Personalised Learning Plans Presentation

							Personalised Learning Plans in NSW


In 2004 the NSW Government conducted a Review
 of Aboriginal Education

As a result of this review 72 recommendations were
 documented

The development of Personalised Learning Plans
 was on of these recommendations
                                Goal of the
                   Review of Aboriginal Education NSW
         By 2012, Aboriginal student outcomes will match or better
               outcomes of the broader student population


Effective Teaching                                    Effective Learning


                             Quality Teaching
  Intellectual quality
                                                        Quality learning
    Deep knowledge        Aboriginal Education            environment
  Deep understanding
                                 Policy               Explicit quality criteria
      Problematic
                                                           Engagement
       knowledge
                                                        High expectations
  Higher-order thinking             PLPs                 Social support
     Metalanguage
                                                         Students’ self-
                                                            regulation
                              Significance              Student direction
                          Background knowledge
                            Cultural knowledge
                           Knowledge integration
                                 Inclusivity
                             Connectedness
                                  Narrative
              Workshop Activity

In your table groups list:

 On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate where your
 school is at with the implementation of PLPs?

Three positive things about PLPs

Three challenging things about PLPs
Is there a difference between PLPs and
                IEP/ILPs?
 IEP/ILP                      PLP
 Data analysis                Student engagement
 LST                          Planning process
 Goals, strategies            Goals, strategies
 Health plans                 Parent, student, teacher meetings
 Funding                      Ongoing process
                               Stakeholders
 Review meetings
                               Culturally appropriate
 Parent meetings
                               Student ownership of learning
 Ongoing process
                               Teachers understanding of
 Stakeholders
                                Aboriginal Australia
 Evaluation and monitoring
                               Knowledge of student/family
 Student engagement            backgrounds
 Learning Support Team        Monitoring
A personalised approach to learning will:
• Ensure Aboriginal student engagement in education

• Provide support to personalise learning outcomes for Aboriginal students

• Develop and foster the home/school partnership

• Ensure there is an agreed on-going process between key stakeholders

• Foster a strong sense of personal identity as successful learners and
  Aboriginal students

• Aboriginal students are engaged in learning that is personally rewarding

• All stakeholders can collaborate and strive to meet the educational needs of
  Aboriginal students

• Require review meetings on a regular basis
PLPs ensure learning activities are appropriate to
         the students’ learning needs.

 •   Teachers and parents know that in education one size does not fit all.

 •   Students have individual strengths, needs and aspirations, and PLPs will
     assist us to support and guide students in their learning, achievements
     and goals.

 •   The evidence is clear on what works in education:
            Having high expectations of students
            High quality teachers
            Parental engagement

 •   A school culture that promotes and celebrates student achievements and
     opens up opportunities for students is essential for the effective learning
     of all students

 •   Students are engaged with, and have a real voice in their learning.
   Effective PLPs...........

are based on relationships
           and
engage parents and carers
  Parents and carers of Aboriginal students want….
• Teachers to have an awareness and understanding of cultural
  issues impacting on Aboriginal students in their class

• High expectations for their children

• Their children engaged in their learning and making connections
  with learning and life experiences

• A positive school/home partnership

• Their children valued and to learn in a supportive and
  challenging learning environment

• Learning to be explicit and systematic
   PLPs provide Aboriginal students with ownership of
 their learning and enhance their ability to achieve high
                    quality outcomes.

• Students need to know why, and have an understanding that,
  their learning matters

• Students need to see the connections between learning and
  themselves as an individual

• Teachers need to ensure that lessons are linked to prior
  knowledge, cultural backgrounds, families and communities

• Teachers need to have a knowledge of the students cognitive,
  social and cultural background

• There must be positive interaction between the student and
  the teacher
Things a teacher needs to consider for PLPs
• Student details e.g. family background, attendance, awards, class, home
  contacts, welfare/discipline issues

• PLPs are an exercise in getting to know students and their families

• The PLP process involves a sharing of intent, expectation and aspiration

• Medical information: allergies, asthma, vision, hearing etc.

• Access to student support e.g. In Class Tutor, Behaviour Support, STL, AEO

• Ensure the PLP is a user friendly document

• Providing parents with prior knowledge of what the PLP process involves and
  why it is important for their child to have a PLP

• Quality Teaching = Quality results for all
                Classroom
 Curriculum                    Strategic
                  Agency
                               Planning




                Improved
Culture         Learning        Leadership
Respect                            Shared
                Outcomes




  Pathways
                               Health and
  Transitions   Community
                               Wellbeing
     E.C.        Partnership
Relationships    Walking with
                 Community
                 Collaborative
                   Cultural
                  Knowledge        Leadership
and
                   Modelling        Shared

                 Respect – know
                the students and
Identity          their families
Relationships
    and
  Identity

 Knowledge
 Curriculum
 Employment
 Agreements




 Community
Partnerships
          Awareness to
          Competency     Relationships
          Curriculum
Culture   perspectives
                                and
Respect   Traditional/
          Contemporary
          Protocols
                           Identity
      Classroom
       Agency




 Cultural Competency
   High Expectations
Collaborative Curriculum
      Development
Knowledge of Child and
     Community
   (engagement)
         PLP’s


 Relationships and
      Identity
      PLP Pre-Implementation Phase!
 Form a PLP school team to investigate PLP’s
 Establish commitment of the school community (may need to consider
    Aboriginal Cultural Respect Training for stakeholders)
   Provide professional development training regarding PLP’s for staff,
    students and community
   Professional learning of staff in the interview technique (importance of
    ‘wait time’), developing trust, team building and the PLP process
   Investigate and develop organisational structure, focusing on
    leadership, sustainability, relief, accommodation, storage systems etc.
   Canvas and select appropriate learning advisors/mentors
   Identify where to access support, resources, information, community
    personnel
   The principal needs to believe that PLPs are important – leadership is
    pivotal to the success of the PLP process!
   Don’t rush the introduction of PLPs – take your time and ensure that
    they will work!!!!!!!!!!
            PLP Implementation Phase!
 What do we want out of our parent/student/teacher interviews?
 Where does the qualitative data sit?
 How do we format the PLPs? (electronically, files, access)
 How and when will meetings be arranged?
 PLPs need to focus on positives and strengths of students!
 How will we deal with students having no goals, strange goals,
    unrealistic goals?
   Develop a code of conduct for students, parents and staff!
   How public is this document?
   How often are the PLPs reviewed and how will this be organised?
   Plan celebration times for students who achieve personal best!
   Initially take the easiest path e.g. target successful students and
    parents who will be involved – you don’t want this to fail!!!!
   What happens to the PLP? e.g. transitioning to high school etc.
   PLP Post-Implementation Phase!
• Identify the associated initiatives that may compliment PLPs:
      Reporting formats!
      Parent/teacher evenings where PLPs can be discussed!
      3 way conferencing format – reports, P & T evenings
      Community celebration
• Evaluation format – How do we know PLPs are working?
      Qualitative short term observational and survey data
      Quantitative long term statistics (internal and external trends)

• Plan for sustainability through leadership capacity, resourcing,
  skills development and a commitment to continual
  improvement
• Schools need to develop a PLP process that suits their school
  ‘One size does not fit all’
• PLPs will, and need to, evolve!
In a nutshell…..
 The process has to be positive and achievable
 It must be non-threatening for parents and students and not a burden for
  teachers
 Don’t get caught up in to much educational jargon or student data, it’s the
  relationship building which is most important
 Determine and agree on 2 maybe 3 achievable goals
 Document information which is disclosed during the interview/s
 Respect cultural perspectives
 Identify strategies for parents, the school and the student to strengthen the
  partnership/relationship
 Document the process
 Monitor and evaluate the process
 Keep parents informed of what is happening in their child’s learning
        The Ashmont Public School

 Ashmont PS is a PP3 in Wagga Wagga, NSW

 School population of 340 with 138 Aboriginal students

 One fulltime AEO and 2 AEWs

 Low socio-economic area and the school is on the
 Priority Schools Program
 Schools in Partnership – 2006 to 2009
               Ashmont Public School
                  PLP Experience

PLPs 2006
• Trial implementation
• 6 students selected from each class
• 3 Aboriginal and 3 non-Aboriginal students

PLPs 2007
• Full implementation
• All students involved in the process

PLPs 2008
• Full implementation
• All students involved in the process
                   Our Successes!
 Building genuine partnerships with our community
 Breaking down barriers
 Maintaining high expectations of student learning
 Positive teacher professional dialogue
 Identifying areas of student need
 Establishing student specific teaching and learning
    strategies
   Aligning all key stakeholders
   Lowering student absence rates
   Aligning personalised learning with focuses on Quality
    Teaching
   Greater focus on teacher professional development
                     Our Successes!
 Providing opportunities on a regular basis to continue
    strengthening the rapport between the school and
    community
   Engaging parents at meetings and other school activities
   Aboriginal student outcomes in literacy and numeracy
    have improved and are above the state average for
    Aboriginal students (BST 2007 and NAPLAN 2008)
   Teachers talking informally to parents outside school
    hours at extra curricular activities e.g. weekend football
   Staff talking more positively about students
   Improving communication between school and home
   Flexibility
                       Challenges!
 Convincing all staff that PLPs are worthwhile
 Communicating the PLP philosophy to all stakeholders
 Whole of staff professional development on the PLP process and
  interview strategies
 Identifying and developing the Learning Advisors (high schools)
 Maintaining the enthusiasm of both the parents and staff
 Running to a schedule
 Time for teachers to fit it all in
 Minimising classroom interruptions
 Ensuring stage appropriate outcomes
 Flexibility
 Transferring PLPs form one educational setting to another e.g.
  primary school to junior high school to senior high school
 Principal and executive must be involved in the process to ensure
  PLPs become part of whole school culture
 Senior executive involvement in PLPs will foster sustainability
        PLPs and DEEWR’s agenda!
Sue Genner
Assistant Director, National Projects Team
Implementation Strategy Branch, Indigenous Group
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
Location C14MT5
GPO BOX 9880 Canberra City, ACT 2601

Phone (02) 6240 9441
Fax (02) 6123 7147
Mobile 0418 670 704
PLP = Personalised Learning Plan

        Or could it be?

   PLP = Partnerships Lifting
         Performance
           Presentation by Mark Crouch
          NSW Dare To Lead Coordinator
             mark.crouch@pa.edu.au