School Improvement 

School Improvement Case Studies Series

This Case Studies series presents the school improvement journey of five NSW independent schools.
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The AISNSW School Improvement Service

The AISNSW School Improvement Service is an evidence-based tailored service that supports participating independent schools to identify and then build capacity across critical elements that constitute effective school improvement within their own context.

Participating schools are supported to engage in and embed rigorous school improvement processes with a focus on building teacher capacity and enhancing student academic, wellbeing and life outcomes.

School Improvement Team

Click here to meet the AISNSW School Improvement team.

If you are interested in learning more or participating in the service please contact Michael Bignill.

Overview

The AISNSW School Improvement Service offers participating schools the opportunity to form a professional partnership with an experienced AISNSW consultant, one that will be fluid and responsive to the strengths and needs of each school when reviewing, refining or developing their school improvement strategies. Leadership teams are supported over an extended period of time to implement evidence-based cycles of school improvement, flexibly incorporating the elements described in the framework of engage, implement and evaluate as they progress their school improvement priorities.

Features

The AISNSW School Improvement Service approach includes:

  • Refining or developing a shared articulation of school culture
  • Implementing Systems to collect, analyse and leverage data to inform decision-making
  • Enhancing capacity to lead and manage school based change

Features Con't

  • Designing processes to build sustainable school improvement cycles
  • Refining and building quality teaching and learning pedagogies and practices
  • Aligning professional learning to support the growth of individual and collective capacity
  • Measuring impact through utilising evidence based evaluation strategies

The AISNSW School Improvement Service operates under a generous co-contribution model where participating schools are able to access a wide range of support, services and resources from the AISNSW at no cost. AISNSW contributes:

  • Regular consultancy support on site at your school
  • Access to a comprehensive range of analysis, planning and monitoring tools and resources
  • Opportunities to connect to additional AISNSW services where appropriate

Participating schools purposefully engage over the extended time frame of the service partnership. Typically, a school’s commitment would include resourcing:

  • Release of a dedicated leadership team to drive the partnership
  • Time and capacity to enable successful implementation
  • Relevant professional learning opportunities for school staff

External Evaluation Findings

Formal evaluation of AISNSW school improvement initiatives identifies significant impact resulting from:

  • Data informed decision making
  • Tailored consultancy support
  • Whole school improvement processes
  • Identification and pursuit of school priorities
  • Embedded change processes

Findings from external evaluation of the AISNSW School Improvement Service by Erebus International (2018)

"For the vast majority of principals, leadership teams and classroom teachers the experience has been transformational in terms of not only the understanding about the nature of cultural change and school improvement but also in terms of the ability to lead and engage in the process of school change.”

- Erebus International

“Increasingly we are using this approach as a support for designing and building our whole school initiatives.”

- School Principal

“The evidence is also clear that a key outcome from schools’ participation in the initiative is their ongoing commitment to the use of data as a foundation for planning at the whole school and classroom levels, accompanied by renewed leadership and vision for school improvement, translated into clear goals for action.”

- Erebus International

“AISNSW consultants have been fundamental to the process, acting at different times as coach, critical friend, sounding board, expert and facilitator.”

- School Principal