The Program

(c) Markus Wache

The Vienna Education Pledge (WBV) was launched in 2022 and is a central component of City Councilor for Education Bettina Emmerling’s education initiative. It offers an innovative school development program that guides and supports Viennese compulsory schools facing particular challenges in their sustainable and self-directed development.

The program is offered in cooperation with the Vienna University of Teacher Education (PH Wien), the Vienna Department of Education , and the Education Lab. It is based on the Quality Framework for Schools (QMS).

Participation in the Vienna Education Pledge is voluntary, and the program runs for 3 years at each location. School autonomy is central to this: Schools are actively involved in shaping the school development process and decide for themselves on goals, approaches, and priorities.

Professional development sessions, events, and other activities for participating schools are held in cooperation with external partners.

The Vienna Education Pledge demonstrates how much schools can be improved through collaboration among various stakeholders. Networking and mutual learning are at the heart of this initiative, creating a true professional learning community.
(Barbara Herzog-Punzenberger and Norbert Kraker, President and Vice President of the Vienna University of Teacher Education)

Objective

The WBV supports schools in their organizational development, thereby strengthening them in the long term and reducing their workload. The goal is to guide schools on their journey toward becoming a learning organization. This approach is based on Peter Senge’s concept of the learning organization and the related concept of the school as a learning organization. This means promoting active learning, the ability to reflect, and an open and inclusive culture among all participants. The program empowers schools to respond flexibly and appropriately to changing conditions in school life while simultaneously designing supportive structures and processes. The focus is on creating a motivating and supportive learning environment, thereby fostering greater equity of opportunity.

The initiative takes a holistic approach to change that encompasses organizational, pedagogical, and personnel aspects: among other things, it focuses on teamwork, staff development, and professional teaching and learning environments.

Offers

Participating schools receive support and are provided with individualized guidance and counseling throughout the program’s three-year duration. The following resources are available to help schools achieve their own development goals:

Organizational Development Consulting

A core component of the program is individual support from organizational development consultants. Each school receives support from consultants throughout the entire duration of the program. These are experts who combine experience in the school setting with expertise in organizational development. The consultants provide guidance with their expertise and a clear, outside perspective.

Consulting services are provided on a regular basis and are supported by ongoing communication within the consultant network.

The goal is to sustainably professionalize and strengthen the school: from improving processes and structures and fostering a cultural shift to bringing about fundamental changes in patterns. In the school development process, we place a strong emphasis on teamwork. When the team functions well, we can better meet the needs of our students. For the first time, we held a joint professional development day with nearly 75 people and worked intensively on communication with our consultant. The after-school program instructors, in particular, are grateful to be actively involved in the process.
(School Administration at a WBV School)

Strengthening school leadership is another element of the Vienna Education Promise. The WBV offers two formats for this purpose: one-on-one coaching and small-group workshops.

The WBV places a strong emphasis on school leadership, which is extremely important. School leadership is a management role. To meet these challenges, guidance and support are needed. School principals play a central role in the education system because it is up to them to ensure that necessary reforms are actually implemented in schools.
(Elisabeth Fuchs, Vienna Department of Education)

Coaching is a mandatory component of the program. In a safe, one-on-one setting, school administrators can reflect on their leadership concerns, explore new courses of action, and receive support in addressing their professional challenges.

The interactive workshops promote exchange and networking among school administrators. Led by experts, they offer collegial reflection and expert insights on topics such as leadership, change management, and dealing with resistance.

Both formats complement each other: Coaching facilitates individual development, while the impact workshops strengthen collective learning and networks.

Twice a year, the school teams come together for workshops to work collaboratively on their individual development goals. The focus is on sharing experiences among the schools, gaining outside perspectives, and finding inspiration for the next step in the school development process.

In addition to funding for consulting, coaching, and initiatives to make school spaces more appealing, schools have access to additional financial resources. The focus is on professional development for teachers and recreation specialists. Depending on the school’s specific objectives, students may also be included in the workshops.

The topics range from communication and teamwork, conflict resolution, designing learning experiences, and innovative teaching methods to digitalization and collaboration with parents and guardians. The school’s public relations efforts can also be specifically strengthened.

The WBV team helps schools find the right measures, formats, and experts to meet their individual development goals. The Vienna University of Teacher Education also provides guidance on selecting suitable speakers.

To create learning environments that promote educational success, the WBV offers a program to improve classroom design. The goal is to create a school environment that supports educational concepts and enhances the well-being of everyone involved.

Additional funding is provided for the design of indoor and outdoor spaces, as well as expert consultation. The schools work with the relevant specialists to develop ideas. For example, they can purchase specialized furniture or make infrastructure improvements related to digital learning.

The WBV team serves as the central point of contact for schools throughout the entire program period. It provides technical and operational support with applications, organizational questions, and the implementation of planned measures. The WBV team also organizes school team workshops, assists with the selection and involvement of appropriate experts, and supports program development and quality assurance—for example, through exchange meetings.

School Goals and Initiatives

As part of the program, measures are being implemented to strengthen schools in a sustainable manner and to promote collaboration among all stakeholders. Each school decides independently and autonomously on its priorities and how to implement them at its own location. The focus is on ensuring that the changes initiated have a long-term impact on the students and are tangible to them in their everyday school life. The goals could include:

  • Professional Development in Education and the Promotion of Basic Skills:
    • Workshops on Basic Digital Skills for Teachers and Students
    • Collaborations with external organizations to promote interdisciplinary learning projects
  • Creating a Positive School Climate:
    • Violence Prevention and Conflict Resolution
    • Participatory structures, such as a class council
  • Holistic Approach to Our Collaborative Work:
    • Reflection on and change in mental and emotional patterns and routines
  • Building sustainable structures:
    • Distribution of Responsibilities Among Faculty Members
    • Working groups on key topics (for example, language-sensitive instruction, reading literacy)
    • Job Structures for Mid-Level Management
  • Promoting peer learning and teamwork:
    • Classroom Observations (Promoting Professional Teaching and Learning Environments/Instructional Development)
    • Team Meetings for Case Discussions
  • Supporting New Teachers and Integrating Career Changers:
    • Sustainable Onboarding Processes
    • Buddy Systems
  • Promoting the mental and physical health of students and teachers:
    • Strengthening Resilience
    • Burnout Prevention for Educators

A project of the City of Vienna