Queensland State Schools Annual Performance Review process for heads of program: heads of curriculum, heads of special education services, guidance officers, master teachers and heads of department
Overview
To achieve the broad educational and social commitments outlined within the Every student succeeding: State Schools Strategy 2014-2018, the department has implemented a revised performance development process for heads of program in Queensland state schools.
This process will build on the success of the implementation of the Developing PerformanceFramework process through the various Leadership and Capability Frameworks to:
- grow the capability of the teaching and leadership workforce
- strengthen the performance-focussed culture in schools
- strengthen the focus of professional learning on professional, school and system priorities.
Implementation of the Annual Performance Reviewprocess for heads of program is planned to commencein October 2015, after completion of a trial, andsupported through a comprehensive communicationand professional learning strategy. All eligible headsof program (those permanently appointed or relievingabove level for six months or longer) will be requiredto commence a full cycle of the process in 2016. Thisprocess will apply to heads of program employed underthe Department of Education and Training State SchoolTeachers’ Certified Agreement 2012 (to be read inconjunction with Teachers’ Award – State 2012).
The process
The process comprises three distinct phases:
- Reflection and goal setting.
- Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and/or
- Australian Professional Standard for Principals
- Local context and priorities
- Aspirations
- Professional practice and learning.
- Work independently
- Professional learning and coaching
- Identify evidence
- Reflect on evidence
- Feedback and review.
- Verbal and written feedback
- Discussion and reflection
The three phases are to be implemented over a12-month cycle. Heads of program will have flexibilityto determine the timing of the commencement of thecycle (in consultation with their supervisor).
The process will be framed against the AustralianProfessional Standards for Teachers (APST) ( and, whereappropriate, the Australian Professional Standard forPrincipals and the Leadership Profiles ( Reflection onperformance throughout the process will be alignedto the relevant head of program role description andagainst the APST and, where appropriate, the AustralianProfessional Standard for Principals (APSP) and theLeadership Profiles. Heads of program may reflectagainst higher levels of the relevant standards as anaspirational framework. The principal or supervisor mayalso acknowledge leadership excellence by providingfeedback where it is believed a head of program’sperformance appears to be at or approaching theaspirational APSP Leadership Profiles.
All heads of program will have a set of up to threedocumented and regularly reviewed goals relating totheir performance development and aligned to theirschool priorities. There will also be ways of ascertainingprogress towards these goals, as indicators of success,agreed with the supervisor. All heads of program willbe supported in working towards their goals, includingthrough access to high quality professional learning andsupport or coaching.
All heads of program will receive regular formal andinformal feedback on their performance. This includesa formal review against their performance developmentgoals at least annually, with verbal and writtenfeedback being provided. Review of a head of program’sperformance will come from multiple sources. Therecan be up to, but not exceeding, four formal feedbackreviews of the plan per cycle.
It should be noted that the process will be separateand distinct from the process for ManagingUnsatisfactory Performance.
Annual Performance Development Plan
At the commencement of the process, all headsof program will generate an Annual PerformanceDevelopment Plan (APDP), which will be a record ofagreed goals, actions to achieve these goals andindicators of success. The plan will form the basis forongoing formal and informal performance discussionsbetween the head of program and their supervisorthroughout the cycle. Templates and supportingdocuments will be provided to heads of program andsupervisors for use in the development of the plan.
It will be mandatory for all heads of program employedin a permanent capacity, or acting for a period of sixmonths or longer, to have a plan and to have access toprofessional learning and support for the duration oftheir engagement.
Phase 1: Reflection and goal setting
At the commencement of the process, all heads ofprogram, in collaboration with their supervisor, willcreate performance development goals reflective oftheir context and based on the APST and, if appropriate,the APSP and the Leadership Profiles. In the initialdiscussion with their supervisor, all elements of thestandards should be considered. However, headsof program and their supervisors should limit theirplan to the establishment of up to three performancedevelopment goals. The SMART ( approach to developinggoals is a useful model for goal and success indicatorformulation. This approach provides a processfor rendering goals that are Specific, Measurable,Achievable, Relevant and Time-phased.
Reflection should be a foundation for the setting ofgoals. The Australian Institute for Teaching and SchoolLeadership (AITSL) online self-assessment tool ( forteachers and online self-reflection tool ( for principals andschool leaders, the APST ( the APSP ( and the LeadershipProfiles ( are all possible resources to support self-reflection.A head of program’s self-reflection shouldinclude consideration of their role description andcurrent performance against each of the domains ofteaching that frame the standards, as well as otherreflection tools relevant to their specific role. At thistime, the supervisor should also reflect upon the headof program’s current performance against each ofthe domains of teaching that frame the APST and, ifapplicable, the APSP and the Leadership Profiles andprovide this as feedback during initial discussions.
The plan will therefore include agreement onperformance goals framed within up to threeagreed focus areas of performance development,actions required to achieve the agreed performancedevelopment, and indicators of success.
Phase 2: Professional practice and learning
During this phase, the head of program will workindependently, and be supported by their supervisor,to undertake professional learning (formal or informal)to achieve identified goals. Engaging in plannedprofessional learning is a major strategy for improvingteaching and leadership practice. The plan willoutline agreed professional learning opportunities tosupport the achievement of identified goals and growprofessional capability.
Heads of program will also identify and reflect onevidence that provides insight into the effectiveness oftheir practice. This should occur in a context of frequentformal and informal feedback.
The work of teaching and leadership generates a richand varied range of evidence that can inform meaningfulevaluations of practice. While heads of program willnot be required to develop portfolios of evidence, theyshould work with their supervisor to identify the agreedappropriate evidence required as indicators of success,and the means for obtaining this.
Evidence of teaching and leadership performance may beseen in the behaviours or actions of the staff, studentsand school community. Illustrative examples of bestpractice may include, but are not limited to:
- evidence of the impact of teaching on student outcomes
- direct observation of teaching
- evidence of the head of program’s impact on colleagues and the school as a whole
- stakeholder feedback
- head of program self-assessment
- evidence of participation in professional learning, including collaboration with other school leaders
- celebrating school success.
It is important to note the need to ensure sources ofevidence avoid simplistic approaches that tie evaluationof teaching and leadership to single outcome measures.
Phase 3: Feedback and review
Timely, frequent and improvement-focussed feedbacksupports efforts to improve practice, guides choicesabout professional learning and informs reflection on,and revision of, performance development goals.
There will be ongoing formal and informal feedbackand coaching throughout the 12-month cycle. Thiswill culminate in a formal performance developmentreview and reflection against planned performancedevelopment goals. This is conducted by the supervisorwith the head of program using multiple sources ofevidence identified during Phase 1.
The APDP includes the provision of verbal and writtenfeedback which provides a basis for reflection to informthe next cycle.
This feedback will indicate whether the head of programhas met the expectations established during theprocess. The supervisor may also provide feedback tothe head of program where performance has exceeded ornot met expectations. The outcomes of the process willbe used as the basis for discussions to commence thenext cycle of the process.