Student Achievement Function (SAF)
English and Māori-medium SAF practitioners are based within each of the ten regional offices as front line staff to support schools and kura.
Regional Offices work with schools and kura to identify urgent needs.
SAF Practitioners focus on assisting their schools to raise student achievement and improve their capability in one of five key areas: evaluative, instructional, organisational, cultural and linguistic intelligence and educationally powerful connections with parents, family and whānau.
SAF Practitioners work alongside individual schools and kura through an intensive 26 week programme to address the urgent needs.
The SAF practitioner facilitates schools and kura to build their own capability to:
There are SAF practitioners working with approximately 600 schools and kura annually in both English and Māori medium settings.
Schools and kura selected to work with the SAF are done so at the regional level in conjunction with ECP and senior advisors as well as any other relevant stakeholders with Māori, Pasifika, or special education expertise.
The programme was set up in early 2011 and is a permanent part of each regional office..
The SAF and classroom practice and school capability are in direct correlation.
The SAF process involves the school and kura leaders in conjunction with the practitioner using an inquiry based model to evaluate their performance in the following five capabilities:
Through this process the school or kura, in partnership with the practitioner, will focus on one of these areas of capability and create a plan to implement sustainable change as outlined above.
Each capability has an impact on classroom practice to a greater or lesser degree depending on which capability is chosen to work on. However, teaching as inquiry is fundamental to raising student achievement for our priority student groups.
Practitioners work at the individual school or kura level. Within a school or kura the practitioner will have involvement with the Board, senior management team, and change team members who are made up of teachers, community members, iwi, and parents.
Practitioners anticipate working with schools and kura for a 26 week period when a sustainability plan will be developed, which will outline ongoing support. Practitioners will continue to visit to see how schools and kura are progressing with their sustainability plan.
Accountability and reporting focuses on both long and short term outcomes:
Schools and kura must carry on using an inquiry-based approach to learning that is centered around ako, and which focuses on the needs of students.
By using an inquiry-based change management approach, school and kura leadership teams are able to carry out their own evaluations on their capability in the five capability areas and work on implementing sustainable change programmes.
45 practitioners working nationwide with oversight from their Manager Education and Director of Education.
450 schools/kura per year.
The SAF operates nationally through all ten Ministry regions.
Who funds the support?
Ministry of Education
Managers Education in the regions.
Schools and kura are selected through an internal process at regional level
How is the support or programme described to schools?
As above.
Data obtained from Senior Advisors working in the Regional Offices including student achievement data, charter information, ERO reports.
Practitioners must complete a scoping document, have an agreed project management plan and support the change team to develop a change and improvement plan, and sustainability plan.
These documents will describe issues and root causes identified by the change team and include the agreed change and improvement plan. These plans will include a clear monitoring and review process to determine progress against targets and outcomes.
No external evaluation has been carried out to date. This is due to be undertaken in the next 12 months.
A practice manual is provided to all staff and training in the tools developed to support the practice methodology is undertaken during initial induction.
Ongoing training and development is provided for all staff, including monthly regional training sessions, individual development plans, and national training as required.
Projects are monitored for quality of analysis and solutions by lead practitioners. Practitioners’ performance is regularly assessed through the usual performance management processes.
The sector has provided positive feedback to the Ministry about the programme, in particular, the focus on individual students who are not achieving. Some people report that the 26 week timeframe could be extended.
Updated on: 25 Aug 2014
