Education Support Staff Working in Classroom Support Roles

How to use key improvement strategies

A good place to start is for principals and school leadership teams to review their education support staff practices, with a focus on how the practices are supporting improved student outcomes. The KIS and Actions Audit Tool can be used to support this process. From there, schools can review the completed Audit Tool to identify prioritised areas for improvement. They will select key improvement strategies (KIS) and actions that support the implementation of these improvements and include the selected KIS and actions in their AIP.

The Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO) Improvement Cycle can help principals and school leadership teams to consider their current school practices, determine what is working and what is not, and plan for improvement.

Evaluate and diagnose

Review your school’s education support staff practices, with a focus on how the practices are supporting improved student outcomes. Consider successes and challenges and how to strategically align the ways in which education support staff working in classroom support roles are utilised in the school.

Prioritise and set goals

Prioritise the areas identified as needing improvement by considering their likely impact on student outcomes. Prioritise the broad areas most necessary to address in the coming year, within the context of your School Strategic Plan (SSP). For instance, ‘Building the capability of education support staff and teacher teams’ or ‘Collaborative planning’.

Consider where these areas for focus fit within the goals in your SSP. For instance, they may align with goals such as ‘Improve engagement in learning for all students’ or ‘To improve literacy and numeracy outcomes for all students’.

Develop and plan

Using the KIS, identify the strategies most relevant to your school context. Include the selected KIS in your school’s AIP and consider the actions to support the KIS. Clearly articulate what the school will do, how, when and by whom, and what success looks like. Develop success criteria/indicators for inclusion in the AIP and staff Performance and Development Plans (PDPs).

Implement and monitor

Implement the KIS and actions and monitor their impact on student learning using data and evidence.