Clusters with Projects Starting in 2008
Cluster / Schools / Description of proposalAoraki Schools / Roncalli College
Opihi College
Mackenzie College
Ellesmere College
Geraldine High School
Mt Hutt College
Waimate High School
/ Improve academic, social and personal outcomes for students, professional outcomes for staff, and links within school communities, by collaborating and focussing collectively on:
· Relationships and engagement (Student engagement and well-being; family / whanau / school relationships)
· Evidence based practices
· Curriculum (Differentiated teaching and personalised learning)
· Leadership development (professional learning communities; building leadership capacity)
We will build the schools’ capabilities to ensure sustainable improvement by capitalising on the strengths and expertise of cluster schools, sharing best practice and developing new knowledge.
Students will be able to :
be independent learners
make decisions about their health, well being and learning
progress to the next stage of their learning
Big River / Kaitangata School
Balclutha School
Clinton School
Clutha Valley School
Milton School
Romahapa School
Rosebank School (Balclutha)
St Joseph's School (Balclutha)
St Mary's School (Milton)
Stirling School
South Otago High School
Tokoiti School
Waiwera South School
Warepa School
/ The educational objectives of the project will be achieved by:
Objective 1: Continuing collegiality that develops effective classroom practice and raises student achievement
*Enhancing and strengthening cross-school collaborative relationships through utilising and sharing best practice across cluster schools to improve student achievement.
Objective 2: Literacy Focus
*Enhancing current teaching practice with the intention of lifting levels of student achievement in literacy.
Objective 3: Transition Points
*The enhancement of the partnerships between all levels of education within the cluster to empower the stakeholders that support student learning.
Objective 4: Teaching and Learning
*The development of teaching and learning within the inquiry approach to enhance student achievement and teacher pedagogy.
Objective 5: Use of Data and Research: Evidence based assessment
*Through the use of action research, teacher practice and student achievement will be improved.
Objective 6: Personalised Learning
*Develop and trial strategies across the cluster to support plans and programmes which enhance personalised learning for students.
Objective 7: Enhancing second tier leadership
*Developing leadership by providing opportunities for mentoring and capability growth within the cluster.
Central Whangarei / Whangarei School
Morningside School
Hora Hora School
Whangarei Intermediate
/ The overall goals of this project are to:
Reduce the transient rate and raise the punctuality and attendance of students by 5 – 10%.
1. Autonomous learners who think creatively and use critical thinking skills
To give students opportunities and skills to generate questions, find process and communicate information thus becoming more effective and autonomous learners. To provide students with transferable cognitive strategies that allows them to participate effectively in school and in life. To provide personalised, powerful learning experiences where everyone shares a common language of learning.
2. Informed and engaged parents, caregivers, families and whanau
To inform and actively engage parents, caregivers, families and whanau in the education of the children in their care. The project schools will provide educational information and programmes for parents, caregivers, families and whanau.
3. Formative Practice
To improve student achievement through the explicit linking of assessment to teaching and learning.
Digital Daze / Taradale Intermediate
Arthur Miller School
Reignier School (Taradale)
Meeanee School
Porritt School
Eskdale School
/ The overall goals of this project are to ensure that:
· Students are competent in the application of inquiry processes and critical thinking strategies to investigate, understand, participate in and contribute within their world (Key Competencies, NZ Curriculum).
· Teachers are competent and confident in the teaching and facilitation of inquiry processes, responsive to the needs, characteristics, interests and preferences of their students
· There is a sustainable collaborative culture and practice amongst teachers within the cluster schools.
The educational objectives of the project will be achieved by:
Ø Developing inquiry-based learning models suited to individual cluster schools as a vehicle to facilitate student exploration and creation of new knowledge
Ø Continued development and integrated use of ICT as a tool to create and use new knowledge, participate in online learning communities, and integrate learning with the lives of today’s digitally savvy students
Ø Growing teacher pedagogical capability in the use and support of ICT-supported inquiry learning approaches
Ø The development of an assessment tool to benchmark student achievement in the skills involved in inquiry learning and critical thinking (and use these tools to ascertain progress and achievement across the cluster throughout the project)
EPICC
(Eastern Primary, Intermediate, College Cluster) / Pakuranga College
Farm Cove Intermediate
Sunny Hills School
St Mark's School (Pakuranga)
Wakaaranga School
/ Enhance student outcomes through the development of rich educational learning communities (ELC) focused on enhanced educational leadership, curriculum articulation, personalised learning pathways for students, community capability inclusive of effective teaching, and learning information management.
The educational objectives of the project will be achieved by:
1. establishing a common understanding of ‘what’ a 17/18 year old exiting from the cluster ‘looks like’ in respect of intellectual, physical, cultural and social outcomes
2. using a range of tools to assess student outcomes, building on what the schools are already using (inclusive of asTTLe and NCEA)
3. collecting, collating, and analysing baseline data across each of the schools
4. determining individual school and cluster short, medium and long term targets for all students, and most particularly Māori and Pasifika students. As a minimum standard the cluster will expect that for literacy and numeracy , 80% of our students should be at or above expected standards and achieving higher than schools of the same decile; 95% of students should achieve literacy and numeracy at level 1 NCEA; and 80% should achieve literacy at level 2 NCEA.
5. working with students (and their families) to enable them to determine and follow individual learning programmes
6. introducing programmes to enhance educational leadership, curriculum articulation and professional learning for families, students and teachers
7. establishing a cluster wide learning information management system and processes to enable the monitoring of student achievement progress and other factors that influence engagement in learning: e.g. attendance; truancy, suspension/stand down data analysed by ethnicity and gender
8. collecting, collating, analysing, and reporting on student achievement
9. reviewing, evaluating and revising the cluster understanding of what a 17/18 year old exiting the cluster ‘looks like’.
Fast Toi / Clarkville School
Cust School
North Loburn School
Kaiapoi Borough School
/ Fast Toi aims to raise standards of student achievement by
ensuring the school communities have a passionate
commitment – to children leading learning; provision of rich tasks and meaningful contexts; and effective use of formative
assessment strategies.
The educational objectives of the project will be achieved by:
Ø Leading children to lead their learning.
Ø Rich Tasks and meaningful learning contexts.
Ø Formative assessment strategies.
Ø Generally sound progress in all four cluster schools but a commitment to raise standards even higher
Ø Professional knowledge and research-driven desire to personalise learning for students in all four schools
Ø Principals’ personal professional experience of these focuses areas and the positive impact of these on learning, standards and engagement.
Ø The exponentially changing nature of learning and the nature of knowledge society and the need for the school sector to reflect, respond to and capitalise on this change.
Inquiry Based Schools: Our Way Forward / Waiheke Primary School
Sherwood School (Auckland)
Willowpark School / The overall goals of this project are to:
Ø Raise student achievement in inquiry skills (finding information, connections and inference, critical thinking).
Ø Increase student inquiry process skills in both surface and deep thinking
Ø Raise the students’ participation in the process of inquiry to increase motivation and foster life long learning.
Ø Develop their key competencies – particularly ‘Thinking’ and ‘Managing Self’
Kids on the Plains and Beyond / Hauraki Plains College
Ngatea School
Kerepehi School
Turua Primary School
Kaihere School
Waitakaruru School
Mangatawhiri School
Orere School
Mangatangi School
Maramarua School
Kaiaua School
Kopuarahi School
/ The overall goals of the cluster are:
The collaborative development of the ‘nine gateways’ to developing personalising
learning in a consistent, coherent and connected way, and the development of
effective teaching practices which reflect a personalised learning approach.
This will be achieved by:
1. The active involvement of parent, whanau and wider community in student learning,
2. Effective leadership through developing Principals as strategic leaders of learning.
3. The use of evidence based decision making towards improved outcomes for students.
4. The establishment of structures and processes within and across Kahikatea schools for the self sustaining development of a coherent personalised learning approach.
Learners2gether / Halsey Drive School
Hay Park School
/ Student achievement and engagement in learning will be enhanced across all three schools by creating a dynamic learning community. Teaching effectiveness will be strengthened through the processes of cooperation, collaboration, conversation and critique of professional learning that promotes high standards.
· At the end of the project we will have:
o raised the capability of teachers and students to implement inquiry learning;
o raised the capability of students to be autonomous learners;
o reduced the disparity in achievement between high and low achieving students in our schools particularly in literacy and numeracy.
Lighthouse / Nuhaka School
Frasertown School
Kotemaori School
Mohaka School
Ohuka School
Putere School
Ruakituri School
St Joseph's School (Wairoa)
Te Kura O Waikaremoana
Te Mahia School
Tiaho Primary School
Tiniroto School
TKKM O Ngati Kahungungu O Te Wairoa
Wairoa College
Wairoa Primary School
/ Wairoa schools will work collaboratively to raise and sustain learning outcomes for all students by extending formative teaching and learning practice.
By the end of this four year project we will have:
- an increase in student achievement through increased student engagement in learning, with particular emphasis on students in the higher end of the spectrum
- a shift in teacher assessment knowledge and practice
- a close alignment and coherence among assessment processes, practices and systems leading to improved student learning outcomes
- Schools working as a learning community each with a culture of continuous improvement
- A collaborative and collegial relationship among the schools which is mutually supportive through the establishment of shared vision, key goals and best practices.
- Sustainability for the future through embedding the principles and practices of AFL in all cluster schools.
Linwood / Linwood Avenue School
Linwood North School
Linwood Intermediate
Bronley School
/ To raise student learning and achievement levels in reading (then leading to writing) through enhanced teacher knowledge and instructional practices.
This will lead to about 80% of children in all schools reaching an achievement level of average or above on nationally standardised tests in reading.
The educational objectives of the project will be achieved by:
Ø clear documented expectations of what students should be expected to achieve as readers at each curriculum level/stage of development. These expectations should be compatible with national expectations;
Ø clear and precise documented processes for planning and implementing effective reading programmes and assessing student progress and achievement in reading. This will include a shared understanding of what assessment tools to use and why (especially STAR, asTTle reading and running records);
Ø ongoing provision across all four schools for literacy leaders to provide professional development.
MERGE / Mt Roskill Grammar School
Mt Roskill Intermediate
Mt Roskill Primary School
/ Overall goals:
· Improving achievement, particularly in literacy, of underperforming students so that disparities in achievement are reduced.
· Enhancing teacher pedagogies by the inclusion of evidence-based practice and deprivatising practice.
· Improving family / whanau engagement with student learning and their relationship with the schools
Students will:
· experience minimal disruption to their learning at transition points between and within schools
· Show improved achievement, especially in literacy
· Show improved attendance rates, especially at Year 11.
Teachers will
· Be using a greater range of pedagogies so that their teaching is more responsive to individual learning needs
· Have their classroom practice informed by richer evidence
Parents will
· Attend school events in greater numbers
· Indicate that the schools are responsive to their children’s needs
Novaflow / Gore High School
St Peter's College (Gore)
Longford Intermediate
/ The overall goal of this project is to seek improved student achievement by developing more effective teaching and learning practices.
The educational objectives of the project will be achieved by:
The use of action research methodology around the analysis of student work and achievement for making decisions about pedagogy. Efforts will then be focussed on the development of teachers who will be supported by:
· an intensive observation and appraisal programme that is evidence based
· individual and group feedback
· co-construction meetings that involve a coaching/mentoring relationship both within and across the Cluster.
Oroua / Kimbolton School
Rangiwahia School
Apiti School
Cheltenham School
Kiwitea School
/ The overall goals of this project are to:
Work collaboratively utilising authentic writing contexts and real audiences and improve students’ writing.
Teachers will have developed a deeper understanding of the application of multiple intelligences, specific approaches to engaging under achieving students, the key competency framework and inquiry learning. Students’ improved writing skill and motivation will have been achieved through three contexts – Environmental Education, ICT and Literacy partnerships with community experts and mentors. All teachers will be able to better engage students in the process of writing.
By the end of the project cluster teachers will be monitoring progress through the use of similar assessment tools and we will have worked collaboratively to design our literacy curriculum to incorporate the key competencies.
Otago Rural Schools / Tokomairiro High School
Blue Mountain College
East Otago High School
Lawrence Area School
Maniototo Area School
Roxburgh Area School
/ The overall goals of this project are that the schools will be an effective network of learning communities, promoting and sustaining the personalising of learning through: