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School improvement and teacher development
International confederation of principals Perth, August 2016
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Select recent projects
About Learning First Learning First is an organisation committed to education reform. We use research, consulting and development to help improve education systems in Australia and around the world. Select recent projects Research and work with systems & schools on : Teacher development School leadership Developing primary school math, science and literacy teachers Accountability School improvement Running a global community of practice for improving initial teacher education for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Expert advisory services on the flagship international programs PISA and TALIS for the OECD Research Consulting Development We produce research that investigates issues in key areas of school education such as initial teacher education, professional learning, school leadership and reform strategy. These reports draw from the evidence base and the world’s best-performing education systems to provide effective solutions to improve schools. We provide advisory services to governments and education leaders offering evidence-based solutions on key aspects of education reform such as strategy, workforce development and school improvement. We have advised governments around the world on how to improve student learning across whole systems. We convene key education policy leaders, practitioners and researchers through workshops, round-tables and communities of practice to help accelerate effective education reform.
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What I find most challenging………
Why do our reforms keep failing to make a sustained lift? Why does increased expenditure not make the difference it should? Why isn’t leadership development changing schools? Why isn’t all our PD money improving instruction? Why aren’t all our evidence-based reforms making a difference for kids? Even when we follow the evidence. Even when we make sure school leaders and teachers are following the evidence. We have a much better and more accessible evidence yet we are not getting better. Why?
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Key skills 21st century skills Inclusive Lifelong learning Performance
What are we trying to do? Key skills 21st century skills Inclusive Lifelong learning Performance Resilience Transformation Well-being Equity Universal Challenging
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Change how leaders lead
What are we trying to do? Change how leaders lead Change how teachers teach Change how students learn Standards/ frameworks Performance management Selection & succession planning Professional learning and qualifications
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How to improve teaching and learning in schools
Developing an improvement strategy Past lessons. What has worked and what hasn’t. How to improve teaching and learning in schools Combing this with global best practice Reform strategy Previous private investments Investments across school education Adult learning Behavioural change School improvement Investments that improve teaching and learning Decision points to maximise ROI Highlights what we need to do differently
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School improvement is a change strategy
Good strategy asks what are we trying to achieve, then maps how to get from where we are to where we want to go? So education reform is a change strategy. School improvement is a change strategy. This can be very different from current approaches. What do we want to change? Improving learning is changing students’ behaviour Improving teaching is changing teachers’ behaviour Improving leaders is changing leaders’ behaviour How to change people’s behaviour?
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What the evidence tells us about changing people’s practices…..
How do adults learn best? Drivers of effective teacher professional learning? Motivators for learning at work? Changing behaviours?
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Changing practices and behaviours is difficult
Adult learning Behavioural change They have a clear purpose to believe in – a rationale for change Empowered – they own the change Role models act visibly and consistently They know how to achieve what is being asked They have the skills and capacity for the new practices Reinforcement systems are consistent Reading Seeing Doing Collaboration Feedback
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Impossible to achieve with just training and development
Motivating teachers to continuously learn and change their practice Shared vision and purpose, commitment, meaning Role models, leadership of desired changes Peer belongingness, collegial pressure Personal goals, self-efficacy Recognition, feedback Structures aligned to and reinforce desired change Perceived usefulness of learning and ownership Working conditions e.g. time for learning Accountability, responsibility, ownership, incentives Impossible to achieve with just training and development
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A change strategy The best systems and schools in the world have a systematic change strategy that changes leader, teacher and student practices to continually improve schools and student learning outcomes. The change strategy: Shows what everybody needs to do – with clearly articulated improvement steps (e.g. a school improvement model). This is reinforced by reporting, accountability, performance management on the steps Clear methods for developing teaching and managing a professional teacher workforce
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So effective reform strategy must follow the principles of effective strategy, change and adult learning…. Behavioural change Reform strategy They have a clear purpose to believe in – a rationale for change Empowered – they own the change Role models act visibly and consistently They have the skills and capacity for the new behaviour Reinforcement systems are consistent. They provide incentives that people respond to. Requires clear objectives for gains in student outcomes, leadership and teaching practices. By focusing on student learning it provides a rationale for change. Leadership practices modelling new practice (and way to get there) PD (formal and informal) all focused on a few objectives School accountability, reporting, leadership and teacher appraisal, and broader evaluation continually reinforcing objectives.
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Improving schools & improving teaching
Strategy and change management Inquiry cycle Formative assessment Key elements of change: Rationale Empowerment Role model Know the steps for improvement Capacity building Reinforcement Scan and Assess Prioritise Develop and Plan Act Review
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Improving schools & improving teaching
Who does what? How do you know? Scan and Assess Prioritise Develop and Plan Act Review
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The SIM shows the steps for school improvement
Centres around clearly articulated steps for what leaders should do to improve their schools The SIM shows the steps for school improvement School leaders’ practices change when they: have clear steps for improvement are held accountable against the steps & student outcomes; must plan & report against progress on SIM are appraised against progress on SIM allocate professional, financial and human resources to support SIM steps have professional development to achieve SIM goals are therefore incentivized to change their behaviors to effectively implement the SIM are supported by system experts Scan and Assess Prioritise Develop and Plan Act Review
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Identify student learning and development needs
Recap on workshop 1 1: Scan and assess - collect rich evidence about what’s really happening for students in key learning areas Working with colleagues, scan widely for factors impacting learning in the school Measure what students currently know, understand and can do, and the range of learning Collect a variety of evidence via formative assessment and teacher observations in and outside the classroom Identify student learning and development needs Scan and Assess Prioritise Develop and Plan Act Review Student learning
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What scan and assess is not: Seeking evidence to inform the status quo
Recap on workshop 1 1: Scan and assess - collect rich evidence about what’s really happening for students in key learning areas What scan and assess is not: Seeking evidence to inform the status quo Only looking at aspects of learning that are easily measured Exclusively about what the professionals think – MUST involve learners and listen closely to what they have to say
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Who does what? How do you know?
Recap on workshop 1 1: Scan and assess - collect rich evidence about what’s really happening for students in key learning areas Who does what? How do you know? Scan and Assess Prioritise Develop and Plan Act Review Student learning Summative assessments Formative assessments Instructional data Problem of practice
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Steps should be linked to: System objectives
Centres around clearly articulated steps for people to improve teaching and learning Steps should be linked to: System objectives System experts and leaders Clearly articulated teacher development Teacher performance management School planning requirements School reporting School accountability Targeted leadership training Distributed leadership (skill development and specialisation) Leader appraisal and feedback Scan and Assess Prioritise Develop and Plan Act Review
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BUT… (and this is a big ‘but’)
If the steps for school and teacher improvement are not clearly articulated then the change strategy fails.
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Adds to and changes the policy questions for teacher development strategy
What are the most important teachers standards/ competencies? What’s the best form of training to develop these standards/ competencies? How do we best select teachers? How do we manage teachers? How do we measure performance against standards? How do we measure performance against school performance indicators? How do we ensure an adequate supply of teachers who are proficient against standards? How do schools improve? How do we change the practice of teachers and leaders to drive improvement? How do we engage and motivate change in leaders and teachers? How do we incentivize positive changes in teaching practice and sanction negative changes? How do we select the right teachers and build capacity to implement our school improvement model? How is this supported by standards?
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An example – teacher professional learning Taking our eye off the ball…..
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Narrow reform objectives
Problem Solution Not enough time for PL Create more time PL is not relevant Teachers choose PL based on their needs Young teachers are struggling Give them mentors PL programs are not evaluated Provide feedback forms
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Improving schools & improving teaching
Strategy and change management Inquiry cycle Formative assessment Key elements of change: Rationale Empowerment Role model Know the steps for improvement Capacity building Reinforcement Scan and Assess Prioritise Develop and Plan Act Review
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Professional learning is ineffective
Ask teacher why PL is ineffective Teachers report that their PL is not suited to their development needs
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Professional learning is ineffective
Ask teacher why PL is ineffective Teachers report that their PL is not suited to their development needs Correct response Incorrect response
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Professional learning is ineffective
Ask teacher why PL is ineffective Teachers report that their PL is not suited to their development needs Correct response Incorrect response Ask teachers what their personal development needs are Teachers want more IT training Increase $$ spent on IT No impact on student learning
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Professional learning is ineffective
Ask teacher why PL is ineffective Teachers report that their PL is not suited to their development needs Correct response Incorrect response Ask teachers what their students’ needs are Ask teachers what their personal development needs are Teachers want more IT training Scan and Assess Prioritise Develop and Plan Act Review Increase $$ spent on IT No impact on student learning
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Professional learning is ineffective
Ask teacher why PL is ineffective Teachers report that their PL is not suited to their development needs Correct response Incorrect response Ask teachers what their students’ needs are Ask teachers what their personal development needs are Teachers want more IT training Scan and Assess Prioritise Develop and Plan Act Review Increase $$ spent on IT No impact on student learning
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Challenge Is your strategic objective too focused on teaching and not enough on learning? Do your teachers and leaders know what steps they should take to improve? Who does what and how do you know?
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School improvement and teacher development
International confederation of principals Perth, August 2016
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