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School decision-making tool action areas

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The supporting successful transition: school decision-making tool is a framework for reflection and action. It is designed to assist schools in strengthening their approach to transition and their selection of transition-to-school strategies.

The principles and action areas identified in the tool complement the areas for action identified in the Advancing education: an action plan for education in Queensland.

Descriptions of the practices and strategies that support successful transitions are included through elaboration of the principles, action areas and reflection matrix.​​

Principles

  • knowing children and families
  • showing leadership
  • trusting partnerships
  • from evidence to action.

Action areas

  • respect for diversity
  • effective use of data
  • responsive environments
  • effective pedagogy and practice
  • reciprocal relationships.

Outcomes

  • collaborative decisions
  • continuity of teaching and learning
  • successful learners.

There are 5 areas for action outlined in the supporting successful transitions school decision-making tool can assist in organis​ing transition strategies, and guide reflection and identification of school-specific transition strategies. A range of research relating to each of the 5 action areas is also available.

The 5 action areas are detailed below.

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Respect for diversity

When supporting children's transition to school, schools recognise and address children's diversity in a number of ways.

The respect for diversity action area has 2 key focuses which support school reflection – knowing the community and knowing and responding to children.

For each focus area, there is a description of a range of behaviours across 3 decision-making levels (school-centred, consultative and collaborative) to assist schools in their reflections and planning.

Diversity in schools

Dockett and Perry (2014) note that 'respect for diversity can only be accomplished when educators reflect critically on their own positions, understandings and expectations, understand other perspectives and embrace the strengths in diversity'.

Recently, the definition of diversity has expanded to include a multitude of individual differences. Diversity can characterise not only culture but also various linguistic, location, social, economic, learning, ability, gender or other distinctive characteristics.

This definition of diversity encourages us to see differences as a strength and recognise that diversity is present in some way in all children.

Effective use of data

The effective use of data action area focuses on both community-level and child-level data.

For each focus area, there is a description of a range of behaviours across 3 decision-making levels (school-centred, consultative and collaborative) to assist schools in their reflections and planning.

Australian Early Development Census

The Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) measures the development of children in Australia in their first year of full-time school. The AEDC provides important information to communities, governments and schools to support their planning and service provision.

The AEDC helps schools, communities and policy makers understand how children are developing before their first year of full-time school, what is being done well and what can be improved.

Data from the AEDC can help identify the types of services, resources or support to meet the needs of communities.

Visit the AEDC page for more information.

5 key domains

The Australian version of the Early Development Instrument consists of approximately 100 questions across 5 key domains which are closely linked to child health, education and social outcomes. The domains are:

  • physical health and wellbeing
  • social competence
  • emotional maturity
  • language and cognitive skills (school-based)
  • communication skills and general knowledge.

Read a factsheet about the AEDC domains.

Responsive environments

The responsive environments action area focuses on processes, procedures and physical, temporal and social contexts in our school environments.

For each focus area, there is a description of a range of behaviours across 3 decision-making levels (school-centred, consultative and collaborative) to assist schools in their reflections and planning.

Young children learn best when they are actively engaged in a constructive and interactive environment with a wide range of materials.

During the transition to school, these environments also encourage children to develop a sense of control over their learning and the choices that they can make, which has a strong impact on their learning outcomes over time. The supporting successful transitions school decision-making tool recognises the importance of knowing and establishing partnerships with children to support active engagement in their own learning.

Effective pedagogy and practice

The effective pedagogy and practice action area focuses on early childhood pedagogy and the continuity of learning in the early years. For each focus area, there is a description of a range of behaviours across 3 decision-making levels (school-centred, consultative and collaborative).

These behaviour descriptors assist schools in reflecting on the level of collaborative decision-making in the effective pedagogy and practice action area.

Age-appropriate pedagogies

Using a range and balance of age-appropriate pedagogies in the early years of schooling is important in supporting children to be actively engaged, creative and successful learners.

Continuity of learning in the early years is strengthened through strong relationships and communication between a range of partners, including school staff, early childhood services and families.

The age-appropriate pedagogies for the early years of schooling: foundation paper provides a review of the literature and research of age-appropriate pedagogies in the early years of schooling. It examines the features of age-appropriate teaching modes that engage young children and achieve effective learning outcomes.

Reciprocal relationships

The reciprocal relationships action area focuses on communicating with early childhood services, involving families and children, and community participation. For each focus area, there is a description of a range of behaviours across 3 decision-making levels (school-centred, consultative and collaborative) to assist schools in their reflections and planning.

Partnerships for a positive start to school

Starting school is an exciting and significant time in every child's life. A great start to school can develop a lifelong love of learning.

In Queensland, early childhood services, schools and families are encouraged to work in partnership to ensure all children enjoy a successful transition to school.

Why relationships matter

Education is a social context where learning occurs through thousands of daily interactions between children, adults, materials and environments.

These interactions, which start before a child is even born, build children's experiences, knowledge, skills, culture and family contexts.

When schools welcome new students and families into the community, they get to know each child's early learning experiences and the multidimensional nature of their development.

The likelihood of children and families experiencing a successful transition to school is enhanced when strong relationships, based on trust and mutual respect, are built between schools, early childhood services and families.

Using the action areas–planning for transition

Each action area has a series of reflective questions. Descriptors explaining the intent and scope of the action areas are provided to support decision-making.

There is no order of priority to the action areas. Schools may choose to focus on one action area to refine their practice in response to an identified need.

Alternatively, schools may decide to use a suite of strategies that relate to several action areas. Schools prioritise the actions that will deliver the most effective transition outcomes and the best return on investment for their community.

Schools can use the supporting successful transitions inquiry guide to support their decision making about which action areas are relevant to their context and communities.

Strengthening transition practices

Every school and community is unique, requiring a customised transition-to-school strategy.

The supporting successful transitions: school decision-making tool is designed to help schools maximise their readiness to meet the needs of all children and families through strengthening their approach to transition and selection of transition-to-school strategies.

The tool, through the 5 action areas outlined above, guides schools to reflect on current transition practices and identify opportunities to plan and implement targeted, evidence-based actions.

The supporting successful transitions inquiry guide will assist schools to use the decision-making tool to identify, plan and implement transition strategies and practices that meet the unique needs of their community.

The process for strengthening transition practices

Using the decision-making tool and inquiry guide, schools can follow a 4-step process to reflect, plan, act on and review their transition practice:Text says, 'Step 1: assess current transition practice, Step 2: plan collaboratively to establish strategies based on data, Step 3: incorporate strategies into school plans, Step 4: meaure the effectiveness of transition strategies.'

Step 1: Assess current transition practice

In this step of the supporting successful transitions inquiry guide, schools reflect on their current practices and approaches to strengthening transitions.

School reflections can be shared and collaboration can begin with transition partners, including early childhood services and families, to determine what is working well for children, areas for priority action and longer-term aspirational goals.

Step 2: Plan collaboratively to assess strategies based on data

Community data gives an overview of the strengths and needs of children in the area. Using available data, schools can collaborate with early childhood services, community agencies and stakeholders to identify specific priority actions for the school cohort.

The assembled evidence informs discussion between schools and transition partners to establish a shared view of children's strengths and needs, and identify opportunities and barriers to effective transitions.

Step 3: Develop and implement a transition plan

Schools determine the most effective way to implement identified strategies, including refocusing procedures and practice, communicating change and reviewing approaches to monitoring outcomes.

Publishing information about transition-to-school practices on the school website will inform families and community partners.

Step 4: Measure the effectiveness of your transition plan

By embedding the transition actions into school planning documents, schools accept accountability for delivering on identified strategies and the achievement of outcomes.

Schools may choose to report to the school community on the success of their transition strategies through ongoing monitoring and analysis of data. Schools can share transition strategies with their networks or partnership groups in the local area.

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Last updated 10 December 2024