NATIONAL CONFERENCE ADELAIDE 2008 March 16,17 & 18 Personalised Learning Plans The Ashmont Public School Experience

Personalised Learning Plans NSW  In 2004 the NSW Government conducted a Review of Aboriginal Education  Review teams spoke to students, school staff, parents, community members and other agencies  As a result of this review 72 recommendations were documented

Significance Background knowledge Cultural knowledge Knowledge integration Inclusivity Connectedness Narrative Quality Teaching Aboriginal Education Policy PLPs Quality learning environment Explicit quality criteria Engagement High expectations Social support Students’ self- regulation Student direction Intellectual quality Deep knowledge Deep understanding Problematic knowledge Higher-order thinking Metalanguage Goal of the Review of Aboriginal Education NSW By 2012, Aboriginal student outcomes will match or better outcomes of the broader student population Effective LearningEffective Teaching

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

A personalised approach to learning (cont.)  PLPs 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

Supportive and productive learning environment The teacher:  Builds positive relationships through knowing and valuing each Aboriginal student  Promotes a culture of respect for Aboriginal students, families and their communities

Supportive and productive learning environment (cont.)  Uses strategies that promote Aboriginal students’ self esteem and confidence  Uses strategies that encourage Aboriginal students to be risk-takers in their learning  Ensures each Aboriginal student experiences success through support, the valuing of effort and recognition of their work

Is there a difference between PLPs and IEP/ILPs? IEP/ILP  Data analysis  LST  Goals, strategies  Health plans  Funding  Review meetings  Parent meetings  Ongoing process  Stakeholders  Evaluation and monitoring  Student engagement  Learning Support Team PLP  Student engagement  Planning process  Goals, strategies  Parent, student, teacher meetings  Ongoing process  Stakeholders  Monitoring  Culturally appropriate  Student ownership of learning  Teachers understanding of Aboriginal Australia  Knowledge of student/family backgrounds

Workshop Activity In your table groups list:  Three positive things about PLPs  Three negative things about PLPs  Three things you would like to know more about PLPs

Personalised Learning Plans 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 studentsHaving high expectations of students High quality teachersHigh quality teachers Parental engagementParental engagement

Personalised Learning Plans ensure learning activities are appropriate to the students’ learning needs (cont.)  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.

Engaging parents and carers of Aboriginal students in the PLP process

 What is parental involvement in the PLP process?  Why is it important?  How do we get parental engagement in the PLP process?

PLPs…… 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

 Their children to make 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 them 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 including family background, attendance, awards, class, home contacts, welfare/discipline issues  The student’s Aboriginal Nation, heritage, skin group, totem etc  Student data related to National / State testing, STLA, Counsellor, Individual student reports

 Medical information: allergies, asthma, vision, hearing etc.  Access to student support e.g. In Class Tutor, Behaviour Support, STLA, AEA etc  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

PLPs involve Parents and caregivers….  Make Appointments with the parent/carers  Send home a letter/information and AWEs can assist in this process  Organise a venue either at school or offsite  Phone and organise a date, invite parent/carers to bring a support person or the AEA or ACLO to make them feel more comfortable

 Provide morning or afternoon tea  Offer a child minding service, maybe utilising Stage 3 students or students from a partner High School  Have the student show parents some examples of their work  If this is the first time the parent/carer has been to the school give them a tour of the areas their child frequents day to day

During the Meeting….  Be relaxed and friendly, mention that you may be taking notes which will form the content of the PLP  Focus on the strengths, interests, skills and hobbies of the student  Collaboratively design some positive, achievable goals based on what you have discussed (flexible)

 Each person at the interview should take on one job e.g. the teacher will communicate student successes to parents, the parent to ensure that their child attends school whenever possible  Set a time frame with a review date and stress the importance of the follow-up meeting/s  Reiterate to the parents/carers that the PLP will be an important document which will confirm the stakeholder’s commitment to improving the educational outcomes of the child

After the meeting….  Contact the parent/carer just to say hello and ask if there was anything that the might want to add to the PLP which they may have thought about later  Inform other teachers who teach the student about the strengths and interests of the child, they can then use the information to help engage the student in their classes  At a time close to the review meeting date make a phone call and send a note home just to confirm the parent/carers attendance

 At the review meeting give an overview of the students progress and if not all goals have been met, talk about it and discuss the reasons why the goals were not achieved  It is vital to stay in touch with the student and parents/carers, continue showing interest and support  Regularly inform parents of the good things their child is doing/achieving

In a nut shell…..  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  Determine and agree on 2 maybe 3 achievable goals  Gather the information which is disclosed during the interview/s

 Respect cultural perspectives  Identify strategies for home, school and the student partnership  Document the process  Monitor and evaluate the process  Keep parents informed of what is happening in their child’s learning

The Ashmont Public School AAAAshmont PS is a PP3 in Wagga Wagga, NSW SSSSchool population of 340 with 133 Aboriginal students LLLLow socio-economic area and the school is on the Priority Schools Program SSS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

and PLP = Partnerships Lifting Performance Presentation by Mark Crouch NSW Dare To Lead Coordinator PLP = Personalised Learning Plan