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Evidence-based strategic planning for the whole school
This approach to looking at how evidence-based strategic planning can apply to students, teachers, departments and the school as a whole was developed by Colleen Douglas, School Support Services, Massey University.
How do students use data and other evidence?
An individual student’s decision making should be underpinned by data and other evidence about themselves and the school.
They know their own demographic data – age, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status – and they may be aware of their attendance and pastoral care data (such as detentions).
Students also need evidence about their own achievement. They need to know what their literacy and numeracy scores are, what they mean and what the next steps are for learning. They should have enough information to be able to explain why they achieved their results and what they can do to improve.
Students are their own perceptions evidence, but sometimes the perception data of their teachers, parents and peers can inform their decisions.
Students need to understand school systems – how to plot a learning path through the options, what opportunities there are, what the school policies and procedures are, how the options and timetables work.
Research and best practice can inform students about how to learn, what opportunities there are outside school, how to learn from successful peers.
All of this evidence helps a student construct their individual strategic and achievement plan.
This can be over 2–3 years in junior or senior school. It may be focused on a career direction and could include personal goals. This strategic plan will inform the student’s annual goals and programme and assist them to take the most appropriate learning pathway and gain the best results. To do this the student will set a succession of short term goals – weekly, monthly, term by term – to enable them to reach their goals. This process can be undertaken with their mentor or form/whanau teacher.
Supporting this strategic plan will be the learning programme, hopefully co-constructed. The feedback and feed-forward students are given about their learning. They will reflect on their progress, evaluate what they have achieved and their progress will be reported to their parents.
How do teachers use data and other evidence?
An individual teacher’s decision making should be underpinned by data and other evidence about their classes and the school.
They know the demographic data of their classes – numbers in the class, age, ethnicity, gender, etc. They will have records of attendance and may be aware of pastoral care data (such as detentions).
Teachers need evidence about their students’ achievement. They need to know what their literacy/numeracy ability is, what that means for teaching and what the next steps are for student learning. They have enough information to explain why students achieved their results and what they could do to improve.
Teachers are their own perception data, but sometimes the perceptions of their students, parents and colleagues can inform their decisions.
Teachers need to understand school systems – how to help a student plot a learning path through the options, what opportunities there are, what the school policies and procedures are, how the options and timetables work.
Research and best practice can inform teachers about effective pedagogy and research findings related to their curriculum and student interests. Teachers also learn from their colleagues.
This evidence helps a teacher construct their individual strategic and achievement plan. This can be over 3–5 years. It may be firmly focused on a career direction or class achievement goals, and could include personal goals.
This individual strategic plan will inform the teacher’s annual goals and programme and ensure they take the most appropriate development pathway and gain a variety of experiences. To do this the teacher will set a succession of short term goals to enable them to reach their goals. This process can be undertaken with a mentor or appraiser who will help them identify their professional development plan.
Supporting this strategic plan will be the teacher’s individual professional development plan, and the appraisal feedback and feed-forward teachers are given about their performance. Teachers will set individual development goals for their appraisal. They will reflect on their progress, evaluate what they have achieved and their progress will be recorded in their appraisal report.
How do school departments use data and other evidence?
An individual department’s decision making should be underpinned by data and other evidence about their department and the school.
They know their own department’s demographic data – the age and experience of teachers, classes offered, numbers in classes, ethnicity, gender, budget and resources.
The department has evidence about student achievement in their curriculum area. They need to know what students’ literacy/numeracy ability is, what that means for their department planning and what the steps are for student learning in their curriculum area. They have enough information to be able to explain why students achieved their results in their curriculum area and what they could do to improve.
Departments are their own perception data, but sometimes the perception data of their students, parents and colleagues can inform their perceptions.
Departments need to understand school systems – how their curriculum area fits into students’ wider learning paths, what opportunities there are related to their curriculum area, what the school policies and procedures are, how the options and timetables work.
Research and best practice can inform a department about effective pedagogy in the curriculum area and research findings related to their curriculum and student interests. Departments can also learn from their colleagues and other departments.
This data helps a department construct their department strategic and achievement plan. This can be over 3–5 years. It may be focused on achievement goals and could include resource/development goals.
This strategic plan will inform the department’s annual goals and programme and ensure they take the most appropriate development pathway. To do this the department will set a succession of short term goals to enable them to reach their goals. This process can be undertaken with their principal or senior manager responsible for curriculum who will help the department design their professional development plan.
Supporting this strategic plan will be the department’s professional development plan for members of the department and for the department leader, and the appraisal feedback and feed-forward teachers are given about their performance with in the department. Department leaders are usually appraised by a senior manager and they in turn appraise members of their department. Teachers will set development goals related to their department goals for their appraisal.
Departments will reflect on their progress, evaluate what they have achieved and report their progress through their annual report and through the self review process
How do individual schools use data and other evidence?
An individual school’s decision making should be underpinned by data and other evidence about their school.
They know their school’s demographic data – ages, decile roll numbers, ethnicity, gender, attendance, student destination, staff profile, budget, resources, catchment area and parent involvement.
The school has evidence about students’ achievement. They need to know what students’ literacy/numeracy ability is and what that means for their school wide planning They have enough information to be able to explain why students achieved their results and what they could do to improve.
Schools can access a range of perceptions data from their students, staff, parents and community which can inform their decisions.
School systems give information about how students’ learning paths are constructed and the school policies and procedures among other things.
Research and best practice can inform a school about effective pedagogy, systems, and research findings related to teaching and learning, school leadership, management of change, etc. They can also learn from their colleagues and other schools.
This data helps a school construct its charter, including their strategic plan. This can be implemented over 3–5 years. It will be firmly focused on student achievement goals and could include resource/development goals.
This strategic plan will inform the school’s annual goals and programme and ensure they take the most appropriate development pathway. To do this the school will set a succession of short term goals to enable them to reach their goals. This process will be undertaken in partnership with the Board and the whole school community.
Supporting this strategic plan will be the school’s professional development plan for whole school development. Alongside this will be the professional development of the school leadership and the appraisal of principal’s performance.
The appraisal system with its feedback and feed-forward will ensure that quality teaching and learning is being delivered and that the focus of the school is in line with the strategic vision. All staff appraisals will include a goal related to the school’s strategic goal.
The school will reflect on its progress towards its strategic goal and evaluate what they have achieved through the self review process. The school’s progress will be recorded in their annual report including the analysis of variance of the target goals.
The following diagram represents an approach to evidence-based strategic planning involving students, teachers, departments and the whole school.
If you cannot view or read this diagram, a text version is also available.