The Action Plan
Once goals and targets have been set, you need to
work out (and then describe) how you are going to
make things happen.
The strategic improvement plan represents a change
to the normal activity of the school. Even though
successful change strategies engage the whole staff,
the change activity will normally be concentrated
on carefully identified priority areas.
The improvement plan might involve deciding to initiate
new programmes, or to modify existing ones. It might
involve change initiatives in staffing, property or
equipment. At the same time as a part of your curriculum
programme is being changed, the rest of the programme
needs to continue to run. For example, if you have
decided to make improvement in mathematics outcomes
for Māori students your priority area for strategic
development, it is important that the rest of the
curriculum continues to run smoothly for those and
all the other students.
|
Schools' Core Purpose: Improving
Student Learning Outcomes
|
 |
Strategic Improvement
Plan
School Priorities / National Priorities
|
Business as Usual
|
|
Governance
|
Goals
|
Evaluation of Progress
|
|
Management
|
Setting Targets
Change Management
Development and Monitoring of Plans
|
Annual Operation Plan
Delivery and Assessment of Curriculum
|
|
Teaching
|
Teaching and Assessment
|
|
Are the target outcomes you have identified
general, or focused only in some classrooms?
What programme change(s) have you identified
that could help you meet your target(s)?
How will you ensure that the whole school accepts responsibility for achieving
the change, and that the key teachers feel supported?
If you are introducing a new initiative
to achieve a particular outcome, what
existing activity will be replaced?
|
"You can never solve a problem with
the same thinking that created it."
Albert Einstein
|
What professional development have you
identified for the teachers who are central
to achieving the change? What other resources
or assets will be required?
To what extent are your resource allocations
aligned to your goals for student outcomes?
How will you ensure that you have allowed
sufficient resources to maintain, assess,
and evaluate the rest of the curriculum
programme – 'business as usual'?
|
Your strategic goals and strategic plan will determine
the targets and activity for the current year. The
activities that you decide to put in place will in
turn determine the teaching, professional development,
financial, and asset resources you need to allocate
as shown in the diagram.
Further Resources
The College of Education Support Services have School
Management Advisers who can provide advice on programme
planning. Click here
for a list of contacts.
Part of an action plan aimed a significant improvement in some student outcomes will almost certainly require
professional development for at least some staff. The Ministry of Education's Best Evidence Synthesis of the research literature
on Quality Teaching may provide pointers to the kinds of professional support that can make a difference to student outcomes.
The Best Evidence synthesis is available online at http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/themes/BES
Case Studies
St Patrick's Bryndwr is constantly looking
for areas to further improve, while ensuring their already positive results "business
as usual" are maintained.
Point England School
has a critical reviewer who "asks the hard questions, demands justification for
our plans, and gives us straight criticism".
Back to:
Introduction | Next
Section: Data Analysis
|
