High Expectations
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Improving student outcomes in literacy for students in the middle years of schooling
Principals and school leaders
Teachers
High expectations of all learners involves:
all teachers taking an active role in supporting and monitoring students' progress in literacy
communicating expectations about literacy achievement levels for all students
providing students with intellectual challenge.
Principals and school leaders
High expectation of all learners is in evidence when school leaders:
involve all teachers in taking an active role in supporting students' improvement in literacy development
consistently and transparently communicate high expectations of student achievements in literacy
promote professional dialogue in response to evidence-based research on what works for students with learning difficulties
direct and support teachers to recognise and support diversity in student learning to ensure that all students experience success in literacy and meet challenging learning outcomes in academic, creative and other pursuits.
Examples
Facilitating and maintaining continuous and responsive professional dialogue to set targets for improved student literacy outcomes comparable to school, regional and system-wide targets for student achievement levels in literacy.
consistently communicating high expectations for students' improved literacy outcomes to the school community, including:
consistently modelling exemplary curriculum leadership skills within a whole school performance and development culture
setting goals for challenging and realistic targets for improved student outcomes in literacy
establishing policies and practices which emphasise the importance of improved literacy outcomes to students
establishing policies and practices which emphasise the importance of improved literacy outcomes to students
developing and maintaining policies which protect instructional time
encouraging and supporting staff members to establish and monitor high expectations of themselves as leaders and teachers, taking shared responsibility for improved student outcomes in literacy.
Ensuring that all teachers have knowledge of second language acquisition and appropriate learning and teaching approaches and programs.
Consistently identifying, planning for, monitoring and reporting on student outcomes in literacy aligned to:
the school's vision
the schools' strategic plan
diverse community perspectives of high expectations
Questions for school leaders:
To what extent do your school's policies and practices emphasise the importance of improving literacy outcomes?
To what extent do the Key Improvement Strategies in the School Implementation Plan adequately reflect the value placed on improving literacy?
Teachers
High expectation of all learners is in evidence when teachers:
articulate a belief that all students can achieve improved literacy achievement levels
guide students to identify and focus on their abilities and to build on these to achieve progress in literacy
understand the relationship between literacy and learning and have high expectations for the improved literacy achievement levels of all students
access and analyse school-level and student-level data to use for planning for and monitoring optimal literacy learning opportunities for all students across all essential learning strands
establish appropriate expectations for improved levels of literacy achievement and ensure that these are clearly and consistently communicated to all students
encourage and support all students to set high personal learning goals which will progress their learning
Examples:
Assuming and articulating that all learners can and will achieve improved outcomes in literacy, coupled with high expectations of success that are broken into achievable stages that are explicitly taught.
Articulating that learning is individualised and developmental, emphasising that what students can do is the premise for building and sustaining improved student outcomes in literacy.
Ensuring that what is being learned makes sense to the learner and generating an understanding of both its utilitarian and intrinsic value.
Consistently communicating realistic but firm expectations for all students to complete negotiated and purposeful literacy tasks through respectful and responsible learning and teaching interactions.
Consistently using differentiated teaching approaches and multi-modal resources to support and challenge students' identified leaning needs and interests so that they can:
think critically
work collaboratively
use and develop higher order thinking skills.
Inviting and supporting students to take increased responsibility for their own learning experiences to:
develop increased use of metacognitive strategies
increase engagement levels and intrinsic motivation for learning.
Questions for teachers:
How do you guide your students to identify and focus on their abilities and to build on these to achieve progress in literacy?
What metacognitive strategies do you teach your students to use to support them to take responsibility for their own learning?