2009 Structural Review of the Northern Territory Department of Education and Training : delivering the goods
Ladwig and Sarra
Ladwig, James; Sarra, Chris
E-Publications; E-Books; PublicationNT
2009-03-25
Cover title. Report includes Northern Territory Government Media Release -" Education Restructure – Next Building Block for Excellence" by Paul Henderson.
English
Northern Territory -- Education
Northern Territory Government
Darwin
66 p. : col. ill. ; 30 cm.
application/pdf
Attribution International 4.0 (CC BY 4.0)
Northern Territory Government
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/216675
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/709129
25 March 2009 35 consistent with and actually add capacity to the system as it works toward its goals. The short-term funding (with concomitant short-term financial obligations), task specific projects are not likely to add value to the system without such coordination. Toward the aim of improving the efficacy of these programs, two recommendations are clear. COH 5a: Continue ongoing negotiations with the Australian Government to model funded programs (so as to provide coherent, long term support to schools, teachers and school leaders). COH 5b: Strengthen inter-agency coordination and delivery of Australian and Territory government infrastructure supports required to deliver the Australian Governments education revolution. Both of these recommendations anticipate future developments made possible in the current COAG agenda, and are inclusive of programs to build capacity in specific areas of need (in remote and very remote locations, and in the roll-out of national testing and curricular work). THEME TWO: Building a performance based system From the reviews analysis of the organisational structure and culture of DET, it is clear that a shift toward a more performance based system has begun, but is in need of substantial advancement, if this shift is to reach its goal of improving student performance. Several initiatives of DET have laid the ground-work for this shift, including advancing its information systems and infrastructure, and the development of the APIF for schools. To advance this important shift further, the review has identified recommendations that apply across the system, that relate to system performance and that relate more specifically to schools. These provide three main recommendations for building a performance based system. Performance Based System Recommendation 1 (PBS1): Establish system wide mechanisms to focus DET on the quality of its performance Three specific recommendations have been identified in relation to the overall agenda of promoting a performance based system. PBS1a: Strengthen performance review mechanisms and practices at all levels of DET to increase effectiveness of its organisational structures. In addition to the specific school review function identified in relation to the structure of DET and the proposed regions, there is a clear need to improve and implement individual performance management systems. Establishment of a corporate APIF, along with the current school APIF will aid in regular review of individual staff performance. Regionalisation of Human Resource functions will also assist Principals in conducting more timely and consistent review of staff. This must include better, more performance focused, management of teaching personnel.