Maximising the Potential: Raising the Bar

1. Maximising the Potential: Raising the Bar August 2008 Keynote Speech Ian Mackie

2. Black Doll/White Doll • Which doll would your students choose?

3. Indigenous Education: Critical Issues • Four critical issues identified in Indigenous education • Attendance • Retention • Completion • Outcomes: Learning & Life

4. Contributing Factors: Require Addressing • There are a number of cumulative factors that contribute to these identified issues, these require addressing for real progress to be achieved in ‘closing the gap’. • Health: General wellbeing & mental health • Passive welfare dependence • High use of drugs & alcohol • Sexual health & sexual assault issues • Bullying • Attitudes: Indigenous & non-Indigenous

5. Values for Australian Schooling • National framework for values education in Australian Schools outlines 9 values for Australian schooling. • Care & compassion • Doing your best • Fair go • Freedom • Honesty & trustworthiness • Integrity • Respect • Responsibility • Understanding, tolerance & inclusion

6. Values Education & Leadership • The incorporation of these values at a systemic, school and individual level through strong leadership combat contributing factors to critical issues in Indigenous education and ensure guaranteed positive learning and more importantly LIFE outcomes.

7. Values & Leadership Initiatives and Positions • Recent initiatives and positions implemented & championed at Western Cape College to achieve positive life outcomes for our Indigenous students: • The McKinsey Report • Dr Chris Sarra’s 5 fundamental strategies • Dr Gary McLennan's Theory of Self-othering • Professor Stephen Dinham’s teaching and leadership research • FNQ Leadership Strategies

8. How The World’s Best-Performing School Systems Come Out On Top • McKinsey & Company Report, 25 world school systems examined • Expenditure does not lead to improvement in outcomes • High performing school systems: • Get the right people to become teachers • Develop them into effective instructors • Ensure the system is able to deliver the best instruction for every child.

9. How The World’s Best-Performing School Systems Come Out On Top • The quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers • Making entry to teacher training highly selective • Develop effective processes for selecting the right applicants • Paying good starting compensation.

10. How The World’s Best-Performing School Systems Come Out On Top • The only way to improve outcomes is to improve instruction. • Top performing systems are relentless in their focus on improving the quality of instruction in their classrooms. The most effective way to deliver sustained and substantial improvements in outcomes is through sustained and substantial improvements in instruction. • All effective approaches begin with an understanding of what it takes to improve the quality of instruction of a single teacher. • Develop the systems to create these conditions for all teachers. • Further reading: www.mckinsey.com/clientservice/socialsector/resources/pdf/Worlds_School_Systems_Final.pdf

11. Indigenous Children’s ‘Piece of the Education Revolution’ • Dr Chris Sarra’s National Press Club Address on the 26th May 2008 outlined 5 fundamental strategies to ensure Indigenous children are not left behind in the Federal Governments Education Revolution and ‘bridging those shameful gaps’ • Acknowledging & building a positive sense of Aboriginal identity in schools • Acknowledging & accepting Aboriginal leadership in schools and their communities • High expectations of leaders, classrooms & teacher/student relationships • Innovative and dynamic school models in complex social and cultural contexts • Innovative and dynamic school staffing models.

12. Acknowledging & building a positive sense of Aboriginal identity in schools • Quality consistent education provision across all schools and communities • Watered down ‘Junior Burger’ provision macro system response • Transferability whilst maintaining strong identity, live and function successfully in two worlds • We do not accept truancy, low levels of literacy and numeracy is part of ‘being Aboriginal’.

13. Acknowledging & accepting Aboriginal leadership in schools and their communities • Seeing and investing in Aboriginal leadership in schools- it exists • School leaders embracing Indigenous leadership & working together for children • Seeing the leadership potential and depth of knowledge available in schools • Example: Parents as First Teachers.

14. High expectations of leaders, classrooms & teacher/student relationships • Strong leadership propels and embeds values education • School leaders directly impact student outcomes • School leaders must be held directly accountable for student outcomes • Challenge low expectations and culture of blame.

15. Innovative and dynamic school models in complex social and cultural contexts • Flexibility of pathways for retention • Access to quality secondary schooling options • College Structure • Service Guarantee • Infrastructure development • Transition Support to maintain community connection.

16. Innovative and dynamic school staffing models • Staff turnover • Flexibility in staffing arrangements • Challenge the ‘serving time’ mentality • Generation Y • Importance of induction • Alternative service delivery models for full-year service provision.

17. Self-Othering • Dr Gary McLennan's Theory of Self-othering • Hierarchy of the other • Psychological responses of the other • Helping the other • Teaching the other • Power of small talk

18. Hierarchy of the Other • Fear despised • Comical • Pitiable • Exotic – Fascinating – Erotic • Resource • Trace • How can we use our understanding of the other as educational leaders? • Would systems and relationships be different in our schools if we employed self-othering?

19. Teaching & Leadership: Improving Indigenous Education Outcomes • Professor Stephen Dinham’s teaching and leadership research • Classroom teacher most influential in-school factor on student achievement • Two things drive effectiveness of teachers • Educational leadership • Professional learning

20. Dinham’s Student Success Triangle Quality Teaching Focus on Student Professional Learning Leadership

21. Leadership & Learning Mix • The question is how to get the mix of leadership and learning right to empower quality teaching. • The KEY leadership challenge in Indigenous community schools is building environments conducive to professional learning. • Traditional PL – in-service/on the job to Alternative PL- learning communities.

22. The Learning Community 6 • Focused on teaching and learning • Individual and collective belief and support • Problem solving • Internal focus of expectation and accountability • Leadership and outside influence • Overall dynamics. Further reading: Professor Stephen Dinham: http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/DINHAM_AGQTP_2007.pdf

23. FNQ REGION LEADERSHIP IDENTIFICATION, DEVELOPMENT AND RECRUITMENT • B4S Ambassadors Program • Support for ‘home-grown’ leadership development initiatives • “Grow Your Own”, “Catch and Release” • Present and past leaders of schools and colleges from Cape and Torres Strait • Share stories/ insights and information promoting the professional experiences, challenges and rewards • Identify teachers as potential leaders • Provide a pool of past Principals and support current Principals • Source interest from potential applicants for B4S schools • Reference group develops strategies and initiatives for recruiting B4S school leaders. Further reading: ISSU Website: www.issu.com.au and click on the B4S Leadership tab down the left-hand side

24. Western Cape College Values Education, Leadership & Improving Student Outcomes • Policy of Inclusivity, “all of us for each of us- my place in the year book” • Values Education Program • Participation in Bound for Success Ambassadors Program, induction and leadership strategies • Quality teachers delivering quality programs demanding high expectations • Cradle to Employment Philosophy: • Transition Support • Service Guarantee • PAFT • Work Readiness Program • CLTE