01 - Department of Education and Communities - NSW Government

PARTNERSHIPS IN PUBLIC EDUCATIONREPORTING SCHOOLPERFORMANCEReport onschoolperformance toparents andthe widercommunity andfacilitateacceptance ofa new schoolannualreportingprocess.In 1997 government schools tookpart in a new process of evaluationand reporting to the community inan effort to improve the provisionof education to young people.Each school carried out a schoolself evaluation. The evaluationfocused on improving schools,emphasised the importance ofstudent learning and achievementand involved the schoolcommunity, teachers and parents.Following the school selfevaluation process, an annualschool report is written by theprincipal with input from the schoolcommunity and assistance from aschool improvement officer.Each annual school report will bewritten to a framework specifiedby the Department to ensureconsistency. The informationincludes important features ofthe school and its community,school achievements, schoolperformance information andschool improvement targets for thenext year.Targets identified in the annualschool report are included in theschool’s plans for the year ahead.Progress in achieving the targetsis monitored and evaluated bythe school. School and districtresources are allocated on the basisof priorities and needs identified inthe reports. Progress towardsachieving targets is then reportedin the following year’s annualschool report.The NSW Teachers Federation andthe Department reached agreementon the introduction of annualschool reports on 1 August 1997.This agreement related to theprocess of self evaluation, thestructure and contents of annualschool reports and the use ofstudent performance data. Theagreement is encapsulated in aseries of protocols which determinehow the annual school reportingprocess will operate.Training sessions on annual schoolreports were held for high schooland central school principals andone other member of staff duringAugust 1997. Training sessionswere held for primary schoolprincipals and one other member ofstaff in September.All primary schools havecompleted their 1997 annual schoolreports. This includes hospitalschools, field study centres, schoolsfor special purposes and specialcentres. All secondary and centralschools will have completed their1997 Annual School Reports by theend of March 1998. This allowsthem to incorporate the 1997 HSCresults into their reports. Printingand distribution of the reports hasbeen completed centrally by theGovernment Printing Service.Following the release of the reportsto the local community, a publicmeeting is held which allowsparents and community members tofurther enquire about aspects of thereport. Wherever possible, theSchool Improvement Officer whohas worked with the school attendsthe public meeting to assist theprincipal and committee members.Annual school reports provide anopportunity for schools to beaccountable to their community,report on student learning andachievements and give parents fairand objective information.Analysis of the reports and thevarious sections within them62 DSE Annual Report 1997