格拉坦研究所-传播成功：为什么澳大利亚应该试行多学校组织（英）-2024.3-62页_6mb

Spreading success: Why Australia should trial multi-school organisations

Overview

Australia's school education system faces significant challenges despite increased spending and higher expectations. Most schools lack the support needed to improve student outcomes, particularly for disadvantaged students. Principals and teachers are overwhelmed with administrative tasks and complex challenges, while students miss out on quality education, specialist support, and enriching experiences.

Multi-school organisations (MSOs) offer a solution by creating large "families" of schools united under accountable executive leadership. These organisations provide practical support to implement a common blueprint for effective school operations, allowing experienced leaders to spread their expertise across multiple schools. Unlike the loose collaborative networks currently in place, MSOs have the authority and resources to drive real improvement, particularly for underperforming schools.

This report argues that Australia should establish several MSO trials in each state and territory, following 10 key design principles. These trials should be adequately funded and subject to rigorous public evaluation to ensure they deliver on their promise.

Structure of MSOs

High-performing MSOs, such as those in England, demonstrate that the model can significantly improve student outcomes and support principal effectiveness. These organisations benefit from a "Goldilocks" size that allows them to understand specific school challenges while maintaining the organisational capacity for improvement. Key features include:

• Strong executive leadership with clear accountability
• Shared resources and professional development opportunities
• Common curriculum and assessment materials
• Specialist support for inclusion and wellbeing
• Broader system benefits including teacher training and curriculum development

Australian Implementation Recommendations

1. Each school sector should establish several MSO trials with these characteristics:

   • Build up to at least 10 schools, starting small
   • Ensure initial schools are from the same education phase
   • Include at least one high-performing "beacon school"
   • Opt for MSO trials

2. Funding should come from existing school expenditure with additional grants for starting costs and turnaround support

3. Pilots should be subject to rigorous public evaluation

4. A robust accountability framework should be established for all MSOs

By implementing MSO trials, Australia can harness the power of scale and professional expertise to significantly improve educational outcomes for all students.