Educational Leadership Commons^™

School Improvement Tool, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

School and system improvement

Research shows the powerful impact that school leadership teams can have in improving the quality of teaching and learning. Effective leaders create cultures of high expectations, provide clarity about what teachers are to teach and students are to learn, establish strong professional learning communities, and lead ongoing school-wide efforts to improve teaching practices. The School Improvement Tool describes the practices of highly effective schools and school leaders. The SIT assists schools to review and reflect on their strategies to improve the quality of classroom teaching and learning. It supports school-wide conversations – including with families, school governing bodies, local communities, …

Readiness, Response, And Recovery: The Impacts Of Covid-19 On Education Systems In Asia, Anna Dabrowski, Yung Nietschke, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Amy Berry, Maya Conway

Monitoring Learning

This review provides insights into COVID-19 responses in educational systems in Asia, and to understand which policies and practices were already in place to contribute to system readiness and resilience. Although the evidence base remains scarce, reflecting on the different system and school-level responses in Asia provides opportunity to identify gaps in current policies and research, and consider new ways in which countries in Asia can strengthen their educational systems into the future. It considers what makes an education system resilient, and the importance of school level practices. It uses an analytical framework to review readiness, response and recovery, and …

Building A World-Class Learning System, Geoff N. Masters

School and system improvement

This study sought to understand how five jurisdictions – British Columbia, Estonia, Finland, Hong Kong and South Korea, which have all performed unusually well in international achievement surveys over the past two decades – are approaching school education and its transformation. Geoff Masters describes key aspects of the learning systems these jurisdictions have established, comments on how they are now redesigning their learning systems for the future, and discusses insights into what may be required for any jurisdiction to perform well on measures of the kind currently used in international surveys.

Teachers Report Card 2021: Teachers’ Perceptions Of Education And Their Profession, Australian College Of Educators

Australian College of Educators - National

Teachers play a central role in the development of Australia’s young people. It is essential that their voices are heard by those who make and decide policy, and by others who influence their learning and development. The NEiTA-ACE Teachers Report Card 2021is based on a survey of amplifying the voices of teachers on the state of education and on their profession.

Teacher Leadership During Covid-19, Ashok Kumar Pandey

Teacher India

Teachers have led from the front to help students cope with the pandemic. Ashok Pandey discusses the findings from a recent study undertaken with support from his school.

Schooling After Covid-19: Challenges In India, Vimala Ramachandran

Teacher India

With schools set to reopen after the COVID-19 nation-wide school closures, education authorities need to support teachers in these crucial times. To tackle new challenges, teachers’ roles and responsibilities will expand and play a prominent role in the recovery, explains Vimala Ramachandran.

Embracing Digital Learning In The Covid-19 Era, Ashok Kumar Pandey

Teacher India

The COVID-19 outbreak has led to school closures across the globe. Dr Ashok Kumar Pandey writes about ways in which school leaders can respond to this emergency.

Book Excerpt: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Teachers – The Heroes Of Real India, S Giridhar

Teacher India

In his book ‘Ordinary people, extraordinary teachers’, S Giridhar describes how teachers in government schools are determined to work beyond the call of duty based on a strong belief that ‘every child can learn’.

Student Leadership: Why Is It Important And How Do We Support It?, Amy Lightfoot

Teacher India

Teachers and other educators can play an important role in helping young people to realise their ambitions and to hone their leadership skills. The author explains how.

Conceptions And Factors Associated With Effective School Leadership, Anaghaa Wagh

Teacher India

Anaghaa Wagh discusses the school leadership phenomenon from the school leaders’ perspective.

Using The Principal Performance Improvement Tool, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

School and system improvement

The Principal Performance Improvement Tool (PPIT) has been developed to assist school principals and others who aspire to this role to reflect on their current leadership practices. The tool is informed by international research into the kinds of leadership that result in improved teaching and learning. It also draws heavily on the lived experiences of practicing school principals. This booklet is a brief introduction to the PPIT.

Leading School-Based Coaching To Evaluate Open Education Resources, Kathryn Moyle

Digital learning research

This presentation was a people's choice session at the 2018 ISTE conference and engaged participants in conversations about coaching approaches that when coupled with strategies to evaluate Open Educational Resources (OER) can build the capacity of teachers and improve the learning by students. The session provided participants with opportunities to discuss leadership approaches to the evaluation of OER resources that are consistent with education policies, build the capacity of educators and improve the quality of learning by students; and coaching methods for school leaders that enables the identification, analysis, curation and incorporation of OER resources into classroom practices.

Principal Performance Improvement Tool, Geoff N. Masters Ao

School and system improvement

What is a highly effective school principal, and what do they do that makes them so effective? The Principal Performance Improvement Tool sets out to answer these questions. It provides a point of reference that principals can use to reflect on their current practices and to identify areas in which their work could be still more effective.

Teachers Report Card: Teachers' Perceptions Of Education And Their Profession, Australian College Of Educators

Australian College of Educators - National

The inaugural ASG-ACE Teachers Report Card, a joint initiative between ASG and the Australian College of Educators (ACE) surveyed teachers on a range of issues including testing, curriculum, stress, wellbeing, support, engagement, satisfaction, technology and opportunity at schools. The report confirmed teachers are passionate about their job, with 96 per cent of respondents saying they find teaching rewarding, and 91 per cent of teachers either 'very satisfied' or 'satisfied' with their profession. Nine out of 10 teachers reported a sense of pride about their profession and speak positively about their jobs to their friends and family. This is not surprising …

Using Data, Conversations And Observations For School Improvement, Kathryn Moyle

Professional learning for teachers and school leaders

Conversations and observations about school-based data and individual improvements in classroom practices can form some of the more powerful parts of a school’s overall approach to professional learning deliberately aimed at gaining improvements. The success of such strategies depends on the development of a school culture of trust, and the use of effective communication strategies. In this paper Professor Kathryn Moyle outlines the steps school leadership can take in establishing a basis for conversations and observations, conducting coaching and mentoring conversations and building a culture of trust. The focus in this paper is on the professional learning purposes of using …

Five Challenges In Australian School Education, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Policy Insights

There is no shortage of challenges in school education. Some of the biggest challenges we face can appear frustratingly intractable. Despite reform efforts, regular government reviews and ongoing calls for change, progress in addressing our most significant challenges is often slow and solutions continue to elude us. In this paper Professor Geoff Masters discusses five significant challenges facing school education.

1. Equipping students for the 21st Century, including by increasing reading, mathematical and scientific literacy levels;
2. Reducing disparities between Australia's schools, particularly along socioeconomic lines, by ensuring that every student has access to an excellent school and excellent teaching;
3. Reducing the …

National School Improvement Tool, Geoff N. Masters

School and system improvement

Research is revealing the powerful impact that school leadership teams can have in improving the quality of teaching and learning. Effective leaders create cultures of high expectations, provide clarity about what teachers are to teach and students are to learn, establish strong professional learning communities and lead ongoing efforts to improve teaching practices. The National School Improvement Tool brings together findings from international research into the practices of highly effective schools and school leaders. The Tool assists schools to review and reflect on their efforts to improve the quality of classroom teaching and learning. It supports school-wide conversations – including …

Staff In Australia’S Schools 2013: Main Report On The Survey, Phillip Mckenzie, Paul R. Weldon, Glenn Rowley, Martin Murphy, Julie Mcmillan

School and system improvement

This report provides an overview of the results obtained from the Staff in Australia’s Schools (SiAS) 2013 survey commissioned by the Australian Government Department of Education and conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). The work was supported by an Advisory Committee of government and non-government school authorities and other stakeholder groups. The survey was intended to provide a detailed picture of the Australian teacher workforce, and to gather information to assist in future planning of the workforce. It was also designed to provide comparative and updated data following on from the previous SiAS surveys conducted in 2006-07 …

Professional Certification For Accomplished Principals: Directions For Australia, Lawrence Ingvarson

Educational leadership

This review was commissioned by Principals Australia Institute. Its purpose is twofold: to review approaches to assessing and evaluating principals internationally; and, to draw on this review in developing recommendations for building a rigorous and beneficial professional certification system for accomplished principals in Australia. There is widespread agreement that our society needs to place greater value on the important and complex work of teachers and principals (Productivity Commission 2012). Whether that happens will depend in large part on our capacity to develop standards for successful practice and rigorous methods for assessing those who meet them. Our ability to recognise and …

Lleap Dialogue Series (No.3) : Growing Ideas Through Evidence, Michelle Anderson, Emma Curtin

Leading Learning in Education and Philanthropy (LLEAP)

Evaluation of outcomes is the key area of focus for LLEAP. How do you monitor and evaluate the impact of what you are doing? Evaluating can be a challenge and the reasons for this vary. Sometimes it is seen as costing too much. In other cases, it is knowing what or how to evaluate that are the hurdles to overcome; while some think that evaluation is what academics do, that there is only one ‘right’ way to evaluate or that evaluation is for ‘acquittal’ purposes only. This year’s Guide has been designed to address some of these concerns. We do …

A Review Of Victoria’S Developmental Learning Framework For School Leaders, Lawrence Ingvarson

Professional learning for teachers and school leaders

The Department of Education and Training, Victoria launched the Developmental Learning Framework for School Leaders (DLF) in March 2007 as a central component of the 2003 Blueprint for Government Schools (DET, 2003). Six years later, a decision was made to review the DLF and seek advice on the extent to which it may need revision or redevelopment.In June 2013, the Bastow Institute of Educational Leadership commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to conduct an independent review of Framework for School Leaders (DLF). The brief was to conduct a critical assessment of the content, design, and usability of the …

Queensland Teaching And Learning Audits 2010–2012, Gabrielle Matters, Yvana Jones

School and system improvement

This paper describes the teaching and learning audits introduced in Queensland government schools in the period 2010-2012. The teaching and learning audits were based on an audit tool developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) for the Queensland Department of Education and Training (DET). The audit tool was a precursor to the National School Improvement Tool and, in 2010-2012, consisted of the first eight domains of the final tool. The Queensland experience provides a valuable case study of one education system’s use of the tool as a basis for external school reviews, school self-evaluations and school improvement planning.

Australian College Of Educators College Medal And Fellowship (Face) Awards 2012, Australian College Of Educators

Australian College of Educators - National

In 2012 the College Medal was presented to Ms Dorothy Hoddinott AO, FACE for outstanding service to school education and the teaching profession through her leadership and achievement, especially in relation to teaching English as a Second Language and students from disadvantaged and refugee backgrounds. Fellowship of the Australian College of Educators is one of the highest honours that the College can bestow, and should be seen by College Members and Fellows, and by the wider education community, to be a recognition of outstanding and distinctive contributions to the advancement of education. 2012 Fellowships were awarded to: Dr Kathryn Brennan …

The Hard Work Of Improvement, Geoff N. Masters

School and system improvement

A common strategy for promoting improved employee or organisational performance is to place a strong focus on organisational results. The perceived advantage of focusing on results is that it clarifies and concentrates effort on the main game: the key purpose of the organisation's work. It also provides a basis for evaluating employee performance. As part of their drive for improvement, organisations also sometimes attach incentives to results, either in the form of rewards or sanctions. There is growing evidence, however, that focusing on results alone is an ineffective improvement strategy in many contexts and often leads to unintended behaviours. There …

Australian College Of Educators College Medal And Fellowship (Face) Awards 2011, Australian College Of Educators

Australian College of Educators - National

The College Medal may be awarded to an Australian educator working in this or any other country who has made sustained, outstanding contributions to any field of educational practice, theory or discourse. In 2011 it was awarded to Emeritus Professor Denise Bradley AO. Fellowship of the Australian College of Educators is one of the highest honours that the College can bestow, and should be seen by College Members and Fellows, and by the wider education community, to be a recognition of outstanding and distinctive contributions to the advancement of education. 2011 Fellowships were awarded to: Dr Berenice Mary Kerr FACE …

Australian College Of Educators Fellowship (Face) Awards 2010, Australian College Of Educators

Australian College of Educators - National

Fellowship of the Australian College of Educators is one of the highest honours that the College can bestow, and should be seen by College Members and Fellows, and by the wider education community, to be a recognition of outstanding and distinctive contributions to the advancement of education. Fellows awarded in 2010 were: Associate Professor Steve Wilson FACE (NSW); Dr Anne Benjamin FACE (NSW); Dr Fay Haisley FACE (QLD); Dr Gordon Young FACE (VIC); Dr Helen Drennen FACE (VIC); Dr Steve Nisbet FACE (QLD); Dr Susan Stevens FACE (VIC); Mr Clifford Cowdroy FACE (NSW); Mr Frank Sal FACE (VIC); Mr Ian …

Production Of A Prototype Online Leadership Learning Tool And System For Australian Universities, Geoff Scott, Hamish Coates, Michelle Anderson

Higher education research

This ALTC project has involved more than 600 experienced leaders in higher education within and beyond Australia in the production of a comprehensive Online Leadership Learning System (OLLS) for our universities. The report outlines the project's outcomes, approach and methodology; indicates its contribution to the field; identifies key factors assisting and constraining success; summarises its achievements in terms of dissemination and linkages; and evaluates its quality and impact.

Teaching And Learning School Improvement Framework, Geoff N. Masters

Monitoring Learning

The Teaching and Learning School Improvement Framework brings together findings from research into the practices of highly effective school leaders. The focus of the Framework is not on everything that effective leaders do, but on those leadership practices that appear to be most directly related to school-wide improvements in teaching and learning. The Framework was developed initially in collaboration with the Queensland Department of Education and Training and was used as the basis for a teaching and learning ‘audit’ of every government school in that state during the 2010 school year. The Framework consists of eight interrelated ‘domains’. Each domain …

Leadership In Indigenous Education, Nola Purdie, Jenny Wilkinson

Indigenous Education Research

This brief scoping paper was developed around the theme of ‘What’s happening in Indigenous leadership in education in Australian schools?’ A dual focus for this theme was noted: leadership for Indigenous education; and leadership by Indigenous principals and teachers.

The authors provide an overview of current issues in educational leadership that were derived, in the main, from papers presented at the 2007 ACER conference on educational leadership. Current offerings and opportunities in the area of Indigenous leadership and leadership for Indigenous education include those operating through the Australian Principals Associations Professional Development Council (APAPDC), principally through the Dare to Lead …