Evidence Informed Culture and Practice

Evidence Informed Culture and Practice

Our purpose

Our overall purpose within Strategic Direction 3 of the 2018-2020 school plan was to build on our values and recognised disposition towards innovation and creativity. Within our project we have responded to emerging challenges by committing to sustaining an innovative and successful school culture. The purpose of Evidence Informed Culture and Practice Professional Learning and Leadership Team is to establish a strong and adaptive evidence informed culture through the alignment of self, peer and external evaluations. The main focus of the PLLT was set on increasing staff and students’ capacity to analyse data from a range of sources, identify patterns, apply the value proposition and measure the impact of strategies, programs and specific projects.

Context – Why have we done this?

All executive teachers demonstrate knowledge and skills in EICP. RHHS students are able to examine their own learning data at personalised learning interviews and set learning goals. However, the student learning and welfare data is currently drawn from 5 data sources (Sentral, class profile, ERN, MyLearning Hub, Case Management).

There were several issues that needed to be addressed by the PLLT:

• Do we collect enough learning data/evidence? 

• Do we collect the right data/evidence? 

• Do we understand the data/evidence we have collected? 

• Do we know how to use the learning data/evidence to track student learning trajectory, and gauge effectiveness of teaching?

How did EICP align with the school plan?

APST Standards: 3.2.4, 3.6.4, 5.3.4, 5.4.4, 6.2.4, 6.3.4

SEF Elements: 1.5, 1.6, 2.2

School plan product: there is evidence from external validation, staff accreditation and student performance data that the school’s data visibility and the alignment of self, peer and external evaluation informs a strong and adaptive evidence informed culture.

School plan practice: students and staff demonstrate deeper understanding and increased capacity as individuals and teams to analyse data from a range of sources, identify patterns, apply the value proposition and measure the impact of strategies, programs and specific projects.

We planned to track:

• The effectiveness of the school wide implementation of RHHS Evidence Informed Culture and Practice

• % students who have developed the capacity to assess and plan their own learning using individual, group, cohort and system learning evidence. 

Our “Theory of Practice” EICP policy - get confirmation as to what needs to go here.

Resources:

Friedman, M., 2005. Trying hard is not good enough: How to produce measurable improvements for customers and communities. Victoria, Canada: Trafford Publishing.

Wright, J., 2015. Triangulation: Methodology, International encyclopedia of the social & behavioral sciences. Amsterdam: Elsevier.

Sahlberg, P., 2016. Next Big Thing in Education: Small Data. [online] Pasisahlberg.com. Available at: <https://pasisahlberg.com/next-big-thing-education-small-data/#:~:text=One%20thing%20that%20distinguishes%20schools,performance%20of%20students%20and%20classrooms.> [Accessed 8 June 2021].

Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation, 2016. 5 essentials for effective evaluation. Learning Curve Issue 14. Sydney.

Lucas, B., 2016. A Five Dimensional Model of Creativity and its Assessment in Schools. Applied Measurement in Education. 29. 10.1080/08957347.2016.1209206.

In addition to this, we have created a podcast where we discuss the work of the PLLT. To listen to it, click here