Leading Practice and Design

Back to:

Key Variables Defining Whole School Transformation

In its research and evaluation of the LSF schools, the University of Melbourne synthesised its findings into eight key variables characterising transformation. It concluded that schools needed a strong focus on all the variables in order to demonstrate sustainable whole school transformation and evidence of innovative and student centred learning.

The diagram below represents the integrated relationship between the eight key transformation variables. Each variable is described in detail below the diagram.

key variables diagram demonstrating how the variables all fit together

Vision for improved student learning

1 Vision for improved student learning

A clear and coherent vision for improved student learning is reflected in:

  • Strategic planning
  • Goals for student learning
  • Expectations of teacher knowledge, understandings, skills and  practice
  • Synergy with school policies
  • Whole school resourcing arrangements
  • Implementation plans based on project management principles.

School leadership

2 School leadership

A distributed leadership structure:

  • Clearly aligns roles and responsibilities with continuous improvement of teaching and learning
  • Clearly aligns roles and responsibilities with the vision and the strategic directions of the school
  • Ensures implementation and evaluation of strategic improvement
  • Focuses on curriculum, pedagogy and improved student outcomes
  • Supports staff development and recognition
  • Has leaders actively participating in the change process and professional learning.

Teacher, knowledge, understanding, skills and practice

3 Teacher, knowledge, understanding, skills and practice

Teachers consistently demonstrate:

  • Knowledge of how students learn
  • An explicit focus on, and understanding of student centred learning
  • A focus on pedagogical improvement and skill development
  • Practice which is integrated with curriculum
  • Planning, teaching, coaching and reflecting in teams
  • Practice aligned to the learning needs and goals of individual students.

Curriculum leadership

4 Curriculum leadership

Curriculum leadership is demonstrated by:

  • Breadth and depth of learning programs and pathways
  • Flexible delivery and structure that involves integration
  • Whole school curriculum planning that is student centred, innovative, sequential and documented
  • Learning programs which enable teachers to practise new approaches to teaching and learning
  • Strong evidence of VELS and PoLT in the learning program
  • A variety of ‘for, as and of’ assessment to meet the needs of individual students.

Data collection and use

5 Data collection and use

The collection and use of data by school leaders, teachers and students:

  • Informs teacher development
  • Involves formative assessment
  • Defines student success
  • Elevates student voice
  • Tracks, monitors and measures qualitative and quantitative student outcomes
  • Tracks, monitors and measures the acquisition of new skills, knowledge and attributes of teachers.

Professional learning

6 Professional learning

Professional learning is characterised by:

  • A focus on improving teacher effectiveness
  • Teams planning, teaching and reflecting together
  • Effective teams as the most critical structure of transformation
  • The opportunity for feedback from multiple sources to inform professional growth
  • Teacher improvement plans that have a continuous improvement focus
  • A focus on improved learning outcomes and new teaching strategies practised in the learning environment.

Sharing and transferring knowledge and good practice

7 Sharing and transferring knowledge and good practice

Sharing and transferring knowledge and good practice is demonstrated by:

  • The provision of networked learning opportunities in partnership with other schools, providers and industry
  • A successful sharing strategy with other schools / providers that is focused on improved teaching and learning
  • Spaces / resources that are used for parent and community interaction at different times of the day
  • Teaching teams working together within, across and beyond the school boundaries
  • A clear plan describing the way in which the skills of teachers are transferred and will become sustainable
  • A community of leading practice that extends across school boundaries with a focus on student learning needs.

Use and application of resources including ICT in the learning and teaching process

8 Use and application of resources and ICT

Use and application of resources including ICT involves:

  • Timetabling and school organisation arrangements which support teacher teams working and learning together
  • Routine and creative use by students and teachers of information communication technologies for research / inquiry, presentation, and multimedia
  • Ready access to a variety of resources so that students can demonstrate learning in different ways
  • Synergy between professional learning, curriculum resources, and the use of space and ICT
  • The development, documentation and implementation of an ICT forward plan
  • Furniture which is modular and mobile to easily support different student groupings and diverse activities.