The core task of the principal is to lead and manage ongoing efforts to improve teaching and school staff practice, school performance and ultimately outcomes for students.
The FISO Improvement Model
The FISO Improvement Model
FISO Improvement Model
Student achievement, engagement and wellbeing has 4 dimensions.
Professional leadership is identified as one of the 4 statewide priorities in the FISO Improvement Model.
Research shows that great school leadership can have a significant effect on student outcomes because leadership affects the environment and conditions in which teachers teach and students learn.
Effective school leaders set the vision for their schools and foster the school’s learning culture.
They set high expectations for student achievement, and actively lead and participate in professional learning to build the practice excellence of their staff.
They ensure a safe and orderly learning environment so that teachers and students can focus on learning.
Great leaders determine what teaching expertise and resources are needed to achieve student learning goals and source and allocate them accordingly.
Principals use the FISO Improvement Cycle to combine robust evidence with effective inquiry processes, highlight the school's areas of strength and the areas of existing practice that need improving, and plan the right improvement strategies.
FISO Improvement Cycle
FISO Improvement Cycle
FISO Improvement Cycle
Evaluate and diagnose
Assess performance and progress in student achievement, wellbeing, engagement and productivity:
evaluate the impact of prior effort
diagnose areas requiring attention
record and report current status, resources and baseline
share successes and lessons with other schools
Prioritise and set goals
Prioritise key focus area or areas for improvement:
be clear about what success or impact looks like
set goals and targets
establish indicators to measure improvement
Develop and plan
Plan and develop improvement initiatives with evidence base:
develop whole school teaching and learning program
The FISO Improvement Cycle supports strategic and annual planning, self-evaluation and school review.
Principals play a lead role in evaluating the school’s performance against their 4 year School Strategic Plan (SSP) and Annual Implementation Plans (AIPs), which is tested and validated through a school review. The school review report informs the development of the next SSP.
The SSP outlines the strategic direction for the school, setting 4 year goals and targets and key improvement strategies. AIPs monitor yearly progress against these and includes actions, success criteria and evidence of impact.
This chapter of the Principal Selection Guidelines explains how school improvement is one of the core tasks of a principal's role
