Module 5

Intervention Evaluation and Future Planning

The overview of the PALL program and the Research project on the PALL home page has provided you with a clear understanding of the purpose and background of the PALL program.

The following section is intended to provide you with all the material and resources used throughout PALL in each of the five modules. It also includes the homework tasks for participating Principals to complete in between each module delivery. To read a summary of each module refer to the Synopsis.

The leadership component of each module has been delivered by Emeritus Professor Neil Dempster from Griffith University.

However, there have been two presenters who have worked with APPA to deliver the literacy component of the program.

Throughout the modules where the focus is on literacy you will find materials and resources developed by both Associate Professor Deslea Konza from Edith Cowan University and Anne Bayetto from Flinders University.

1. Agenda

This agenda provides an outline of the key sessions for Module 5.

Download Module 5 Agenda

2. Module 5 Booklet

This booklet provides a complete description of the module and includes:

  • An overview of the module
  • Planned learning outcomes
  • A summary for the module
  • The Learning Resources
    Readings – OFSTED Summary of Twenty Schools Performing Beyond Expectations –
    (this is provided)
  • References
    Readings – This is a further OFSTED Report – “Reading by Six: How the Best Schools Do It”
    A summary of findings and recommendations is included
  • Related Websites
  • Session Format and Notes
Download Module 5 Booklet

3. Powerpoint

There are two PowerPoints for this module. The leadership component was presented by Neil Dempster. The literacy component was presented by Deslea Konza.

Download Neil Dempster Powerpoint for Module 5 Download Deslea Konza Powerpoint for Module 5

4. Video

Neil’s presentation on leadership was filmed and accompanies his PowerPoint.

Module 5 Session 1 Module 5 Session 2

5. Support Material

Support materials were provided in hard copy to the Principals during the module presentation. The order in which they are listed is the order in which they were used during the delivery.

Please note that if you are following Module 5 using Neil’s video you will notice that some of the session numbers do not match what is in the module booklet. This is because the video was made in 2011 and this latest module booklet was developed in 2013. However, you can still follow this using Neil’s video. All presenters have ensured that the latest research and information is provided at the time of delivery.

  1. Session 1
  2. Session 2
  3. Session 3
  4. Session 4
  5. Session 5
  6. Session 6
  7. Session 7

Session 1: Introduction to Evaluation

In this session Neil introduced the importance of evaluation in the school context.
No materials were handed out.

Session 2: Introduction to Evaluation

In this session, Principals were asked to share and summarise the intervention actions that had been undertaken in their schools with their colleagues. Each group summarised their presentations on the handout sheet titled:

Recording Sheet Session 2: Sharing Interventions – Our Discussion Findings

Session 3: The PALL Evaluation Framework and Evaluating an Intervention

Neil provided the Principals with an example of an Evaluation Report completed in a previous PALL project. The name of the school was changed to “On the Money”.

CASE A: “On the Money” Primary School

Halfway through the “On the Money” primary school’s evaluation story, Neil highlighted the new focus area “Comprehension” that the school chose for further improvement.

These sheets provided the data gathered by teachers and children on the comprehension strategies used in the school.

Teachers Comprehension Strategy Check
Children Comprehension Strategy Check

Neil used another example of a previous PALL school’s Evaluation Report which he titled, “Up and Up Primary School”. In this report, Neil highlighted Purpose No 1 and Purpose No 2 and the school’s strategy to collect data.

Case B: “Up and Up” Primary School

At the conclusion of this session, Neil distributed Principals with a handout of data from 11 schools that had been gathered by Principals in previous PALL evaluation reports. Neil provided the Principals with a set of questions for each example, such as, why had the data been chosen, what information did the data provide, what were the limitations and what other actions could be taken. Neil encouraged the Principals to use these examples with staff in their schools.

Examples of the kind of evidence of intervention effects that can be gathered against Purpose No 1.

Session 4: Building the Evidence Based Picture – Specific Evaluation of the “Big Six”

There were no handouts for this session.

Session 5: Planning for the Evaluation of Literacy Interventions

The first sheet handed out to Principals in this session assisted Principals to make working notes about how they could get the evaluation of their intervention actions under-way when they returned to their schools.

Preparing how to carry out the evaluation back at school

An Evaluation Planning Guide was distributed (as an A3 sheet) to assist schools to report on the successes of the evaluation of their reading intervention. The expectation was that the Evaluation Planning Guide would be completed by schools as their homework task.

Evaluation Planning Guide

The final handout in this session accompanied the “Evaluation Planning Guide” (above) and showed how the “On the Money” primary school referred to in Session 3 had reported on its evaluations.

Evaluation Guide

Session 6: Remaining Questions About the Teaching and Learning of Reading and Leading Learning in Schools

Participants were given the opportunity to identify any issues they had and these questions were collated by Neil and Anne who then shared their response and expertise.

Session 7: Completion of the Personal Leadership Profile a Second Time

This is the same questionnaire that was completed by Principals at the start of Module 1. Principals were then asked to complete this a second time. The analysis of each Principal’s Personal Leadership Profile was compiled and placed alongside the original analysis and returned to the Principals for self reflection.

As in Module 1, the completed questionnaires were forwarded to an external agency which aggregated and normed the data for the Principals. The external agency used for PALL was “Roland Simons and Associates”. Roland’s email address is roland@ardjuna.com and his mobile number is 0411 110 970. Any costs would need to be negotiated directly with Roland.

The two profiles enabled Principals to compare their perceptions of leading literacy at the start of the project and then at the conclusion.

6. Homework Tasks

Principals were asked to complete the Evaluation Planning Guide which was referred to in Session 5 to determine the success of their school’s intervention(s) actions in reading.

7. Feedback Sheet

This was used to gather feedback from the Principals on sessions delivered in this module so that the developers could make necessary adjustments to future modules.

Feedback Sheet Download

9. Podcasts

There were no Podcasts for this module.