Audience
All state schools
Purpose
This policy sets out the Department of Education’s (the department) commitment to advancing student learning and wellbeing through continuous evaluation and improvement of school performance.
The policy provides direction for schools about the requirements for school performance planning, monitoring, reviewing and reporting to ensure alignment with the strategic direction established by the department and reflected in the State Schools Improvement Strategy.
Policy statement
State schools are committed to improving school performance in accordance with the legislative requirements of the
Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 (Qld), Education (General Provisions) Regulation 2017 (Qld), the
Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cwlth), the
Financial Accountability Act 2009 (Qld), Financial and Performance Management Standard 2019 (Qld) and
Public Sector Ethics Act 1994 (Qld) and the
Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld)
The department’s processes to evaluate and improve school performance are:
- school performance planning
- monitoring
- reviewing
- reporting.
The department requires data, information assets and records pertaining to these processes to be managed, protected, kept and disposed of in accordance with the
Financial Accountability Act 2009 (Qld), Financial and Performance Standard 2019 (Qld) and
Public Records Act 2002 (Qld).
Principles
Five principles underpin school performance planning, monitoring, reviewing and reporting. The principles have been adapted from the department’s Strategic Plan and the State Schools Improvement Strategy.
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Principle
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What this means for the department
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Accountable
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Complying with legislative instruments, relevant standards and codes of practice.
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Aligned
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Linking to and between:
- learning and wellbeing needs
- relevant curriculum contexts
- school priorities, resources, actions, measures and intended outcomes
- short- and long-term planning
- the department’s strategic direction.
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Collaborative
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Partnering with other schools, organisations and the community supports:
- responding with precision to diverse needs
- scaling learning across school and regional boundaries.
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Inclusive
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Ensuring that students of all backgrounds, abilities and identities are able to access and participate in education supported by reasonable adjustments and differentiated support.
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Capable
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Using, generating and sharing learning from data, evidence and implementation in an ethical, systematic and sustainable way.
Addressing priorities through focussing on creating the conditions to support the learning of individuals and the organisation.
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Requirements
School performance planning
School performance planning is undertaken to understand and respond to the present and future needs of the school community and take advantage of available or emerging opportunities.
The department requires each school to engage collaboratively with their community to provide clarity, direction and focus for the school, to shape everyday actions and to foster ongoing improvement.
Each school must document – within short- and long-term plans – priorities, actions, methods of short- and long-term evaluation and measures of impact.
Each school must allocate human, physical and financial resources effectively, efficiently and appropriately to support the implementation of plans, within an approved school budget that details the intended use of school resources.
Monitoring
Each school is required to monitor and evaluate information in collaboration with identified stakeholders, to ensure that enacted plans and budgets continue to meet the needs of the students and the school. Monitoring processes are used to determine and agree to further actions, where required.
Monitoring occurs on an ongoing basis, aligned with short-term methods of evaluation, which are detailed in plans. Monitoring the school budget occurs at least quarterly.
Reviewing
Each school is required to engage in a school review, facilitated by the Education Improvement Branch (EIB), at least every four years to guide school performance planning.
Reporting
Each school, with the exception of Outdoor and Environmental Education Centres, is required to publish their School Annual Report (SAR) for the previous calendar year according to requirements set out in the Annual Reporting Policy.
Each school must publish the School Review executive summary, which is prepared following the department’s review of the school, on the school’s website.
Additionally, this policy allows for reporting against specific grants and targeted funds for recipient schools – the audience, format, frequency and content determined by the funding provider.
Definitions
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Term
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Definition
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Community
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All partners and school personnel (see also – Partners).
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Partners
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Partners are the people, businesses or organisations with whom schools establish and sustain strategic relationships in order to provide students or staff with access to experiences, support, and intellectual and/or physical resources not available within the school.
Partners include school-based groups, such as the Local Consultative Committee, Parents and Citizens’ Association and School Council, and central and regional offices, including, but not limited to, the teams and branches identified in this procedure.
Partnerships may also exist between a school and other organisations, for example, other education and training institutions, early childhood and care services, local businesses, and community organisations (including transition planning, allied health, family support, counselling and rehabilitation services).
Parents, carers, kinship and families, including students, are recognised as integral partners in education.
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State schools (schools)
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Institutions funded by the State of Queensland that provide primary, secondary or special education to persons enrolled at the institution, or to persons enrolled at other state schools.
State schools include Schools of Distance Education, Community Schools, Educational Units, Specific Purpose Schools, Outdoor and Environmental Education Centres and schools accredited with the Council of International Schools.
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Legislation
Delegations/Authorisations
Other resources
Superseded versions
Previous seven years shown. Minor version updates not included.
Nil