Middle Years Literacy and Numeracy Support (MYLNS) initiative

Policy

This policy outlines the operation of the Middle Years Literacy and Numeracy Support (MYLNS) initiative in Victorian government schools.

For information about MYLNS funding, please refer to the Student Resource Package – Targeted Initiatives: Middle Years Literacy and Numeracy Support Initiative (Reference 118).

Summary

Schools receiving MYLNS funding are required to:

• provide intensive learning support to MYLNS students
• review the MYLNS students pre-identified by the department in CASES21, and update as required
• nominate MYLNS Improvement Teachers via the Improvement Teacher nomination form (staff login required) and update their details as required
• maintain records of student learning.

Details

The MYLNS initiative provides intensive teaching support to students in Year 10 in government secondary schools who are at risk of finishing school without the literacy and numeracy skills they need for future work and study.

Interventions at Year 10 are critical to ensure students have the foundational literacy and numeracy skills necessary for them to be able to successfully complete senior secondary education and to achieve their goals related to future work, education or training.

MYLNS funding is provided for schools to release experienced teachers as MYLNS Improvement Teachers to work directly with MYLNS students. Schools must advise the department of their nominated MYLNS Improvement Teacher(s) each year via the Improvement Teacher nomination form (staff login required).

MYLNS provides support to students assessed as ‘Needs Additional Support’ or who were exempt in reading and/or numeracy as per their Year 9 NAPLAN. These students will be automatically tagged as MYLNS students in CASES21. Schools can select additional Year 10 students who may benefit from MYLNS initiative support.

For information about the role of MYLNS Improvement Teachers, identification of students for MYLNS support, and approaches to supporting MYLNS students including assessment, refer to the Guidance tab.

Resources for schools are available on the Resources tab.

Contact

Schools can direct queries as follows:

• for queries about MYLNS in your school, contact your school’s education improvement leader (EIL)
• for general queries about the initiative, contact: mylns@education.vic.gov.au or 03 7022 1700
• for queries regarding funding, contact the School Financial Management Support Unit: schools.finance.support@education.vic.gov.au

Related policies

• Individual Education Plans (IEPs)
• Re-engagement Programs
• Reporting Student Achievement and Progress Foundation to 10
• Tutor Learning Initiative
• Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0

Relevant legislation

• Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic)

Guidance

This guidance contains the following chapters:

• Alignment of MLYNS with Victoria’s teaching and learning reforms
• Role of MYLNS Improvement Teachers
• Identification of students for MYLNS support
• Approach to supporting MYLNS students
• Assessment for MYLNS students

Alignment of MYLNS with Victoria’s teaching and learning reforms

Schools are working towards implementing the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0 (VTLM 2.0) (PDF). Schools are encouraged to consider MYLNS targeted teaching support in their broader implementation of these reforms as part of a whole-school approach to school improvement.

The revised VTLM 2.0 is informed by contemporary evidence about the way students learn and the most effective teaching practices and approaches to achieve strong learning outcomes for students.

The VTLM 2.0 has explicit teaching practices at its core. Evidence demonstrates that explicit teaching practices are most effective at delivering strong learning outcomes for the majority of students, including priority cohorts.

For further information, refer to VTLM 2.0.

Role of MYLNS Improvement Teachers

Each year, schools must advise the department of their nominated MYLNS Improvement Teacher/s via the Improvement Teacher nomination form (staff login required).

MYLNS Improvement Teachers:

• confirm the Year 10 students to receive MYLNS support
• set, document, and monitor goals for MYLNS students
• implement evidence-based, high-impact teaching strategies to progress learning in literacy and/or numeracy
• regularly evaluate learning progress via formative assessments.

MYLNS Improvement Teachers are required to be experienced classroom teachers. This role requires expert curriculum and pedagogical knowledge and should not be filled by less-experienced teachers or education support staff. Evidence indicates that effective MYLNS Improvement Teachers demonstrate:

• a growth mindset
• curriculum and pedagogical knowledge to target students’ learning needs and differentiate teaching to support students at their point of need
• the ability to build positive learning relationships with students and colleagues.

A school may choose to appoint an existing learning specialist, literacy leader or numeracy leader as an Improvement Teacher. Other schools will choose to allocate these roles to different staff members to build an integrated team approach and to champion literacy and numeracy improvement across their school.

If a learning specialist is appointed to the role, they will be required to manage their Improvement Teacher responsibilities (including an increased focus on MYLNS students) as well as their responsibilities as a learning specialist.

To ensure continuity for students and for the initiative, it is recommended that schools keep the same MYLNS Improvement Teacher for a minimum of 2 years (unless they do not meet the requirements of the role). Evidence shows that at least 2 years is necessary to have maximum impact in the role.

Identification of students for MYLNS support

Students assessed as 'Needs Additional Support' or who were exempt in reading and/or numeracy as per their Year 9 NAPLAN will be automatically tagged as MYLNS students in CASES21.

If MYLNS students are transferring into a school, the new school must identify them manually (CASES21 MYLNS pre-identification will not transfer with them).

Schools must ensure all students receiving MYLNS initiative support are tagged in CASES21 and must update CASES21 throughout the year if additional students are added to the MYLNS program.

Schools can choose to select additional Year 10 students who may benefit from MYLNS initiative support, following an evidence-based, collaborative process involving school leaders and relevant staff.

In determining additional Year 10 students to receive MYLNS initiative support, schools should:

• triangulate student learning data from multiple sources
• consider vulnerable and disengaged students who may benefit from literacy and/or numeracy intervention, including students with low or non-attendance or for whom there is little formal learning data
• consult with other workforces that support priority cohorts, where needed, to design wrap-around support for learners.

Schools are required to communicate with parents/carers regarding their child’s involvement in the MYLNS initiative. A sample letter to parents/carers (DOCX) is available to assist schools with this communication.

Approach to supporting MYLNS students

When considering how support may be provided for MYLNS students, Improvement Teachers should consider:

• the particular learning needs of the students
• the evidence with respect to interventions that could be implemented
• the time allocation to work with students
• each student’s timetable and the classes they are enrolled in.

Some MYLNS students may have complex learning and wellbeing needs, and may already have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) which should be considered in the design of MYLNS support.

MYLNS Improvement Teachers can support MYLNS students through:

• individual student support, such as withdrawing a student from class and working 1:1 with them
• in class co-teaching, such as:
  • teaching a segment of the lesson
  • providing in-class support for MYLNS students
• small group work.

The following case studies can be used by MYLNS Improvement Teachers when deciding on an intervention approach.

Case study 1: Working with individual students

A MYLNS Improvement Teacher has worked with the school improvement team (including the numeracy leader and learning specialist) to analyse a wide range of evidence of a MYLNS student’s learning in numeracy. They realise that the student has a gap in their understanding of place value and decimals that is impacting their achievement in mathematics as well as in science.

After meeting with the student to build a relationship and to further understand their learning needs, the MYLNS Improvement Teacher learns that the student feels frustrated with this gap in their learning and would like to receive targeted support to address it. The Improvement Teacher plans to work with the student individually prior to their maths class for 20 minutes, 3 times per week. The MYLNS Improvement Teacher monitors the student’s learning each session, and helps the student master this key element of numeracy.

Case study 2: Working with a small group in class

A Humanities class is working in small groups. One group is with the classroom teacher, one group is working independently, and one group is with a MYLNS Improvement Teacher.

The MYLNS Improvement Teacher is working with a small group of students, plus a few of their peers who the classroom teacher thought could use additional support.

The MYLNS Improvement Teacher is guiding their group through a year-level text by pre-teaching key vocabulary and modelling through a ‘think-aloud’ on how students will make sense of the text. The Improvement Teacher then checks in with students about their understanding during and after reading.

Case study 3: Pre-teaching key concepts

A MYLNS Improvement Teacher meets regularly with small groups of students to preview the concepts that are coming up in their Mathematics classes.

The MYLNS Improvement Teacher coordinates with the regular classroom teachers to know the language they are planning to use to teach the concepts, along with the learning intentions and success criteria for the unit. This ensures that students can be prepared to access the mathematics content.

Assessment for MYLNS students

Schools are recommended to measure student attainment using a standardised assessment tool at the beginning and the end of the year in which students participate in MYLNS targeted teaching support.

ACER statewide licence

Schools are encouraged to use the Adaptive PAT-R (Reading) and Adaptive PAT-M (Mathematics) assessments, which are free to government schools in 2025 and can be accessed via the PAT Online Assessment and Reporting System.

Schools with existing state-wide accounts with the PAT Online Assessment and Reporting System in 2024 will have their access automatically renewed for 2025. Government schools who have not yet signed up to access the free PAT state-wide licence, can sign up at PAT Statewide Licence – Opt-In.

The adaptive PAT-R and adaptive PAT-M are usually used to compare learning growth over 9 to 12 months.

Other assessment tools

Other high-quality standardised assessment tools recommended for use include:

• the Digital Assessment Library (DAL)
• Abilities Based Learning and Education Support (ABLES)
• Reading and Vocabulary Assessment Tool for students with English as an Additional Language (RVEAL) via the VCAA Insight Assessment Platform
• the National Numeracy Learning Progressions and National Literacy Learning Progressions are also useful resources to map a student's developmental progress.

Resources

Schools must advise the department of their nominated MYLNS Improvement Teacher(s) each year via the Improvement Teacher nomination form (staff login required).

Schools are required to communicate with parents/carers regarding their child’s involvement in the MYLNS initiative. A sample letter to parents/carers (DOCX) is available to assist schools with this communication.

Professional learning

The department offers free after-school professional learning webinars throughout the year to support the implementation of MYLNS in government schools. These can be accessed through the MYLNS Arc channel, with the schedule updated throughout the year.

For more information, refer to: MYLNS Professional Learning.

Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0

The Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0 (VTLM 2.0) Policy and Advisory Library page includes resources to support schools in implementing VTLM 2.0.

Learning difficulties

The learning difficulties information guides are a foundation for understanding learning difficulties in numeracy and literacy. These guides can assist school leaders and teachers in understanding more about the needs of students with learning difficulties.

To access the learning difficulties information guides, refer to: Learning difficulties.

Further information is available at the Diverse Learners Hub, including information, tools and guidance on diverse learning, including:

• understanding autism and how schools support autistic students
• understanding the different types of learning difficulties
• how learning difficulties can affect a child’s and young person’s learning
• evidence-based resources, tools, and guidance on learning diversity
• professional learning and teaching resources for school staff.

The department also offers free professional learning to cater for diverse learners, and may assist catering for MYLNS students with learning difficulties. Visit the Diverse Learners Hub Arc channel.

Schools may also wish to engage in Inclusion Outreach Coaching.

Literacy and numeracy for Koorie students

The department provides a range of resources to support literacy and English for Koorie students. These include:

• Koorie English online
• school leadership guides (PDF) and school leadership guides (DOCX)
• the Koorie Literacy and Numeracy Program
• teaching and learning videos to improve Koorie students’ reading comprehension.

For more information, refer to: Koorie Education: Resources and Literacy and English for Koorie students.

English as an additional language

English as an additional language (EAL) resources are available to support teachers with students of EAL background develop proficiency in English.

For more information, refer to: English as an Additional Language (EAL).

Digital Assessment Library

The Digital Assessment Library (DAL) is an online and on demand student learning assessment tool that is freely available from the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA). It provides timely and detailed information on individual student performance. The DAL contains assessments aligned with the Victorian Curriculum and include English, Mathematics and Critical and Creative Thinking strands.

For more information, refer to: Digital Assessment Library (DAL).

Other relevant resources

• Individual Education Plans
• Koorie Education: Resources
• Positive Classroom Management Strategies (PCMS)
• Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)
• Student Engagement
• Student voice practice guide (Amplify)