School | Evaluation strands (generally focus on assessing main TP goals) | Research methods/sources of evidence |
|---|
1 | Developing leadership capacity through inter-departmental partnerships | Developing Excellence through the Arts | Empowering Pupil Involvement | | Focus groups/ interviews with key stakeholders including: pupils, staff (including support), parents and partner organizations to obtain the perceptions of changes over the past 12 months concerning the key aims of Transformational Plan. • Collate and analyse data gathered from questionnaires received from above groups of key stakeholders. • Analyse routine school data that provides insights on progress concerning our transformational goals. • Involve pupils in gathering/analysing data. |
2 | Distributed leadership | Enhanced Community Image | Improved curricular provision to impact on the whole school & promote improved | Improved learner confidence, self-image, self-esteem to enable stakeholders to access opportunities for success in education, training and employment | • Focus groups (inc specifically for pupils involved in SoA activities eg: Columba 1400 participants, Drama pupils, Dance pupils, Music pupils etc. • Pupil surveys to explore cross-school impact • Parents/carer and other key stakeholder (partners) questionnaires on generic TP outcomes. Interviews/focus groups with staff and pupils on generic TP outcomes. • Key data - placing requests, reduction in outwit placements etc. • Results of recent inclusion review • Feedback from HMIe "good practice" visit. • Analysis of Centre of Confidence and Well Being surveys • Involve pupils in gathering/analysing data. |
3 | Developing a radical approach to behaviour management via multi-focussed critical skills approach for staff to question and refine their approaches to learning and teaching. | Staff and pupils taking a collaborative approach across the curriculum (specific developmental areas) Experiential learning to promote the skills level of staff, parents and pupils | Engaging with a learning community of disenfranchised young people and their families to promote self-belief in their ability to succeed in the existing education system | transference of skills to other areas of students' lives affecting the way they see themselves and how they interact with others | Emphasis on qualitative methods e.g.: • Staff interviews/focus groups to review impact of their training on skills for behaviour management & approaches to learning and teaching • Pupil interviews and small focus groups to look at progress including self-belief in their ability to succeed. Also: Possible ICT-based pupil feedback on their use of new skills in their lives. • Simple survey and brief interviews to elicit parental and partners org. views • Analysis of extensive routine and other documentation on many aspects of pupil and overall school progress |
4 | Expanding/modernising curriculum to offer new technologies to: • engage a wider range of pupils and allow them to develop their potential. • enhance teaching and learning, engage and involve pupils and to celebrate and publicise success | Using new-found technological skills to: • build links with associated primaries and to the wider community • develop enterprise and citizenship skills | Encouraging pupils to take responsibility for their own learning and to support each other Developing leadership opportunities and to strengthen the teamwork throughout the school | Strengthening school ethos by modernising school environment and enhancing technology | • Adapt existing computer-based surveys for pupils, school staff, parents& partner org. to obtain base-line and progress data on relevant TP targets • Focus groups for staff and pupils to explore impact of school developments on skills (inc. leadership), ethos & responsibility for learning etc • Involve pupils in gathering/analysing data Analyse routine school data that provides insights on progress concerning our transformational goals |
* Provisional - awaiting feedback from schools on their evaluation summaries.
** Overarching or key Transformational Plan themes will inform the design and focus of methods. Methods are likely to develop to suit situation and aims.
Note: It is clear that some research summaries highlight methods that will address more than one of their main strands, whereas others aim to provide separate summaries for each strand. |
5 | Expanding the vocational curriculum available in the school | Providing a greater range of enterprise opportunities for pupils through Newman Enterprise Day and various enterprise-related activities for both pupils and staff | Increasing staff's engagement in various training opportunities to develop more effective learning and teaching pedagogies* | | Combined quantitative and qualitative methods: • Administration of questionnaires to pupils representing various year levels, teachers and parents to gather their views on school's enterprise-related provision • Focus groups/individual interviews with school staff/pupils regarding effectiveness of vocational courses and Newman's Enterprise Day ( NED) • School records - yearly comparison of pupils' uptake of vocational courses • Photographs - taken from the ( NED) • Essay writing - reflection on pupils' NED experience |
6 | Developing the motivation and aspirations of female students | Exploring the effectiveness of formative assessment to support young people's learning performance, attainment and achievement | Improved curricular provision through the use of computers and technology in the classroom | Instilling a sense of pride amongst young people as well as promoting a fascinating way to learn about the culture of the region they belong to | Combined quantitative and qualitative methods: • Administration of a major questionnaire (two versions) which will be completed by teachers from all departments and pupils representing various year levels to assess effectiveness of various SoA initiatives • Group interviews with school staff to gather practical examples of areas of improvement • Focus groups with the management committee, parents and pupils (according to the project they participated in) • Essay writing - twelve pupils will be asked to write an essay reflecting on their SoA experience |
7 | Exploring a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the concept of creativity (i.e. young people's perspective) through the development of creative thinking with emphasis on various learning and teaching methods to impact not only on young people's learning processes but also on their values, insights and dispositions | Promoting teachers' capacity to challenge young people's minds and to encourage them to think in a creative manner through appropriate teaching pedagogies | | Combined quantitative and qualitative methods: • One main questionnaire - (pupil and teacher versions) with various sections to explore understanding of 'creative thinking' • Interviews with teachers and other school staff to assess effectiveness of various teaching approaches in promoting creative thinking • Focus groups with pupils to obtain examples of creative thinking. • Essay writing - twelve pupils will be asked to write an essay reflecting on how various activities impacted their 'creative thinking' processes • A portfolio of pupils' examples of creative work - to supplement the various views obtained |
8 | Developing a more positive view amongst pupils towards other languages and cultures | Exploring the extent by which staff training in ICT has been effective and widely used in school and in improving pupils' learning experience | Developing young people's confidence, motivation, optimism and self-esteem through participation in various activities: • North Atlantic Symposium • Calamity Jane | | Combined quantitative and qualitative methods: • Questionnaire on their experience of blogging, video conferencing, trips abroad, or in the penpal scheme • Questionnaire on confidence benchmarking • Two focus groups with pupils who participated in Calamity Jane • Pupil reports on their participation in North Atlantic Symposium. • Case study of a teacher, using Studio Code as a tool for reflection on how she can motivate pupils and increase participation. • Focus group with teachers from various departments to find out how they use ICT and its benefits and interviews with staff . |
9 | ICT: impact of electronic whiteboards on teaching and learning; Development of a 'virtual classroom' and online curriculum; global school links. | Leadership: development of pupil leadership skills; professional learning practices and beliefs of staff | Improved attainment and achievement; positive destinations of school leavers not going onto higher education through increased employability skills | | • Action research projects with lead departments in ICT strand: Maths, Geography and Modern Studies • LHTL questionnaire for all staff (completed Feb 07) as baseline measurement for professional values and beliefs • CCWB questionnaire for pupils (spring 2007) •Pupil attainment and leaver destination data from LA/ SEED and school records |
10 | Developing opportunities to engage with the Arts: championing creativity and the Arts to create a more flexible pupil-centred curriculum. Developing confidence, aspirations and ambition through the development of the Arts. | Developing a learning community: Enhancing curricular and extra-curricular activities. Improving attendance, punctuality and attainment, reducing exclusion rates. Access to a broad range of CPD opportunities for staff. | Developing effective leadership: Leadership development for pupils, non-promoted teachers, middle and senior managers. | | • Increased pupil participation rates in arts based activities • Evaluation of the impact of new provision in school: facilities and instruction (including pupil and parent perspectives) • Increased attendance rates (by 10%) • Upward attainment rate (by 5%) • Reduced referrals for poor punctuality • Reduced exclusion rate • Increased participation in further education and training for school leavers (destinations) • Expansion of CPD opportunities for teachers across school • Evaluation of the effectiveness of CPD provision from the staff perspective • Evaluation of pupil participation in Columba 1400 residential |
11 | Learning and Teaching: Arts Across the Curriculum (visual art: dance, drama, animation) and numeracy project (electronic whiteboard and common approaches and shared programmes of study across P6-S2) to lead developments that will impact on learning and teaching throughout the Learning Partnership. | Vocational Education: Partnership with Kilmarnock College to deliver vocational and skills for work courses at the school (by FE lecturers). Extending choice in S3-S6. | Curricular enrichment: Deployment of specialist in PE/Drama and Dance across the Learning Partnership. | ICT: Provision of laptop computers for P6 and P7 and interactive whiteboards and data projectors for all schools. Coordinated P6-S2 ICT programme. | Emotional Health: Appointment of a specialist Health Counsellor for the Partnership to enable a fast track, early intervention service to relieve the demand for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service. | • Evaluation of Arts across the curriculum initiative, including peer assessment of pupil video/ DVD production in science • Participation rates in new programmes for vocational learning • Parent and student perspectives on the vocational courses introduced • Attainment rates • Destinations of school leavers (post-16) • Increased participation in expanded range of physical education activities. • Strengthened partnership work with community groups outside school • Monitoring of referrals through Health Counsellor • A series of small group interviews with staff, pupils and families who have accessed service (n.b. within ethical guidelines and in close consultation with health authority links/health authority evaluation) |
12 | Vocational education: School-college partnership to establish a vocational centre offering Skills for Work courses. Development of employability skills and expansion of work placement opportunities. | Curriculum structures: Evaluation of curriculum restructuring. | Ethos/culture: Evaluation of the impact of assertive discipline. | Teaching and Learning: Development of formative assessment and personal learning planning; introduction of tablet PCs for staff and ultra mobile PCs for students. | Health Promotion Group: Evaluation of strategies to encourage healthy lifestyles, both physically and mentally, in the school community. | • Participation rates in new vocational courses • Attainment rates • Referral rates (discipline) • Pupil and staff interviews. • Exclusion rates • Pupil opinion survey: school-wide values consultation • Reduction in staff short-term absences • Attendance and punctuality rates • ICT audit 2007/2008 • Classroom (peer) observation to explore new approaches to formative assessment and innovative use of ICT • Pupil and staff feedback on health promotion activities |
13 | Curriculum flexibility: First year foundation course; S2/3 and S4/5/6 working groups for restructuring of the upper school curriculum; vocational links with FE colleges. | Learning and Teaching: The impact of the use of Grid Plans on teaching and learning | Raising achievement and attainment: The use of target setting data | ICT and e-learning: The impact of the Scholar Programme on student learning | • Consultation through representative parent panel • Attainment rates • Records of queries from parents re. curriculum restructuring • Tracking of pupil progress (including pupil perspective on change) • Interviews with a sample of teachers preparing grid plans • Interview with a new teacher in school re. use of grid plans. • Mapping of grid plans against the school's teaching and learning policy. • Review of data on target setting and achievement • Interviews with a sample of teachers involved in target setting with CAT scores (audio recorded) • Technological records of pupil-staff consultations with S2 and S3 (as visual cue for discussion) • Questionnaire to the whole staff on target setting: audit of current practice and exploration of teachers' attitudes • Monitoring of targets and attainment: start, mid-year & end points • Small group interviews with pupils using Scholar in senior school Maths and Science (3 groups of 6 students, twice yearly) • Interviews with teachers on how Scholar is embedded in practice: 12 teachers in the Maths, Science and Business Studies departments. • Analysis of data from Scholar information management records • Review of literature and previous studies in the key areas of investigation |
14 | Appointing a specialist teacher in teaching writing. This appointment (within the English department) will be used to develop wring across the curriculum and to create a writing rich environment in departments using writing in examinations. | Developing drama as a subject department, presenting better choice for pupils and providing a motivational subject likely to raise both achievements generally and attainment specifically at S4-S6 | Intensive targeted study support for pupils in S1 and S2 to be cost effective and meaningful. | Enhancement of the curriculum by developing a networked tracking system to make personal learning planning process a reality. | Research methods in evaluating these strands will include, • Subject specialist focus groups to explore impact of programmes in staff and pupil confidence. • Individual staff interviews to explore knowledge gains in skills of writing • Monitoring of minutes of working groups • Tracking of attainment results • Feedback from parents on pupil progress and support. |
15 | Curricular flexibility. The schools will develop a joint S5/S6 course timetable which will allow students to move between the schools and enhance the subject choices available to students. | Teaching for effective learning. To enhance the teaching and learning in each school and raise students' attainment there will be a three year Continuous Professional Development programme for teachers | Enhancing employability. A programme of Learning Game courses will be established for students from Primary 7 to Secondary 6 covering a range of topics focused on Personal Effectiveness. It is hoped that the introduction of an early intervention strategy will reduce the school leavers' unemployment figures. | Improving attendance An education officer will be appointed to work in both schools and associated primaries to help establish the ethos of good attendance. A commercial truancy monitoring system (Group Call) will be put in place. | Evaluations will use a range of qualitative and quantitative techniques. e.g.: • Staff, pupil, and parental focus groups to explore impact of curricular changes. • Monitoring of pupil achievement data • Questionnaire survey of staff on impact of CPD programme. • Monitoring of student attendance data. |
16 | Effective pupil tracking - monitoring of every child's progress. The school has implemented a pupil tracking system designed to monitor three key areas, pupil attendance, behaviour and progress. | Learning beyond the classroom. The school has supported a number of projects designed to promote learning beyond the classroom and prepare pupils for the world of work. | Evaluation of music weekend (part of learning beyond the classroom programme). | Spain tracking - intensive follow-up of 20 pupils. | Initial research methods will include, • Focus group discussions involving parents, pupils and teachers on the effectiveness of the pupil tracking system. • Monitoring of examination results • Individual interviews with pupils conducted by teacher researchers. |
17 | Leadership: To develop leadership skills in staff, pupils and parents; To improve strategic leadership; To improve the quality of communication in the school and with the community | Pupil & Community Confidence: To establish an ethos that values all; To develop in our staff, pupils and parents self-confidence, optimism, high expectations of personal achievement, and habits of self-discipline and mutual respect | Enterprise: To establish an enterprising ethos in out teaching and learning; to develop an 'I can and I will' approach in our staff, pupils and parents, to be open to challenge, change and new opportunities, and determined to succeed; To establish curriculum structures which respond more directly to pupils' needs | | Perceptions of teachers, auxiliary staff, pupils and parents, using regularly administered questionnaires which show trends over time. Other data are to be collected and analysed to supplement the questionnaire surveys. |
18 | Use of ICT to develop global learning, through six interlinked projects with the theme of 'L iving Locally, Learning Globally'. Includes all stages in school with the aim to develop learning across age and stage, in a range of curricular areas and in partnership with students in other schools. Three projects are listed here, others including the International Enterprise and Virtual Drama Projects, will be evaluated session 2007-08. | Sharing Perspectives - including Yell Project. S1/S2 Social Subjects, Art & Design, Science & Technology. • To develop: research, communication and presentation skills • ICT skills, abilities and practical application • abilities and confidences to share learning and teaching as active virtual learners | To Share Learning and Teaching in Virtual Classrooms in Standard Grade Biology using videoconferencing with students in South Africa. • To increase partnerships with other schools and pupils • To increase pupil motivation • To increase biological knowledge of local and global areas through fieldwork • To raise achievement | Images of Europe, Britain, Global Images: • To develop and enhance skills and abilities of students in ICT and Media Studies • To develop presentation skills • To enhance schools - communities, partnerships • To contribute to work on national values/citizenship resources | The aim will be to explore the impact of ICT, learning in a virtual environment, partnership learning, working across age and stage, and across the curriculum, support and assessment of virtual learning. Use of a range of methods to suit individual projects, but focus will be to collect data from pupils, staff, parents via interviews, focus groups, questionnaires, analysis of video-recording of lessons, website use, student work, ICT resources produced etc. Involve pupils in collecting/analysing data. Analyse SQA Standard Grade Biology data. |
19 | Real Education Active Lives ( REAL) Project: • to create sustainable social enterprise activities. • To link activities to curricular areas. • To make a profit and invest this to fund other enterprise activities: an IT firm to assist IT training; a community café to promote healthy and active lifestyles. | Development of pupil leadership: • To develop pupil confidence and creativity skills. • To enable pupils to further develop ideas, activities and school projects from Columba 1400 experience, e.g. transforming the school hall. | Increase the effective use of ICT (data projectors and IWB) across the curriculum for learning and teaching | | REAL: • Focus groups of pupils, staff and parents - feedback from an evening meeting. • Interviews with staff and/or employers working with pupils participating in the programme. Pupil Leadership: Pupil questionnaire including adaptation of existing tools (offered by critical friend) Columba 1400 Pupil focus groups to explore views on impact of their involvement. Relevant staff and parent perceptions via a questionnaire. Pupils collect data from peers re future school projects. ICT: • Staff interviews re ICT use and impact on learning and teaching. |