Evaluation of the national partnership (teacher quality, supply and retention) initiatives for the Victorian school workforce

This report presents an evaluation of key staffing initiatives implemented by the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) over the past decade or more. These initiatives have been directed primarily at filling hard-to-staff vacancies, such as those that typically occur within schools in rural and remote areas, as well as attracting high quality mathematics and science graduates into the teaching profession. Further initiatives have been designed specifically to support Indigenous students to take up a teaching career, as well as to attract people into special education.

The evaluation focused on thirteen teacher workforce initiatives, including programs specific to Victoria, one of which goes back to 2001 (Teaching Scholarship Scheme), one that commenced in 2004, while the others commenced after 2004 . Still other initiatives are relatively new, having received funding under the COAG Commonwealth Smarter Schools National Partnership for Teacher Quality initiative (see DEECD, 2012, pp.8-9).