1. Victorian Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat
The Literacy and Numeracy 6-18 Month Strategy
This professional learning workshop has been designed to build participants’ understanding of the Literacy and Numeracy 6-18 Month Strategy.
It has been developed using the E5 Instructional Model as a planning framework. See the design framework (on the VLNS website) for this professional learning workshop for more details.

2. Purpose of this session
Provide a brief overview of the Victorian Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat
Build familiarity with the Literacy and Numeracy 6-18 Month Strategy
Develop an understanding of how you can use the Strategy to support your work
Develop an action plan for your work in improving literacy and numeracy outcomes.
This workshop has several aims:
To provide a brief introduction to the Victorian Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, who developed the Strategy and to reinforce the importance of literacy and numeracy teaching and learning for all students, teachers, school leaders, families and communities
To provide participants with key background information on the development and purpose of the Strategy
To provide opportunities for school leaders, through the provided activities, to deepen their understanding of the Strategy and to explore the implications the Strategy may have on their own work.
Victorian Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat 2

3. The Victorian Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat The VLNS coordinate and influence literacy and numeracy improvement action with a particular focus on Smarter Schools. They provide state-wide leadership and a focus for effort to sustain improvement in literacy and numeracy.
The Victorian Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat (VLNS) was established in January 2010 with the appointment of former Hume Regional Director, Dr Stephen Brown (pictured) and works to coordinate and influence literacy and numeracy improvement action with an initial focus on Smarter Schools. These are the 300+ schools in receipt of National Partnership Smarter Schools Funding, including those funded through the Low SES status school communities and Literacy and Numeracy initiatives.
The VLNS released the Literacy and Numeracy 6-18 Month Strategy in April The VLNS will evaluate the effectiveness of the Strategy in the latter part of 2010.
The VLNS has nine terms of reference, which provides the structure and focus for the Secretariat’s work. The terms of reference are to:
Ensure regional literacy and numeracy plans align with DEECD policy and programs
Work with regional offices to support the effective implementation of all DEECD literacy and numeracy initiatives with an immediate focus on the national partnerships initiative involving 300+ low SES, literacy and numeracy schools
Build strong connections with other relevant parts of the Department, especially the Office for Policy, Research and Innovation and the Office for Children and Portfolio Coordination
Work with regions and networks to develop student literacy and numeracy targets and to support the development of detailed plans to meet those targets
Monitor and evaluate literacy and numeracy performance in all schools, in collaboration with Data, Outcomes and Evaluation Division and generate future recommendations for further research, policy and programs and the targeting of resources
Identify examples of excellent practice in schools and networks and share the practice across the system
Build on an emergent culture where the literacy and numeracy performance of individual students is continuously monitored and evidence based strategies are implemented to support improvement in the literacy and numeracy outcomes
Support regions to engage principals, teachers, early childhood educators and parents in the importance of improving literacy and numeracy outcomes
Identify strategies that best meet the literacy and numeracy needs of students from Koorie and ESL backgrounds.
Victorian Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat

4. Literacy and Numeracy in Victoria – Key Documents
Animation: Each text / duo of texts comes in on mouse click.
There is a suite of key documents that all participants are encouraged to be familiar with in order to deepen their understanding of literacy and numeracy in Victoria.
The Literacy and Numeracy Statement was released in December 2009 and provides a comprehensive overview of literacy and numeracy in Victoria. It reinforces the ambitious goals set in the 2008 Blueprint for Education and Early Childhood Development, highlights the important role that families play in literacy and numeracy learning and provides information on the resources and programs that make up Victoria’s multifaceted approach to literacy and numeracy learning and teaching. The other key documents need to be considered in light of the Statement.
The Literacy and Numeracy 6-18 Month Strategy was designed to support the application of the Literacy and Numeracy Statement and to assist school leaders, including Regional Network Leaders and Principals, to focus their energy on literacy and numeracy improvement. It contains detailed information of assessments and analysis, resources and planning – the Strategies will be unpacked later in this session.
The Key Characteristics for Effective Literacy Teaching P-6 and 7-10 were designed to support teachers to develop their literacy knowledge, understanding and skills. The documents are divided into VELS levels and aim to provide practical support to teachers. The 7-10 document has a focus on literacy across the Domains and provides support to all secondary teachers, regardless of the subjects they teach. They are online documents, and while they can be printed, they include many hyperlinks and are therefore best used with an active internet connection.
The Key Characteristics for Effective Numeracy Teaching P-6 and 7-10 provide similar support in numeracy; however the 7-10 document is designed primarily for teachers of mathematics. A Numeracy Teaching within the Domains document is out for consultation and addresses numeracy teaching across VELS Domains from 7 to 10.
All of these documents are available via the DEECD Student Learning Website.
Numeracy Teaching within Domains

5. The Strategy in a nutshell
It is one component of Victoria’s approach to literacy and numeracy improvement
It was designed to promote dialogue
It was developed to support 300+ schools in receipt of National Partnership Smarter Schools funding
It illustrates the minimum levels of action required to ensure a school wide focus on literacy and numeracy
It is not a checklist.
Animation: Each statement appears on mouse click.
There are some key ideas to note when discussing the Strategy:
It is one component of Victoria’s approach to literacy and numeracy improvement. It is not everything you need to know but it is a good starting point.
The Strategy’s primary function is to support ongoing, rich dialogue about how a school is working to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes for every student.
It was developed to support National Partnership Smarter Schools in focussing their energy and resources on improving literacy and numeracy learning and teaching. All schools are encouraged to use the Strategy as a tool to promote conversation and to reflect on practice. Many may find they are already engaged in many of the strategies listed, as well as other, additional activities.
This may be because the Strategy outlines minimum expectations for action. If schools are already engaged in all of these strategies, and doing them effectively, conversations will be about what else you can do to focus your energy on literacy and numeracy improvement.
Finally, the Strategy is not a checklist: don’t just tick off what you have done. If you do use the Strategy as an audit tool, which is one of the activities discussed later, ensure that there is conversation about what you are doing and why, what you don’t do and what you do in its place. Remember the dialogue is the key.
Victorian Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat

6. Building familiarity
This presentation has been developed in Prezi, a zooming presentation tool, and is stored online. It provides a more comprehensive background to the Strategy and would be useful where there has been limited exposure to the Strategy so far.
At this stage Prezi is not compatible with PowerPoint so to view the Prezi you need an active internet connection.
Click on the link provided in the presentation. This will take you directly to the Prezi.
Click on “More” and select Full screen.
Then clicking on Play (the triangle) move your way through the path set for this presentation.
Notes for the Prezi
The Prezi has 4 parts with no additional information required for presentation:
The Victorian context, with quotes from the Literacy and Numeracy Statement and the Blueprint for Education and Early Childhood Development
The Aims of the Strategy
The Strategy itself
Uses for the Strategy
You may choose to skip this Prezi if you believe your participants are already familiar with the Strategy.
Alternatively, this Prezi can also be navigated by participants prior to the workshop. participants this link:
Victorian Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat

7. Structure Animation: Each image appears on mouse click.
The Strategy uses the Effective Schools Model as its conceptual organiser. This model was chosen for a number of reasons, including:
Schools are already using, or are familiar with, the Effective Schools Model to focus their effort for school improvement. It does not introduce any additional models.
Highlighting that literacy and numeracy improvement is not restricted to Focus on teaching and learning and Purposeful teaching, but a whole-school responsibility and challenge
Putting literacy and numeracy improvement at the heart of school improvement.
In addition, the Strategy was divided into two components – the first is Assessment for Learning. This provides an overview of typical assessments for each year of schooling as well as advice on analysing student learning data to inform the teaching and learning programs. This section also provides advice on what to do for students achieving well above or well below expected levels.
The second component is Whole-school Planning, which outlines the actions required across the school to support literacy and numeracy improvement. This includes professional learning requirements, actions required for students requiring individual learning plans, recommendations for resourcing and advice for working in partnership with families.
Neither component is sufficient on its own. It is the balance of the two that is vital for literacy and numeracy improvement.
There are other ways that the Strategy could have been structured, other elements that could have been emphasised. If you have feedback on the structure please the VLNS
Victorian Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat

8. A practitioner’s story
Insert Digital story
This is the story of how one principal has used the Strategy to support her work, as an instructional leader.
Eastwood Primary School is in the Eastern Metropolitan Region and while this is a primary context, the core actions taken by Lee Ann and her team will be familiar, and instructive, in all educational settings.
The digital story runs for 6 minutes.
You will need audio output when showing the digital story.
Lee Ann Green
Principal, Eastwood PS
Victorian Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat

9. Ordered sharing What is your initial response to the digital story?
Insert Digital story
What is your initial response to the digital story?
What are some key ideas that you could take away from listening to Lee Ann?
Ordered sharing activity.
Depending on the time available this activity can be conducted in between 5 and 15 minutes.
Ordered sharing protocol: each member of the small group speaks without interruption in response to the digital story. Once all members of the small group have shared their response they are invited to move into conversation mode, including asking questions to clarify their understanding of the responses.
You may like to also dedicate time for whole group sharing, again depending on available time.
Victorian Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat

10. Reflecting on practice
Highlighting current practice
Discussing the differences and gaps
Animation: The highlighting circles appear with one mouse click.
This is the activity that Lee Ann discusses in the digital story and is made easier through the provision of the Strategy in Word version.
This slide can either be included as a suggestion for what school leaders can do when working with their leadership teams or as an activity.
The activity involves all participants highlighting what they are already doing in the Strategy. This provides an opportunity for staff to reflect on practices across the school within the selected term.
During the discussion it is important to note what all participants believe is already happening and to spend time ensuring that there is a shared understanding of the activities. It is also important to discuss the gaps, or as Lee Ann indicated, ‘things that don’t sit comfortably.’
Be prepared to use a variety of open-ended questions:
Where are our gaps / opportunities?
Why don’t we ...?
Why should we…?
How could we do this differently?
What are our strengths?
Victorian Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat

11. What could this mean for you?
Identifying the issues
Explaining what it all may mean
Assessment for Learning
Purposeful Teaching
Key messages
Learning and teaching plans are differentiated based on student learning data
Students achieving well above or below expected levels are known by name and have appropriate assessments to determine needs, including interventions
The Key Characteristics for Effective literacy and Numeracy Teaching P-6 and 7-10 provide support for teachers in assessing, planning and instruction
What does it mean for me?
What does it mean for us?
This activity requires a template – ‘What does it mean?’
This activity has been designed to promote reflection and to provide an opportunity for school leaders to discuss their work in literacy and numeracy improvement.
If you are running this activity in the presentation
Allocate 10 – 15 minutes. Participants will need a copy of the Strategy (or a term from the Strategy) to complete this activity.
Large groups (eg staff meetings) Distribute one card (with one section of the Strategy explained) to each small group and have them discuss the two questions. Provide a written answer to the second question for collection and further consideration.
Small teams (eg leadership teams) Distribute one card to one person, or have all participants complete all eight sections, or complete the sections participants consider relevant to their own work. Ask for 3-5 minutes of silent reflection and then answers can be discussed in pairs.
Victorian Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat 11

12. An Action Plan Useful for all members of the leadership team
Break down into meaningful components
Focuses on the essential aspect – the actions taken
This activity requires a template – ‘Developing an action plan?’ (displayed here and presented with examples on the next two slides)
This activity has been designed to promote reflection and to provide an opportunity for school leaders to plan their immediate actions for improving literacy and numeracy outcomes.
It builds upon the planning structures provided in the School and Network Improvement and Accountability Frameworks.
If you are running this activity in the presentation
Allocate 15 – 20 minutes. Participants will need a copy of the Strategy (or a term from the Strategy) to complete this activity.
The activity is best completed in pairs or small groups.
All members of the leadership team are encouraged to participate to ensure that it reflects whole school practice.

13. Term: Three Key components/elements: Professional Leadership What Who
ELABORATE: Literacy and Numeracy 6-18 Month Strategy Activity 4: Developing an Action Plan
Term: Three Key components/elements: Professional Leadership
What
Who
When
How
Resources to utilise
What will success look like?
Strengthening PLTs – develop teacher capacity to analyse student data by cross referencing
Using Key Characteristics of Effective Literacy and Numeracy Teaching – develop capacity in planning and instruction
Using the Equity Guidelines – develop capacity in the specific demands of literacy and numeracy education for students from low SES backgrounds
Provide relevant year level docs
Create a school process by developing model unit together
By mid Nov: Year level leader facilitating literacy learning at their team meetings
2011 Staff opinion survey demonstrates an increase of role clarity for team leaders
Literacy Leader with team / level leaders
Weekly meetings rotating between APT / after school
Key Characteristics docs (online), Year level curriculum outline. All to bring laptops to access additional resources
Animation: Each statement appears after one mouse click for the primary example.
This is the first example template that focuses on Professional Leadership in term
The ‘what’ has been taken from the Professional Leadership component of Term
We have taken one task (or one ‘what’) and looked at using the Key Characteristics documents to develop staff capacity in planning and instruction in a primary setting and a secondary setting
In a primary context it may be that the action involves building the capacity of year level or team leaders to become literacy leaders within their teams.
This approach also has a focus on determining what success will look like from the outset – ‘starting with the end in mind’ and being really clear what you are aiming to achieve, can assist school leaders in determining what action they need to take.

14. Term: Three Key components/elements: Professional Leadership What Who
ELABORATE: Literacy and Numeracy 6-18 Month Strategy Activity 4: Developing an Action Plan
Term: Three Key components/elements: Professional Leadership
What
Who
When
How
Resources to utilise
What will success look like?
Strengthening PLTs – develop teacher capacity to analyse student data by cross referencing
Using Key Characteristics of Effective Literacy and Numeracy Teaching – develop capacity in planning and instruction
Using the Equity Guidelines – develop capacity in the specific demands of literacy and numeracy education for students from low SES backgrounds
All teachers working within the Science Domain
Scheduled Domain meetings, with support of Domain leader (as required)
Provide sessions on the literacy demands of Science, develop a Domain planning process, develop “how to” docs to support teachers
Key Characteristics docs (online), Domain level curriculum outline. All to bring laptops to access additional resources
2011 All Science planning meetings and documents will include literacy considerations,
literacy demands of Science support material will be completed and shared
Animation: Each statement appears after one mouse click for the secondary example.
This is the second example template that focuses on Professional Leadership in term
The ‘what’ has been taken from the Professional Leadership component of Term
We have taken one task (or one ‘what’) and looked at using the Key Characteristics documents to develop staff capacity in planning and instruction in a primary setting and a secondary setting.
In a secondary context it may be working with a specific Domain team, in this case Science, and developing a level of understanding that will enable the Science teachers to incorporate literacy planning within their regular curriculum planning meetings.
This approach also has a focus on determining what success will look like from the outset – ‘starting with the end in mind’ and being really clear what you are aiming to achieve, can assist school leaders in determining what action they need to take

15. Developing your own action plan
Select one component of the Strategy in a term
Locate what you have responsibility for doing
Using the template, begin developing your action plan
Work one task all the way through to success on the template
Tip: look in other terms for more information
This is one approach to completing the action plan template.
Select just one component (or element of the Effective Schools Model) to start. This allows for clarity of purpose. This is not to say that the components don’t overlap, in many areas they do but these areas of overlap can be determined once actions have been initially mapped.
It is recommended that the person with responsibility for the area create the action plan – this enables them to take ownership of the tasks from the beginning and also promotes a model of distributive leadership that shares responsibility for literacy and numeracy improvement across the school.
Use the template to assist in ordering thoughts. If your school or network uses different templates for planning, use them instead of the template.
Ideally, work through one task (or ‘what’) so that you have time to understand the process.
This is a six term schedule and while each component is present every term, some terms have more detail than others. Term 1 in either year is a good place to look for more information.
Victorian Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat

16. Evaluating the Strategy
Using the Strategy is not an ‘extra’ and should not be evaluated on its own
Evaluate its effectiveness in supporting your planning through your current reflection processes
Use the resources provided by the School and Network Accountability and Improvement Frameworks.
It is important that the Strategy is not seen as an additional task. It should be seen as a tool to help school leaders focus on literacy and numeracy improvement.
Therefore its effectiveness in supporting your work should be evaluated through your current planning and reflection practices.
The processes outlined in the School and Network Accountability Frameworks support this work.
Victorian Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat

17. Contact us www.education.vic.gov.au/vlns vlns@edumail.vic.gov.au
Please visit the VLNS website – the Strategy is published in both PDF and Word versions on the site, as are all the resources used for this presentation.
For any further communication, please contact the VLNS via the address provided.
Victorian Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat