Whole school and cross-curricular projects |
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3.5 Safe schools: Making the links
Description
This is a continuing AGQTP activity. It builds on previous Safe schools: Making the links projects conducted in 2004-2006. In 2007 a new cohort of school teams will use action research methodology to explore and implement whole school approaches linked to elements in the National Safe Schools Framework (NSSF) that promote safety and wellbeing and positive learning environments. The activity will be managed by a designated officer who will take responsibility for the activity meeting the professional needs of teachers.
Contacts
| Dori Wisniewski email: dori.wisniewski@det.nsw.edu.au Ph 9266 8406 Fax 9266 8098 Sector: DET |
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Outcomes
Through participation in an AGQTP project, teachers will, in their interactions with students, have an increased capacity to create safe, supportive and respectful learning environments through which students can become enterprising, self-directed and resilient.
Through participation in an AGQTP project, teachers will have engaged productively in collegial networks that extend and support knowledge and skills.
Access
Targeted DET schools in New South Wales.
Design
The 2007 Safe schools: Making the links project will operate in each of the ten school regions in NSW. 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 working in collegial networks
- local, regional and state workshops and conferences that enable participants to have their work publicly celebrated and critiqued
- pilot partnership with the Child Health Promotion Research Unit of Edith Cowan University to provide expertise in the development, design and/or implementation of professional learning activities.
Ten targeted schools from the 2006 Safe schools: Making the links project will be funded to develop best practice whole school approaches and to mentor other schools within their Region. Ten schools in 2007 will continue to expand their research and build on initial outcomes to establish whole school approaches that promote safety and well-being and positive learning environments. This research will contribute to the development of a school resource kit for subsequent schools joining the activity.
Up to sixteen new schools will be nominated by Regions to join the activity in 2007. These schools will undertake action research over a two year period to identify local needs and ways to make schools safe. The schools in their first year of their project will enter into a partnering relationship with schools from schools from the Region who have proceeded to the second year of their projects.
The activity will support the newly targeted school teams to better understand the links between interpersonal relationships and personal safety within the school setting. The focus of the action research model will combine local identified needs and strengths with a whole school approach linked to at least one of the key elements from the National Safe Schools Framework and Quality teaching framework. Emphasis will be on building capacity of students, teachers and the community to participate in and support a positive school culture.
A project officer will provide professional advice and support to school teams during the planning, implementation and evaluation phases of their projects. DET regional student welfare support staff will continue to provide supplemental support to school teams and will encourage the development of local networks for the sharing of ideas and information.
Feedback from the 2005 and 2006 Safe schools: Making the links projects has informed the design of the 2007 project. An increased emphasis was placed on student and teacher leadership and values education in 2006.
Schools found that these elements had a positive effect on their results and encouraged stronger participation by students, teachers and parents. Several schools in the second year of their projects successfully imbedded the values that underpin positive school environments into the curriculum.
One of the goals of the project has been to develop strong regional networks that can provide support and expertise on establishing positive school environments to other schools in the region. A pilot of the Edith Cowan University materials has been included as a way of strengthening regional networks and improving the sustainability of gains made.
Implementation
The implementation of the activity will be supported by a designated project officer, academics partner (trial), and regional student services staff. The professional development activity has three elements:
- school-based action research projects linked to the NSSF designed to identify local needs, strengthen interpersonal links and establish baselines against which progress can be measured
- development of local resource kits, project guidelines and planning frameworks
- planning and sharing conferences to support teams to share knowledge gained and to build on each others ideas.
Delivery
mentoring, action learning project, workshops/course, conference
Timeline
By May 2007:
- two day planning conference for eight regions using NSSF Making the Links model
- planning conferences for schools in the pilot of Edith Cowan University materials
- two day facilitated learning program for student welfare staff supporting trial
- on-site visits to participating schools (Term 2)
- regional network meetings for schools involved in pilot
- submit progress report in May
By November 2007:
- on-site visits to participating schools (Term 3)
- regional network meetings for schools involved in pilot
- sharing conference for schools using the NSSF model (eight regions)
- sharing conference for schools involved in trial
- evaluation of trial of Edith Cowan University materials
- submit annual report in November.
Sectors
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| This project was funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training as a quality teacher initiative under the Australian Government Quality Teacher Programme. |