This policy is applicable to: all DECD employees.
DOCUMENT CONTROL
Managed by:
Executive Director, Preschool and
School Improvement
Contact person:
Director, Review Improvement and
Accountability
Contact position:
Director, Review, Improvement and
Accountability
Contact number:
Responsible position:
Executive Director, Preschool and
School Improvement
Approved by:
Chief Executive
Date approved:
Next review date:
Version:
One
File number:
Status:
Security classification:
© Department for Education and Child Development 2013
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1. TITLE ............................................................................................................................... 3
2. PURPOSE ....................................................................................................................... 3
3. SCOPE ............................................................................................................................ 3
4. POLICY DETAILS ........................................................................................................... 3
5. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.................................................................................. 9
6. MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REVIEW .............................................................. 10
7. DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................... 10
8. ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS ....................................................................................... 10
9. REFERENCES .............................................................................................................. 10
Date Version Revision description
REVISION RECORD
Enhanced DECD Improvement and Accountability framework Policy
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© Department for Education and Child Development 2013

1. TITLE
Enhanced DECD Improvement and Accountability framework Policy
2. PURPOSE
The enhanced DECD Improvement and Accountability framework (eDIAf) has been developed to replace the existing DIAf. It strengthens responsibility for preschool and school leaders to demonstrate accountability for the learning dispositions, academic and social skills of children and young people in their preschool and school and partnership.
The enhanced DECD Improvement and Accountability framework (the eDIAf) derives from and gives expression to the South Australian Government priority of ‘Every chance for every child’ and the DECD ‘Brighter Futures…From Blueprint to Action’ program and in particular the focus on delivering the five benefits of:
• Higher standards of achievement for children and young people
• Improved health and wellbeing outcomes for children and young people
• Better family and carer support for children and young people
• Stronger community-led engagement in determining local provision
• Greater emphasis on the views of children and young people in shaping policies and practices that affect them.
The eDIAf outlines the standards and procedures required by preschool and school leaders to effectively provide high quality education and care for children and young people across all DECD preschool and schools and services.
The eDIAf provides preschool and school leaders with the improvement and accountability tools to effectively engage staff and community members to develop and achieve shared goals to meet the needs of children and young people.
Finally, the eDIAf enables all staff to review and refine their practice and performance as part of their professional responsibility to improve outcomes for children and young people.
3. SCOPE
This policy applies to staff across all DECD sites and establishes the expectations for South
Australian government schools and preschools to provide:
• clear, measurable improvement goals for children and young people based on agreed standards
• effective planning, governance, evaluation and reporting processes to guide and monitor improvement, and
• the imperative to intervene to support all learners achieve these standards to their highest potential.
4. POLICY DETAILS
The eDIAf provides the standards and procedures required by preschool and school leaders to support their staff to assure the quality of outcomes and services, set robust improvement targets, and focus intervention processes and resources.
Enhanced DECD Improvement and Accountability framework Policy
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© Department for Education and Child Development 2013

In preschools, the National Quality Standard provides the key accountability processes; this is supported by the quality improvement cycle of the eDIAf.
In schools, the eDIAf has been designed to meet the requirements of the National School
Improvement Framework.
Schools, p reschools and children’s centres are responsible and accountable for:

the quality of learner achievement and wellbeing outcomes

monitoring and continuously improving staff and preschool and school performance

delivering a quality local education service underpinned by sound management practices

developing strategic relationships and partnerships with families and the local community

working effectively within legal and policy requirements

directing resources to achieve identified priorities

ensuring targeted funds work to achieve program initiatives

taking required action to identify and address areas where performance needs improvement.
4.1 Domains for Improvement
The eDIAf is underpinned by a body of research and informed by practice; this evidence suggests four domains are central to improvement in each element of the framework. The eDIAf domains are:
Enhanced DECD Improvement and Accountability framework Policy
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© Department for Education and Child Development 2013

4.1.1 Learn: Supporting all children and young people to develop their learning dispositions, academic and social skills to achieve to their highest potential requires staff in each of our schools and preschools to:

Maintain a safe learning environment that is respectful, engaging, challenging and purposeful

Promote high expectations and provide targeted support for each learner to achieve or exceed agreed standards

Design and deliver explicit, coherent, sequenced learning programs, plans and assessments tailored to learner needs aligned to the Early Years, Learning Framework,
Australian Curriculum and/or South Australian Certificate of Education and the
Teaching for Effective Learning framework

Develop and maintain a culture of continuous professional improvement that results in high quality pedagogy, practice and innovation
4.1.2 Lead: Leaders in preschools and schools will work with staff and the community to develop responsive local educational solutions to the aspirations and needs of families and the wider community and take accountability for the outcomes achieved. Leaders are required to:

Develop a clearly articulated vision for learning that motivates and connects educators and families in collaborative work to achieve the agreed goals for children and young people.

Provide strong educational leadership to drive the improvement agenda and build staff, learner and community leadership capacity to achieve the vision.

Use quality management practices to develop inclusive strategic planning and change processes, align resources to achieve priorities and ensure sustainable site operations.

Collaboratively plan, coordinate and evaluate pedagogy and the curriculum with staff through effective performance development, professional learning and feedback processes.
4.1.3 Connect: Partnering with parents, families, other education institutions, local businesses and community organisations enhances the learning experiences and outcomes for children and young people and enables educators to better meet their needs and aspirations. Staff in preschools and schools are required to:

View parents and families as integral members of the school community working in partnership with staff to promote high expectations and aspirations for learning achievement.

Develop sustainable partnerships that continuously improve outcomes for learners, build staff capacity and involve the broader community

Develop professional cultures in which staff collaborate across and within sites to build consistent and coherent approaches to teaching and the delivery and monitoring of learning

Provide opportunities for families, children and young people to shape policies and practices that affect them
Enhanced DECD Improvement and Accountability framework Policy
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© Department for Education and Child Development 2013

4.1.4 Improve : Continuous improvement occurs through the planned and purposeful efforts we each take to improve the quality and effectiveness of our practices, services and processes. It requires an ongoing commitment that is built in to the culture of the preschool or school that is integrated into the day to day work of all personnel. This requires staff in preschools and schools to:

Take collective responsibility with families for each child and young person and their learning outcomes

Develop effective processes to collect and interrogate the data and evidence required to strategically determine directions and improve outcomes

Regularly monitor and evaluate programs and practices based on current research and the evidence of learning outcomes achieved, to inform teaching and refine programs and practices

Engage with known and effective practices of self review, planning, targeted intervention and performance reporting to ensure an ongoing cycle of improvement.
4.2 eDIAf Key Elements
The eDIAf provides an ongoing cycle of review to support improvement in a planned and strategic manner. The key elements in this improvement cycle are as follows:
Enhanced DECD Improvement and Accountability framework Policy
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© Department for Education and Child Development 2013

4.2.1 Standards
The eDIAf standards are described in the areas of:

learner achievement and growth as well as engagement and wellbeing

quality staff and leadership practices

client satisfaction and partnership engagement, and

the quality of services and practices in curriculum and site management.
Preschools and schools are accountable for complying with DECD, State and
Commonwealth legal and policy requirements and standards. Staff in preschools and schools are required to establish improvement priorities and targets to achieve the standards and implement regular processes to monitor, self review and report on performance and growth.
4.2.2 Self Review
Staff in preschools and schools will undertake a range of rigorous self review processes each year to monitor progress towards standards and targets and review the effectiveness of improvement and intervention strategies. Self review processes may involve participation in formal accreditation systems, program evaluations and/or best practice review and benchmarking processes.
Principals and preschool directors are required to undertake and report on scheduled compliance audits and to review performance using the eDIAf Domain Rubrics.
A cycle of comprehensive reviews managed through the Office for Education will occur every 4 years in schools to provide public assurance of outcomes achieved. The comprehensive review cycle is a DECD quality assurance process regarding the effectiveness of learner achievement and well being, site operations and site self review and planning processes. Preschools are comprehensively reviewed under the National
Quality Framework processes.
4.2.3 Improvement Planning
Improvement planning processes in eDIAf include both planning for learning improvement and the operational planning practices undertaken at the classroom, site and partnerships levels. Planning for learning improvement requires staff to identify the strategies and actions needed to meet the identified needs of learners and achieve National, State and
DECD priorities, standards and targets.
In preschools, the National Quality Framework requires staff to develop the annual Quality
Improvement Plans (QIP).
In schools, staff are required to develop a 4-year School Learning Improvement Plan (SLIP) that identifies the focus and targets for learning improvement. The SLIP is implemented through annual action planning processes for priority areas.
Principals and preschool directors are required to implement sound management practices to ensure the effective management and deployment of human, financial and physical resources, governance, staff performance development and management, and the review of key policies and legislative compliances to address improved learner achievement and well being.
Enhanced DECD Improvement and Accountability framework Policy
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© Department for Education and Child Development 2013

4.2.4 Intervention for Improvement
Principals and preschool directors are responsible for timely, targeted and progressively intensive intervention to ensure improvement w hen programs, practices or strategies don’t achieve the desired results or meet standards. The degree and nature of intervention provided will vary depending on the circumstance.
Intervention for improvement action in significant site performance issues identified by the comprehensive review process, Education Directors
’ line management responsibilities, community and other management issues triggered by desk top and audit processes will be approved by the Executive Director, Preschool and School Improvement will be led by
Education Directors and site leaders.
4.2.5 Performance Reporting
Performance reporting provides transparent public accountability regarding the quality of site services and achievements. Performance reports detail improvement directions, outcomes achieved and the use of resources.
Principals and preschool directors are required to comply with DECD, State and
Commonwealth reporting requirements as described in the eDIAf Performance Reporting
Guidelines through the site Annual Report.
Annual Reports provide the community with information about learner achievement, progress towards standards, effectiveness of improvement strategies, resource management and compliance requirements. Annual Reports are endorsed by the governing body and forwarded to the Education Director.
In addition, principals and preschool directors regularly provide a range of performance reports and information to learners, staff and the community through processes such as newsletters, minutes and reports.
DECD Staff are required to provide reflective feedback on progress towards their annual performance and development plan, developed in consultation with their line manager.
Enhanced DECD Improvement and Accountability framework Policy
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© Department for Education and Child Development 2013

5. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Party / Parties
Preschool and school leaders
Teachers/educators
Education Directors
Executive Director, Preschool and School
Improvement
Director, Review Improvement and
Accountability eDIAf Reference Group
Roles and responsibilities
Principals/leaders will:

Develop and implement plans and processes that enable the requirements of this DECD policy to be met at their preschool and school.

Work with staff members to develop their skills and build capacity to deliver higher standards of achievement and improved wellbeing for children and young people through improvement processes that support quality teaching and learning programs and maximise student engagement, intellectual challenge and achievement.

Work with staff, children and young people, families and community to strengthen engagement in decisions about in local provision.
Teachers/educators will

Participate in all processes that address the requirements of this policy

Develop their skills and build capacity to deliver higher standards of achievement and improved wellbeing for children and young people.
Education Directors will

Work with principals and preschool directors in their partnerships to meet the requirements of this policy
The Executive Director, Preschool and School Improvement is responsible for

The maintenance and review of this policy and associated procedures including the publication of the compliance schedule required in schools and preschools.

Oversight of the process of managing significant site performance issues and reviews by exception.

Providing regular review reports to the Senior Executive
Group.
The Director, Review Improvement and Accountability is responsible for

Managing the trial of eDIAf policy, procedures and tools

Managing the comprehensive review of schools process

The development of resources to support preschool and school leaders implement the eDIAf policy and procedures

Managing processes to monitor and review the eDIAf policy, procedures, implementation strategy and support materials

Providing an annual review report on the effectiveness of schools.
The eDIAF Reference group will

Represent the Education Directors, Preschool and School leaders in monitoring and reviewing eDIAf processes and products

Provide advice to the Director, Review Improvement and
Accountability about eDIAf processes and products.
Enhanced DECD Improvement and Accountability framework Policy
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© Department for Education and Child Development 2013

6. MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REVIEW
The enhanced DECD Improvement and Accountability framework will be monitored and evaluated through:

Executive Director Preschool and School Improvement ensuring the regular review and development of the framework and providing summary annual reports to the Senior
Executive Group

Education Director performance management processes with preschool and school leaders

eDiaf Reference Group undertaking ongoing monitoring and review of implementation

An external evaluation within three years of commencement
7. DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS
Term Meaning
Preschool and school leaders eDIAf
Preschool Directors and Principals
Enhanced DECD Improvement and Accountability framework
8. ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS
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







9. REFERENCES
www.decd.sa.gov.au/docs/documents/1/EveryChanceforEveryChild.pdf
www.decd.sa.gov.au/docs/documents/1/BrighterFuturesFBTA.pdf
Enhanced DECD Improvement and Accountability framework Policy
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© Department for Education and Child Development 2013