Whole School Evaluation:

Approaches Used in the Public School System in Victoria, Australia

Abstract

While there is ample literature regarding theory underlying whole school evaluation (WSE), there are few examples of implementation. This paper provides a case example in one jurisdiction; the public school system in the State of Victoria, Australia. The paper shows how a commitment to mutual accountability underlies implementation success. On one hand, the State Department of Education (DoE) encourages individual schools to use WSE for improvement purposes. On the other, each school provides outcome information that enables the DoE to aggregate outcome information across the system, for accountability purposes. The paper outlines key strategies that have led to the success of this systemic arrangement.