supported by both the Low SES and Literacy and Numeracy NPs.
Areas of reform
The Low SES NP has six priority reform areas:
•	Incentives to attract high-performing principals and teachers
•	Adoption of best practice performance management and staffing arrangements that articulate a clear role for principals
•	School operational arrangements which encourage innovation and flexibility
•	Providing innovative and tailored learning opportunities
•	Strengthened school accountability, and
•	External partnerships with parents, other schools, businesses and communities and the provision of access to extended services.
Reform strategies
States and territories are implementing a range of reform strategies that will support students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including Indigenous students, students with disabilities and students from culturally diverse backgrounds. These include:
•	Providing incentives for experienced teachers and principals to move to disadvantaged schools, especially in remote areas.
•	Providing support structures and mentors to teachers and principals in disadvantaged schools.
•	Developing individual learning plans for students.
•	Involving parents and the broader community in school governance.
•	Offering adult learning programs through schools.
•	Investigating models to increase leadership diversity and leadership capability.
•	Coordinating child, health and family services for families with young children and children with learning needs.
•	Partnering with local businesses to support ‘real life’ learning.
•	Improving the capacity of parents to support their children in literacy.
•	Mentoring students to support retention and school completion.
Selection of schools
•	The Council of Australian Governments agreed to use the Australian Bureau of Statistics Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage (IRSED) as the basis for identifying the most disadvantaged schools in all schooling sectors across Australia. 
•	State and territory governments and non-government sectors then applied local knowledge about school and community levels of disadvantage to determine the schools to participate in the Low SES NP.
Status of implementation
•	Summaries of state and territory Implementation Plans for the Low SES NP and lists of participating schools have been published on the DEEWR Smarter Schools National Partnerships website:  www.smarterschools.gov.au.
School level plans
•	Schools participating in the Low SES NP will tailor reform activities to meet the needs of their school community and the specific needs of their students.  
•	School level plans are published progressively on the school (or relevant state education authority) website.