February 2021

Revising your school’s data plan 

All schools should have a data plan as this was a requirement for planning purposes by the start of the 2017 school year. There is no set template or format for a school data plan required by the department of education, as this is the result of a collaborative process, where all members should have the opportunity to have input into the development of the data plan.

As part of the workload reviews that took place in Semester Two, 2020, the QTU has sought the revision of the DET/QTU data joint statement. (Remember that joint statements are recognised by QTU and the DET as enforceable under the current certified agreement.)

The revised Joint Statement on the Purpose and Use of Data in Queensland Schools, is available on One Portal together with a range of supporting resources, including the data Literacy Framework and Mandatory data Sets.  

The key features of the revised data joint statement

• A purposeful, collaborative, solution-focused, ethical, and inclusive approach to data
• The Data Literacy Framework provides specific guidance about data-informed practice.
• Work arising from the use of data represents an effective use of teachers’, heads of programs’, school leaders’ and other school staff time.
• Positive, evidence-informed decision-making is vital to inform classroom practice. 
• It is important to take a considered approach to how we use data within our schools, including managing teacher workload demands around collecting, analysing, and responding to data.
• The most important data pertaining to student achievement is that relating to the curriculum being taught within the classroom.
• The collection of the data should align with the P-12 Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Framework and be the subject of consultation through the school’s LCC.
• It is counter-productive for teachers to spend time on data tasks that are not intrinsically linked to student learning, or that are not relevant to their roles, the school priorities, and departmental requirements.
• A school’s data plan should identify the relevant time or resources that build in opportunities for teachers to collect and compile evidence.

Mandatory Data Sets in the school data plan

At a minimum, the school data plan will include reference to mandatory data sets associated with teaching and learning and outline the ethical use of the data sets withing the plan. These data sets include:

Student Learning data

• Summative data such as report card data (A-E achievement, Behaviour, Effort, and student assessment folio and moderation of student summative assessment) Bandscales are optional.
• Formative data such as monitoring tasks and Individual Curriculum Plan development and reviews are also optional to include in the school’s data plan.
• Diagnostic testing data includes Early Start and NAPLAN.  Other diagnostic testing data which are selected by schools, for example, PAT M testing, are optional and as such are subject to consultation at the local level through the Local Consultative Committee or other consultative mechanism.
• Outcome data including ATAR, Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE), Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement (QCIA), School- based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SAT) and Vocational Education and training (VET)

Student Wellbeing Data

• student attendance, school disciplinary absence data (SDA) and Behaviour incident reports.

Community Data

• School Opinion Survey (SOS) Data, Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) and the Nationally Consistent collection of data on students with disability (NCCD)

Proposed steps in revising a school’s data plan.

1. All members should familiarise themselves with the revised joint statement, the data literacy framework, and the mandatory data sets.
2. School leaders meet with the union reps to discuss how consultation around the revision of the existing school data plan will occur.
3. Members are consulted about data displays (whether they be fixed, temporary, digital, and interactive) as this will be determined at the local level through Local Consultative Committee (LCC) consultation.
4. Schools can choose whether to use the electronic templates provided for the mandatory data sets or keep that data in another format/location. The templates are easy to populate and are recommended for use but are not mandated for use. Accessing and using existing data sets will minimise requirements for multiple data entry points.
5. Members should consider any other data which they might be collecting, (other than the data mandated for collection) for example, PAT M testing, as these are optional and therefore are subject to consultation at the local level through the Local Consultative Committee or other consultative mechanism.
6. School leaders (Principals, Deputy Principals of Heads of Program) may wish to draft a revised school data plan for consultation purposes, as a starting point for discussion.
7. Consultation commences, including consideration of existing programs/processes in the school.
8. LCC meets to consider a process and timelines to finalise the revised data plan.  
9. Consultation on the school’s draft revised data plan takes place and feedback invited from all members.
10. A Revised Plan, incorporating feedback, is further considered by the LCC.
11. The school’s data plan is finalised by the start of 2022 and provided as a resource to all employees in the school.
12. The data plan is subject to annual review at LCC and other meetings and updated, as necessary.

The importance of the LCC (or small school consultation processes) cannot be understated – it is the vehicle for consultation and change management in the school. The role of the LCC is not limited to consulting on initiatives (in this case the data plan) but also to support the implementation and review of these initiatives. Consequently, the data plan, along with the planning processes and schemes of collegial engagement in schools, should be standing items for LCC meetings so that issues can be addressed, and changes made in a timely manner.

Further information and assistance

The QTU appreciates that most schools will already have a school data plan in place, and it is not expected that schools will align to the updated Joint Statement immediately. Members in schools will be able to commence consultation and revise and update their existing school data plans by the start of 2022.

Under the revised joint statement, a school’s data plan will then be reviewed annually in consultation with teachers and the LCC, so that it accurately reflects the intended use of data within the school for that year.

It is not expected that schools will align to the updated Joint Statement immediately. Members in schools will be able to commence consultation and revise their existing school data plans by the start of 2022.

Should you require any assistance in unpacking the Joint Statement on the Purpose and Use of Data in Queensland Schools, please contact your Organiser or QTAD 1300 11 7823 or qtad@qtu.asn.au.​​​