Smarter Schools National Partnerships

 
  
Improving Teacher Quality
Low SES School Communities
Literacy and Numeracy

Victoria
Annual Report for 2009
(April 2010)

       

Section 1	Smarter Schools Summary
	
Section 2 	Improving Teacher Quality 
	
Section 3	Low SES School Communities
	
Section 4	Literacy and Numeracy
 	
Section 5	Other Evidence
	
Section 6	Reporting for 2011

The National Partnership Agreements on Literacy and Numeracy, Low SES School Communities and Improving Teacher Quality are collaborative initiatives supported by funding from the Australian Government, the Victorian Government and the Catholic and Independent school sectors.

Introduction
This report relates to funded National Partnership activity during the 2009 Calendar Year.

2009 was very much a year of planning and preparing to implement new strategies and activities from 2010.  As a result, the report for 2009 activity will be largely descriptive with few data elements.  It is likely that many of the reported items could be answered by a short description of progress that may be only two to three sentences.

The template contains provision for reporting achievement against 2009 milestones where applicable to particular jurisdictions.  

For this first Annual report, national comparability of data remains less important than the provision of information on the activities undertaken during the year towards the implementation of the National Partnership Reforms.  
To address the capture of data for many different reporting functions, and ensure national consistency across all reforms, the Reporting Plan (which includes the Annual and Progress Reports) has been designed to reflect the commitment to continually improve performance reporting in the Intergovernmental Agreement on Federal Financial Relations: Schedule C Public Accountability and Performance Reporting, in particular the change over time from activity to outcomes reporting.  This staged approach ensures that the types of information reported and the quality of the contribution that that information makes to the evidence will develop over time as illustrated in this diagram.

Section 1 – Smarter Schools Summary
  	
Highlights
As far as possible, Victoria has sought to integrate the partnership initiatives across the Smarter Schools National Partnerships (NPs) to create a cohesive and comprehensive approach to school improvement. To achieve this, Victoria has focused on three key reform priorities:
1. Leadership and Teacher Capacity
Success in delivering improved outcomes across the Victorian Implementation Plan (VIP) is reliant on the involvement of people with specialist expertise. The delivery of high leverage, high impact initiatives across the NPs require specialist skills and knowledge, ranging from literacy and numeracy experts, and leadership, mentoring and coaching expertise, to assessment and data managers and community engagement experts. The VIP therefore includes a significant emphasis on workforce capability strategies at both the State and sector levels to assure quality delivery at the network and school level.
2. Recognition and Response to Individual Learning Needs
The VIP reflects the importance of all students being engaged in their learning. By recognising and responding to individual learning needs, student outcomes can be improved across the participating NP schools. The delivery of initiatives such as offering programs which meet the needs and interests of students, enabling students to be active participants in their learning, and learning that is connected to the wider community outside the school, are critical in improving student outcomes across the NPs.
 3. School-Community Engagement and Extended Schools
There is a growing body of evidence that collaborative approaches between schools and communities can have a positive impact on student improvement.  The VIP reflects the importance of school-community partnerships with a focus on engaging parents, communities and businesses in schools and students’ learning. 
	
Cross sector collaboration
All three sectors have been active participants in the development of the VIP and the governance arrangements supporting this work, and have committed to continuing to work collaboratively on agreed projects throughout the life of the NPs. 
Sectors have committed to sharing information on the planning, development, implementation and outcomes of their initiatives to facilitate best practice across Victoria, and to seek to collaborate on implementation where feasible.
The collaborative approach to the NPs, both within and across sectors, has strengthened partnerships across sectors, across dioceses and between schools, and has enhanced opportunities for greater innovation across Victoria.
Cross-sectoral collaboration is being further developed and strengthened through the life of the NPs. In particular, as the Low Socio-economic Status (SES) School Communities NP has a seven year lifespan, there are many opportunities for the sectors to learn from one another and to use this opportunity to develop ongoing collaborative practices.	
Stakeholder consultation/engagement
Victoria facilitated a series of workshops on the NPs in 2009 to brief and consult with key stakeholders including:
•	Government departments;
•	Indigenous consultative bodies including the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Inc (VAEAI); and
•	Not-for-profit sector representatives.  
The workshops facilitated in-depth discussion and a shared understanding of the NPs and proposed initiatives. Stakeholders provided input into work undertaken on the VIP, and identified opportunities for whole-of-government collaboration, joint initiatives to improve educational outcomes, and partnerships with the not-for-profit sector.
Through the development of NP initiatives the government and non-government school sectors have engaged schools participating in the NPs.  The whole-of-school planning process has brought together:
•	the school leadership team;
•	the school community, especially parents;
•	direct support to assist student learning and wellbeing; and 
•	Schools linking with other schools, extended networks, and other available support in their local community.
	
School level plans
All participating Victorian schools have included NP information in their School Plans. This includes:
•	The initiatives and activities schools are implementing;
•	Australian Government funding; and
•	School resources applied to the NPs. 
School Plans will be made publicly available on the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) website, and school websites where possible, by end of June each school year.

Section 2 – Improving Teacher Quality 	
Progress statement
Victoria is using the Improving Teacher Quality NP as an opportunity to implement innovative and ambitious reforms to further improve the knowledge, skills and practice of Victorian teachers and to reward good teaching.  These reforms include:
•	establishing specialist centres such as the Bastow Institute of Educational Leadership, the Centre for Leadership & Professional Learning, and the Teacher Education and Leadership Centre, to provide professional development for aspiring and current school leaders;
•	all sectors participating in school-university partnerships to improve pre-service teacher education. These partnerships will provide a strong foundation for all sectors to develop and support selected schools as School Centres for Teaching Excellence to produce a new generation of interventionist teachers, capable of using data to address the needs of individual learners;
•	trialling three models of school-based and teacher-based rewards over the 2010-2013 school years in government and independent schools;
•	a series of programs that establish new pathways into teaching and address teacher shortages in particular subjects and locations; and 
•	workforce reform through the use of a wider, more efficient and more skilled workforce. 

Victoria is also well advanced in the national reform areas of the Teacher Quality NP, for example:
•	Victoria is leading the National Standards Sub-group which is providing advice to Ministers and the new Board of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership on priority areas; and 
•	Victoria and Queensland are co-hosting the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. The lnstitute will have strong links with the leadership institutes of all other jurisdictions and sectors including the Victorian Bastow Institute for Educational Leadership.

VIP Initiative 1: Building Leadership Capacity (coaching, professional learning)   
In the Government school sector a range of complementary professional learning programs are under development for delivery through the Bastow Institute of Educational Leadership (BIEL). Schools participating in the NPs are given priority to participate in leadership coaching or professional learning programs offered by the BIEL. For example, progress of the Principal Preparation Program includes:
•	A total of 40 six-month internships for high potential principal aspirants are being funded over three years; 
•	Consultation on the program is underway, supported by preparatory research; and
•	 Eighteen interns and host schools are being identified during term 1, 2010 and the Internships will occur during term 2 and 3, 2010.
An external provider has been contracted to conduct a formal evaluation of all BIEL programs against the intended objectives.  

In the Catholic school sector this initiative focuses on developing school leaders to initiate, manage and sustain literacy and numeracy improvement. It also focuses on developing a leadership culture committed to the understanding of inclusion, Family-School Partnerships and student wellbeing and to embedding Social Emotional Learning across the school community. 
Progress includes:
•	By the end of 2009 school leadership teams in the 121 nominated schools were briefed on the Smarter Schools NP initiatives to inform strategic planning in literacy, numeracy and family school partnerships. 
•	The two year Aspiring to Principalship program has been extended across all Victorian dioceses and a Year 3 module has been developed; and
•	Experienced principals participated in a Coaching pilot conducted over Term 4, 2009 with the goal of establishing a Principal Coaching Bank for the mentoring of early career principals.

The Independent school sector has begun to provide in-school support and professional learning for existing and emerging school leaders, including supporting the effective use of assessment and data. Leadership professional learning modules are being developed and will be offered through the Teacher Education & Leadership Centre.  Progress includes: 
•	Workshops and consultations for leadership teams were held in 2009 and will continue in 2010. The aim of these sessions is to enable the teams to gather and interpret data so that strategic interventions can be developed to meet the required outcomes for students; and
•	Video-conferencing via the ISVnet initiative is being developed. This will enable teachers to benefit directly 
      through online collaboration and by connecting to high-quality teaching and learning resources.

VIP initiative 2b: Building teacher capacity (professional learning opportunities)
In the Government school sector this initiative provides professional learning opportunities at the school/network level to build the capacity of teachers to accurately assess student learning and to deliver quality classroom instruction in literacy and numeracy which supports all students to make progress.  NP schools are given priority to participate in targeted teacher professional learning programs.  
This initiative also includes the development of the English as a Second Language (ESL) Assessment Tool to enable classroom teachers to better assess student language proficiency and provide feedback to improve teaching and learning.
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) is currently scoping the work required to develop the ESL Assessment Tool, including a literature review of proficiency tools nationally and internationally. 

In the Catholic school sector professional learning includes a mixture of intensive off-site, in-school and cluster based activities. Professional learning focuses on the specific needs of the different stages of schooling and builds disciplinary knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and assessment expertise, especially in formative assessment.  Progress includes:
•	By the end of 2009 targeted schools were briefed on the professional learning initiatives and the support strategies available in 2010;
•	Across each of the dioceses, professional learning initiatives (Literacy/Numeracy) specific to the needs of the NP schools were developed for roll-out in 2010; and
•	At the end of 2009, schools were invited to review their school data and select a Literacy or Numeracy priority focus. Schools have registered their focus and where applicable, the nominated teachers to be involved.

The Independent school sector has begun to provide targeted professional learning to meet the needs of participating schools. Teacher professional learning is being delivered by training professionals, trained cluster leaders, education consultants, literacy and numeracy mentors and student wellbeing and community engagement mentors.
Professional learning activities are currently being developed and will be multi-modal and collaborative, including online professional learning and sharing via ICT through the ISVnet initiative. 

VIP Initiative 3: Improve school access to high quality teachers 
In the Government school sector this initiative funds Teach For Australia (TFA), a new pathway into teaching designed to prepare high calibre graduates from all degree disciplines for teaching in disadvantaged schools. The first cohort of 45 TFA graduates (Associates) were recruited and assigned to 13 schools during 2009 and commenced work in 2010, having all completed the six weeks of the initial intensive training component of the Post-Graduate Diploma in Teaching  developed by the Melbourne Graduate School of Education (MGSE) and accredited by the Victorian Institute of Teaching.  Progress includes:  
•	All Associates have signed two-year contracts with DEECD;
•	In-school mentors have been selected and have completed the first three days of the five-day mentor training program.  TFA and MGSE have jointly recruited four Educational Advisors who will work with Associates; and
•	The Australian Council for Educational Research has been contracted by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) to undertake an evaluation of the initiative. The evaluation will comprise three phases, with projected reporting times in May 2010, February 2012 and December 2012.  

In the Catholic school sector this initiative aims to provide schools communities with improved access to quality teachers. It includes opportunities for schools and universities to explore collaborative partnerships, to build models of good practice and inclusion, and enhance capacity to improve student engagement, learning outcomes, pathways and engagement with local communities.  For example, in partnership with the Australian Catholic University (ACU), the Catholic sector is establishing a pilot program to develop a Bachelor of Education Course (Primary) Multimodal.  School team leaders and established teachers in selected schools are working with the ACU project manager as co-researchers over a four year period.  Progress includes:
•	a course outline was completed in 2009 for implementation in 2010; 
•	eight schools were identified for piloting in 2010, supporting up to 30 pre-service teachers; and 
•	teachers involved at each school were briefed and inducted into their roles.  

The Independent school sector has successfully piloted and evaluated a place-based pre-service teacher practicum model centred in Hamilton. The model was designed to allow for the influence of a mentor to act as a bridge between teacher-education institutions and supervisors.  Evidence-based knowledge supports the work of the mentor.   Pre-service practicum models are currently being developed between Independent Schools Victoria (ISV) and the University of Melbourne, and ISV and Monash University. 

VIP Initiative 4: National Standards subgroup 
Victoria is chairing the National Standards Sub-group (NSS), which includes representation from all States and Territories, the Australian Government, the Catholic and independent sectors and the Deans of Education.  
The NSS was established in July 2009 to provide advice through the Teacher Quality Steering Committee to the Australian Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs Senior Officials Committee (AEEYSOC) and the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA).
The NSS met the timeline requested by AEEYSOC and Ministers to develop proposals and advice for MCEECDYA in November 2009 and AEEYSOC in December 2009.  Both AEEYSOC and MCEECDYA have now agreed that NSS work should be handed over to the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) as the relevant committees supporting AITSL are established.  Progress against the NSS terms of reference to date is as follows:
•	Development of national standards for teachers and school leaders
Draft National Professional Standards for Teachers have been released for consultation; submissions can be made until 7 May 2010. Following validation and refinement it is expected the draft Standards will be submitted to Ministers for approval later in 2010.
•	A nationally agreed process for assessing and certifying/accrediting competent, accomplished and leading teachers
NSS has developed a draft process which will be provided to AITSL.

NSS has provided advice to AITSL on preferred options for a national accreditation system for pre-service teacher education.  AITSL has established a working group that will consider the links with the new draft National Standards and provide advice to MCEECDYA on accreditation and program standards.
•	The development of strategies to facilitate quality professional experience (practicum) placement systems and the establishment of school centres for teaching excellence to support pre-service and entry-level teachers
Transferred to AITSL.
•	Nationally consistent registration across all levels of teaching
To progress this element, AEEYSOC has established a working group, chaired by Tasmania and including a representative of the AITSL Board.

VIP Initiative 5: Rewarding excellence - Teacher Performance Pay 
In the Government school sector, two models are being trialled − school-based and teacher-based rewards over the 2010-2013 school years.  Progress includes:
•	A communications strategy has been developed with key objectives, messages and forecast planning;
•	Guidelines for the School Rewards trial have been developed following consultations with stakeholders;
•	Regions and schools have been identified to participate in the trial;
•	Participating schools have attended initial workshops with their designated Regional Network Leader with those in the School Rewards trial during 2010 receiving a grant to support their participation; and
•	An evaluator has been appointed to undertake an evaluation of the trials from 2010 to 2013.

The Independent school sector developed and piloted the Rewarding High Quality Teaching model during 2009.  The model aims to use professional teaching standards in order to remunerate high quality teachers.  The pilot evaluation will inform future implementation of this initiative in the Independent school sector with NP funding.  
In the pilot, candidates were required to demonstrate performance against a set of 30 standards through: 
•	Development of a portfolio that includes evidence of pedagogy and assessment, tracking student performance, evidence of research-based practices; peer and student reviews; classroom and an interview. 
•	Working with two mentors – one school-based and one external to the school. 
•	An interview by a panel of assessors.   

VIP Initiative 6: Pathways into teaching      
In the Government school sector, the Career Change Program 2010 enables suitably qualified professionals with relevant experience to undertake teacher education while employed as supervised trainee teachers over a two-year traineeship period. Progress includes:
•	The first intake of 31 trainees was recruited in November 2009 to teach in hard to staff subject areas; predominantly technology studies, mathematics and science;  
•	Trainees participated in a preparatory summer school from late November to mid-January; and 
•	Trainees began employment at their host schools at the beginning of the 2010 school year.

In the Catholic school sector, two programs including Career Enhancement Pathways for Indigenous Education Workers and Teaching Sponsorships for Indigenous Students Victoria support this initiative. These programs aim to provide a tailored pathway for Indigenous workers to be supported whilst they are upgrading their qualifications and undertaking teacher education.  Progress includes:
•	Three of six sponsored positions have been provided to current Koorie Education Workers to complete an Associate Diploma in Indigenous Education at Australian Catholic University Brisbane; and
•	A Life/Academic Coach has been appointed to provide ongoing support to the participating applicants.
•	Four bursaries were awarded to support Indigenous students to commence various studies leading towards teaching qualifications.

VIP initiative 7:  Wider Workforce Field Trials
In the Government school sector, the Wider Workforce Field Trials examine different approaches to workforce reform through the use of a wider, more efficient and more skilled workforce. Field Trials are being conducted in 35 government primary, secondary and special schools. These Field Trials explore models for teachers to work with other professionals and paraprofessionals to deliver a wider range of learning experiences.  For example, some schools plan to improve integration of teaching and student wellbeing through development of teams of teachers and youth workers.  Progress in wider workforce field trials includes:
•	The planning phase which concluded in December 2009, provided participating schools with a change management process to help construct a clear research focus and implementation plan at each of the participating sites; 
•	Plans for implementation were developed for 2010 activities; and
•	Evaluation strategies were developed for the trial. These involve the engagement of internal and external expertise to identify and set the key performance indicators and evaluation measures to assess Field Trial outcomes and outputs. 	
Milestones and Performance Indicators 
Victoria has no milestones for 2009 – see Part B1       	
Implementation or impact issues  
In Victoria implementation/impact issues experienced by school sectors include:
•	The limited amount of time available since the NPs began to plan, implement and build understanding of new reform areas and initiatives has been challenging at both a system and school level;
•	A higher demand than expected for leadership and/or coaching programs has resulted in additional places being made available; 
•	Limited uptake by schools or staff in some programs has required flexibility within some initiatives to better meet the need of participants; 
•	The national landscape has presented some challenges for the national standards subgroup in ensuring relevant connections with other national work and bodies; these have been largely addressed with the establishment of, and handover to, AITSL;
•	Principals of small schools generally have multiple roles, including teaching responsibilities, which limits their capacity to respond to professional development opportunities; 
•	In the Catholic school sector, some of the challenges identified in rural areas are reduced options and additional costs (mainly due to travel) for provision of onsite coaching and professional development. Different options are being investigated; and
•	The individuality of the independent school sector adds a higher degree of complexity in terms of developing programs and support structures. The geographic spread of independent schools has also presented an ongoing challenge in the consultation and development of programs with schools.
	
Activities supporting Indigenous students and/or teachers

In the Government school sector the following activities are supporting indigenous students and/or teachers.
•	Improvement of Indigenous outcomes is being supported through the newly expanded Wannik tutoring program. 
•	The Language Support Coordinators initiative directly supports Indigenous students.  It was trialled in Shepparton with cooperation from the local Indigenous community and was found to be an effective support for addressing delays in oral language acquisition with Indigenous students.
•	Fifteen Koorie Literacy Language Support Coordinators were funded in 2009 to improve the practice of classroom teachers who have Koorie students in their classes.   
•	In terms of opportunities for indigenous candidates, the Career Change Program provides an alternate pathway into the teaching profession which is attractive to candidates who cannot otherwise afford the time or expense of undergoing teacher training.  There is currently one indigenous person participating in the Program as part of the Department’s 2009 intake. 

In the Catholic school sector, the following activities are supporting Indigenous students and/or teachers:
•	Koorie Education Workers within targeted NP Schools are invited to participate in professional learning opportunities offered in each diocese;
•	A camp has been planned for Indigenous students to enhance relations and empower students to seek opportunities and aspire to teaching (or other academic ventures). 
•	Two Koorie Educators were trained in the Extending Mathematical Understandings (EMU) Intervention program  in 2009; and
•	There is a focus on developing strategies to raise awareness of the study opportunities and support available for Koorie Education Workers and Indigenous students.

The Independent school sector is providing direct support for the Victorian Indigenous Education Network, aimed at supporting leaders and teachers to provide for the needs of Indigenous students.
	
Good practice

Victoria aims to identify good practice as part of ongoing monitoring and evaluation.   A number of initiatives including VIP Initiative 2b: Building Teacher Capacity (in-school support/coaches) are beginning to demonstrate successful implementation or early signs of good practice such as:
•	Positive feedback from participants;
•	Schools are considering alternative modes of delivery of the teaching and learning process within their schools;
•	The use of innovative and effective methods of recruiting and retaining staff; and 
•	The development of successful partnerships with non-government organisations and businesses. 

Case Studies and Examples
In the Government school sector the Career Change Program (Initiative 6:  Pathways into Teaching) is a prototype in employment based training pathways into teaching in Australia and has previously been recognised nationally and internationally for its innovation and effectiveness.  The teacher education course, including mentoring support at the school level, face-to-face and remote delivery, has been tailored to the needs of the target recruitment group.  All Career Change appointments are to vacancies in hard to staff schools which could not be filled through normal staffing mechanisms. The program has been particularly successful in providing recruitment alternatives for hard to staff (mainly rural) schools and for facilitating the recruitment of high quality, mature-age tradespeople into the classroom.
As part of the Wider Workforce Field Trials (Initiative 7), which aims to use a wider and more skilled workforce, baseline case studies have been completed for four schools participating in the Field Trials. These schools are already involved in innovative approaches for the deployment of a wider workforce in schools.  These case studies will be available in mid 2010 with the release of a series of papers providing overviews of changing workforce policy contexts, international scans of best practice and Victorian case studies.  

Section 3 – Low SES School Communities	
Progress statement
Victoria recognises the importance of addressing disadvantage for the achievement of broader educational objectives. As part of the Low SES School Communities National Partnership, Victoria is undertaking a range of reforms which aim to improve educational outcomes for low SES school communities. These reforms include: 
•	Community/business partnerships to provide coordinated and comprehensive approaches to redressing disadvantage experienced by students both within school and the broader community;
•	Maximising the involvement of families in their child’s learning to enhance opportunities for students to be supported to engage in both school and home environments;
•	Place-based approaches, actively addressing the strong relationship between socio-economic status, educational disadvantage and geographic location; and
•	Providing resourcing to schools to run intensive intervention programs for students performing below the expected level, including students who are at educational risk, at risk of experience homelessness (or who are homeless), refugee students, Indigenous students and students with complex needs; 
•	Strengthening the capacity of teachers to engage with the particular learning and development needs of their school community; and 
•	Providing schools, particularly from low SES communities, with improved access to quality teachers to assist in developing school capacity to improve student engagement, learning outcomes, pathways, and engagement with local communities. 

VIP Initiative 1: Building Leadership Capacity (coaching, professional learning)   
In the Government school sector NP schools are given priority to participate in leadership coaching or professional learning programs offered by the Bastow Institute of Educational Leadership (BIEL). A range of complementary professional learning programs are under development for delivery through BIEL. 
For example, progress of the Principal Preparation Program includes:
•	A total of 40 six-month internships for high potential principal aspirants are being funded over three years; 
•	Consultation on the program is underway, supported by preparatory research; and
•	 Eighteen interns and host schools are being identified during term 1, 2010 and the Internships will occur during term 2 and 3, 2010.
An external provider has been contracted to conduct a formal evaluation of all BIEL programs against the intended objectives.  

In the Catholic school sector this initiative focuses on developing school leaders to initiate, manage and sustain literacy and numeracy improvement. It also focuses on developing a leadership culture committed to the understanding of inclusion, Family-School Partnerships and student wellbeing and to embedding Social Emotional Learning across the school community. 
Progress includes:
•	By the end of 2009 school leadership teams in the 121 nominated schools were briefed on the Smarter Schools NP initiatives to inform strategic planning in literacy, numeracy and family school partnerships. 
•	The two year Aspiring to Principalship program, has been extended across all Victorian dioceses and a Year 3 module has been developed; and
•	Experienced principals participated in a Coaching pilot conducted over Term 4, 2009 with the goal of establishing a Principal Coaching Bank for the mentoring of early career principals.

The Independent school sector has begun to provide in-school support and professional learning for existing and emerging school leaders, including supporting the effective use of assessment and data. Leadership professional learning modules are being developed and will be offered through the Teacher Education & Leadership Centre.  Progress includes: 
•	Workshops and consultations for leadership teams were held in 2009 and will continue in 2010. The aim of these sessions is to enable the teams to gather and interpret data so that strategic interventions can be developed to meet the required outcomes for students; and
•	Video-conferencing via the ISVnet initiative is being developed. This will enable teachers to benefit directly through online collaboration and by connecting to high-quality teaching and learning resources.

VIP Initiative 2a: Building teacher capacity (in-school support/coaches)
In the Government sector this initiative funds a range of professional learning opportunities for teachers, including Literacy, Numeracy, and Instructional Coach Training Programs, Primary Mathematics Specialists, and Language Support Coordinators.  NP schools are given priority to participate in targeted teacher professional learning programs or are being supported by literacy and/or numeracy coaches. Progress includes:
•	The Numeracy and Instructional Coach Training programs commenced in November 2009 with a total cohort of 102 coaches.   The Literacy Coach Training program began in March 2010;
•	Primary Mathematics Specialists have been appointed to work in 27 NP primary schools during 2010. Professional learning programs were delivered to the Primary Maths Specialists in December 2009; and
•	Comprehensive advice about the Language Support Coordinator Initiative has been provided to regions including a role description to assist with recruitment and accountabilities. Nine Coordinators are expected to be recruited by April 2010.  Regional data has also been provided to enable the effective targeting of resources and effort.  

In the Catholic school sector this initiative aims to strengthen the capacity of teachers to engage with the particular learning and development needs of their school community.  Support strategies focus on school-based and external coaches working alongside Literacy and Numeracy Leaders and classroom teachers in the participating NP schools. 
Progress includes:
•	By the end of 2009, 16 external coaches (7 Literacy and 9 Numeracy) were appointed to work in schools assisting teachers and numeracy leaders to build reflective processes around evidence-based practice in literacy and numeracy learning;
•	Twenty-two staff members commenced training as external coaches; and
•	Induction training programs were conducted for newly appointed coaches with further appointments and training planned in 2010.

The Independent school sector has begun to provide in-school coaching/mentoring support and professional learning opportunities for school-based curriculum leaders and teachers. Some teacher support and professional learning has been delivered by training professionals, education consultants and literacy and numeracy experts, with support from student wellbeing and community engagement mentors planned for later in 2010. 
In-class support and action research projects have been identified at a high level and will be coordinated by the literacy and numeracy, student wellbeing and community engagement mentors, and led by the cluster leaders. 

VIP initiative 2b: Building teacher capacity (professional learning opportunities)
In the Government school sector this initiative provides professional learning opportunities at the school/network level to build the capacity of teachers to accurately assess student learning and to deliver quality classroom instruction in literacy and numeracy which supports all students to make progress.  NP schools are given priority to participate in targeted teacher professional learning programs.  
This initiative also includes the development of the English as a Second Language (ESL) Assessment Tool to enable classroom teachers to better assess student language proficiency and provide feedback to improve teaching and learning.
DEECD is currently scoping the work required to develop the ESL Assessment Tool, including a literature review of proficiency tools nationally and internationally. 

In the Catholic school sector professional learning includes a mixture of intensive off-site, in-school and cluster based activities. Professional learning focuses on the specific needs of the different stages of schooling and builds disciplinary knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and assessment expertise, especially in formative assessment.  Progress includes:
•	By the end of 2009 targeted schools were briefed on the professional learning initiatives and the support strategies available in 2010;
•	Across each of the dioceses, professional learning initiatives (Literacy/Numeracy) specific to the needs of the NP schools were developed for roll-out in 2010; and
•	At the end of 2009, schools were invited to review their school data and select a Literacy or Numeracy priority focus. Schools have registered their focus and where applicable, the nominated teachers to be involved.

The Independent school sector has begun to provide targeted professional learning to meet the needs of participating schools. Teacher professional learning is being delivered by training professionals, trained cluster leaders, education consultants, literacy and numeracy mentors and student wellbeing and community engagement mentors.
Professional learning activities are currently being developed and will be multi-modal and collaborative, including online professional learning and sharing via the ISVnet initiative. 

VIP Initiative 3: Improve school access to high quality teachers 
In the Government school sector this initiative funds Teach for Australia (TFA), a new pathway into teaching designed to prepare high calibre graduates from all degree disciplines for teaching in disadvantaged schools. The first cohort of 45 TFA graduates (Associates) were recruited and assigned to 13 schools during 2009 and commenced work in 2010, having all completed the six weeks of the initial intensive training component of the Post-Graduate Diploma in Teaching developed by the Melbourne Graduate School of Education (MGSE) and accredited by the Victorian Institute of Teaching.  Progress includes:  
•	All Associates have signed two-year contracts with DEECD;
•	In-school mentors have been selected and have completed the first three days of the five-day mentor training program.  TFA and MGSE have jointly recruited four Educational Advisors who will work with Associates; and
•	The Australian Council for Educational Research has been contracted by DEEWR to undertake an evaluation of the initiative. The evaluation will comprise three phases, with projected reporting times in May 2010, February 2012 and December 2012.  

In the Catholic school sector this initiative aims to provide schools communities with improved access to quality teachers. It includes opportunities for schools and universities to explore collaborative partnerships, to build models of good practice and inclusion, and enhance capacity to improve student engagement, learning outcomes, pathways and engagement with local communities.  For example, in partnership with the Australian Catholic University (ACU), the Catholic sector is establishing a pilot program to develop a Bachelor of Education Course (Primary) Multimodal.  School team leaders and established teachers in selected schools are working with the ACU project manager as co-researchers over a four year period.  Progress includes:
•	a course outline was completed in 2009 for implementation in 2010; 
•	eight schools were identified for piloting in 2010, supporting up to 30 pre-service teachers; and 
•	teachers involved at each school were briefed and inducted into their roles.  

The Independent school sector has successfully piloted and evaluated a place-based pre-service teacher practicum model centred in Hamilton. The model was designed to allow for the influence of a mentor to act as a bridge between teacher-education institutions and supervisors.  Evidence-based knowledge supports the work of the mentor.   Pre-service practicum models are currently being developed between ISV and the University of Melbourne, and ISV and Monash University. 

VIP Initiative 8: Improved monitoring of student performance information
In the Government school sector all NP schools are being supported to improve the monitoring of individual student performance using approved diagnostic tools.  Data literacy support is being provided to Regional Network Leaders, school leaders and teachers to effectively monitor programs at individual and cohort levels.

The Catholic school sector aims to improve monitoring of literacy and numeracy performance through a literacy and numeracy intervention framework.  To progress this initiative the Catholic sector is focussing on the development of school capacity for the identification, intervention and monitoring of student literacy and numeracy performance at the whole of school, cohort and individual student level.  For example, the Archdiocese of Melbourne has conducted initial planning discussions with a partner university to develop a Literacy-Numeracy Intervention Framework. 

The Independent school sector is developing a suite of data collection instruments to assist schools to assess their performance against research-based indicators of effective schools. There is a particular focus on giving schools and teachers the capacity to undertake appropriate and timely data collection, developing the skills to interpret the data and then to design appropriate and effective classroom intervention strategies.  For example ISV has conducted a workshop on the analysis of NAPLAN and PAT testing data, as well as providing consultancy services for analysis of NAPLAN and PAT testing data.

VIP Initiative 9: Timely student intervention and support
In the Government school sector this initiative supports a number of programs, including the Reading Recovery Tutor Training program and the Yachad Accelerated Learning Project (YALP): 
•	The YALP program is running in six targeted schools in the Shepparton network.
•	The Reading Recovery Tutor Training was completed in December 2009.  Eight DEECD Regional Tutors (and one Catholic Education Melbourne Tutor) successfully completed the Masters level training. All Reading Recovery tutors trained through the initiative are involved in training Reading Recovery Teachers and delivering professional learning for experienced Reading Recovery teachers. Regional Grants have been provided to support the implementation of the Reading Recovery Tutor Training program. 

In the Catholic school sector this initiative assists schools to develop comprehensive and robust individual education and pathway strategies focussed on meeting the individual needs and circumstances of students identified as being at risk. Progress includes:
•	A numeracy intervention strategy has been developed which provides extensive advice and professional learning for teachers in Year P-4, deploying evidence-based initiatives that target students with low attainment in numeracy; and
•	Evidence-based early intervention strategies such as Reading Recovery have been implemented to accelerate students’ literacy learning and support students identified as being at greatest risk. For example, an additional Reading Recovery Tutor completed the Masters Level training and some NP schools have received a grant to enable increased Reading Recovery coverage. 

In the Independent school sector NP consultants have created a register of evidence-based literacy and numeracy interventions, with advice on the appropriateness of each intervention for particular schools and student groups.  Intervention programs will be piloted across schools in the Independent school sector in 2010. An Individual Education Plan template has been developed for students in the targeted student groups. 

VIP Initiative 10: Enable and enhance the capacity of families to be engaged in learning
In the Government school sector VIP Initiatives 10 and 11 are linked.  A pilot model of extended school hubs has been developed that specifically focuses on increasing family engagement and building the capacity of families to be engaged in their children’s learning to maximise opportunities and learning outcomes.  Developing and strengthening partnerships with business, local government and community based agencies will enable the hubs to provide complementary learning programs and services before, during and after school hours and enable and enhance opportunities for co-location, integration of services, cross-sectoral collaboration, cooperation across schools in the network and increased community use of school facilities. 
Progress also includes:
•	Three extended school hub field trials involving fourteen schools have been selected;
•	Planning processes incorporating school staff, local government and non-government organisations have been undertaken; 
•	Cross-sectoral collaboration with the Catholic Education Office to provide professional development to staff with a partnership role in schools; and
•	A fourth site is in the process of being identified.

In the Catholic school sector VIP Initiatives 10 and 11 are also linked. The aim of this initiative is for all 46 participating Low SES Communities NP schools to implement a strategic approach to family school partnerships to address identified issues that impact on family involvement in learning. Progress includes:
•	Family-School Partnership convenor appointments were finalised in most instances with more appointments planned for 2010. Family-School Partnership convenors will work across schools and clusters; 
•	Schools were provided with a toolkit related to the conceptual framework of Joyce Epstein and colleagues focusing on activities to support both student and family engagement;
•	Cross-sectoral collaboration with the Office of Government School Education to provide professional development to staff with a partnership role in schools; and
•	Planning for the longitudinal research on the impact of Initiative 10 and 11.

In the Independent school sector cluster leaders and advisors have been employed to work with schools to build specific programs to develop and maintain meaningful connections with parents and families to support the learning of their children.  Discussions have commenced with a number of community welfare organisations in preparation for development of partnerships to deliver appropriate programs and services.

VIP Initiative: 11 Enable and strengthen school-community/business partnerships to maximise learning opportunities and outcomes and to extends schools
In the Government school sector VIP Initiatives 10 and 11 are linked.  Three extended school hub field trials sites involving fourteen schools have been selected and planning processes incorporating school staff, local government and non government organisations have been undertaken. A fourth site is in the process of being identified. Proposed models have been developed for place-based approaches to address identified learning barriers for students and their families in each of the sites. The models aim to:
•	Support school staff, students and families in the school during school hours, effectively establishing school community hubs
•	Provide a platform for the delivery of activities before, during and after school hours such as learning support, homework clubs, sport, music, other extra-curricular activities and programs to build the capacity of parents to support their child’s learning.
Progress includes: 
•	Data from the schools and consultation with community-based organisations is being analysed to identify the key focus of each hub;
•	Partnership Coordinators are being recruited and an initial payment to schools from the first allocation of funding has been distributed;
•	A four-part evaluation process is planned to measure outcomes and outputs of the field trials; and 
•	An independent evaluator has been selected and has begun work to undertake a process evaluation of the trial for a period of two years. 

In the Catholic school sector VIP Initiative 11 is integrated with Initiative 10.  The purpose of this initiative is to enhance opportunities for students to be supported to engage in learning in both the school and home environments. This initiative includes programs and activities delivered during extended hours by relevant professionals. Under this initiative all 46 participating Low SES School Community NP schools will have access to Family-School Partnership convenors. Progress includes:

•	In 2009, Principal Briefings were conducted with all 46 NP schools to provide an overview of the                    Family School Partnership initiative including the research base and the strategic rollout; and  
•	Schools were provided with a toolkit related to the conceptual framework of Joyce Epstein and colleagues focusing on activities to support both student and family engagement.

In the Independent school sector cluster leaders and advisors have been employed to build specific programs and work with schools to develop and maintain meaningful connections with parents and families to support the learning of their children.  Discussions have commenced with a number of community welfare organisations in preparation for development of partnerships to deliver appropriate programs and services.	
Milestones and measures
Victoria has no milestones for 2009
	
Implementation or impact issues  
In Victoria implementation/impact issues experienced by sectors include:
•	The limited amount of time available since the NPs began to plan, implement and build understanding of new initiatives has been challenging at both a system and school level;
•	A higher demand than expected for leadership or coaching programs has resulted in additional places being made available; 
•	Limited uptake by schools or staff in some programs has required flexibility within some initiatives to better meet the need of participants;
•	Principals of small schools generally have multiple roles, including teaching responsibilities, which limits their capacity to respond to professional development opportunities; 
•	In the Catholic sector, some of the challenges identified in rural areas are reduced options and additional costs (mainly due to travel) for provision of onsite coaching and professional development. Different options are being investigated; and
•	The individuality of the independent sector adds a higher degree of complexity in terms of developing programs and support structures. The geographic spread of independent schools has also presented an ongoing challenge in the consultation and development of programs with schools.	
Activities supporting Indigenous students and/or teachers

In the Government school sector the following activities support Indigenous students and/or teachers:
•	Improvement of Indigenous outcomes is being supported through a number of programs, including the newly expanded Wannik tutoring program, Koorie Literacy coaches and a number of pilot programs on effective school and Koorie community partnerships;
•	Fifteen Koorie Literacy coaches were funded in 2009 to improve the practice of classroom teachers who have Koorie students in their classes;
•	The Language Support Coordinators initiative directly supports Indigenous students.  It was trialled in Shepparton with cooperation from the local Indigenous community and was found to be an effective support for addressing delays in oral language acquisition with Indigenous students; and
•	DEECD has also funded a Koorie focused literacy intervention project within the Gippsland region.  The program’s impact on Koorie student outcomes will be assessed through rich data collected as part of the program.

In the Catholic school sector the following activities support Indigenous students:
•	Koorie Education Workers within targeted NP schools are invited to participate in the professional learning opportunities offered in each diocese;
•	Two Koorie Educators were trained in Extending Mathematical Understandings in 2009; 
•	There will be opportunities for the Koorie Education Workers to work closely with the Family-School Partnership convenors; and
•	The Indigenous community is a key consideration in the placement and selection of some of the Family-School Partnership convenors within the Catholic sector.

The Independent school sector is providing direct support for the Victorian Indigenous Education Network, aimed at supporting leaders and teachers to provide for the needs of indigenous students.
	
Good practice
Victoria aims to identify good practice as part of ongoing monitoring and evaluation.   A number of initiatives, including VIP Initiative 2b: Building Teacher Capacity (in-school support/coaches) and VIP Initiative 10: Enable and enhance the capacity of families to be engaged in learning are beginning to demonstrate successful implementation or early signs of good practice such as:
•	Positive feedback from participants;
•	Schools considering alternative modes of delivery of the teaching and learning process within their schools;
•	The use of innovative and effective methods of recruiting and retaining staff; and 
•	The development of successful partnerships with non-government organisations and business. 
	
Performance Indicators (not required for 2010 Annual Report)

For the 2010 Annual report, no response is required for the performance indicators listed in S19 of the Low SES Communities NP as the standards are still under consideration by the COAG Productivity Data Development Group.  Note, however, that the Annual Report in 2011 will require these items to be reported and may also require benchmark data.  These items will be developed from the NEA Guidelines and will be required for Low SES Schools, with possible aggregation at the level of Low SES School/non Low SES School.      

Note also the requirements under the NP for disaggregation of these data –  that the Low SES School Communities NP should report, where possible and appropriate:
•	Outcomes for identified cohorts, such as Indigenous students, students with a disability, students with other additional learning needs, students from a non-English speaking background, refugees and homeless students;
•	participation in national testing for these cohorts; and 
•	indicators for these students will include numbers of students achieving high-end results and number of students achieving low-end results across a range of subjects and extra-curricula offerings (refer to Section 20 of the NP).

This information will be required in each Annual Report from 2011.  	

Section 4 – Literacy and Numeracy 	
Progress statement
Victoria’s current approach to improving literacy and numeracy outcomes is generally consistent with international best practice. Victoria is using the Literacy and Numeracy NP as an opportunity to maximise improvement in students’ literacy and numeracy achievement. Across sectors there is a common emphasis on and support for a clear focus on improving instructional practice in all classrooms and continuing to develop the knowledge and skills of school leaders to lead this process.
Victoria has a strong evidence base supporting the specific initiatives selected. Reforms include:
•	Providing coaching support and professional learning programs for existing and emerging education leaders to drive school improvement in specific community contexts; 
•	Providing in-school support, including literacy and numeracy coaches, to work alongside teachers and school literacy and numeracy leaders;
•	Providing resources to schools to run intensive intervention programs for students performing below the minimum level;
•	Improving the use of literacy and numeracy performance information to identify where support is needed at all levels: classroom, school, region, sector and state; and
•	Supporting the development of advice on how parents can support the literacy and numeracy development of their children.

VIP Initiative 1: Building Leadership Capacity (coaching, professional learning)   
In the Government school sector NP schools are given priority to participate in leadership coaching or professional learning programs offered by the Bastow Institute of Educational Leadership (BIEL). A range of complementary professional learning programs are under development for delivery through BIEL. 
For example, progress of the Principal Preparation Program includes:
•	A total of 40 six-month internships for high potential principal aspirants are being funded over three years; 
•	Consultation on the program is underway, supported by preparatory research; and
•	 Eighteen interns and host schools are being identified during term 1, 2010 and the Internships will occur during term 2 and 3, 2010.
An external provider has been contracted to conduct a formal evaluation of all BIEL programs against the intended objectives.  

In the Catholic school sector this initiative focuses on developing school leaders to initiate, manage and sustain literacy and numeracy improvement. It also focuses on developing a leadership culture committed to the understanding of inclusion, Family-School Partnerships and student wellbeing and to embedding Social Emotional Learning across the school community. 
Progress includes:
•	By the end of 2009, school leadership teams in the 121 nominated schools were briefed on the Smarter Schools NP initiatives to inform strategic planning in literacy, numeracy and family school partnerships. Each targeted Literacy and Numeracy NP school is being supported to develop documented Literacy and Numeracy Improvement Plans by mid 2010;
•	The two year Aspiring to Principalship program has been extended across all Victorian dioceses and a Year 3 module has been developed; and
•	Experienced principals participated in a Coaching pilot conducted over Term 4, 2009 with the goal of establishing a Principal Coaching Bank for the mentoring of early career principals.

The Independent school sector has begun to provide in-school support and professional learning for existing and emerging school leaders, including supporting the effective use of assessment and data. Leadership professional learning modules are being developed and will be offered through the Teacher Education & Leadership Centre.  Progress includes: 
•	Workshops and consultations for leadership teams were held in 2009 and will continue in 2010. The aim of these sessions is to enable the teams to gather and interpret data so that strategic interventions can be developed to meet the required outcomes for students; and
•	Video-conferencing via the ISVnet initiative is being developed. This will enable teachers to benefit directly through online collaboration and by connecting to high-quality teaching and learning resources.

VIP Initiative 2a: Building teacher capacity (in-school support/coaches)
In the Government sector this initiative funds a range of professional learning opportunities for teachers, including Literacy, Numeracy, and Instructional Coach Training Programs, Primary Mathematics Specialists, and Language Support Coordinators.  NP schools are given priority to participate in targeted teacher professional learning programs or are being supported by literacy and/or numeracy coaches. Progress includes:
•	The Numeracy and Instructional Coach Training programs commenced in November 2009 with a total cohort of 102 coaches.   The Literacy Coach Training program began in March 2010;
•	Primary Mathematics Specialists have been appointed to work in 27 NP primary schools during 2010. Professional learning programs were delivered to the Primary Maths Specialists in December 2009; and
•	Comprehensive advice about the Language Support Coordinator Initiative has been provided to regions including a role description to assist with recruitment and accountabilities.  Nine Coordinators are expected to be appointed in April 2010. Regional data has also been provided to enable the effective targeting of resources and effort.  

In the Catholic school sector this initiative aims to strengthen the capacity of teachers to engage with the particular learning and development needs of their school community.  Support strategies focus on school-based and external coaches working alongside Literacy and Numeracy Leaders and classroom teachers in the participating NP schools. 
Progress includes:
•	By the end of 2009, 16 external coaches (7 Literacy and 9 Numeracy) were appointed to work in schools assisting teachers and numeracy leaders to build reflective processes around evidence-based practice in literacy and numeracy learning;
•	Twenty-two staff members commenced training as external coaches; and
•	Induction training programs were conducted for newly appointed coaches with further appointments and training planned in 2010.

The Independent school sector has begun to provide in-school coaching/mentoring support and professional learning opportunities for school-based curriculum leaders and teachers. Some teacher support and professional learning has been delivered by training professionals, education consultants and literacy and numeracy experts, with support from student wellbeing and community engagement mentors planned for later in 2010. 
In-class support and action research projects have been identified at a high level and will be coordinated by the literacy and numeracy, student wellbeing and community engagement mentors, and led by the cluster leaders. 

VIP initiative 2b: Building teacher capacity (professional learning opportunities)
In the Government school sector this initiative provides professional learning opportunities at the school/network level to build the capacity of teachers to accurately assess student learning and to deliver quality classroom instruction in literacy and numeracy which supports all students to make progress.  NP schools are given priority to participate in targeted teacher professional learning programs.  
This initiative also includes the development of the English as a Second Language (ESL) Assessment Tool to enable classroom teachers to better assess student language proficiency and provide feedback to improve teaching and learning.
DEECD is currently scoping the work required to develop the ESL Assessment Tool, including a literature review of proficiency tools nationally and internationally. 

In the Catholic school sector professional learning includes a mixture of intensive off-site, in-school and cluster based activities. Professional learning focuses on the specific needs of the different stages of schooling and builds disciplinary knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and assessment expertise, especially in formative assessment.  Progress includes:
•	By the end of 2009 targeted schools were briefed on the professional learning initiatives and the support strategies available in 2010;
•	Across each of the dioceses, professional learning initiatives (Literacy/Numeracy) specific to the needs of the NP schools were developed for roll-out in 2010; and
•	At the end of 2009, schools were invited to review their school data and select a Literacy or Numeracy priority focus. Schools have registered their focus and where applicable, the nominated teachers to be involved.

The Independent school sector has begun to provide targeted professional learning to meet the needs of participating schools. Teacher professional learning is being delivered by training professionals, trained cluster leaders, education consultants, literacy and numeracy mentors and student wellbeing and community engagement mentors.
Professional learning activities are currently being developed and will be multi-modal and collaborative, including online professional learning and sharing via the ISVnet initiative. 

VIP Initiative 8: Improved monitoring of student performance information
In the Government school sector all NP schools are being supported to improve the monitoring of individual student performance using approved diagnostic tools.  Data literacy support is being provided to Regional Network Leaders, school leaders and teachers to effectively monitor programs at individual and cohort levels.

The Catholic school sector aims to improve monitoring of literacy and numeracy performance through a literacy and numeracy intervention framework.  To progress this initiative the Catholic sector is focussing on the development of school capacity for the identification, intervention and monitoring of student literacy and numeracy performance at the whole of school, cohort and individual student level.  For example, the Archdiocese of Melbourne has conducted initial planning discussions with a partner university to develop a Literacy-Numeracy Intervention Framework. 

The Independent school sector is developing a suite of data collection instruments to assist schools to assess their performance against research-based indicators of effective schools. There is a particular focus on giving schools and teachers the capacity to undertake appropriate and timely data collection, developing the skills to interpret the data and then to design appropriate and effective classroom intervention strategies.  For example the ISV has conducted a workshop on the analysis of NAPLAN and PAT testing data, as well as providing consultancy services for analysis of NAPLAN and PAT testing data.

VIP Initiative 9: Timely student intervention and support
In the Government school sector this initiative supports a number of programs, including the Reading Recovery Tutor Training program and the Yachad Accelerated Learning Project (YALP): 
•	The YALP program is running in six targeted schools in the Shepparton network.

•	The Reading Recovery Tutor Training was completed in December 2009.  Eight DEECD Regional Tutors (and one Catholic Education Melbourne Tutor) successfully completed the Masters level training. All Reading Recovery tutors trained through the initiative will be involved in training Reading Recovery Teachers and delivering professional learning for experienced Reading Recovery teachers. Regional Grants have been provided to support the implementation of the Reading Recovery Tutor Training program. 

In the Catholic school sector this initiative assists schools to develop comprehensive and robust individual education and pathway strategies focussed on meeting the individual needs and circumstances of students identified as being at risk. Progress includes:
•	A numeracy intervention strategy has been developed which provides extensive advice and professional learning for teachers in Year P-4, deploying evidence-based initiatives that target students with low attainment in numeracy; and
•	Evidence-based early intervention strategies such as Reading Recovery have been implemented to accelerate students’ literacy learning and support students identified as being at greatest risk. For example, an additional Reading Recovery Tutor completed the Masters Level training and some NP schools have received a grant to enable increased Reading Recovery coverage. 

In the Independent school sector NP consultants have created a register of evidence-based literacy and numeracy interventions, with advice on the appropriateness of each intervention for particular schools and student groups.  Intervention programs will be piloted across schools in the Independent school sector in 2010. An Individual Education Plan template has been developed for students in the targeted student groups. 

VIP Initiative 10: Enable and enhance the capacity of families to be engaged in learning
In the Government school sector VIP Initiatives 10 and 11 are linked.  A pilot model of extended school hubs has been developed that specifically focuses on increasing family engagement and building the capacity of families to be engaged in their children’s learning to maximise opportunities and learning outcomes.  Developing and strengthening partnerships with business, local government and community based agencies will enable the hubs to provide complementary learning programs and services before, during and after school hours and enable and enhance opportunities for co-location, integration of services, cross-sectoral collaboration, cooperation across schools in the network and increased community use of school facilities. 
Progress also includes:
•	Three extended school hub field trials involving fourteen schools have been selected;
•	Planning processes incorporating school staff, local government and non-government organisations have been undertaken; 
•	Cross-sectoral collaboration with the Catholic Education Office to provide professional development to staff with a partnership role in schools; and
•	A fourth site is in the process of being identified.

In the Catholic school sector VIP Initiatives 10 and 11 are also linked. The aim of this initiative is for all 46 participating Low SES School Communities NP schools to implement a strategic approach to family school partnerships to address identified issues that impact on family involvement in learning. Progress includes:
•	Family-School Partnership convenor appointments were finalised in most instances with more appointments planned for 2010. Family-School Partnership convenors will work across schools and clusters; 
•	Schools were provided with a toolkit related to the conceptual framework of Joyce Epstein and colleagues focusing on activities to support both student and family engagement;
•	Cross-sectoral collaboration with the Office of Government School Education to provide professional development to staff with a partnership role in schools; and
•	Planning for the longitudinal research on the impact of Initiative 10 and 11.

In the Independent school sector cluster leaders and advisors have been employed to work with schools to build specific programs to develop and maintain meaningful connections with parents and families to support the learning of their children.  Discussions have commenced with a number of community welfare organisations in preparation for development of partnerships to deliver appropriate programs and services.
	
Milestones and measures (targets from 2011)
Victoria has no milestones for 2009           	
Implementation or impact issues 
In Victoria implementation/impact issues experienced by school sectors includes:
•	The limited amount of time available since the NPs began to plan, implement and build understanding of new initiatives has been challenging at both a system and school level;
•	A higher demand than expected for leadership or coaching programs has resulted in additional places being made available; 
•	Limited uptake by schools or staff in some programs has required flexibility within some initiatives to better meet the need of participants;
•	Principals of small schools generally have multiple roles, including teaching responsibilities, which limits their capacity to respond to professional development opportunities; 
•	In the Catholic sector, some of the challenges identified in rural areas are reduced options and additional costs (mainly due to travel) for provision of onsite coaching and professional development. Different options are being investigated; and
•	The individuality of the independent sector adds a higher degree of complexity in terms of developing programs and support structures. The geographic spread of independent schools has also presented an ongoing challenge in the consultation and development of programs with schools.	
Activities supporting Indigenous students and/or teachers
In the Government school sector the following activities support Indigenous students and/or teachers.
•	Improvement of Indigenous outcomes is being supported through a number of programs, including the newly expanded Wannik tutoring program, Koorie Literacy coaches and a number of pilot programs on effective school and Koorie community partnerships.
•	Fifteen Koorie Literacy coaches were funded in 2009 to improve the practice of classroom teachers who have Koorie students in their classes.
•	The Language Support Coordinators initiative directly supports Indigenous students.  It was trialled in Shepparton with cooperation from the local Indigenous community and was found to be an effective support for addressing delays in oral language acquisition with Indigenous students.
•	The department has also funded a Koorie focused literacy intervention project within the Gippsland region which is providing rich data on the potential of the program to impact positively on Koorie student outcomes.

In the Catholic school sector the following activities support Indigenous students:
•	Koorie Education Workers within targeted NP schools are invited to participate in the professional learning opportunities offered in each diocese;
•	Two Koorie Educators were trained in the Extending Mathematical Understandings in 2009; 
•	There will be opportunities for the Koorie Education Workers to work closely with the Family-School Partnership convenors; and
•	The Indigenous community is a key consideration in the placement and selection of some of the Family-School Partnership convenors within the Catholic sector.

The Independent school sector is providing direct support for the Victorian Indigenous Education Network, aimed at supporting leaders and teachers to provide for the needs of indigenous students.	
Good practice
Victoria aims to identify good practice as part of ongoing monitoring and evaluation.  A number of initiatives, such as VIP Initiative 2b: Building Teacher Capacity (in-school support/coaches) and VIP Initiative 10: Enable and enhance the capacity of families to be engaged in learning are beginning to demonstrate successful implementation or early signs of good practice such as:
•	Positive feedback from participants;
•	Schools considering alternative modes of delivery of the teaching and learning process within their schools;
•	The use of innovative and effective methods of recruiting and retaining staff; and 
•	The development of successful partnerships with non-government organisations and businesses. 

Section 5 – Other evidence 	

Part A: Evaluation, scoping, research and case studies
	
In Victoria, the following evaluations have been planned or are underway to monitor progress and outcomes:
•	An external provider has been contracted to conduct a formal evaluation of all BIEL programs against the intended objectives (VIP Initiative 1: Building Leadership Capacity – Government school sector); 
•	ACER has been contracted by DEEWR to undertake an evaluation of Teach for Australia.   The evaluation will comprise three phases, with projected reporting times in May 2010, February 2012 and December 2012 (VIP Initiative 3: Improve access to high quality teachers – Government school sector);
•	An evaluator has been appointed to undertake an evaluation of the performance pay trials from 2010 to 2013 (VIP Initiative 5: Rewarding excellence – Government school sector);
•	A full evaluation report for the 2009 Rewarding High Quality Teachers pilot is available (VIP Initiative 5: Rewarding excellence – Independent school sector); 
•	Planning for the evaluation of the Wider Workforce Field Trials has commenced and will involve the engagement of internal and external expertise to identify and set the key performance indicators and evaluation measures to assess Field Trial outcomes and outputs (VIP Initiative 7: Wider Workforce Field Trials – Government school sector);
•	A four-part evaluation process will measure the outcomes of the extended school hub field trials. An independent evaluator has been appointed and has begun work to undertake a process evaluation of the trial period of two years (VIP Initiative 10: Enable and enhance the capacity of families to be engaged in learning – Government school sector); 
•	Preliminary Planning of the research component of the Family School Partnership convenor initiative commenced in 2009. ( VIP Initiative 10 Enable and enhance the capacity of families to be engaged in learning – Catholic school sector);
•	One pre-service teacher practicum pilot model centred in Hamilton has been piloted and evaluated (VIP Initiative 3: Improve access to high quality teachers – Independent school sector); and
•	A number of VIP initiatives are being evaluated as part of the Wannik Strategy – the Victorian Government’s Education Strategy for Koorie Students in Victoria.
	
Part B: Data 	
(Part B1) Milestones
Milestones for each jurisdiction were agreed as part of the Implementation Plan process.  
The attached document (B1Milestones) lists the milestones agreed for your jurisdiction for the Annual and Progress Reports 2010 under each of the National Partnership(s) to which the milestone belongs.  Note that some milestones may appear under more than one National Partnership. 

Please provide information to indicate the achievement of each milestone, including contextual information or commentary if appropriate.

Literacy and Numeracy National Partnership Agreed Measures
DEEWR will provide protected and where possible pre populated data collection spreadsheets to gather this aspect of the report.

Other data 
For 2009, there are only few data which will be collected on a nationally consistent basis.  The development of nationally comparable data will be consistent with the principles in the Intergovernmental Agreement on Federal Financial Relations Schedule C. 

Section 6 – Reporting for 2011	
General Notes:
This template has been developed for the reporting of SSNP activity in 2009 which was a largely planning and pre-implementation activity year.  Consistent with the principles that the quality and range of evidence for the NPs should increase over time, the reporting template will also mature by requiring further evidence.  Where possible, these changes have been flagged in the body of this document.

2011 Annual Report (2010 activity)
•	Further milestones as agreed in Implementation Plans or updates  for each State and Territory
•	Literacy & Numeracy – Achievements and the percentage of Reward funding claimed against those achievements in the Measures, Targets & Rewards for the Literacy & Numeracy NP, as already agreed by the States and Territories.  This information should be aggregated to ‘Lit/Num NP Schools’ level. Baseline data may be required for 2008 and 2009.
•	Teacher Quality – 
o	Reporting against Performance Indicators in the Teacher Quality National Partnership, which are derived from Indicative Performance Indicators, will be required by all states/territories to give consistency across jurisdictions. 
o	Reporting against reward reforms, in addition to facilitation reforms, will be required as 2011 reward payments are based on activities undertaken in 2010.  This will also be required for the 2012 reports.
o	DEEWR are currently in the process of talking to the COAG Reform Council (CRC) regarding the TQNP reward reform reporting.  The CRC may determine that additional/supplementary reporting is required in addition to the SSNP Milestone and Annual Reports, in order for the CRC to undertake assessment of reward reforms.
o	Further advice will be provided to states and territories regarding reporting on TQNP reward reforms when available.  A draft of the 2011 requirements has been included at the end of this section.
•	Low SES School Communities – School level data for the s19 Performance Indicators from the Low SES School Communities NP, where suitable development of the indicator has been undertaken in line with the National Education Agreement by the COAG Productivity Data Development Group.  Where appropriate to measure progress, it may also be necessary to develop benchmark data for periods prior to 2010.  Note that where possible and appropriate, this data will need to be disaggregated as described in s20 of the NP. 
•	Jurisdictional measures and outcomes – some jurisdictions have indicated that they will collect and report on additional measures during the life of the Low-SES NP.  These measures include items such as student or parent satisfaction surveys. 
•	Indigenous Education Action Plan – from 2011, where available and appropriate, information should be supplied by domain for the Indigenous Education Action Plan schools and cohorts. 
•	Student Engagement and Wellbeing Indicators - The Low SES School Communities NP s21 also allows for additional agreed outcomes and performance indicators, including the indicators on student engagement and well being.  
•	Towards better outcomes for Indigenous students – the focus of this item will change over time from descriptions of activities undertaken with a particular focus on Indigenous students or teachers to a broader element that describes the factors that have led/are leading to accelerated outcomes for this group.	
2012 and further Annual Reports
•	Further milestones as agreed in Implementation Plans or updates for each State and Territory
•	Literacy & Numeracy – Achievements and the percentage of Reward funding claimed against those achievements in the Measures, Targets & Rewards for the Literacy & Numeracy NP, as already agreed by the States and Territories.  This information should be aggregated to ‘Lit/Num NP Schools’ level. 
•	Teacher Quality milestones as agreed (see 2011 above)
•	Low SES Communities – School level data for the s19 Performance Indicators from the Low SES School Communities NP, where suitable development of the indicator has been undertaken in line with the National Education Agreement by the COAG Productivity Data Development Group.  Where appropriate to measure progress, it may also be necessary to develop benchmark data for periods prior to 2010. Note that where possible and appropriate, this data will need to be disaggregated as described in s20 of the NP.
•	Towards better outcomes for Indigenous students – the focus of this item will change over time from descriptions of activities undertaken with a particular focus on Indigenous students or teachers to a broader element that describes the factors that have led/are leading to accelerated outcomes for this group.	
Part B1:  Victoria - Milestone Reporting - Annual Report 2010
(See Completion guide for notes)
	
Milestone	Detail of achievement*	
Teacher Quality 	
Victoria has no milestones for 2009
		
Low SES	
Victoria has no milestones for 2009
		
Literacy and Numeracy	
Victoria has no milestones for 2009
		
*include quantification if appropriate