Some basic principles, beliefs or assumptions to develop school Documentation

• The need for schools to develop systems able to continually adapt to a environment of continual change. The idea of 'living' or 'organic' documents
• The best model for future schools is that of a community based on shared values, expectations and trust
• That schools can customise ideas others develop to suit their own situations - we see no need for each school to 'reinvent the wheel'.
• The focus of our approach is to return the focus back onto the teaching and learning process. We feel that the past few years has been too occupied with compliance, administration and management
• At the heart of our system are the development of values and teaching beliefs that we believe will lead to quality teaching and learning. The key document will be the School Vision/Values and Teaching Beliefs. Key phrases will be included in all school documentation. They will create a moral obligation for all involved in the school.
• Groups of local schools could work together using such a model to share resources, ideas to their mutual educational and financial benefit
• As we see the model as an organic one that will be continually unfolding and changing as circumstances require, this concept needs to be included In all the systems we develop. All documentation needs to be seen as 'living' - continually able to be modified.
• At the same time we need to ensure all compliance requirements are met. To References to available documents that assist in this area need to be included.
• Everything should be simple, manageable , useful and interesting to read (the 'wow' factor)

1. Simple documents that can be seen as templates for schools to modify and customise to suit their own circumstances.
   
   
2. The National Education Guidelines (The Governments Vision for education) will be integrated into Vision Statements. There is no real argument with the philosophical statements expressed in the NEGs. Many of the NEG aims have been lost in the managerial process schools have been forced to comply with.
   
   
3. The number one priority is to develop School Charters/Vision as living documents. This vision will underpins decisions taken at the school. Many current Charters have been reduced to irrelevant documents. Many school Mission Statements and other documents hold no real meanings for teachers, students or parents.

   Below is the vision process:
   
   

   • Vision - to give direction for all decisions
   • Values - to base behaviours on (moral alignment/compass)
   • Clear Expectations - so all know what to do so as they be trusted and can self- reference their actions and ensure consistency (basis for PMS system)
   • Leadership (by everyone but particularly the Principal) - to keep all 'on course'
   • Teamwork - shared energy and intelligence for the common good
   • Continual quality improvement - a 'mindset' for all involved in the school
   
   The emphasis is on 'culture' and trust not structure or compliance
   The process to develop a simple Vision should involve all school 'stakeholders' so they all can articulate what it stands for. Included with this Vision will be Shared Values and 'core' Teaching Beliefs.
   
   
4. From the above Vision and Values each school could develops small readable Charters for Students, Parents and Staff. The Student Charter could be used during enrolment and included in self-assessment/reporting procedures. The Staff Charter could be included in the Performance Management System - the Parent one used during enrolment etc. These Charters will clarify behaviours the school wants to 'encourage' so as to realise the Vision.
   
   
5. Policies are legal requirements that have in previous years diverted much energy of the BOT. Schools should focus on complying with the minimum l number of policies legally required. We will make use of the booklet written by Helen Jackman (Wellington College of Educ) 'Obligations and Responsibilities for BOTs'. This provides the basic Policies and suggestions for important procedures. In too many school the procedures have become policies and thus need to be formally reviewed each year. This is unnecessary - procedures need to be reviewed as necessary or all at once at the end of the policy review cycle.
   
   
6. Curriculum Delivery. NAG 1 (a) and (b). Each school could develop a set of Teaching and Learning Beliefs to indicate how the school is to 'deliver the curriculum'. The Teaching Beliefs headings (taken from the Ministry Performance Management Documents) could also act as the Job Description and, when each heading is expanded, also become the Performance Agreement. It is an option for schools to include the Professional Standards in the relevant sections if this is felt by the individual school to be appropriate.
   The Teaching Beliefs will be seen as the Key Document to deliver the intent of the School Vision/Charter. The process will allow each school to add or delete specific strategies (the 'we wills') as necessary in line with the 'living' or 'organic' approach. These need to be reasonably detailed so expectations are clear enough to allow focused staff self- assessment and professional development.
   
   
7. The Teaching Beliefs outlines how the school is to 'deliver the Curriculum' to give all students 'success' as required in the 'revised NAGs'. Each school will also create, as required, a simple Literacy Vision as a subset of the school Vision/Mission. Something similar will also be required for Numeracy. These visions will be placed in the Curriculum Delivery Booklet/File/Folder
   
   
8. Each school, for the remainder of the Learning Areas, to write a simple Vision statement outlining the schools approach in each area to provide for 'success'. These also could be placed in the Curriculum Folder. This will be an opportunity for schools to indicate the value each they wish to place on each Learning Area.
   How extensive information on each Learning Area should be needs to be determined by each school. Two alternatives might be considered. One to include extensive material in the Curriculum Folder the other alternative is to have a separate Learning Areas Folders as 'back up'.
   Currently schools use a formats provided by Massey CED or Waikato Univ Support Services, which appear to be repetitious. There is a need to write material that covers strategies and common approaches to cover all Learning Areas - writing only for each area material that is specific to that area. Most of the common approaches will have already been included in the Teaching Framework.
   
   
9. An 'organic' or 'living' model for curriculum planning needs to be developed. A model that gives teachers guidance as to topics to be studied but also allows individual teachers freedom to select their own studies needs to be developed . One idea is to develop a system that asks teacher to plan a range of studies, taken from their 'prior experience', to give students 'success' for the year in any given Learning Area and then to arrange them under the various strands. At this point Curriculum documents would then be referred to to fill in any gaps. This would become the 'intended' curriculum. At the end of the year teachers would have to formally document exactly what was covered (the 'actual' curriculum) This actual coverage to be passed onto the next teacher and also be kept so the school can assure that a balance of strands have been covered. Curriculum delivery is a real problem at present - programming is too prescriptive and linear and does not allow for teacher creativity and spontaneity. The above is a way to solve the problem. It is important to do fewer things well so that the skills and attitude of learning ( the dispositions), the 'how to learn', are as important as the learning objectives. Current emphasis on covering objectives has not only been counter productive but also time consuming. There seems no point in tracking sheets.
   Thought needs to be given as how to plan a years units to: cover the Learning Areas considering our belief in depth; and the NAGs need to give 'success' and to develop students interests etc. There is only time for 2/3 units a term. There is some need to have topics 'dedicated' to specific Learning Areas but many Learning Areas can be covered by well thought out Integrated Studies
   There is also a need to clarify classroom management expectations to ensure 'focussed teaching'. These need to be mentioned in the Teaching Framework and Teaching Learning Strategies (Point 11 ).
   
   
10. NAG 1 (part 2 and 3)
    There is a need to define the principals underpinning the schools approach to Assessment. Material written by Terry Crooks and Lester Flockton provide guidance. Assessment needs to be useful, simple and lead to real change. Schools need to be careful they don't over assess or assess the wrong things. What schools value and want our parent communities want will determine our assessment position.
    In particular (as indicated in the 'revised NAGs) schools will have to define their position on assessment in Literacy and Numeracy, particularly with regard to students who are identified as not achieving, or who are at risk and our Maori students.
    There will be a need to indicate how schools are going to assess in the other Learning Areas.
    Schools will also need to define how they are going to assess/review the various curriculum areas.
    Schools will also need to negotiate a small range of indicators to report on to the community and Board. These will need to kept 'basic' with a focus on literacy and numeracy with other areas covered on a 'rolling' basis? See Self Review.
    
    
11. NAG (PART 4) Teaching and Learning Strategies to address as above identified students. Teaching and learning strategies will be a major section of the Teaching Beliefs Document bu it would be appropriate for each school to document in more detail important school strategies that make the school special e.g.
    
    
    • Goal setting and self assessment
    • Setting of self assessment criteria
    • 'A1 Standards' - expectations at each level and quality presentation standards
    • Focussed Teaching
    • Class management and focussed group teaching
    • Making the 'right choice'
    
    
12. NAG (Part 5) Consultation with Maori Community. As part of our consultation to develop our Vision schools will have begun this ongoing process. Maori parents will be in line with what we as teachers wish to do but that ensuring we have real partnership and sharing of the problems and solutions is very important. This applies to all parents.
    
    
13. NAG (Part 6). In regard to developing in older students vocational awareness this will be included in the Teaching Framework as it is the schools role to develop all students potential talents. The introduction of Multiple Intelligences will assist in developing future vocational talents. It is important to help each student, at any level, see the future relevance of any learning activity or skill. Developing a 'future orientation' will be an important aspect in our framework.
    
    
14. NAG 2 (1). Strategy Planning. In line with an 'organic' philosophy strategic planning is seen more as 'strategic intentions'. There is a need to develop a system that is able to continually introduce new ideas to be considered without unnecessary judgement As ideas are introduced and completed they would be dated.
    
    
15. A process needs to be developed to allow the BOT members and the teaching team develop a range of strategies to achieve each of the school goals. Goals will be listed alongside the appropriate NAGs number with one exception - one goal will to be make all aware of the Vision and Values of the school. Some strategies will be included as part of every years Annual Operational Plan while others will be 'one- off' actions.
    Currently most Strategic Plans are written on a 'grid' format reaching out three years or more. A linear pattern may be preferable so ideas can be inserted as required - this aligns with the 'living' concept. There is no need to plan in detail other than for the current year except for major projects.
    
    
16. NAG 2 (1) Self Review. Self Review is to be seen as the need to develop a continual improvement 'mindset' by all involved in the school. Everyone needs to be encouraged to continually ask themselves ' What would I do differently next time?'
    
    
    • Some ways of assessing how the school is seen by the community on a range of indicators (some different ones each year?) needs to be developed.
    • Teaching Strategies (including the Principal) could be reviewed 'officially' during the PMS system. The schools development could be assessed by evaluating how well each teacher is achieving the school Teaching Beliefs (PMS). These could be assessed by each team by aggregating data. School or individual professional development can be targeted to remedy any areas of need. These appraisals are also to be seen as a means to share and celebrate with the BOT teacher initiatives for self development.
    • Student progress. Indicators will need to be developed focussing on the students, or groups of students, identified at risk. The teaching team(s) will need to be able to show the BOT evidence of how targeted groups of students have improved. There is a need to ensure this assessment data is kept focussed and useful. Schools will have to develop systems to report to the community on individuals identified 'at risk' including special needs and Maori students.
    • School Policies will be on a review cycle as will Learning Areas ( although this will be covered during teacher appraisal).
    
    Findings from the above material can be delivered to the community by an Annual Report using a process developed by the principal and the BOT chairperson.
    
    
17. NAG 3 The Performance Management System will ensure that the Vision, Staff Behaviours Charter and teaching are implemented and appropriate professional development undertaken. The PMS system has been explained in point 6.
    
    
18. NAG 5 . Providing a safe emotional and physical environment is the responsibility of each BOT. The Vision, Charters and Teaching beliefs (Framework) are an integral aspect of this NAG requirement. This NAG is not just about a safe physical environment as it is often interpreted as.

1. A Vision/Charter Folder - all the following Folders will be introduced with the School Vision and Values. Schools will need to develop a Vision etc.
   
   
2. A BOT Handbook. Appropriate aspects of Vision and Charters
   
   • School description Environmental/demographic trends etc
   • Plus BOT responsibilities
   • Policies and procedures
   • Strategic Plan
   • Annual Operational Plan
   • Teaching Framework - at least the Job Description Headings
   • Assessment procedures and student reporting procedures
   • Curriculum Delivery Statements - including Literacy/Numeracy Vision
   • School Self Review Process
   • NAGs
   • Code of Conduct
   • School A-Z procedures.
   
   
3. Policy/Procedure Folder
   
   
4. Teacher Curriculum Delivery Book - 'the book'! The 'School Scheme'
   Will include:
   • Vision Values etc
   • Teaching Framework (this is also Job description and PMS)
   • Literacy and Numeracy Visions
   • Curriculum Delivery - School position on other Learning Areas.
   • Particular Teaching Strategies (referred to in Framework)
   • Assessment procedures
   • Teacher alignment and professional accountability (PMS)
   • Curriculum Planning of units System
   • School A-Z of Procedures.
   
   (There will be the need for other book references that expand teaching strategies etc plus normal teaching resources).
   
   
5. Strategic Plan and Annual Plan - see material on Strategic Planning above
   
   
6. Self Review - how the school is going to do self review. See Self -Review above