Schools practice guide

Developing a school strategic plan

Evaluating for continuous

improvement

The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) has produced a series

of practice guides to help school leaders develop and apply quality strategic plans.
This guide is the fourth and final in the series and focuses on evaluating the processes
and outcomes in the strategic plan. View all guides in this series on the AERO website.

Evaluation is central to strategic planning as it

These practice guides relate to the allows you to review what is and isn’t working
Australian Professional Standard on the school improvement journey. There are
for Principals Professional Practices: 2 types of evaluation you should consider:
• Process evaluation examines whether
• Leading improvement, innovation
practices have been applied in the way
and change
they were planned.
• Leading the management of the school.
• Outcome evaluation examines whether
practices are having the desired effect
on student learning.

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Process and outcome evaluation both play How to use process evaluation
key roles at different stages of a strategic plan’s
life cycle. Process evaluation doesn’t need to be complex.
One simple approach is to introduce a traffic
This guide recommends practical steps for
light system that assigns colour ratings based on
evaluating processes for improving practices,
whether practices are delivered to schedule and
as well as the effect of these practices on
in the way they were planned. For example:
student learning.

We recommend reading this guide after A green rating means the outputs expected
you have read the third guide in this series, for a particular practice have been produced
Selecting practices to deliver improvement. or are on track to be produced.

An amber rating means the outputs

expected for a particular practice require
1. Evaluate the process attention to remain on track.

A red rating means the outputs expected

To evaluate whether a practice is being applied for a particular practice aren’t on track.
in the way it was planned, you’ll need to collect
evidence of outputs. Outputs are the products
This will require you to identify in advance the
that result from the improvement process.
outputs that should result when practices are
They can be measured easily – for example,
applied in the way they were planned.
the number of staff that attended a professional
learning session or the number of students that Example traffic light rating system
participated in a universal screening assessment. for process evaluation

Table 1 provides an example of how a simple traffic

light rating system could be used to evaluate the
process for achieving a goal and target.
• Goal: To increase the proportion of Year 6
students performing above the achievement
standard for algebra.
• Target: A 20% increase in the proportion
of Year 6 students performing above the
achievement standard for algebra by
Term 4 2024.

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Table 1: Example traffic light rating system for process evaluation

Output status
Expected (traffic light
Action When output rating) Process evaluation notes

Design and facilitate Term 1, All teachers By the end of Week 4,

a 3-part professional Week attend each 81% of teachers have
learning workshop series 2 to 4 professional completed this professional
for all teachers, based learning learning series. Catch-up
on setting clear and workshop. sessions are required for
measurable learning part-time staff who weren’t
objectives and success working on days workshops
criteria. were held.

Establish professional Term 1, All teachers By the end of Week 9,

learning communities Week participate in 100% of teachers have
based on setting clear 5 to 9 a professional participated in a professional
and measurable learning learning learning community.
objectives and success community.
Flexibility in weekly
criteria.
professional learning
community meeting times
enabled part-time staff to
still participate fully.

Mathematics learning Term 1, Learning Curriculum materials

area teachers: Week objectives and for algebra now contain
5 to 9 success criteria learning objectives
• document learning
are documented and success criteria
objectives and success
and referred to for every lesson.
criteria for each lesson
in all lessons.
focused on algebra1 Observations of algebra
• refer to learning lessons in each year level
objectives and success indicate learning objectives
criteria throughout the and success criteria aren’t
lesson, particularly yet consistently referred
when achieved. to throughout lessons.

= completed or on track = require attention to remain on track = not on track

The actions listed in this example are not exhaustive of everything a school may need to consider to
achieve the related goal.

1 Based on Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum.

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When to use process evaluation How to use outcome evaluation

Process evaluation is useful in the early stages Before you can evaluate the effect of a practice
of delivery. At this stage, it can: on student learning, you’ll need to ensure you’ve
specified the student learning outcomes you’re
• provide early indications that a practice is being
trying to achieve.
applied as intended
• assess the appropriateness of delivery steps Outcomes are similar to targets in that they both
describe a desired level of measurable change in
• provide early warnings for problems that may
student learning. However, outcomes capture more
occur during delivery.
micro and incremental changes in learning that will
For practices with delivery periods that run over ultimately contribute to a more macro target.
an extended period (such as in multi-year plans),
Examples of the difference between a target
process evaluation also assists with ongoing
and an outcome
efficiency of intended actions.
Take the example target from the first guide of
this series:
Key considerations
Process evaluation is not a measure of student A 20% increase in the proportion of Year 6
learning. It’s possible for an improvement process students performing above the achievement
to be delivered as intended and produce the standard for algebra, by Term 4 2024
anticipated outputs to schedule without improving
student learning. For this reason, you must couple A more micro outcome that, if achieved, will
process evaluation with outcome evaluation. contribute to this overall target, could be:

A 20% increase in the proportion of

2. Evaluate the outcome Year 6 students performing above the

achievement standard for finding unknown
on student learning values in numerical equations involving
multiplication and division using the
To evaluate whether a practice is having the properties of numbers and operations,2
desired effect on student learning, you’ll need by Term 2 2024.
to collect evidence of outcomes. Outcomes are
captured in student learning data and should
consider both achievement and growth. Key data When to use outcome evaluation
sources that capture evidence of student learning
are identified in the first guide in this series, Outcome evaluation should occur when sufficient
Setting goals and targets for student learning. time has passed for staff to have reasonably
adjusted to a new practice and for the changes
in practice to influence student learning.

This will differ from practice to practice, based on

the amount of time staff need to learn how to use
a practice effectively.

2 Australian Curriculum (Version 9) content descriptor AC9M5A02.

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Key considerations
Evaluation as a shared learning opportunity
It’s important to be realistic about the time required
Participation in evaluation activities helps
for a change in practice to translate into a change
staff collectively understand how their
in student learning. Developing incremental and
practice influences student learning and
sequenced outcomes that show a gradual and
contributes towards their school achieving
realistic change in student learning can help
its goals.
with this.
Before you enact a plan, it can be helpful
At times – namely, earlier in the use of a practice –
to set up a team responsible for evaluating
it may be more appropriate for outcomes to describe
continuous improvement. This could
a measurable change in a proxy that precedes a
include a mix of school leaders, teachers
change in student learning. Proxies can include
and education support staff, and should
teacher beliefs, knowledge or skills, or student beliefs
involve those accountable for delivery
(sometimes referred to as attitudes) or engagement.
within the plan.
Data sources that capture evidence of proxies are The evaluation team should set a schedule
identified in the first guide of this series (these are of meetings over the course of the year
referred to as ‘supplementary’ data sources). based on when evidence is available to
If you choose to include proxies that don’t relate measure outputs and student learning
directly to student learning, do so sparingly, and outcomes. Findings that emerge from
ensure there is a robust evidence-based theory evaluation conversations should be
that describes how the proxy you’ve identified is a communicated back to all staff and, if
precursor to student learning. For example, if you appropriate, the wider school community.
select a proxy focused on changes in staff collective Protocols should be established for what
efficacy (measured through a staff perception to do when outputs are evaluated as not
survey), you need to have a high degree of familiarity on track, requiring attention to remain on
with and confidence in the evidence base that track, or not fully met. This should include
shows that an increase in staff collective efficacy determining why a practice has not been
influences an increase in student outcomes. applied in the way it was intended or
did not have the anticipated effect on
Further, you should use this evidence base to
student learning. Focus should then be
inform when it’s reasonable to stop relying on
directed towards actions for getting back
the proxy as an indicator of change, and start
on track. Genuine and direct professional
directly measuring changes in student learning.
conversations grounded in data and
This is important because even when you have
evidence facilitate this process.
a high degree of familiarity and confidence in
the evidence base that describes how the proxy All staff responsible for delivering
you have identified is a precursor to student improvements within the strategic plan
learning, changes in a proxy don’t guarantee that should have a clear understanding of how
changes in student learning will follow. Once the and when evaluation activities will occur,
minimum amount of time has passed for changes even if they don’t participate directly in
in learning to be observable, you’ll need to stop the evaluation team.
measuring the proxy, and start measuring student
learning outcomes.

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3. Evaluating progress Summary considerations

toward planned goals for evaluating for
and targets continuous improvement
In addition to conducting process and outcome • Do staff have a shared understanding of
evaluation during a strategic plan’s life cycle, what will be evaluated and why?
it’s also critical to set aside sufficient time after
• Are you clear on what outputs will result from
completing the plan to summatively evaluate
actions taken to deliver improvements?
whether you have reached targets and achieved
the associated goals. • Have you sequenced outcomes, and factored
in the time required for a change in practice
If enough progress hasn’t been made towards to translate into a change in student learning?
goals, it’s important to identify why, so that this
• How often is the designated evaluation team
can inform future decisions related to strategic
meeting to evaluate progress towards desired
planning. When targets have been met, it’s equally
outputs and outcomes? Are the right people
important to understand what contributed to this
attending these meetings? Are they scheduled
success. Which practices had the greatest impact,
at the right intervals?
and why? How can this inform the next strategic
plan? Findings from process and outcome • Have you established protocols on what to do
evaluation during a strategic plan’s life cycle will when outputs or outcomes aren’t met, to help
provide insights you can draw on when reflecting the delivery process get back on track?
on these important questions. • If you achieve an outcome, are you confident
that you will reach the associated target, and
by doing so, achieve the goal?

Finally, don’t forget to recognise the work

everyone in the school has done by celebrating
your success!

To provide feedback on this guide or view further information, including full references and additional
resources, visit AERO’s website.

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