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1.2 Language, learning and literacy: Transition to school

Description

This is a continuing AGQTP activity. The activity will focus on providing quality professional learning for a new cohort of school-based teams (executive, teachers in K-2 classrooms and teachers from a school's prior to school 'feeder' setting) that will support them to work with their students and communities to raise student achievement levels. School teams will use an inquiry-based approach to set targets for teacher professional learning and student achievement.

The activity will be managed by a designated officer who will take responsibility for the activity meeting the professional needs of teachers. At this stage of the planning process it is not anticipated that there will be involvement by higher education institutions or professional associations.

Contacts

Outcomes

Through participation in an AGQTP project, teachers will, in their interactions with students, have an increased capacity to provide all students with opportunities to access and apply relevant learning in literacy, numeracy and ICT.
Through participation in an AGQTP project, teachers will have strengthened the currency and depth of their pedagogical knowledge and skills.

Access

Targeted schools within NSW DET.

Design

The professional learning strategy for this activity includes:

• school-based projects to engage teachers in workplace learning that is based on a cycle of continuous improvement model


• clusters of schools from South West Sydney and Hunter/Central Coast Regions working in collegial networks


• an integral link to improving student literacy performance


• flexible learning that includes components such as face-to-face workshops, video and teleconferences, and discussion groups


• support for continual reflection on how teacher professional learning progress impacts on student literacy achievement at school and classroom level


• professional learning workshops that have a direct relationship with classroom-based practice, ensure meaningful transfer from literacy to other Key Learning Areas and provide in-built opportunities for teacher reflection and monitoring of progress


• local, regional and state workshops and conferences that enable participants to have their work publicly celebrated and critiqued.

• need for ongoing planned professional development to inform practice


• need for an increased understanding of the theory of literacy learning to underpin the provision of literacy opportunities


• discussions during the professional learning sessions have highlighted the benefits that can be gained from collegial interaction.

Implementation

The implementation of the activity will be supported by the following personnel: designated project officer, the school based professional learning team, regional Reading Recovery Tutors and state Reading Recovery coordinators.

Delivery

Workplace learning, mentoring, action learning project, conference, workshops/course.

Timeline

By May 2007:

• employ project officer


• develop project planning materials to use with schools


• develop criteria for school targeting


• identify the 10 target schools in consultation with regions


• set up project evaluation framework


• submit progress report in May.

• support target schools to form school project teams


• provide specific/training/support for school executives who provide ongoing mentoring and support to target school teams


• provide support for project schools to:




• analyse data


• set targets for student literacy achievement


• set targets for teacher professional learning




• build monitoring/evaluation strategies into school plans


• engage in ongoing communication with relevant regional personnel e.g. School Education directors


• provide support for school teams to reflect, analyse and evaluate their professional learning progress and the progress of their students


• work with schools (particularly school executives) to plan for ongoing sustainability


• submit annual report in November.

Sectors