In improving learning outcomes for students, educational research identifies the importance of school improvement through an emphasis on: learning and teaching; standards; relationships and; community engagement. School improvement takes into account of individual learning needs and improved assessment and reporting practices.
Research has highlighted the importance of seeing accountability from the perspectives of school improvement and school effectiveness. The School Improvement Framework (SIF) of the Catholic Education Office Ballarat (CEOB):
- Assist principals in working collaboratively with leadership teams, staff and the wider school community on school improvement
- Provides a process to verify that schools are meeting government and sector requirements of accountability
- Assists the Catholic Education Office Ballarat (CEOB) in evaluating the overall progress of individual schools and for the sector, towards school improvement
The School Improvement Framework promotes evidence-based strategies and innovation to improve student outcomes. It encourages schools to continually ask important questions about student learning and future directions that will:
- Maximise student outcomes including intellectual, spiritual and ethical competence
- Provide effective learning and teaching
- Enhance pastoral care and wellbeing for the school community
The School Improvement Framework provides a structure within a Four-Year Cycle to focus on what is important for school improvement within the context of the school.