Step One:

Select a group of learners from your current learning environment and in relation to your award major who are experiencing diminished learning and/or social outcomes and whom you feel would benefit from a planned intervention in order to enhance their academic and/or social outcomes.

Please select from an equity group such as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders, those with disabilities or special needs, those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, those from an ethnic group other than Anglo-Australian, rurality, gender.

NOTE: If you are doing an educational leadership award major, then select learners from a learning area in which you have the most background and knowledge.

Step Two:

Explain and justify why you have selected this group. As part of your justification/explanation:

§  clearly describe the learning context/environment of the award major and overall educational organisation in which you work;

§  detail the evidence available that leads you to believe that this group is experiencing diminished social/learning outcomes in your award major (evidence should be drawn from a variety of sources including information such as the teacher assessments, external tests, attendance records, counsellor/incident reports, external reviews, annual reports of your organisation etcetera).

NOTE: For ethical reasons, all evidence needs to be sufficiently general so that the anonymity of the learners, other personnel, your organisation, and any other identifying details are preserved. In other words, we must not be able to identify the organisation, learners or other participants. (approximately 500 words)

Step Three

Drawing on scholarly readings as well as your own observations, identify a program that has had success in improving this group’s social and/or academic outcomes in your award major area. Note the key reasons for its success, along with any pitfalls that you need to be aware of. In particular, critically analyse the role of educational leadership (positional and informal) in its success, using the readings and literature as evidence to support your case (approximately 500 words).

Step Four

Plan an intervention for your identified group of learners. In your plan you will need to:

provide a brief rationale for your intervention (a lengthier rationale is to be provided in step five below);

identified the key stakeholders who would be involved in a process of intervention and explain why you have selected these groups and stakeholders;

discuss what policies at the local/State/province level may be relevant to the planned intervention and why;

identify the leadership challenges to be met;

detail what actions need to be taken to meet these challenges;

formulate a data collection plan that includes a range of evidence; and

include an evaluation strategy for the program (approximately 1200 words)

Step Five

Argue a case for your intervention, drawing on your knowledge and understanding of educational leadership theories and research covered in weeks 1 to 13, and in particular, leadership for social justice, to substantiate your case. In your rationale, be sure to:

draw on an appropriate theoretical leadership for social justice lens to argue your case for intervention;

point out the strengths and potential pitfalls in your proposed intervention;

note how you will balance the use of data collection with the needs of learners and educators in ways that draw on the assets of the learners, rather than casting them in a deficit position; and

conclude with a discussion of the role of leading for social justice in the planned intervention (approximately 800 words).