3.+Data

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//** 'Accountability and data are at the heart of contemporary reform efforts worldwide. Accountability has become the watchword of education with data holding a central place in the current wave of large scale reform’ (Wilkinson& Meiers 2007:2)  **// This project seeks to identify the data used within the school to help identify, learning, well-being and transition needs for individual students. It will be a tool used for the early detention of ‘At Risk’ students enabling the school to put in place intervention strategies to improve retention and employment opportunity. By collating this data in a single space, a profile of each student can be made. Whilst not definitive it can start a conversation to effect programs tailored to the individual. This ‘Dashboard’ of data would be used to inform teachers, parents and students. It will present a transparent vision of a student’s learning and will create ownership of learning, well-being and transition. ** Destinations of Geelong Government schools **

Looking at the destinations of our students and those in Geelong can give clues to balance programs within the school. Oberon High School has been involved in a ‘Smart Geelong Local Learning Employment Network’ initiative called the ‘Post Compulsory Change Project’. This project looks at the destinations of our school leavers. This revealed a much greater proportion of our students entering the Vocational Education Sector than previously believed. Responding to this the school implemented changes to its delivery of VCAL and VET programs.

The destination data also confirmed the need for individual pathway planning, clearly indicating no ‘best fit’ approach would do for student transition.  The rapid change in our workforce indicates our job as educators is not career solving but rather to prepare students for change and to have and awareness of the world of work. //‘Your Future is our Future’// is an opportunity to foster reflection and personal recognition in young people. It is a tool to help recognise those who need assistance and are at risk of early school leaving. The two graphs included show the Geelong government school data and those of our school. Whilst Oberon High school compares favourably against other schools in our area, our data indicates clearly our students do not fall into one particular type of destination. This reinforces the need for individual career planning to ensure the best possible destination outcomes for our students.

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 * Effective School Model:** The DEECD ‘//**Blueprint for government schools’**// asks schools to evaluate school data to measure its programs to ensure positive student outcomes. The '//your future is our future'// site will help in this evaluation.