Leading change – Building Capacity

Continuing the journey

It’s 8 yrs since we started our IDEAS journey …

leaders, teachers & families have come & gone… but we are still growing together & learning forever as we strive for better outcomes

for our school community.

Connectivity to community - quality relationships are linked to learning.

Creativity in use of vision – viewing through the lens when resourcing and prioritising.

Teachers must examine & share practice…No Pain – No Gain! Challenge with support engenders success.

The importance of ‘vehicles’ that unpack complexity– Authoritative Pedagogies & data to inform practice.

Continuity through quality metastrategic

& parallel leadership.

Defining moments

What do we mean by learning for today & tomorrow? What is it that we want our children to have by the time they leave us? What images best capture our vision ? How can we best say our vision?

Community members come into our school – Grannies Reading Corner, woodworking, ‘Vision’ program, STRENGTH & SHINE, craft, sports training, skipping…

•Parents attached to the tree.

•The Jacaranda Tree is our metaphor tool.

•Our school values are Sam Seedpods seeds.

•Behavioural expectations became the PODS

•Our SWP is linked to the roots, trunk & leaves

Children must be active community participants

Learning to live with others is a must

Learning is ongoing & life-long Team work, problem solving & challenge are essential

Good relationships must be actively developed Support engenders success

Trunk - GROWING TOGETHER

Relationship building Relationship building and celebration of difference

is the foundation upon which effective learning occurs across the whole school community.

Values Reinforcing a strong values education program

through the explicit teaching and modelling of our community developed values.

Prior Knowledge Engage students through explicit links to their prior

knowledge including community, local personal, and cultural experiences.

Real World Connectedness Learning has value, meaning and application in a

real life context beyond the classroom.

Flowers & Leaves - LEARNING FOREVER Deep Understanding

Students show deep understanding by connecting concepts and knowledge to solve problems, construct explanations and draw conclusions within real life situations.

Quality Communication Quality interaction in classrooms occurs through

substantive conversations and metalanguage focussed instruction.

Futures Focus Equipping individuals with skills, knowledge and

strategies to be prepared for a future of change.

Roots – SUPPORT

Individuality Acknowledge individuals accounting for their needs

and abilities. Risk Takers

Encouraging risk taking through supporting sequential learning experiences.

Growth Build on experiences through self reflection,

negotiated expectations, clear outcomes and assessment tasks directly linked to learning activities.

Roots – Support Individuality, Risk Takers, Growth

Fairview Heights State School

Pods,Flowers&Seeds

Trunk-

Roots-

Staff came & went – was the framework in its present form enough?

2009 - expanded principles into specific reinforcing strategies that are being embedded in unit plans and reflection documents.

Multiliteracies Action Research – Teachers sharing movement forward at a Learning Celebration Day

Teachers withdrawn to work with each other & the Curriculum Coordinator

Teacher leaders mentor others

SMT meets once a fortnight to discuss progress & plan further actions

Volunteers trial new approaches & report back to whole

Authoritative Pedagogy investigations: • Freebody/Literate Futures• Productive Pedagogies • Multiple Intelligences• Bloom’s Taxonomy• Multiliteracies• Frangenheim• De Bono• The DI

Interrogating Data:

Our 2008 DI data and SOS data showed that FHSS was a great place to be. We work well as a team and last year’s NAPLAN

results show real improvement BUT

What else did our data tell us? Our students (especially in our younger year levels) can academically do way better – what else can we do?

%s and Age Levels show that:

Text reading age good - focus on inferential comprehension questioning techniques

Teaching children how to unpack text needs a strong explicit teaching focus

Develop strategies to improve children’s reading comprehension & vocabulary development

in the early years.

Metastrategic leadership – Maintaining focus - quality education for each child Making the links – simplifying complexity Developing the skills of self & others Critically evaluating performance Ensuring continuity through change Developing parallel leadership Having fun! Celebrate!

Parallel leadership – Creative risk-taking Moral responsibility – use gifts Connecting principles to practice Developing & listening to student voice Reinforcing common language & approach

Maintaining Focus – Clearly defining and articulating priorities Being flexible in the face of emergent

priorities - return to focus Every student & their families have a right

to be treated with respect Every student has the right to achieve to

their full potential Teachers are the key Listen – be one step ahead of the game!!!

Priority 1 Strong leadership with an unrelenting focus on improvement (i) (ii)(iii) (iv) Priority 2 Shared commitment to core priorities (i)(ii) (iii) X (iv)X Literacy & Higher Order Thinking in all KLA’s

Priority 3 Quality curriculum and planning to improve learning M & E (i)(ii) (iii) Science needs more work X Priority 4 Teaching focused on the achievement of every

student (i) X(ii) X(iii) X Teaching for excellence & equity/Science

Priority 5 Monitoring student progress & responding to individual needs (i) X (ii)X (iii)X Quality assessment standards, monitoring , adjustment &

feedback

Making the links – simplifying complexity

Developing the skills of self & others - Making the time for professional reading Embarking in on-going leadership training

opportunities Listening

Valuing & expanding on the gifts of others Supporting staff risk-taking: giving time,

advice, monitoring & giving feedback Providing PD opportunities for staff that

strengthen weaknesses & build on strengths Valuing new points of view Listening carefully to the needs of others

Critically evaluating performance - Reflecting on how a particular incident was

handled Using a critical friend Admitting when things could have gone

better Listening & responding to feedback Sharing with staff and asking for feedback –

can be confronting and rewarding (applying for principal’s position)

Ensuring continuity through change -

All teachers provided with Induction CD containing whole school curriculum plan of essentials & WOWs divided into terms as well as handbook etc.

Revisiting & building on what has come before e.g. NAPLAN plan from 2009 built on for 2010 in conjunction with staff, value adding to literacy groups to meet new needs of learners (identified from data)Keeping our vision alive in the community

Drawing the ‘right’ support team together – developing parallel leadership

Creative risk-taking

Moral responsibility to use talents for benefit of students & our school community

Confidence gained leads to preparedness to take on bigger challenges – Aren’t our kids the same?

Developing & listening to student voice

Connecting principles to practice

Reinforcing common language & approach

Kids learning Great behaviours Parent support Collegial learning Beautiful grounds Environmental care Jobs well done Sport/German/Music Community connections Achievements outside school Improvements in resourcing Movements forward in the data The input made by new Fairview Family

members

Induction CD gave me armour Quality Relationships evident Acceptance when I spoke of my experiences

with cross school moderation Feeling valued right from the beginning Visuals reinforce practice “Visions – Social Skills Program” making us

one

Excitement at being a part of this growing,

learning, supportive community!!!