3.5 2006-2009 Safe schools: Making the links (2008)
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Description
This is a continuing activity. The 2008 Safe Schools: Making the Links project will be implemented in schools in each of the ten school regions in NSW. The project involves 20 school teams using action research methodology to explore and implement whole school approaches that promote safety, wellbeing and positive learning environments.
The 2008 project includes the use by primary school teams of the Friendly Schools and Families materials developed by the Child Health Promotion Research Unit at Edith Cowan University. High school teams will utilise a suite of materials to develop and implement their whole school approaches to improved wellbeing and safety. Emphasis for both secondary and primary school teams is on enhanced professional development, positive behaviour strategies, values education and student leadership programs.
Part of the 2008 project will involve secondary school teams working with primary school teams on middle year strategies that promote positive behaviour and minimise the disruption in transition to secondary school. Regional student welfare staff will work with the Project Officer and will provide local support for the NSW Quality teaching model. 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 this project, teachers will have engaged productively in collegial networks that extend and support knowledge and skills.
Through participation in this 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.
Access
NSW Department of Education and Training schools.
Design
The 2008 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 making links with the NSW Quality teaching 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.
Continuing schools
The activity will include eight continuing schools from 2007 that will expand their action research and whole school approaches to promote safety, wellbeing and positive learning environments. Emphasis will be on the development of best practice approaches and on working in partnership with another school-based team on a student wellbeing strategy catering for students in middle years. This activity will facilitate the collegial sharing of knowledge and will assist in the development of regional networks promoting whole school positive behaviour management.
Newly identified schools
Twelve new schools will be nominated by regions to join the project in 2008. These schools will undertake action research over a two year period to identify local needs and ways to make schools safe. The schools in the first year of their project will enter into a partnering relationship with geographically close schools that have proceeded to the second year of their projects.
Implementation
The implementation of the activity will be supported by the following personnel: designated project officer and regional student services staff.
School-based action research projects help schools identify local needs, strengthen interpersonal links and establish baselines against which progress can be measured. Schools are encouraged to use feedback from students, staff and parents to clarify local needs and concerns about safety and wellbeing in the school environment. The two year timeframe will support schools to address local concerns as well as to establish whole school approaches that foster student and staff wellbeing, and positive learning environments and school communities.
The development of online resource material, project guidelines and planning frameworks will facilitate and inform school teams and will provide structure for the projects. It will also help to ensure sustainability of results.
The project uses a school team approach that supports collaborative problem solving. Emphasis on a whole school approach fosters collegial involvement and networking. State wide planning and sharing conferences help teams to share knowledge gained and to build on the ideas of each of the teams. Regional networks will support sharing information at the local level. Once established, these networks will also be able to foster the continuation of projects beyond the funding period.
The 2008 Safe Schools: Making the Links project officer will work actively with the school teams through the development, implementation and evaluation phases of the project. Regional student welfare staff will act as an additional resource to school teams and will foster local networks. Bringing on new schools each year for a two year project facilitates the mentoring and sharing of knowledge and experience by schools in the second year of their projects.
There is a strong emphasis in the project on collecting data against which progress can be measured and on the establishment of clear policy and procedures. Both factors help to structure the project and to ensure sustainability beyond the funding period.
Delivery
Mentoring, action learning project, workshops/course, conference
Timeline
By June 2008:
- confirm participation for new schools
- two day planning conference for ten school regions
- on site visits to participating schools (Term 2)
- progress report submitted in June.
- on site visits to participating schools (Term 3)
- sharing conference for school-based teams (Term 4)
- annual report submitted in November.
Sectors
