Common use of Targets Clause in Contracts

Targets. The Parties have previously agreed to the following national targets which are critical to the achievement of the outcomes: Australia considered to be a high quality and high equity schooling system by international standards by 2025; lift the Year 12 (or equivalent) or Certificate III attainment rate to 90 per cent by 2020; and at least halve the gap for Aboriginal and Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Islander students in Year 12 or equivalent attainment rates by 2020, from the 2006 baseline. National measures The Parties will track progress against the following sub-outcomes. These incorporate, as well as build on and supersede existing COAG education targets and aim to promote a culture that strives for continuous improvement in the performance of Australia’s schooling system. Academic achievement improves for all students, including priority equity cohorts. Lower the proportion of students in the bottom levels and increase the proportion of students in the top levels of performance (bottom two and top two bands) in the National Assessment Program–Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) Literacy and Numeracy, of Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. Lower the proportion of Australian students in the bottom levels and increase the proportion of students in the top levels of performance (proficiency Levels 1 and 2 and proficiency Levels 5 and 6) for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) testing in reading, mathematics and science. Lower the proportion of students from priority equity cohorts in the bottom levels and increase the proportion of students in the top levels of performance (bottom two and top two bands) in NAPLAN Literacy and Numeracy, for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. Reduce the gap in achievement between students from various socio-economic backgrounds in Australia’s PISA educational performance compared to other countries and the OECD average. Increase the proportion of young people from priority equity cohorts, who have completed year 12 or equivalent or gained a qualification at the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Certificate III or above. All students are engaged in their schooling. Increase the proportion of students attending school 90 per cent or more of the time, including students from priority equity cohorts Students gain the skills they need to transition to further study and/or work and life success. Increase the proportion of young people who have completed year 12 or equivalent or gained a qualification at AQF Certificate III or above. For the purpose of this Agreement, priority equity cohorts include Aboriginal and Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Islander students, students living in regional, rural and remote locations, students with a disability and students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. All Parties agree that sub-outcomes will be disaggregated by cohorts where available. All Parties agree to consider improvements to these outcomes and sub-outcomes over time, including enhancements to the existing performance measures and developing further performance measures reflecting priority areas, such as measures of learning gain, early years foundation skills and student engagement. All Parties agree to adopt updated COAG targets should they be endorsed by COAG during the life of the Agreement. All Parties agree to the public reporting of progress towards achievement of the above outcomes and sub-outcomes through agreed COAG performance reporting arrangements. All Parties are responsible for working together to achieve the objectives and outcomes of this Agreement. While the Parties are collectively committed to the achievement of the objectives, outcomes and targets outlined above, Commonwealth school funding to States and Territories under the Act is not conditional on the achievement of these objectives, outcomes and targets. Part 3 — REFORM ACTIVITY Reform directions Parties agree to build on existing efforts in each of the following reform directions, and implement national policy initiatives as agreed in Schedule B and state-specific activities as agreed in Schedule E: Supporting students, student learning and student achievement; Supporting teaching, school leadership and school improvement; and Enhancing the national evidence base. National policy initiatives The reform directions will be progressed nationally through national policy initiatives that: recognise and build on existing national, State and Territory and sectoral reform activities that are proven to be lifting outcomes for students have a robust and evidence-based rationale for how national policy initiatives will directly or indirectly improve outcomes through national coordinated effort concentrate reform efforts on the key enablers that drive improvement in educational outcomes take into account jurisdictional and sectoral context and allow for jurisdictional and sectoral flexibility in implementation of national policy initiatives, including in resource allocation. The Parties agree to the following national policy initiatives that support the three reform directions: Supporting students, student learning and student achievement Enhancing the Australian Curriculum to support teacher assessment of student attainment and growth against clear descriptors Assisting teachers monitor individual student progress and identify student learning needs through opt-in online and on demand student learning assessment tools with links to student learning resources, prioritising early years foundation skills Reviewing senior secondary pathways into work, further education and training Supporting teaching, school leadership and school improvement Reviewing teacher workforce needs of the future to attract and retain the best and brightest to the teaching profession and attract teachers to areas of need Strengthening the initial teacher education accreditation system Enhancing the national evidence base Implementing a national unique student identifier (USI) that meets national privacy requirements in order to support better understanding of student progression and improve the national evidence base Establishing an independent national evidence institute to inform teacher practice, system improvement and policy development Improving national data quality, consistency and collection to improve the national evidence base and inform policy development. The implementation of these national policy initiatives as outlined in Schedule B is a condition of Commonwealth funding to States and Territories under section 22(2) of the Act. It is anticipated that Education Council will vary Schedule B over time as national policy initiatives are further developed and considered. The cost of national policy initiatives will be met by Parties according to the cost sharing principles outlined in Schedule C. If the Education Council agrees in future, to any new national policy initiatives as related to sections 22(1)(a) and 77(2A) of the Act, these will be separately progressed through Education Council processes. Existing initiatives will continue to progress through Education Council processes, but are not considered national policy initiatives for the purposes of section 22 of the Act. This includes, but is not limited to, the National STEM School Education Strategy, the National Career Education Strategy, the National Aboriginal and Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Islander Education Strategy 2015, the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability, work to combat bullying and cyberbullying and consideration of the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. State-specific reform initiatives Bilateral agreements in Schedule E recognise that constitutional responsibility for school education rests with each State or Territory. The bilateral agreements take into account the specific contexts, existing reform efforts and starting points for the relevant State or Territory and set out: reform initiatives the State or Territory agrees to take to progress the national reform directions, in government and non-government sectors, including actions to support the implementation of agreed national policy initiatives any commitments of the Commonwealth to support the State or Territory to progress national reform directions, including reporting obligations of the Commonwealth as set out in the relevant bilateral agreement existing and/or new reforms to lift outcomes for priority equity cohorts including Aboriginal and Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Islander students, students living in regional, rural and remote locations, students with a disability and students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds, as agreed by Parties State or Territory funding contributions where arrangements vary from the default in section 22A of the Act. The implementation of bilateral agreements is a condition of Commonwealth funding to States and Territories under section 22(2) of the Act. The Commonwealth will not impose sanctions on States or Territories for a failure by the non-government school sector to comply with the requirement in section 77(2A) of the Act to cooperate with this Agreement or the applicable bilateral agreement. Nor will the Commonwealth impose sanctions on the non-government school sector for a failure of a State or Territory to implement this Agreement.

Targets. The Parties have previously agreed to the following national targets which are critical to the achievement of the outcomes: Australia considered to be a high quality and high equity schooling system by international standards by 2025; lift the Year 12 (or equivalent) or Certificate III attainment rate to 90 per cent by 2020; and at least halve the gap for Aboriginal and Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Islander students in Year 12 or equivalent attainment rates by 2020, from the 2006 baseline. National measures The Parties will track progress against the following sub-outcomes. These incorporate, as well as build on and supersede existing COAG National Cabinet education targets and aim to promote a culture that strives for continuous improvement in the performance of Australia’s schooling system. system.2 Academic achievement improves for all students, including priority equity cohorts. Lower the proportion of students in the bottom levels and increase the proportion of students in the top levels of performance (bottom two and top two bands) in the National Assessment Program–Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) Literacy and Numeracy, of Years 3, 5, 7 and 99 (see footnote 2). Lower the proportion of Australian students in the bottom levels and increase the proportion of students in the top levels of performance (proficiency Levels 1 and 2 and proficiency Levels 5 and 6) for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) testing in reading, mathematics and science. Lower the proportion of students from priority equity cohorts in the bottom levels and increase the proportion of students in the top levels of performance (bottom two and top two bands) in NAPLAN Literacy and Numeracy, for Years 3, 5, 7 and 99 (see footnote 2). Reduce the gap in achievement between students from various socio-economic backgrounds in Australia’s PISA educational performance compared to other countries and the OECD average. Increase the proportion of young people from priority equity cohorts, who have completed year 12 or equivalent or gained a qualification at the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Certificate III or above. All students are engaged in their schooling. Increase the proportion of students attending school 90 per cent or more of the time, including students from priority equity cohorts Students gain the skills they need to transition to further study and/or work and life success. Increase the proportion of young people who have completed year 12 or equivalent or gained a qualification at AQF Certificate III or above. For the purpose of this Agreement, priority equity cohorts include Aboriginal and Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Islander students, students living in regional, rural and remote locations, students with a disability and students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. All Parties agree that sub-outcomes will be disaggregated by cohorts where available. All Parties agree to consider improvements to these outcomes and sub-outcomes over time, including enhancements to the existing performance measures and developing further performance measures reflecting priority areas, such as measures of learning gain, early years foundation skills and student engagement. All Parties agree to adopt updated COAG National Cabinet targets should they be endorsed by COAG National Cabinet during the life of the Agreement. All Parties agree to the public reporting of progress towards achievement of the above outcomes and sub-outcomes through agreed COAG National Cabinet performance reporting arrangements. All Parties are responsible for working together to achieve the objectives and outcomes of this Agreement. While the Parties are collectively committed to the achievement of the objectives, outcomes and targets outlined above, Commonwealth school funding to States and Territories under the Act is not conditional on the achievement of these objectives, outcomes and targets. Part 3 — REFORM ACTIVITY Reform directions Parties agree to build on existing efforts in each of the following reform directions, and implement national policy initiatives as agreed in Schedule B and state-specific activities as agreed in Schedule E: Supporting students, student learning and student achievement; Supporting teaching, school leadership and school improvement; and Enhancing the national evidence base. National policy initiatives The reform directions will be progressed nationally through national policy initiatives that: recognise and build on existing national, State and Territory and sectoral reform activities that are proven to be lifting outcomes for students have a robust and evidence-based rationale for how national policy initiatives will directly or indirectly improve outcomes through national coordinated effort concentrate reform efforts on the key enablers that drive improvement in educational outcomes take into account jurisdictional and sectoral context and allow for jurisdictional and sectoral flexibility in implementation of national policy initiatives, including in resource allocation. The Parties agree to the following national policy initiatives that support the three reform directions: Supporting students, student learning and student achievement Enhancing the Australian Curriculum to support teacher assessment of student attainment and growth against clear descriptors Assisting teachers monitor individual student progress and identify student learning needs through opt-in online and on demand student learning assessment tools with links to student learning resources, prioritising early years foundation skills Reviewing senior secondary pathways into work, further education and training Supporting teaching, school leadership and school improvement Reviewing teacher workforce needs of the future to attract and retain the best and brightest to the teaching profession and attract teachers to areas of need Strengthening the initial teacher education accreditation system Enhancing the national evidence base Implementing a national unique student identifier (USI) that meets national privacy requirements in order to support better understanding of student progression and improve the national evidence base Establishing an independent national evidence institute to inform teacher practice, system improvement and policy development Improving national data quality, consistency and collection to improve the national evidence base and inform policy development. The implementation of these national policy initiatives as outlined in Schedule B is a condition of Commonwealth funding to States and Territories under section 22(2) of the Act. It is anticipated that Education Council Ministers Meeting will vary Schedule B over time as national policy initiatives are further developed and considered. The cost of national policy initiatives will be met by Parties according to the cost sharing principles outlined in Schedule C. If the Education Council Ministers Meeting agrees in future, to any new national policy initiatives as related to sections 22(1)(a) and 77(2A) of the Act, these will be separately progressed through Education Council Ministers Meeting processes. Existing initiatives will continue to progress through Education Council Ministers Meeting processes, but are not considered national policy initiatives for the purposes of section 22 of the Act. This includes, but is not limited to, the National STEM School Education Strategy, the National Career Education Strategy, the National Aboriginal and Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Islander Education Strategy 2015, the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability, work to combat bullying and cyberbullying and consideration of the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. State-specific reform initiatives Bilateral agreements in Schedule E recognise that constitutional responsibility for school education rests with each State or Territory. The bilateral agreements take into account the specific contexts, existing reform efforts and starting points for the relevant State or Territory and set out: reform initiatives the State or Territory agrees to take to progress the national reform directions, in government and non-government sectors, including actions to support the implementation of agreed national policy initiatives any commitments of the Commonwealth to support the State or Territory to progress national reform directions, including reporting obligations of the Commonwealth as set out in the relevant bilateral agreement existing and/or new reforms to lift outcomes for priority equity cohorts including Aboriginal and Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Islander students, students living in regional, rural and remote locations, students with a disability and students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds, as agreed by Parties State or Territory funding contributions where arrangements vary from the default in section 22A of the Act. The implementation of bilateral agreements is a condition of Commonwealth funding to States and Territories under section 22(2) of the Act. The Commonwealth will not impose sanctions on States or Territories for a failure by the non-government school sector to comply with the requirement in section 77(2A) of the Act to cooperate with this Agreement or the applicable bilateral agreement. Nor will the Commonwealth impose sanctions on the non-government school sector for a failure of a State or Territory to implement this Agreement.