When designing this resource, the practitioners involved committed to the principle that this resource should be of practical help in enabling schools to make improvements. They developed a set of principles to support the design and implementation of the resource.
The resource includes and promotes the following features and values:
a focus on achieving the best for all learners
Alignment with the work of all other institutions/initiatives
flexibility and responsiveness to school context
clear links to professional learning
an ongoing process and not a ‘snapshot’
sustainability and manageability
transparency and honesty
useful and worthwhile
a bilingual approach throughout
the process is created by those who use it
In summary, the resource should support
all learners
all schools
a sustainable and self-improving education system
Schools should use the resource as a menu. The resource contains practical guidance and exemplification materials about 'how' to use a range of approaches for evaluation and improvement work. This is enhanced by an extensive menu of reflection prompts and additional resources that support schools to identify 'what' to evaluate and improve.
In addition, a variety of interactive resources support training, development and positive cultural change in relation to evaluation and improvement work. Importantly, as well as promoting desired behaviours and practices this resource also aims to discourage less effective practices or ‘bad habits’.