education.vic.gov.au

Differentiated School Performance Groups

Differentiated School Performance Groups (performance groups) are a method of reporting school performance that sits alongside the school review model and differentiated supports for school improvement.

This approach:

  • utilises 2 dimensions of performance results:
    • current performance
    • change in performance over time
    • using selected school performance measures
  • aggregates each school’s results across 6 performance domains:
    • achievement
    • school climate
    • student attitudes
    • participation
    • engagement
    • senior secondary
  • assigns schools to a performance group, based upon their aggregated domain level results:
    • transform
    • stretch
    • influence
    • renew
    • recharge.

Further information on each performance group is available below.

The performance groups inform the types of differentiated support each school will receive to achieve improvement, based upon their specific needs and context.

Schools are allocated to a performance group through the Differentiated School Performance Method that utilises 2 dimensions of performance results – current performance and change in performance over time – using selected school performance measures.

The method undertaken to generate the school performance groups replaced the school improvement measures and associated school threshold reports in 2017.

The 5 school performance groups

Diagram displays the five School Performance Groups: Influence, Recharge, Stretch, Transform and Renew
The 5 school performance groups

Recharge

Schools with strong but declining performance where recharging efforts will lead to improvement.

Influence

Performance is high or very high.

This level of performance is maintained consistently over 3 years or is on a positive improvement trajectory with the school acting as an influencer and system leader.

Stretch

Performance is improving from a moderate of low base.

These schools could be high performing if they stretch and continue to improve.

Transform

Performance is low.

This low level of performance is maintained consistently over time or is on a declining trajectory and transformation is required to improve.

Renew

Performance is static over time including some cases where performance is moderate but on a declining trajectory and requires renewed effort to be high performing

Download The 5 school performance groups

What allocation to a performance group means for schools

Your school’s performance group and validated pre-review self-evaluation outcomes will be used to tailor the duration and focus of your school review.

Your performance group will also inform the frequency of monitoring from the Department and range of differentiated supports your school will receive following review completion.

School performance report

The level of detail provided by the school performance report supports schools to improve their strategic planning by identifying key areas for improvement, and enabling schools to access targeted supports for improved outcomes.

The Resources tab provides a guide on how to read your performance report.

Benchmark growth – the new measure of NAPLAN learning gain

In 2019, ‘benchmark growth’ replaced ‘relative growth’ as the NAPLAN learning gain measure in your School Performance Report; contributing to 60% of your school’s reading and numeracy performance.

The benchmark growth measure uses a set of historical matched NAPLAN data to set thresholds that define low, medium and high growth. This means NAPLAN learning gain can be viewed at:

  • an individual student level
  • school level
  • system level.

By comparing student growth to a fixed ‘benchmark’, the benchmark growth measure enables:

  • improvements in NAPLAN learning gain to be measured across the entire system
  • learning growth to be tracked over time, for individual schools.

For more information refer to the Differentiated School Performance Method 2021 (PDF)External Link (staff login required).

Access your school performance report

To access your report, refer to: School performance reportsExternal Link (staff login required).

Save this link in the 'applications' section of your My workspace for quick and easy access next time.

Guidance page on the methods available to schools to report on school performance

Reviewed 12 December 2021

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