Performance and Development

Culture/Accreditation Process

A key initiative in the Department of Education & Training's reform agenda is Creating and Supporting a Performance and Development Culture (2004d). This initiative enables schools to develop an understanding of the conditions and practices that are necessary to create and support a performance and development culture through the provision of a flexible, transparent accountability framework. It is based upon an accreditation process, the first part of which is self-assessment gathered from multiple sources of school and student outcomes data. The initiative’s Self-Assessment Framework articulates how schools can use their data to align teachers’ individual learning needs with school priorities, goals for student learning and teacher professional learning. The accreditation process comprises five elements:

1. induction for teachers new to the school
2. use of multiple sources of feedback on teacher effectiveness for individual teachers and teams of teachers
3. customised individual teacher development plans based on individual development needs
4. quality professional development to meet individual development needs
5. belief by teachers that the school has a performance and development culture

The Performance and Development Culture Self-Assessment process provides an opportunity for schools to engage their teachers in highly effective professional learning. The significant benefits of this process to schools, including enhanced student outcomes, can be maximised by the provision of effective professional learning to address areas for improvement of individual teachers’ professional practice. The collaborative nature of effective professional learning, combined with the enriching, supportive and motivating environment that a performance and development culture generates, has the capacity to realise significant school improvement.

Balwyn High School gained accreditation in 2006. This process enabled all staff to reflect on the five key elements through a staff on-line survey, plus a detailed report following the survey addressing the five elements of the accreditation process.

Balwyn High School is a community growing together through learning, and the accreditation process has enabled us to work on the five key elements to improve and grow even further into the future to improve the learning outcomes of our students. Over the past two years we have been recognised as a Reference School for the Accreditation process and have hosted two state-wide Workshops to support those schools that are yet to achieve their Performance and Development Culture Accreditation.