Schools Plus
Schools Plus Processes
Schools Plus is a model of informed practice to match educational need to supplementary resourcing support for schools. Schools Plus continues to make practical links between teaching and learning adjustments, services and support, professional learning and supplementary resourcing for schools.
Schools Plus provides supplementary resources to Western Australian public schools that have eligible students. These students may require significant and often ongoing teaching and learning adjustments to ensure that educational outcomes are achieved.
The Director General of Education, Ms Sharyn O’Neill, committed to a review of Schools Plus and the development of a funding checklist in the 2008 annual report. The combination of the Director General’s Classroom First Strategy’s and the current educational agenda regarding Independent Public Schools created a timely opportunity to review the Schools Plus processes and guidelines.
The Review Steering Group and a Checklist working party were broadly based and took part in a comprehensive consultative process with detailed feedback from within the Department, professional associations, the relevant union and individual educators from across the educational sectors.
The objectives of the review were to:
• Reduce teacher and administrator workload;
• Increase local decision making;
• Provide greater flexibility for schools in the use of resources;
• Maintain budget viability; and
• Create a sustainable system for supporting students with disabilities.
Schools continue to deliver a wide range of adjustments or measures considered to be appropriate to achieve outcomes for each student.
Schools Plus complements programs and services that are provided by Statewide Services, the School Psychology Services
and regional support staff.
Schools Plus resources are provided in addition to the funding provided for every student in WA public schools.
SCHOOLS PLUS ON-LINE CHECKLIST
The Schools Plus On-line Checklist is the first stage of the new streamlined processes for allocating resources to schools to meet the needs of students with disability.
Schools are no longer required to submit Documented Plans or lengthy applications to access funding for students with disability. These new streamlined arrangements will substantially reduce teacher workload and provide greater flexibility for schools to use resources.
Definitions appear in the checklist to assist schools and Schools Plus consultants are available to provide assistance to help schools to make the transition to the new requirements.
Further flexibilities and streamlined processes will continue to be developed and released throughout 2010 and into the future.
The Schools Plus team welcomes feedback and will provide opportunities for school communities to contribute to the ongoing development of support processes and support materials.
