5. The Preparation Meeting
Planning for an effective school review
The Preparation Meeting is a designated step in the new school review process. It is singled out in this way because it produces high stakes outcomes that ensure a productive review process.
The Preparation Meeting isolates time for the principal, reviewer and the senior education improvement leader (SEIL) to:
- plan how they will structure the validation day to unpack learnings from the school’s pre-review self-evaluation (PRSE)
- reach deeply into classrooms to elicit information about teaching and learning across the school.
The Preparation Meeting provides an opportunity to identify the most relevant information for panel members to conduct validation day. The Preparation Meeting process ensures the panel can pay close attention to how the school engages students and supports student achievement.
The Preparation Meeting is significant because it acknowledges and values contributions to the PRSE process and PRSE Report made by the school community. The Preparation Meeting carefully considers how to amplify the impact of their contributions during the review.
Key outputs and outcomes from the preparation meeting are:
- a shared understanding of the roles of principal, reviewer and SEIL in the review
- an agenda and methodology for Validation Day, including a schedule for the classroom observations
The Preparation Meeting is held at the school at least two weeks before Validation Day.
-
Principal
- Communicate with the school community about the upcoming review through avenues such as the school newsletter, assemblies and staff meetings
- Provide the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) minimum standards for school registration documentation to the reviewer electronically (for example, through a zip file from the Strategic Planning Online Tool (SPOT)) at least 4 weeks before the review
- Send the PRSE Report and supporting evidence to the other members of the Review Panel at least 4 weeks before the review (from Term 2, the PRSE Report and supporting evidence will be accessed using the SPOT)
SEIL
- Endorse the PRSE Report
Principal and SEIL
- Collaborate to select challenge partners
Reviewer, principal and SEIL
- Book tentative dates for known number of review days. A base number will be known before Validation Day. Up to 3 additional days could be allocated on Validation Day if Panel members determine this is necessary
Reviewer
- Start a desktop audit of school’s VRQA minimum standards for school registration documentation
-
Principal, SEIL and reviewer
- Discuss roles and responsibilities
- Co-develop a Validation Day agenda based on the example agenda
- Co-develop a schedule for validation day classroom observations/focus groups ensuring the schedule represents a broad cross-section of the school
-
Principal
- Organise logistical arrangements for Validation Day, including meeting rooms and catering
- Ensure timetabling allows time out of the classroom for participants, including for the School Improvement Team (SIT) and students who will contribute to focus groups. Communicate to teachers the purpose and arrangements for classroom observations.
School Review Panel
- Familiarise themselves with the PRSE Report and any other school data and evidence provided
- Begin to record questions, wonderings, highlights prompted by the information provided
Information about current student outcomes and prevailing school practices must be collected systematically and reliably. It is not possible to draw meaningful conclusions about improvements in outcomes or practices if this initial information is unreliable.
Developing the Validation Day agenda
The example Validation Day agenda below indicates how time may be allocated to ensure all aspects are covered in sufficient depth. Principals, SEILs and reviewers are encouraged to tailor the agenda to the school’s needs by including specifying when and how students, school community members and the SIT will be engaged.
| Time | Activity | Lead | In attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:30 | Welcome
| Principal | School Review Panel – core members and challenge partners |
| 8:35 | Purpose of review
| Reviewer | School Review Panel – core members and challenge partners |
| 8:45 | Explore performance against previous School Strategic Plan
| Reviewer | School Review Panel – core members challenge partners SIT and students (for relevant sections) |
| 10:15 | Parameters of classroom observations/focus groups:
| Reviewer | School Review Panel – core members and challenge partners |
| 10:30 | Morning tea | ||
| 10:45 | Classroom observations and student focus groups
| Core School Review Panel members and challenge partners | School Review Panel – core members and challenge partners *Students likely to be involved as part of a focus group |
| 11:45 | Report back
| Reviewer | School Review Panel – core members and challenge partners |
| 12:30 | Lunch | ||
| 1:00 | Continua and additional review days
| Core School Review Panel members | School Review Panel – core members and challenge partners |
| 2:30 | Terms of reference for the review Develop terms of reference focus questions and methodology | Reviewer | School Review Panel – core members and challenge partners |
| 4:30 | Close |
Reviewed 21 February 2023