More Support to Lift School Performance
The Brumby Government is making a significant investment to provide more targeted support to schools to help lift the performance of students and provide incentives for a high-achieving teacher workforce.
This funding will help to create a culture of excellence in the Victorian education system by lifting the performance of every school across the State, particularly those not performing at expected levels.
Download "More Support to Lift School Performance" Fact Sheet (PDF - 76Kb)
$71.4 Million School Reform Package
Funding will be targeted to support schools and networks of schools to support school reform, as outlined in the Blueprint for Early Childhood Development and School Reform. Initiatives will include:
Targeted Support for Schools
More targeted support will be provided to schools to help lift the performance of all students in all schools. Intensive support and resources will be targeted to those schools where it is needed most.
Support will include:
- Rewarding high-achieving teachers and principals;
- Partnering high-performing schools with lower-performing schools to provide coaching and support and;
- Professional development for school councils, principals and teachers in identified areas of need.
New School Improvement Leaders
Schools will be further supported to lift standards with the employment of 67 School Improvement Leaders (SILs).
The new School Improvement Leaders will be employed in the nine regional DEECD offices, providing intensive support for government schools.
SILS will be experienced educators who will provide advice and assistance to all schools and more targeted support to under-performing schools.
They will be responsible for implementing strategic plans for school networks and professional learning strategies to boost school results and student performance.
$22.1 Million Over Four Years to Continue the Successful Literacy Improvement Teams Initiative
Additional support for schools will be delivered through the employment of 45 literacy specialists as part of the successful Literacy Improvement Team initiative.
Schools requiring extra assistance to lift the reading and writing skills of children will continue to receive support through the team of literacy specialists who are allocated to schools according to need.
This funding will also employ an additional 15 Koorie learning specialists to improve the literacy standards of Indigenous students.
$7.6 Million Over Four Years to Employ Outstanding Teacher Graduates
Under this initiative up to 75 outstanding graduates across a range of disciplines will be employed to teach in government schools. Intensive teacher training, internships with leading employers and coaching opportunities will be provided. These teachers will be placed in hard-to-staff subject areas in secondary schools.
$2.8 Million Science and Maths Initiative
A comprehensive professional development program will be implemented to boost the skills of maths and science teachers. This initiative will enable schools to receive grants that will help students access specialist science centres, targeted maths and science programs and business and industry projects.
More information
Victorian State Budget 2008-2009
Victorian State Budget website (http://www.budget.vic.gov.au)