Performance and Development Culture

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Q: How many schools are seeking accreditation in 2008 and how many schools have been accredited so far?

1113 schools have been accredited to September 2008: 1,095 Government schools and 18 Catholic schools. All remaining schools are registered for rounds during Term 4.

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Q: Are schools that receive accreditation required to have excellent student learning outcomes?

No. The standard for accreditation requires schools to demonstrate that the Performance and Development processes and culture that contribute to improved student learning are in place. A Performance and Development Culture is necessary but not sufficient for continuous improvement of student learning outcomes. 

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Q: What does Performance and Development Culture mean?

Performance and Development Culture in Schools accreditation recognises that:

  • The school culture supports the personal professional growth of staff.
  • The school culture contributes to the capacity of the school to continuously improve student learning outcomes.
  • The school has very good processes for developing and managing staff.
  • The school culture is open to personal growth, continuous improvement and the use of data.

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Q: What is the timeframe from commencement to completion of the Performance & Development Culture accreditation process?

Schools need to undertake a self assessment using the Self Assessment Framework and the Self Assessment Pack as a guide. An online teacher questionnaire is then undertaken as step 1 of the accreditation process. This questionnaire is called the Performance and Development Culture Questionnaire (PDCQ). Schools then determine their readiness to proceed to step 2, the application. The questionnaire is available for 2 weeks of the nominated accreditation round. A report of the questionnaire data is provided to the school 2 weeks after completion. From that time there is a 4 week period until the application is submitted. Telephone interviews and possible school visits will be held within 2-3 weeks of the application being submitted.

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Q: What funding is available to support schools in undertaking the accreditation process?

Each school has received $1400 to assist with the processes and documentation required to achieve accreditation. The costs of external verification of the school self assessment will be met by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development . Accredited reference schools receive $5000 to act in a support role for schools.

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Q: My school is small or provides programs to students with special needs. Will this be a problem for achieving Performance and Development Culture accreditation?

Feedback from schools who have been through the accreditation process suggests that small schools and special schools may have particular issues in relation to meeting the accreditation standard and preparing a submission. These schools often have partnership arrangements with other schools or agencies for teacher induction, obtaining feedback from students, parents or colleagues and for teacher professional development. Small schools have access to a modified questionnaire and application guidelines which will assist them to prepare a Performance and Development Culture accreditation application. Special schools are encouraged to discuss the role of all staff in the development of the schools Performance and Development Culture within their application.

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Q: What assistance is available for the analysis and interpretation of data which can be translated into planning at school?

Schools will be provided with aggregated questionnaire results and some guidelines for analysis of these results. After step 1 of the external verification process, the online survey, schools have an opportunity to discuss their questionnaire results with a Reference School and regional contacts. Reference Schools have been accredited, and their recent experience of the accreditation process will provide valuable assistance for schools.

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Q: Does the Performance and Development Culture accreditation process include School Services Officers?

At this stage the Performance and Development Culture Accreditation process involves using an online questionnaire for teaching staff only. It is anticipated that individual schools may report on the perspectives and contributions of School Services Officers in their accreditation application where this supports or strengthens the application.

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Q: Are the experiences and resources of accredited schools now available to others?

As schools are accredited, some are nominated by regions as Reference Schools. There are 10 Reference Schools in 2008, which represent the range of schools across the state. These 10 accredited schools will support the statewide implementation of the Performance and Development Culture initiative. The schools have provided online resources for this website; they will also work with regions to provide presentations for groups of schools seeking accreditation. Schools seeking accreditation can access the website to view the resources and tools used by schools undertaking work in each of the 5 elements within the Performance and Development Culture Framework. 

Reference Schools Home Page

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Q: How many schools sought accreditation and did any fail?

At the end of Round 4 2008, 1,340 schools had completed the first step of external verification, the online teacher survey. 1,134 schools decided to continue to the second step of submitting an application for accreditation. 1,095 schools have been successful in achieving accreditation.