Education State targets

Education State school targets have been developed to focus our efforts on the range of factors that allow students to develop and achieve their best.

Tracking and measuring targets

The progress we are making in schools will be tracked using broader measures than literacy and numeracy, which are currently tracked through NAPLAN.

The targets will measure students’ development of the skills needed to succeed in life, as well as measuring their health and resilience. They will track the progress of both government and non-government school students.

The targets will also track how well we’re doing at reducing disengagement and the effect of disadvantage on student achievement and will gauge community confidence in our government school system.

Target purpose and outcomes

The targets are designed to bring Victoria in line with the highest levels of achievement and quality in learning. They will focus our effort on the knowledge, skills and attributes that matter most to parents, students and employers.

As schools focus effort to improve, aiming at these Education State targets, we will see more students reaching the highest levels in reading, maths and science.

A key focus for schools is breaking the link between a child’s social and economic background and how well they do at school. At the same time, schools will give students the skills they need for work and life like resilience and the capacity for critical and creative thinking.

More kids will take part in physical activity at school and achieve at the highest levels in the arts.

Target focus areas: what we are striving to achieve

The Education State school targets reflect our focus on excellence and equity, and our goal to equip all students with the personal and practical skills to live the lives they want to live, and get the jobs they need.

Education State school target focus areas
Target Ambition Goals
Learning for life More students achieving excellence in reading, maths, science, critical and creative thinking, and the arts.

By 2020:

25% more Year 5 students will reach the highest levels of achievement in reading and maths.

By 2025:

25% more Year 9 students will reach the highest levels of achievement in reading and maths.

33% more 15 year olds will reach the highest levels of achievement in science.

25% more Year 10 students will reach the highest levels of achievement in critical and creative thinking skills.

Happy, healthy and resilient kids

Building the resilience of our children and encouraging them to be more physically active.

By 2025:

Resilience - the proportion of students who report high resilience will grow by 20%.

Physically active - the proportion of students doing physical activity for an hour a day, five times a week, will grow by 20%.

Breaking the link

Supporting more students stay in school and breaking the link between disadvantage and outcomes for students.

By 2025:

Staying in education - the proportion of students leaving education during Years 9 to 12 will reduce by 50%.

Reducing the impact of disadvantage - the gap in reading achievement between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students in Years 5 and 9 will reduce by 15%.

Pride and confidence in our schools

Parents and communities will report their level of pride and confidence in their local government schools. We want Victorians to be proud of the great government schools in their communities.

By 2025:

Pride and confidence in our schools - the proportion of parents who report high levels of confidence in the Victorian government school system will grow by 20%.

Annual school target ambitions

Why the targets are needed

The targets are ambitious and directly reflect our goal to have great schools, great teachers and to give every child the best chance in life.

The targets make clear what Victoria wants to achieve from Education State investments, and give schools direction on what we are aiming to achieve for students.

What it means for your child or school

Schools will be given the flexibility to invest in programs and interventions that are best suited to the students at their school. These targets will motivate schools to focus their resources on student needs at the local level in a way that is backed up by expert advice and robust evidence.

Achieving these targets will give assurance that the Education State investment is meeting its goals of better learning and life outcomes for all students – wherever they go to school.

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