Annual Implementation Plan (AIP)

Stage 2: Prioritise and set goals

In the prioritise and set goals stage, schools use insights from their most recent end-of-year assessment and self-evaluation to select which School Strategic Plan (SSP) goals and related Key Improvement Strategies (KIS) will be in focus for the next Annual Implementation Plan (AIP).

Identify priorities for the next Annual Implementation Plan

1. Select the Goals

The school determines the priorities for the upcoming year and select the SSP Goals for focus in the next AIP. Depending on the school context, the school may choose to focus on one, some or all of the 4-year SSP Goals.

To select a Goal for the AIP, schools must consider:

• the sequencing of Goals and Key Improvement Strategies (KIS) over the 4-year period
• the areas requiring further attention that were identified during the evaluate and diagnose phase
• whether the school is on track to meet the Targets outlined in the SSP
• the capacity of the staff within the school to deliver the actions required for the KIS
• the scope of desired change over the 12-month period.

For information on how the Priorities Goal affects this stage of the SSP, please refer to The Priorities Goal guidance chapter.

2. Set the 12-month Targets for each Goal

For each Goal, the school develops 12-month Targets based on the 4-year Targets set in the SSP. The 12-month Targets represent incremental steps towards the achievement of the SSP Targets and support the school community to understand the expected improvements in student outcomes for the year.

To set 12-month Targets, the school considers:

• progress made during the previous AIPs
• any specific barriers or enablers that will impact progress
• where the school sits within the 4-year strategic planning cycle, and the bearing this may have on progress
• how they might translate 4-year Targets to be inclusive of particular cohorts, such as international students, Koorie students, or students with disability.

When setting 12-month Targets, schools should be mindful that student outcomes are unlikely to improve at a linear rate over the SSP. Initially, there may be little change as the school introduces strategies that may take time to be reflected in improved student outcomes. Schools may plan for smaller changes in the first years of their SSP and plan for more significant changes in the final years.

3. Select the Key Improvement Strategies

The school determines KIS for implementation that will drive the school to achieve the 12-month Targets that have been set for each Goal. The school provides a rationale on why these KIS have been selected, reflecting on the self-evaluation against the the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO) 2.0 continua of practice (the continua) current progress towards the SSP Goals and Targets, school data, and any other supporting evidence.

When selecting KIS for implementation, schools must consider:

• the logical sequencing of KIS, and whether certain KIS need to be implemented before other KIS
• the likely impact of each KIS on student outcomes
• the school’s readiness for change, including barriers and enablers
• the strategic resourcing demands of each KIS
• whether there are any new KIS that were not originally identified in the SSP, such as strategies related to new programs or Department initiatives. Schools can add KIS to their SSP and subsequent AIPs by editing the SSP in SPOT.

In most schools, only one or 2 KIS per Goal should be prioritised per year to ensure a sharp and narrow improvement focus.

Consider inclusive education and priority cohorts

The AIP is an opportunity for schools to reflect on how they are meeting student needs and to identify specific priority cohorts which may require differentiated support. In their AIP, schools should outline the specific supports they will put in place for students in priority cohorts, and articulate targets for improvement.

These cohorts differ from school to school depending on context, and may include students who:

• have a disability or additional needs
• are English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners or Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) learners
• are disengaged, or at risk of disengagement, with school
• identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

Example of developing an inclusive 12-month Target

Schools that select a literacy Goal for focus in the AIP should consider how a 12-month Target will measure progress for a priority cohort, and identify specific Actions or Activities required to provide differentiated support for these students.

Example SSP Target

Increase the percentage of students achieving in the top 2 bands of NAPLAN for:

• Reading from 14% (2021) to 25% (2025)
• Writing from 11% (2021) to 22% (2025).

Example AIP 12-month Targets

1.1 Increase the percentage of students achieving in the top 2 bands of NAPLAN for:

• Reading from 14% (2023) to 16% (2024), and for EAL students from 4% to 6%
• Writing from 11% (2023) to 13% (2024), and for EAL students from 3% to 5%.

1.2 Increase the percentage of students with IEPs who achieve their Victorian Curriculum-based goals for reading from 70% (2023) to 90% (2024).