1. Western
Metropolitan Region
Blueprint For School Improvement

2. Every child, every classroom,
every school

3. Western Metropolitan Region
Our guiding question Our aim
To improve literacy and numeracy as the building blocks for access to a rich curriculum
and a successful pathway for every student in the Western Metropolitan Region.
“What will it take to be the
most rapidly improving By…
region in student learning Building the capacity of our leaders and teachers to use effective instructional
practices in an engaging and orderly learning environment.
outcomes in the state?”
So that…
Within three years (2009-2011) the Western Metropolitan Region will demonstrate
measurable, significant gains in student learning in literacy, numeracy and school
completion rates.
Blueprint For School Improvement 2

4. Western Metropolitan • All children can learn
Region bases its work If children are taught by highly
effective teachers then they
on the following core will learn and make progress.
beliefs (from the Office
for Government School • Work hard get smart
Education (OGSE) School If students invest effort into their
Improvement: A Theory learning and they are exposed to
targeted interventions when progress
of Action, Darrell Fraser
does not occur, then they will improve
and Judy Petch 2007) their performance over time.
• Failure is not an option
If we always expect and only accept
students’ best work and they
are supported to deliver it, then
progress will occur.
3 Western Metropolitan Region

5. Western Metropolitan Region
A theory of action for school
improvement
The Western Metropolitan 1. A common language 5. Accountability and
Region has identified the Using a shared and common language improvement framework
in professional dialogue that builds
following pre-conditions Ensuring a strong and flexible
the notion of ‘collective efficacy’ accountability system that provides
for school improvement. across the region. clarity, focus and direction for all
Western Metropolitan Region schools
2. Teaching as public and allows for differential support
practice and intervention.
Making teaching practice public
by opening classroom doors and 6. Resourcing
articulating and sharing practice Allocating network and school
among leaders, teachers and schools. resources so that the focus areas
for school improvement are targeted.
3. Evidence based models
Using research, evidence and school 7. Building school networks
performance data to monitor school Building school networks to collectively
improvement. support all schools to improve and
achieve better outcomes for students
4. Student work and data in the network.
Using individual student work and
data to track the learning of every 8. Evaluation
student and inform the action that Designing and implementing an
needs to be taken. intelligent evaluation framework
to monitor and measure progress
towards the achievement of the
Western Metropolitan Region
Blueprint goals over three years.
Blueprint For School Improvement 4

6. Western Metropolitan Region
Blueprint Priorities and goals
Western Metropolitan Region Blueprint priorities
Student Learning Instructional Practice Learning Environment
Literacy P-12 Leadership P-12 Student wellbeing and engagement
Numeracy P-12 Teachers P-12
Years 7-10 & post compulsory
Western Metropolitan Region Blueprint goals
Maximise the literacy learning and Every Western Metropolitan Region Every Western Metropolitan Region
educational outcomes of every student school to be led by effective school to be a learning community with
in the Western Metropolitan Region. instructional leaders accountable positive management and engagement
for continuously improving student strategies that enable improved
Maximise the numeracy learning and learning outcomes within their schools learning outcomes.
educational outcomes of every student and across their network.
in the Western Metropolitan Region.
To have high quality teacher practice
Improve the outcomes in years 7-10 and in all educational settings.
post-compulsory so that every student
is able to complete a year 12 (or its
equivalent), with a successful pathway.
5 Western Metropolitan Region

7. Western Metropolitan Region
Blueprint key focus areas
and improvement strategies
Literacy P - 12 Numeracy P - 12
Leadership practice Leadership practice
Build quality instructional Build quality instructional leadership
leadership capacity of principals capacity of principals and numeracy
and literacy leaders in every school. leaders in every school.
Teacher practice Teacher practice
Build quality instructional capacity of Build quality instructional capacity
all teachers as teachers of literacy. of all teachers of numeracy.
Using data Using data
Use data at every level (region, Use data at every level (region,
network, school and classroom) network, school and classroom)
to track learning and inform the to track learning and inform the
action that needs to be taken. action that needs to be taken.
Years 7-10 and post Learning environment
compulsory
Leadership practice Leadership practice
Build quality instructional Build and maintain a positive,
leadership capacity of all principals effective and orderly learning
and secondary school leaders. environment in every school.
Teacher practice Focus the work of School Support
Build quality instructional capacity Service Officers on targeted
of all teachers at the post service delivery at the network
compulsory level. and school level.
Using data Teacher practice
Use data at every level (region, Develop the capabilities of every
network school and classroom) teacher to build and maintain a
to track learning and inform the positive environment for learning
action that needs to be taken. in the classroom and school.
Using data
Use data at every level (region,
network school and classroom)
to track learning and inform the
action that needs to be taken.
Blueprint For School Improvement 6

8. Western Metropolitan Region
Blueprint key actions
Literacy P - 12
REGION NETWORKS SCHOOLS
The Region will: Regional Network Leaders (RNLs) will: Principals will:
1. Curriculum and professional learning 1. Curriculum and professional learning 1. Curriculum and professional learning
• build an expert regional literacy • ensure that every school identifies • ensure that a whole school approach to
advisory group to oversee the a literacy leader/coordinator who quality literacy learning and teaching is
development of a shared understanding participates in professional learning implemented in every school
of literacy curriculum and teaching and with the principal around a shared • enable the literacy leader/
learning in the Western Metropolitan understanding of literacy curriculum coordinator to work with teachers to
Region. This will include approaches to and teaching and learning in the implement shared approaches
differentiation and intervention Western Metropolitan Region to literacy instruction in classrooms,
• develop and provide literacy • establish literacy networks that will including differentiation and
professional learning for all Western include principals, literacy leaders/ intervention as appropriate
Metropolitan Region principals and coordinators, coaches and teachers to • participate in literacy professional
school literacy leaders/coordinators learn and share practice learning, with the literacy leader/
• participate in leadership learning coordinator
2. Leadership development
focused on instructional leadership • participate in leadership learning
• ensure that the regional school
and school improvement focused on instructional leadership
improvement team implements a
consistent approach to instructional and school improvement
2. Leadership development
leadership through the provision and • ensure that the network coordinates • ensure that strategic plans, annual
monitoring of leadership learning for the provision of leadership implementation plans and teachers’
all principals. This includes a region development, mentoring and coaching performance and development plans
wide literacy learning program, for school leaders and aspirant have a focus on literacy learning
DEECD leadership programs and the leaders • personally monitor literacy
McREL Balanced Leadership program improvement regularly in the school
• form network groups of principals
3. Literacy coaching who use professional learning • focus on the learning progress
• build and make explicit an agreed conversations and school visits to of every student through the
approach to literacy coaching improve literacy outcomes across management and disaggregation
network schools of appropriate school data
• develop and support coherent
and consistent professional learning • ensure that teachers use individual
3. Literacy coaching
for regional and school-funded student data and an assessment for
• work with principals to implement a
literacy coaches learning approach to track the literacy
coherent and consistent approach to
progress of every student
literacy coaching
• facilitate a literacy coaches network
for targeted professional learning and
sharing in each network of schools
7 Western Metropolitan Region

9. 2. Leadership development Literacy leaders and coordinators will: Teachers will:
• foster and develop leadership at all • take responsibility for their own • be accountable for their own
levels across the school literacy professional learning and literacy professional learning
development and development
3. Literacy coaching
• demonstrate high expectations • demonstrate high expectations
• ensure that a literacy coach role as
of their own practice and student of their own practice and student
well as a literacy leader/coordinator
learning by building capabilities learning by building capabilities
role is identified, and resources are
around effective instructional practice around effective instructional practice
allocated to enable coaching to occur
• engage in professional learning with • engage in professional learning
• ensure that coaching is effective by
the literacy coach, principal and with the literacy coach, principal
working with the RNL and the literacy
colleagues and colleagues
professional learning team at the school
• develop skills in using data to track • develop skills in using data to track
• ensure that the Western Metropolitan
every student’s learning to inform action every student’s learning to inform action
Region approach to literacy coaching
is adopted • commit to a whole school approach to
quality literacy teaching and learning
• enable the literacy coach(es) to
participate in Western Metropolitan
Region professional learning about
literacy
Blueprint For School Improvement 8

10. Numeracy P - 12
REGION NETWORKS SCHOOLS
The Region will: Regional Network Leaders (RNLs) will: Principals will:
1. Curriculum and professional learning 1. Curriculum and professional learning 1. Curriculum and professional learning
• build an expert regional numeracy • ensure that every school identifies • ensure that a whole school approach to
advisory group to oversee a numeracy leader/coordinator quality numeracy learning and teaching
the development of a shared who participates in professional is implemented in every school
understanding of numeracy learning with the principal around a • enable the numeracy leader/
curriculum and teaching and learning shared understanding of numeracy coordinator to work with teachers
in the Western Metropolitan Region. curriculum and teaching and learning to implement shared approaches to
This will include approaches to in the Western Metropolitan Region numeracy instruction in classrooms,
differentiation and intervention • form network groups of principals and including differentiation and
• develop and provide numeracy other principal class officers intervention as appropriate
professional learning for all Western • participate in leadership learning • participate in numeracy
Metropolitan Region principals focused on instructional leadership professional learning, with the
and school numeracy leaders/ and school improvement numeracy leader/coordinator
coordinators
• participate in leadership learning
2. Leadership development
2. Leadership development focused on instructional leadership
• ensure that the network coordinates
• ensure that the regional school and school improvement
the provision of leadership
improvement team implements a development, mentoring and • ensure that strategic plans, annual
consistent approach to instructional coaching for school leaders and implementation plans and teachers’
leadership through the provision and aspirant leaders performance and development plans
monitoring of leadership learning for have a focus on numeracy learning
• form network groups of principals
all principals and numeracy leaders • personally monitor numeracy
who use professional learning
and coordinators. This includes region improvement regularly in the school
conversations and school visits to
wide numeracy learning, DEECD
improve numeracy outcomes across • focus on the learning progress
leadership programs and the McREL
network schools of every student through the
Balanced Leadership program
management and disaggregation
3. Numeracy coaching of appropriate school data
3. Numeracy coaching
• work with principals to implement a
• build and make explicit an agreed • ensure that teachers use individual
coherent and consistent approach to
approach to numeracy coaching student data and an assessment
numeracy coaching
• develop and support coherent for learning approach to track the
• facilitate a numeracy coaches network numeracy progress of every student
and consistent professional learning
for targeted professional learning and
for regional and school-funded
sharing in each network of schools
numeracy coaches
9 Western Metropolitan Region

11. 2. Leadership development Numeracy leaders and coordinators will: Teachers will:
• foster and develop leadership at all • take responsibility for their own • be accountable for their own
levels across the school numeracy professional learning numeracy professional learning
and development and build the and development
3. Numeracy coaching capacity of others • demonstrate high expectations
• ensure that a numeracy coach role as
• demonstrate and model high of their own practice and student
well as a numeracy leader/coordinator
expectations of their own practice learning by building capabilities
role is identified and resources are
and student learning by building around effective instructional practice
allocated to enable coaching to occur
capabilities around effective • engage in professional learning with
• ensure that coaching is effective instructional practice the numeracy coach, principal and
by working with the RNL and the
• engage in professional learning colleagues
numeracy professional learning team
and leadership development with • develop skills in using data to track
at the school
the numeracy coach, principal and every student’s learning to inform action
• ensure that the Western Metropolitan colleagues
Region approach to numeracy • commit to a whole school approach
• develop skills in using data to to quality numeracy teaching and
coaching is adopted
track every student’s learning to learning
• enable the numeracy coach(es) inform action
to participate in Western
Metropolitan Region professional
learning on numeracy
Blueprint For School Improvement 10

12. Years 7-10 and post compulsory
REGION NETWORKS SCHOOLS
Regional Network Leaders (RNLs) will: Principals and leaders will:
The Region will:
1. Curriculum and professional learning • ensure that their secondary school
1. Curriculum and professional learning
• ensure that every secondary school provides students with access to a
• build an expert regional years 7-10
identifies key members of the broad VCE program, a structured VCAL
and post compulsory advisory group
leadership team to participate in program and VETis certificates
to oversee the development of a
regional learning with the principal • ensure that a post compulsory years
shared understanding of secondary
curriculum and teaching and learning • form network groups of principals coordinator is identified to provide
in the Western Metropolitan Region. who use professional learning every teacher with data and feedback
This will include managed individual conversations and school visits on the learning outcomes of their
pathways and careers counselling for to improve years 7-10 and post students and the effectiveness of their
all students compulsory outcomes across network teaching program (including VCAA
schools data service)
• coordinate professional learning for
all secondary principals to establish • establish a network of secondary • ensure that a pathways coordinator
a common understanding of regional leaders who meet regularly to share is identified to provide leaders and
and school data and performance best practice teachers with data and feedback
in secondary schools and the • support principals to cluster across on the pathways outcomes of all
development of common strategies for schools in order to offer students students
improvement access to a high quality, broad and • ensure that their school provides
• develop and implement a ‘Post flexible year 12 program, including a every student (and parents) with
Compulsory Provision Plan’ that range of VCE subjects, structured VCAL managed individual pathways support
informs action for schools in the programs and VETis certificates and quality careers counselling
Western Metropolitan Region 2. Leadership development • ensure that every teacher is supported
• develop and deliver regional • ensure that the network coordinates to improve the learning outcomes of
professional learning for secondary the provision of leadership all students and that tracking and
principals and school leaders, development, mentoring and monitoring of student learning is part
building best practice in years 7-10 coaching for school leaders and of every teacher’s performance and
and the post-compulsory years aspirant leaders development plan
2. Leadership development • ensure that teachers use a range
• ensure that the regional school of individual student data and an
improvement team implements a assessment for learning approach to
consistent approach to instructional track the learning progress of every
leadership in secondary schools student
through the provision and monitoring • identify students from the early
of leadership learning for all principals secondary years who may be at risk
of not completing their schooling and
implement appropriate interventions
to keep them at school and engaged
in learning
11 Western Metropolitan Region

13. Teachers will: • engage in professional learning with
• take responsibility for their leaders, coaches, coordinators and
own professional learning and colleagues
development • develop skills in using data to track
• demonstrate high expectations every student’s learning to inform the
of their own practice and student action that needs to be taken
learning by building capabilities
around effective instructional practice
Blueprint For School Improvement 12

14. Learning environment
REGION NETWORKS SCHOOLS
The Region will: Regional Network Leaders (RNLs) will: Principals and leaders will:
• build a regional team to support • ensure that each network conducts • ensure that the school identifies a
all Western Metropolitan Region professional learning for principals Student Engagement Coordinator
schools in student management and and student engagement coordinators (SEC) to participate in network-based
engagement based on the ‘Student on building engaging and orderly professional learning on building
Engagement Guidelines’, DEECD learning environments in schools engaging and orderly learning
• provide professional learning for • support schools to implement environments in schools
principals and school teams on school-wide approaches to positive • ensure a positive, clean, professional
building engaging and orderly behaviour and engagement in learning physical environment that is
learning environments in schools for students supportive to learning, is provided in
• coordinate the implementation of the • with principals, promote partnerships all schools and classrooms
Student Support Services Officers between key agencies and • ensure that the school has an agreed
(SSSOs) review to provide targeted stakeholders to support student and implemented approach to positive
support to networks and schools wellbeing and engagement behaviour and engagement in learning
• seek and promote partnerships • support the SSSO network for students
between schools and key stakeholders, coordinators to develop a • support the implementation of a
including community agencies and multidisciplinary team approach in multidisciplinary team approach
mental health providers to support order to provide coordinated service to the service delivery of SSSOs in
student wellbeing and engagement delivery of SSSOs in networks schools, in order to provide enhanced
• use data on student attendance, • ensure that student management and coordinated services to students
suspension and expulsion to inform and engagement has a significant and their families
professional learning and the emphasis within the Network • ensure that the school develops and
action to be taken. This includes Strategic Plan implements processes and protocols
the implementation of the student • ensure that protocols and processes for tracking and supporting students
mapping tool based on relevant data sets to through all transition points of
• build and implement regional increase attendance, and reduce schooling
coaching that supports a school-wide suspensions and expulsions, are • ensure that student wellbeing and
approach to positive behaviour and developed and implemented. Include engagement data is used to inform
engagement in learning for students. the student mapping tool action. Implement the use of the
• support regional student wellbeing student mapping tool
coaches • ensure that coaching is effective
by working with the coach and the
student engagement and wellbeing
team at the school
13 Western Metropolitan Region

15. Teachers will: • engage in professional learning
• take responsibility for their with leaders, coaches, coordinators
own professional learning and and colleagues to improve student
development wellbeing, management and
• demonstrate high expectations engagement
of their own practice and student
engagement by building capabilities
around effective classroom practice
Blueprint For School Improvement 14

16. Background to the Western
Metropolitan Region Blueprint
for School Improvement
Since 2000, the Western The Blueprint for Government Schools significant challenges in relation
in 2003 set the framework for a more to student learning outcomes and
Metropolitan Region strategic and targeted approach to school performance.
has articulated and school improvement for all regions.
implemented a series of A key element of the blueprint, the new Richard Elmore in his paper Educational
School Accountability and Improvement Improvement in Victoria (2007)
school improvement and points to factors underpinning the
Framework and the Effective Schools
development initiatives. Model, provided a policy platform underperformance of schools and
for the leadership of the Western systems which may help to explain
Metropolitan Region to further develop the lack of rapid improvement in the
and implement a targeted approach Western Metropolitan Region.
to school improvement.This approach
included a deeper understanding of “the problems of school quality
the process of school improvement and and performance are systemic
resulted in a range of interventions in nature – that is, they stem
and projects informed by current local, from a constellation of social,
national and international research. organizational, cultural, and
technical factors within schools
The DEECD publication School that reinforce each other to hold
Improvement: A Theory of Action (Darrell the system in a powerful state of
Fraser and Judy Petch, 2007) describes equilibrium well below its potential”
the manner in which the government
system is approaching the task of Elmore suggests that reform efforts
improving the performance of every require highly focused and coherent
government school in Victoria. Central interventions, defined by a clear theory of
to improvement is for each region and action, in order to break the equilibrium
network to reach agreement on the most of an under performing system.
effective strategies that will be employed
The second DEECD Blueprint for
to assist each school to improve. This
Education and Early Childhood
work includes how regions and networks
Development (2008) also commits us to
will make an effective transition to a role
“a stronger systemic approach to school
focused on responding to the differential
improvement in government schools
needs of individual schools to build their
based upon driving improvement
internal capacity.
through the role of regional networks,
The Western Metropolitan Region and stronger interventions in schools
leadership team and the peak where performance needs to improve.”
principal advisory group, the Principal
During 2008, Western Metropolitan
Executive Group (PEG) recognised
Region worked together to build an
that, despite the implementation of
agreed plan of action for improvement
school improvement initiatives and
over the next three years (2009-2011).
concentrated work in developing the
This document sets out how the Western
capacity of schools and leadership,
Metropolitan Region will become the
there are still many Western
most rapidly improving region in student
Metropolitan Region schools facing
learning outcomes in the state.
15 Western Metropolitan Region

17. Effective Schools Model
Professional
Leadership
Stimulating and
Focus on teaching
secure learning
and learning
environment
Learning EFFECTIVE Purposeful
communities teaching
SCHOOLS
Shared vision
Accountability
and goals
High
expectations
of all learners
Blueprint For School Improvement 16