Middle Leader Standards
What are the Middle Leader Standards?
The Australian Professional Standards for Middle Leaders (Middle Leader Standards) are a practical guide for teachers who lead others in schools.
They help middle leaders understand what good leadership looks like and support them to grow in their role while improving teaching and learning.
The Middle Leader Standards were built in consultation with the profession. They were created to recognise the complexity and importance of the role of middle leaders across Australia.
As a nationally endorsed policy, you can explore the Middle Leader Standards to support your middle leadership development.
The Middle Leader Standards were developed by AITSL in partnership with the Queensland Department of Education.
Explore the Middle Leader Standards:
- Standard 1: Enabling dispositions
- Standard 2: Enabling knowledge and skills
- Standard 3: Enhancing understanding and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
- Standard 4: Coordinating high-impact teaching and learning
- Standard 5: Leading improvement in teaching practice
- Standard 6: Managing effectively
Enabling Standards
Standard 1: Enabling dispositions
Purpose
A disposition is an enduring character trait which shapes perceptions, motivates behaviours and is learned throughout life. The selected dispositions describe ways of being that enable middle leaders to reflect on their practice, and be effective leaders who can build teams and collaborate with others to solve complex problems. Using these dispositions, middle leaders demonstrate ways of being that enable excellent leadership practice. The focus areas described within this Standard have been selected due to their particular relevance to the work of leading educational improvement.
How this is demonstrated
The ability to lead with an open-minded and curious disposition. Being consistently willing to examine and revise their own beliefs by listening to differing points of view from students, colleagues, principal and other senior leaders and the school community, and use evidence to check and modify their own beliefs.
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Regularly review their practice and beliefs by considering different points of view from students, staff, principal and other senior leaders, the school community and reliable evidence. 2. Implement legislative and policy requirements and be willing to listen to suggestions for improvement in approaches to implementation. | 3. Support others to examine their practices and beliefs by considering different points of view in light of relevant evidence. 4. Maintain a clear stance on formal processes such as policies and codes of conduct while being willing to act on constructive criticism of own interpretation and implementation of policy. | 5. Cultivate an open-minded and curious culture by developing rigorous thinking in themselves and their colleagues. 6. Seek and respond to critical feedback in a non-defensive manner so that decisions are revised, if needed, in an open-minded and principled way. |
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Exercise courage in a set of situations, which are judged as low risk and central to own responsibilities. Exercise leadership in such situations by respectfully and clearly communicating their concerns. | 2. Communicate their concerns by speaking with clarity, confidence and respect to school community members across a range of individual, team, school and community situations. 3. Able to face and reduce personal fears by reflecting on and rehearsing respectful and clear communication of concerns. Seek feedback about the effectiveness of own communications. | 4. Demonstrate an unwavering commitment to the goal of improving the learning and wellbeing of students by respectfully challenging and enhancing school norms, cultures and practices. 6. Seek frank feedback about the effectiveness of decisions and act upon the feedback received. 7. Display levels of personal courage necessary to engage in difficult conversations that are required to improve student progress and achievement. |
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Display genuine empathy by listening deeply to the needs of others and being astutely aware of their feelings and thoughts. 2. Show care by demonstrating sincere interest in the needs, hopes and aspirations of staff and students. | 3. Carefully check rather than assume the accuracy of their perception of others' emotional states. 4. Apply a caring, sensitive and non-judgmental lens when helping others work through emotionally challenging situations. | 5. Work to consider the perspectives of others by setting aside any pre-judgements about their feelings and actions. Recognise both expressed and unexpressed emotions of others. 6. Avoid over empathising in ways that sacrifice teaching and learning or that create emotional overwhelm for the leader. |
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Recognise that it may take several conscious attempts before problems can be resolved. 2. Regulate emotions, stress and reactions during challenging situations. | 3. Persevere to achieve an improvement goal despite being faced with obstacles or difficulties or when initial approaches are not working. 4. Make judicious, evidence-based and public decisions about when to persist and when to revise or abandon an improvement strategy. 5. Recognise that it may take several conscious attempts to resolve difficult and complex problems. | 6. Model perseverance and commitment to improvement goals by leading staff through initial setbacks and challenges. 7. Lead by demonstrating a persistent commitment to the improvement goal rather than to a particular strategy for achieving the goal. 8. Model resilience by publicly acknowledging setbacks and then providing a positive and energising response to the situation. |
Standard 2: Enabling knowledge and skills
Purpose
Middle leaders draw on, and support others to develop clusters of knowledge and skills to solve problems of teaching and learning while building trust with those involved. The enabling knowledge and skills describe the how of effective school leadership and are enablers towards building a culture of learning across the school.
This standard describes middle leaders leading with a strong sense of who they are, what they know and do and how they draw on their knowledge and skills to help all students achieve.
How this is demonstrated
The ability to use and source knowledge to enhance the attainment of improvement goals.
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
1. Support teachers by demonstrating sufficient educational knowledge to identify problematic practice and guide the search for more effective evidence-based strategies. 2. Use knowledge to present ideas in confident and open-minded ways.
| 3. Use substantial educational knowledge to solve complex problems that prevent the attainment of improvement goals. 4. Use educational knowledge to explain and debate viewpoints with those who have diverse or contrary views.
| 5. Use a rich repertoire of educational knowledge to generate and debate hypotheses about the school-based causes of, and solutions to problems of teaching and learning. 6. Model the importance of checking high-quality research evidence before adopting new programs or initiatives. 7. Make explicit opportunities during problem solving to deepen teachers’ and leaders’ educational knowledge.
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The ability to lead the analysis and resolution of complex problems related directly to teaching and learning. Work through problems collaboratively, systematically, and iteratively.
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
1. Support teachers by demonstrating evaluative capacity, drawing on evidence and multiple perspectives, including the ability to identify and prioritise problems. 2. Recognise when a ‘quick fix’ approach is inappropriate and prevent or interrupt such an approach when needed. Support teachers by inquiring into factors preventing teaching and learning progress. | 3. Adopt a systems perspective to problems and explain why a problem has been made a strategic priority. 4. Collaboratively identify and analyse the causes of teaching and learning problems and identify solutions that directly address the causes.
| 5. Develop a collaborative and systematic process for using data to identify, analyse and resolve complex teaching and learning problems. 6. Lead by building staff capability to use a systematic process of collaborative problem solving, including inquiry into causes, identifying solution requirements and then settling on solution strategies. 7. Gain agreement on how to use data to monitor the implementation and impact of the solution strategies.
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The ability to build and sustain a culture of trust in which teaching and learning improvement is shared, well supported and competently led.
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
1. Listen carefully to others, especially when they disagree. 2. Build trust by making principled decisions and acting with integrity. 3. Establish a supportive team culture based on trust that fosters a shared commitment to teaching and learning improvement.
| 4. Continually build and sustain high-trust relationships that are based on established competence as a leader and teacher, and respectful treatment of all members of the school community. 5. Build and maintain a network of supportive-challenging relationships to serve educational purposes within and beyond the school.
| 6. Lead through clear and direct disclosure of reasons for own points of view and through sincere invitations for students, staff, parents/carers and school community to express their points of view. 7. Lead the repair of low trust relationship in situations that are within their sphere of influence. Build the trust required to make difficult issues discussable.
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The ability to intentionally reflect on own biases, values and perspectives to gain greater insight about oneself as an individual and leader and to seek feedback to engage in a continuous cycle of growth and development.
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
1. Consistently take deliberate and active steps to understand themselves, their capabilities, areas for improvement, beliefs, values, feelings and work-related goals. 2. Regularly reflect on own biases, values, and perspectives. 3. Seek feedback about own performance from staff and reflect on personal strengths and areas for growth. Use this knowledge to set goals that can lead towards improvement and are aligned with organisational strategic goals. | 4. Promote the benefits of self-reflection to teachers and ensure that their willingness and efforts to learn and improve are recognised. 5. Demonstrate active and regular opportunities to learn, unlearn and relearn practices and perspectives through a process of critical reflection. 6. Seek feedback to understand their performance from a range of sources, reflect upon the feedback and change their practice as a result. | 7. Reflect deeply on own practice and regularly modify leadership behaviour based on learning from experience and feedback from colleagues and others, including parents/carers and students. Demonstrate strong evidence that their practice is more effective as a result of the feedback through ongoing monitoring and evaluation. |
Core Standards
Standard 3: Enhancing understanding and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Purpose
How this is demonstrated
Promoting opportunities for all students to truthfully learn about and respect complex Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, living cultures and contemporary impacts of colonisation.
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
1. Demonstrate cultural responsiveness informed by a deep understanding and respect for the histories and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in their area. 2. Continually educate themselves on those histories and their intergenerational impacts on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, including languages, cultures, and worldviews.
| 3. Lead teaching colleagues to identify evidence-based resources and teaching materials that include the accurate history of communities from their local area. 4. Emphasise the importance of student wellbeing that recognises historical legacies such as, intergenerational impacts on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Embrace reflexive opportunities to learn and engage with communities, their languages, cultures, and ways of understanding the world.
| 5. Emphasise the importance of this cross-curriculum priority and promote the incorporation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, histories, and contemporary contributions into curriculum across all learning areas. This includes leading the integration of contemporary impacts of colonisation into lesson plans and teaching materials.
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Modelling teaching that validates respect for and builds positive relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and leaders even where there are few or no identified Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
Understanding and appreciating the privileges, roles and responsibilities of living and working on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lands and convey this to all staff and students.
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
1. Understand and develop positive relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, local to the school where possible. 2. Actively research local community protocols and languages and engage community members in the educational process, valuing their input, and collaborating to support all student learning. | 3. Work collaboratively with other school leaders to identify local Elders and leaders and create and maintain positive, reciprocal and meaningful relationships with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. 4. Foster active community engagement in educational processes, including co-designing the implementation of curriculum to explore local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and languages. 5. Draw on other school leaders' and teachers' demonstrated expertise in this area and obtain critical feedback and teaching evaluations. | 6. Demonstrate proactivity, respect, cultural sensitivity and a genuine commitment to understanding and addressing the complex issues of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, wellbeing and the challenges faced by these local communities. 7. In consultation with the principal, encourage all teachers and other staff to engage with Elders and leaders to build positive, reciprocal relationships. |
Promoting practices and attitudes that support reconciliation by dismantling biases, stereotypes, and promoting anti-racism strategies in educational settings.
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
1. Proactively promote reconciliation and encourage teachers to pursue reconciliation resources, workshops, seminars and other professional learning opportunities to learn about issues of bias, stereotypes, and racism in education, and their implications for teaching, learning and leadership. Align reconciliation actions with any existing school plans
| 2. Model and manage anti-racism best practice by challenging inappropriate comments, stereotypes, or discriminatory behaviour exhibited by students, staff and the wider school community. Ensure integrity when implementing anti-racism and other relevant policies, taking effective action aligned to policy when racism occurs.
| 3. Lead the use of student voice and other data to monitor and discuss progress towards an inclusive, anti-racist school culture. 4. Advocate and lead effective work towards dismantling racism within the whole school by actively challenging institutional racism. 5. Advocate for the incorporation of diverse external perspectives, guest speakers and counter-narratives to support a whole school approach to challenge racism. |
Monitoring the learning progress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to better guide and support them in their learning so that they will achieve their full potential. This should be completed in conjunction with using evidence-based teaching strategies and applying insights from cognitive science and other research on how students learn to optimise systematic deep learning through effective pedagogical practices. This is directly related to Standard 4, focus area 4b.
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
1. Work with teachers to specifically monitor learning progress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. 2. Optimise deep student learning using evidence-based teaching strategies. 3. Connect teachers with experts in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education, to identify other opportunities for teacher learning to facilitate enhanced student learning outcomes. | 4. Using evidence from student progress monitoring, collaborate with experts in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education and teachers to identify any classroom barriers to student learning and collaboratively design actions with classroom teachers which will address identified barriers for students. 5. Review existing processes to regularly collect and collaboratively analyse evidence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student progress to refine teaching practice and enhance processes to improve. | 6. Working with other leaders, use critically evaluated student learning data to reflect on how to enhance outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. 7. Use this information to advocate for improvement to school processes or plans so that they more effectively address barriers to the learning progress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. |
Standard 4: Coordinating high-impact teaching and learning
Purpose
How this is demonstrated
Providing a clear, structured and knowledge-rich curriculum with high expectations of systematically building students' content knowledge, skills and understandings to enable learning progress for all students.
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
1. Ensure that prescribed curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment are explicitly represented in teaching and learning programs. 2. Support teachers to develop programs/ unit plans that reflect a knowledge-rich, high expectation curriculum, enabling deep learning inclusive of all learners. 3. Establish appropriate record keeping processes to document systematic curriculum delivery and assessment. 4. Ensure parents/carers of students with identified needs are consulted in any adjustments made to curriculum delivery. | 5. Ensure parents/carers of students with identified needs are consulted in any adjustments made to curriculum delivery. 6. Lead the design of collaborative processes to ensure that teaching colleagues share a comprehensive understanding of required content and skills. 7. Establish processes to ensure that the detail of the curriculum in programs/unit plans is responsive to the needs and contexts of all learners, so that there are equitable learning opportunities for all students, with multiple opportunities for students to learn challenging content. 8. Lead teaching staff to understand that different learner groups bring different experiences to education and establish processes that consider how all students can be supported to learn through the design of effective teaching and learning programs. | 9. Lead initiatives, such as moderation of student work, that evaluate and improve teachers’ knowledge of content and its appropriate sequencing, to continuously improve the quality of teaching to maximise the outcomes inclusive of all learners. 10. Lead the cyclical review of teaching learning programs and their implementation using a wide variety of sources including evidence of students’ deep learning to improve program effectiveness in promoting student learning. |
Prioritising the use of effective, evidence-based teaching strategies and application of insights from cognitive science and other research on how students learn, to optimise systematic deep learning through effective pedagogical practices.
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
1. Support teachers to develop the required depth of understanding of evidence-based teaching strategies and educational insights from cognitive science and other research on how students learn, to plan and implement effective teaching in order to enhance learning progress and wellbeing for all learners. 2. Enable the use of effective digital technologies to enhance teaching and learning. 3. Ensure that teachers understand that all students need to be provided with learning opportunities which are intellectually challenging, irrespective of student's learning starting point. | 4. Lead the development of processes in which teachers strategically collaborate to embed effective, evidence-based strategies, applying insights from cognitive science and other research on how students learn. 5. Support teachers to refine their pedagogical practice through processes such as expert modelling, observation, and feedback, drawing on the use of evidence of student learning. 6. Lead a team culture with high expectations for all students' progress and achievement and in which all students are challenged in their learning. | 7. Initiate and lead processes to enable collaborative monitoring and evaluation of individual student and year level cohort progress and achievement in curriculum learning areas to inform adjustments to teaching practice. 8. Keep up-to-date with evidence-based research about teaching and learning, engage in educational networks to share and source those teachers or teacher-leaders with demonstrated, high-impact, evidence-based pedagogical expertise who will support the collaborative review and improvement of teaching practice.
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Ensuring a program of assessment which provides timely and valid data to enable student learning progress to be monitored to inform teaching and continued learning.
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
1. Support teachers to develop a program of regular assessments for formative and summative purposes that is regularly reviewed to ensure it sets high expectations of achievement and aligns clearly with the prescribed curriculum and the learning of students. 2. Ensure that teachers regularly collect and interpret assessment data, analyse it for learning impact, and use identified gaps to inform teaching decisions.
| 3. Initiate the collaborative development of a range of assessment strategies that enable teachers to determine students' learning progress, identify learning needs and enable the provision of effective feedback for teaching and learning. 4. Model effective practice in the moderation of students' work.
| 5. Lead the collaborative review, refinement and interpretations of assessment strategies and moderation activities to determine their effectiveness in gauging student achievement, learning progress and the provision of effective feedback. 6. Develop the capacity of others to lead assessment moderation activities which ensure consistency of teacher judgment.
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Standard 5: Leading improvement in teaching practice
Purpose
How this is demonstrated
Increasing teachers' capacity to improve student progress and achievement in all targeted areas of their development through a culture of continuous professional learning.
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
1. Source and make available professional learning for self and teachers based on evidence of student and teacher needs, drawing on external relevant expertise where required and evidence-based approaches and strategies. 2. Align staff professional learning with school and other required improvement priorities. 3. Model and build staff belief that all students can make excellent learning progress and encourage staff to have high expectations for student learning, behaviour, and wellbeing. 4. Provide regular feedback to staff on their teaching practice and develop processes to collaboratively evaluate the impact of practice on student learning. | 5. Embed a culture of continuous professional learning where teachers collaborate to apply evidence-based teaching strategies, and new professional knowledge and skills to their teaching practice. Ensure teachers then use evidence of student learning to evaluate the impact of their strategies and make further refinements to their teaching practice. 6. Establish processes with other leaders to identify teachers with demonstrated, relevant expertise, and enable these teacher-experts to develop the capabilities of identified teachers through feedback and challenge. | 7. Lead the establishment of data-informed processes to evaluate the impacts of professional learning on change in participating teachers’ practice and improvements in their students’ learning progress and achievement in all targeted areas of their development. |
Embedding the use of data and research evidence to support continuous improvement.
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
1. Support staff to access, collect and interpret a range of student data and research evidence to inform teaching decisions and evaluate learning progress and achievement, and wellbeing for individual students and student cohorts.
| 2. Establish regular opportunities for staff to use a range of point-in-time and longitudinal evidence and other relevant student data to collaboratively engage in deep discussions about student learning and wellbeing. Use this student evidence base to engage in deep discussion to inform planning for continuous improvement.
| 3. Lead the establishment of practices and processes which support the consistent use of student data and research evidence to challenge assumptions and inform decisions and actions at a team and individual level about what and how to teach.
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Leveraging collaborative practice to monitor and improve the impact of teaching on student learning and wellbeing.
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
1. Establish an understanding of the impact of collaborative practice in improving student progress and achievement. 2. Provide opportunities for teachers to engage in regular collaboration including through joint planning, development of assessment tools and moderation of assessment tasks.
| 3. Establish structures and processes to enable regular, high-trust and high-challenge collaboration between teachers. Use these processes to support continuous improvement in teaching practice through collaborative professional inquiry into their teaching practice, based on implementation and impact of evidence-based strategies, and application of relevant knowledge, on student learning progress. 4. Create opportunities to discuss and resolve barriers to effective collaboration. 5. Build a shared understanding and commitment to working together to improve the impact of teaching on student learning and wellbeing. | 6. Lead the development of systems to evaluate both the implementation and impact of collaborative practice on improving student learning progress and achievement and wellbeing. 7. Establish collaborative professional inquiry in which evidence of impact is shared within and across teams and schools to scale up success. 8. Develop the capacity of staff to initiate discussion and resolution of barriers to effective collaboration.
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Standard 6: Managing effectively
Purpose
How this is demonstrated
Creating an inclusive environment where teachers can teach well, and students can engage with and succeed in their learning.
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
1. Build an inclusive learning culture by modelling inclusive practice and building deep understanding of the diverse learning, social and behavioural needs of the full range of students. Develop teachers’ use of evidence-based inclusive practices such as tiered interventions. 2. Support teachers to have high expectations of student behaviour and to implement evidence-based practices for positively and proactively supporting respectful student behaviour through explicitly teaching expected behaviours. 3. Develop teacher understanding and use of evidence-based behaviour management strategies and model their use. 4. Implement relevant behaviour and work, health and safety policies and processes consistently, fairly and equitably, while responding agilely to different circumstances. | 5. Ensure evidence-based systems are in place to recognise and respond appropriately to support the wellbeing of staff and students. 6. Strategically provide differentiated support to build the capacity of staff to create a safe, supportive and orderly learning environment, by identifying and leveraging teachers with expertise in behaviour management to collaboratively develop the capabilities of others. 7. Set high expectations of professional staff conduct and design support systems to assist staff to consistently meet those expectations. | 8. Lead evaluation processes which use quantitative school data and qualitative data from a range of stakeholders including teachers, specialist school staff, students, parents/carers to determine the safety, supportiveness, sense of belonging, and orderliness of the learning environment for students and staff over extended time periods and use this information to plan improvements. 9. Use research and school evidence about student behaviour and wellbeing to challenge and test assumptions about what does and does not work in managing student behaviour. 10. Balance case and incident management of student behaviour with strategic reviews of school policies and procedures. |
Building productive relationships with students, parents/carers and the community to enhance student learning and wellbeing.
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
1. Promote the importance of student, teacher and parent/carer partnerships in achieving learning and wellbeing goals and celebrating success. 2. Recognise and value diversity within the school community and create an inclusive culture to support student, parent/carer and community engagement. 3. Ensure interactions with students, parents/carers and the community are caring, respectful, culturally aware and focused on the learning and wellbeing of students. | 4. Set and maintain high expectations for staff interactions with students, parents/carers and the community to promote student learning and wellbeing. 5. Support staff to demonstrate empathy, open-mindedness and cultural awareness in their interactions and challenge behaviours which hinder relationship development with students, parents/carers and the community. | 6. Initiate and lead processes to evaluate team culture and the status of relations with students, parents/carers and the community to inform plans for improvement.
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Managing implementation of required policies, procedures and processes in an ethical, transparent manner, ensuring procedural fairness so that staff have clarity about expectations and mechanisms of support in their workplace.
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
1. Enact processes to onboard and mentor/coach new staff and early career teachers. 2. Model a positive, caring, inclusive culture and relationships of mutual respect while ensuring compliance with policies and procedures. 3. Provide opportunities for staff to receive training to develop an understanding of policies and procedures. Provide feedback to improve staff alignment with policies. 4. Establish a culture of shared accountability by clearly identifying staff policy accountabilities, roles and responsibilities and collaboratively developing transparent systems to support staff to meet them in a timely manner being aware of workload. 5. Organise and lead efficient team meetings by circulating an agenda and requirements for meeting preparation, with actions recorded and allocated to staff responsible. Communicate routine administrative items digitally, outside meeting times. | 6. Use performance and development processes or where required performance management processes to scale up success and identify areas for staff improvement, in order to ensure their strategic development. 7. Challenge staff practices, beliefs or behaviours which do not align with policy-based expectations, while maintaining a relationship of trust. 8. Plan and coordinate the work of a team by strategically delegating leadership responsibilities after consideration of staff capabilities, aspirations, areas of interest and expertise. Provide clear expectations of responsibilities. Agree upon timelines and establish transparent supervision procedures to support staff in managing their leadership responsibilities. 9. Organise and lead productive team meetings which advance a collaborative improvement agenda. Proactively manage workload issues for staff, in collaboration with the principal and other senior leaders where required.
| 10. Work collaboratively with other leaders to establish evidence-informed processes to review and improve management processes and the implementation of common policies. 11. Develop the capacity of others to organise and lead productive team meetings which support the advancement of a collaborative improvement agenda. 12. Address workload issues by considering reform to systems and processes within the team.
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Strategically managing resources in a fair, inclusive and transparent manner that meets the diverse learning needs of students and monitor its impact. Resources may include staff, budget, teacher and student time, teaching materials, and technology.
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
1. Interpret and use evidence to monitor students’ needs and target resources towards evidence-based strategies to improve student progress and achievement. 2. Ensure effective allocation of resources to support learners with additional needs. 3. Strategically allocate resources to support the implementation of school strategic plans, through a transparent, objective process where staff can see alignment of allocation to key improvement goals. 4. Engage with digital technologies to streamline administration and enhance learning improvement through an approach which is targeted, integrated and purposeful. | 5. Collaboratively establish processes to monitor the alignment of resource allocation to strategic planning, so that the resources are used optimally to enhance the learning of all students. 6. Develop a culture in which teaching expertise is seen as a resource and is used to support collaborative improvement of teaching practice. 7. Implement strategies to develop and retain expert teachers. 8. Demonstrate organisational agility in planning by responding quickly to changes in context and need. 9. Seek opportunities to prioritise instructional time when decisions are being made about the scheduling of events or processes. 10. Work collaboratively with the principal and other school leaders to optimise the deployment of technologies for streamlining administration and enhancing learning, using evidence. | 11. Establish evidence-informed and collaborative processes to review the impact of resource allocation on the diverse learning needs of students. 12. Lead the transparent reallocation of resources away from lower priority uses to new, higher priorities by discussing the need for change and managing staff expectations. 13. Use evidence-informed and collaborative processes to review the impact of digital technologies and consider future needs in conjunction with principal and other leaders. |
Using clear structures and collaborative procedures to determine goals, and develop, execute, monitor and evaluate plans for improving teaching and learning.
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
1. Lead staff to collaboratively plan how to implement those aspects of the school strategic improvement plan that lie within own area of responsibility. 2. Ensure that the improvement agenda is ‘narrow and deep’ and has adequate timeframes for staff learning through iterative problem-solving efforts. 3. Lead team in using data to collaboratively identify goals and strategically plan to address student learning needs specific to own area of responsibility and not addressed by the school strategic improvement plan. 4. Liaise with the principal to prioritise implementing plans to achieve these team-identified, teaching and learning improvement goals, in line with agreed strategic priorities. 5. Encourage staff to take collective responsibility for the achievement of school strategic improvement plan goals and additional team goals required to meet the needs of identified student groups.
| 6. Lead staff to develop processes that will assist them in sustaining implementation of improvement strategies until goals are achieved. 7. Systematically guide teaching staff to implement the improvement plan. Provide feedback and prioritise collaborative support to staff who would benefit from additional assistance with implementation. 8. Provide feedback to principal and other senior leaders about progress and challenges in meeting improvement goals.
| 9. Lead staff to design mechanisms to collect and review the thoroughness of implementation of improvement strategies. 10. Lead staff to use data on implementation to review its success and make necessary adjustments. 11. Collaboratively review evidence of impact to inform future goal setting and problem solving
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Implementing effective and streamlined administrative and record keeping systems and processes including through available technology.
| Proficient capabilities | Accomplished capabilities | Expert capabilities |
|---|---|---|
1. Ensure team administrative and record keeping systems are fit for purpose. 2. Support staff to maintain accurate records, by ensuring they have the required skills to operate administrative systems and that they understand legislative and policy requirements. 3. Collaboratively develop procedures that make clear expectations for optimal staff use of administrative and record keeping systems.
| 4. Establish processes to enable an agile response to improve team administrative and record keeping systems. 5. Monitor consistency of implementation of processes and inquire respectfully into reasons for variable practice.
| 6. Lead processes to evaluate the effectiveness of established administrative and record keeping systems and processes to ensure they are streamlined and meet the needs of all users. 7. Lead a collegial problem-solving process to improve ineffective administrative routines. |