Tutor Learning Initiative

Policy

This policy outlines the operation of the Tutor Learning Initiative (TLI) in Victorian government schools.

Details

The Tutor Learning Initiative (TLI) provides government and low-fee non-government schools with funding to employ tutors to deliver targeted small group learning support to students who need it most.

The focus of the TLI is on the foundational skills of literacy and numeracy, which are critical for success in school and life.

Students selected for support through TLI may have complex learning and other needs. Tutoring through TLI is intended to build upon and be integrated with existing supports as part of a whole-school approach to learning intervention.

The Guidance tab includes information on:

• tutor arrangements – information on the role of a TLI tutor, eligibility criteria to be employed as a tutor and guidance on how schools employ tutors
• student identification – including pre-identification based on NAPLAN performance, and criteria and assessment advice for selecting other students to receive TLI support
• program design – guidance on designing a TLI program, including in-class and out-of-class models, and the frequency of tutoring sessions
• assessment – advice on using a range of assessment tools to monitor student learning growth
• monitoring requirements – guidance on monitoring requirements, including coding of tutors on eduPay and tagging students on CASES21.

Related policies

• Consultation with School Based Staff
• Individual Education Plans (IEPS)
• Industrial Agreements
• Middle Years Literacy and Numeracy Support
• Recruitment in Schools
• Student Resource Package – Targeted Initiatives

Contact

Schools can contact their regional office student achievement managers (SAMs) with queries relating to delivery of the TLI.

In addition to SAMs, schools can direct queries as follows:

• for queries about delivery, contact your school’s education improvement leader (EIL)
• for general queries about the initiative, contact: tutor@education.vic.gov.au
• for queries relating to HR and recruitment, contact Schools Recruitment on: sr.tutor.recruitment@education.vic.gov.au or 1800 641 943
• for queries regarding funding, contact School Financial Management Support Unit: schools.finance.support@education.vic.gov.au
• for information regarding VIT teacher registration for tutors, refer to the Victorian Institute of Teaching
• for queries about the tutor laptops contact: notebook@education.vic.gov.au

Guidance

This guidance includes the following chapters:

• Tutor arrangements
• Student identification
• Program design
• Assessment
• Monitoring requirements

For information about Tutor Learning Initiative funding, please refer to the 2024 student resource package confirmed guide, available at Student Resource Package – Overview: Resources.

Tutoring plays an important role in a school’s teaching and learning program. Using a Response to Intervention (RTI) framework, TLI is categorised as a Tier 2 support, where a targeted intervention is provided for identified students.

As an effective Tier 2 intervention, tutoring:

• addresses identified gaps in students’ learning
• uses evidence-based approaches for teaching.

Tutor arrangements

Tutor role

Tutors are employed by schools to deliver small group learning support, with a focus on literacy and numeracy.

Tutors work closely with teachers and staff to:

• identify a student’s point of need, through diagnostic assessments
• define SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) learning goals (recorded in an approved template) that can be achieved within a short, 5 to 8-week cycle of learning
• implement evidence-based, high-impact teaching strategies to progress learning
• regularly evaluate learning progress via formative assessments.

Tutor qualifications

Tutors must be one of the following:

• a teacher currently registered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT)
• a teacher with VIT Permission to Teach (employed as an education support (ES) class employee)
• a pre-service teacher (employed as an ES class employee) working under the supervision of a registered teacher
• a speech therapist or occupational therapist (employed as an ES class employee) tutoring in specific identified student needs
• a retired teacher who has re-registered with the VIT – retired teachers may contact the VIT for support.

The VIT offers advice about eligibility requirements for tutors. For more information visit Victorian Government Tutor Learning Initiative – Victorian Institute of Teaching.

Employing tutors

Tutor employment arrangements must be consistent with the Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2022 (VGSA 2022) and relevant department employment policies.

Government schools select and recruit tutors to work in their schools using their regular recruitment processes. Schools are supported in their recruitment through the Recruitment Online Portal (ROL) pool of interested tutors. Further information on registering interest through the ROL is provided at the Tutor learning initiative: information for prospective tutors webpage.

Consistent with the VGSA 2022, the school's tutor workforce plan should be developed using the school’s consultative arrangements, including the use of merit processes to ensure the best tutor is selected to meet the needs of identified students. This process applies to both local workforce decisions and ROL tutor processes.

Victorian government schools are not required to advertise tutor positions for the TLI on Recruitment Online. Instead, schools will be able to access the register of interested tutors through the Job Opportunities Pool in ROL to identify and shortlist suitable tutors for recruitment.

In the case that a school would like to appoint an existing employee through their regular, merit-based human resources processes, the school can use a General Ledger (GL) override on eduPay to assign the employee’s tutor portion to TLI code 80026 or action a higher duties assignment to a tutor classification where applicable.

Guidance and resources on the process for tutor appointments are available on Recruitment Online Help for Recruiters (staff login required).

All tutors will be subject to the usual pre-employment check requirements that apply under the Recruitment in Schools guide.

The role and responsibilities of tutors should be defined according to their classification and range. Schools can refer to:

• Role and Responsibilities – Teaching Service: Classroom teachers for tutors employed as teachers
• Education Support Class – Dimensions of Work (PDF) for tutors employed as education support class.

Tutor laptops

Schools can nominate a tutor for a notebook under the Notebooks for School Staff Program in the same way they do for their eligible school staff. Nominations for notebooks are based on a set of eligibility criteria, found on the Notebooks for School Staff Program page.

For any questions regarding notebooks for tutors please refer to Notebooks for School Staff Program – notebook@education.vic.gov.au

Student identification

The Tutor Learning Initiative (TLI) is for students needing additional support with literacy and numeracy.

Students should participate in TLI if they:

• have been identified as ‘needs additional support’ (NAS) or Exempt in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) 2023 in the domain of reading and/or numeracy
• were absent from NAPLAN in 2023, and who, based on other assessments, are demonstrating very low literacy and/or numeracy skills
• were in a year level that did not complete NAPLAN in 2023, but have been identified by other assessments as demonstrating very low literacy and/or numeracy skills.

Schools should use the following resources to identify students:

• English Online Interview (EOI)
• Mathematics Online Interview (MOI)
• Abilities Based Learning and Education Support (ABLES)
• On-Demand Testing in English and Mathematics
• Digital Assessment Library (DAL)
• Reading and Vocabulary Assessment Tool for students with English as an Additional Language (RVEAL)

Schools should notify families of those students selected for participation in tutoring and the support their child will receive. See template correspondence to families at: Information for families – templates.

Schools must keep records of all students receiving TLI support through CASES21. Students identified as NAS in 2023 will be pre-identified by the department in CASES21 as receiving TLI literacy and/or numeracy support. Students who were absent from, or in a year level that did not complete NAPLAN in 2023 will need to be manually recorded in CASES21 by schools as receiving TLI literacy and/or numeracy support.

Program design

Tutors should be working with small groups of students (generally up to 5 students) at a time.

For students to experience accelerated learning growth, evidence suggests that they should ideally participate in three 45-minute small group learning sessions per week, lasting anywhere from 6 to 20 weeks. Some students may benefit from longer term support through the Tutor Learning Initiative. Evidence suggests that tutoring cycles of between 5 to 8 weeks are most effective (E4L 2021; Grattan Institute 2020). Schools can consider the needs of their students, including age or learning difficulties, and their local circumstances when establishing their tutoring timetable.

Tutoring can be delivered in-class, out-of-class, or in a hybrid model. The specific model is a school-based decision.

In-class support can include:

• providing intensive, ongoing small group or individual student learning
• teaching mini lessons to a small group of students (or individual students, where appropriate) to support skills required in the whole-class setting.

Out-of-class support can include:

• students being withdrawn from the classroom for small group or individual learning which has been differentiated to their point of need
• students attending an additional scheduled session for small group or individual learning differentiated to their point of need
• students attending a session immediately prior to a classroom lesson to preview vocabulary, skills or concepts, enabling students to be better prepared to access content.
• students remaining in the classroom during introductory instruction, engaging in application activities in a separate space with the tutor during the middle of the lesson, and returning to class at the conclusion of the lesson to share in whole-class reflection.

Hybrid support combines or adapts the above approaches.

Where sessions take place out-of-class, it is recommended that students do not regularly miss the same subject to ensure continuity of learning across the curriculum.

Schools may choose to use a portion of their TLI funding to appoint a TLI coordinator to oversee the implementation and monitoring of the initiative in their school.

Schools are encouraged to view the following resource to inform their tutoring program: Tutor Learning Initiative – What works? Implementation insights 2022 (DOCX).

Tutor group learning plan

Some students in TLI will have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) which outlines key information including their literacy and numeracy learning goals.

If not all students in a TLI tutoring group have an IEP, then the tutor is required to develop a TLI group learning plan (DOCX) or equivalent to capture the delivery approach and learning goals for each group of students receiving support.

Tutors can of course develop a TLI group learning plan, even if all students have a pre-existing IEP.

Reporting to parents/carers

Schools may include information in the regular written reports to parents/carers about what additional learning support was delivered as part of the TLI program and what student outcomes were achieved.

Schools may also invite tutors to directly contribute to written reports by providing a short comment on:

• a student’s participation and engagement
• information on progress and achievement of learning goals set within the initiative.

For information on general reporting requirements, refer to Reporting Student Achievement and Progress Foundation to 10.

Collaboration

Tutoring occurs within a whole-school approach to learning and wellbeing and it is recommended that, where appropriate, school leaders ensure tutors can consult with other workforces such as:

• Classroom teachers
• Literacy and Numeracy Leaders
• Curriculum Leaders
• Navigator Program staff
• Flexible Learning Option staff
• Koorie Engagement Support Officers
• Multicultural education aides (PDF)
• Program for Students with a Disability staff.

Program reflection

Schools and tutors can use the TLI Implementation Continua (the Continua) (DOCX) to reflect, self-evaluate, and track their progress regarding TLI implementation.

The Continua includes 6 dimensions unpacked across 4 levels of proficiency to support school self-assessment and setting of developmental goals.

The Continua can be used by schools to:

• self-evaluate their current TLI implementation and small group learning practice and understand what improved practice looks like
• engage in reflection, inquiry and conversations about improving TLI implementation.

Assessment

Schools should measure student attainment using a standardised assessment tool at the commencement and the conclusion of the year in which students participate in tutor learning.

Schools are strongly encouraged to use the Adaptive PAT-R (Reading) and Adaptive PAT-M (Mathematics) assessments which are free to government schools in 2024 and can be accessed via the PAT Online Assessment and Reporting System (OARS).

Other high-quality standardised assessment tools recommended for use in the TLI include:

• the Digital Assessment Library (DAL) – schools are strongly encouraged to use the English and Mathematics assessments for Years 2 to 10, developed by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. This includes NEW Mathematics Focus Assessments to support measurement of learning over short teaching cycles
• the English Online Interview (EOI) and the Mathematics Online Interview (MOI) via the Insight Assessment Platform
• Abilities Based Learning and Education Support (ABLES) assessment tools
• Reading and Vocabulary Assessment Tool for students with English as an Additional Language (RVEAL)

The National Numeracy Learning Progressions and National Literacy Learning Progressions are also useful resources to map student's developmental progress.

ACER statewide licence

Schools with existing state-wide accounts in 2023 will have their access automatically renewed fo 2024. Government schools who have not yet signed up to access the free PAT state-wide licence, can sign up at PAT Statewide Licence – Opt-In.

By participating in this license arrangement, you agree to ACER sharing with the department’s Performance and Evaluation Division your school’s student level assessment data, to support evaluation of programs such as the Tutor Learning Initiative.

The adaptive PAT-R and adaptive PAT-M are usually used to compare learning growth over a time interval of 9 to 12 months.

English Online Interview and Mathematics Online Interview

Primary schools are also strongly encouraged to consider having tutors complete the EOI and MOI assessments for TLI students in Foundation, Year 1 and Year 2 before commencing tutoring and again in Term 4.

It is recommended that a different EOI module is used to assess students for a second time in Term 4 because each module uses different reading texts and asks different questions.

The recommended EOI modules for each year level and term are as follows:

Teachers have the flexibility to choose the most appropriate module for their students. This decision should be made balancing the recommendations above with the particular needs of the individual student, with consideration given to the range of difficulty of the tasks and questions in each module.

Monitoring requirements

Schools are required to:

• record tutors on eduPay using the TLI code: 80026. Note that if tutors are being appointed from the school’s existing staff, their tutoring FTE must be re-coded to the TLI code: 80026 using a General Ledger (GL) override on eduPay. Refer to eduPay General Ledger Overrides (PDF) (staff login required) and 2022 Business Manager Webinar (timestamp: 9:48 minutes to 12:40 minutes). For further assistance refer to the eduPay User Guides (staff login required)
• record and update students identified for TLI support by adding TLI tags on CASES21
• utilise an approved template for tutors to record students’ learning goals
• complete implementation surveys.

Schools may be asked to participate in the evaluation of TLI to inform and improve implementation, and to provide evidence of the effectiveness of the initiative.

To monitor implementation of TLI, it is recommended schools use the TLI continua of practice (DOCX).

Resources

Tutor Practice Guide – 2024

The Tutor Practice Guide (PDF) provides targeted advice for teachers and educators working in the Tutor Learning Initiative (TLI). This includes advice on program design, curriculum planning, pedagogy, and assessment.

The guide will also be useful to school leaders, school improvement teams and classroom teachers to ensure tutoring is integrated into the school’s broader teaching and learning program.

Tutor Learning Initiative – 2024 funding

For information about 2024 TLI funding, please refer to the 2024 student resource package confirmed guide, available at Student Resource Package – Overview: Resources.

Professional learning

The department will be publishing an updated link to resources soon.

Key insights from the implementation of the Tutor Learning Initiative

The department commissioned Deloitte Access Economics to evaluate the first year of implementation of the Tutor Learning Initiative in 2021. The evaluation demonstrated many positive impacts of the initiative and the key insights (DOCX) are available for download

Tutor Learning Initiative – What works? Implementation insights

The Tutor Learning Initiative – What works? Implementation insights (DOCX) is designed to support school leaders and tutors to learn more about the positive impact of the TLI in 2021 and ‘what works’ when implementing the initiative. Along with outlining critical factors for success, it also provides an opportunity for school staff to reflect and consider any TLI implementation improvements that they may wish to make in 2024.

TLI implementation Continua

The TLI Implementation Continua (DOCX) (the Continua) is designed to support schools to reflect, self-evaluate, and track their progress towards TLI implementation. The Continua includes 6 dimensions describing the TLI policy parameters and related guidance. Each dimension is unpacked across 4 levels of proficiency to support school self-assessment and setting of developmental goals.

The Continua can be used by schools to:

• self-evaluate their current TLI implementation and small group learning practice and understand what improved practice looks like
• engage in reflection, inquiry and conversations about improving TLI implementation.

Recruitment assistance

Recruitment Online Help for Recruiters (staff login required) includes a training tutorial video, frequently asked questions and instructions on how to search the talent pool and appoint applicants who have expressed interest in employment as a tutor.

Information for families – templates

Schools can choose to use this template letter to families of students that have been identified to receive additional support (DOCX) through the Tutor Learning Initiative.

The templates can be modified to include information about the school’s selected practice approach, frequency of small group tutoring sessions and curriculum focus. Schools should consider whether this letter requires translation into a language other than English or if the English version requires tailoring to best meet their local context and community’s needs.

Useful links

The following resources provide additional advice and context:

• High impact teaching strategies (HITS)
• Literacy Teaching Toolkit
• Mathematics Teaching Toolkit
• Literacy and Numeracy Learning Difficulties Information Guides
• Literacy and English for Koorie students
• English as an Additional Language (EAL)
• Mental Health in Schools
• Student Engagement
• SMART goals guidance
• Formative Assessment – Professional Practice Note 6 (PDF)
• Panorama home page