School systems worldwide acknowledge the vital importance of school leadership in building and enhancing the quality of education, to improve student learning outcomes. With a lens on collective efficacy, the work of the Menzies School Leadership Incubator suggests we need a new approach to leadership that supports school leaders to better manage transformational change and a deeper collaborative capacity necessary to lead in complexity, acknowledging the interplay between individual, team, and systemic dynamics in improving student learning outcomes.
The leadership team developed structures and supports to enhance the capabilities of teachers to incorporate high impact teaching strategies into their instructional practice. As part of the project, teachers also worked with the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to develop a student survey to help them better identify what aspects of their practice were having an impact on student learning.
USE OF THE COLLECTIVE EFFICACY TRACKING TOOL
Staff reviewed the descriptions in each domain of the Collective Efficacy Tracking Tool and reflected on where the school sat along each element of collective efficacy. Staff were then asked to highlight the statement in each element that best represented practices in the school. Alongside their selection, staff were invited to share observations about why they chose the statement they did. The leadership team analysed the results and noted that they needed to (i) establish agreed approaches to teaching and learning among teachers, and (ii) support teachers in identifying what aspects of their practice were impacting student learning.
THE OPPORTUNITY
To enhance the use of High Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS) across the school, the leadership team needed to work together with teachers to develop a shared understanding of the strategies, and a way for teachers to evaluate the use and impact of the strategies in the classroom.
ACTIONS TAKEN
- After articulating the project objectives and goals, the school leadership team established cross-curricular Professional Learning Teams (PLTs).
- PLTs were scheduled into the staff timetable and held during the school day. Each term there were four PLTs sessions, with a focus on one of the HITS per term.
- Teams used an Appreciative Inquiry approach for each session. Teachers took turns leading their PLT through the pre-prepared activities and discussions.
- Students were taught (by student Academic Captains) about the strategy that their teachers were focusing on each term. This helped familiarise students with the strategies teachers were using, and a better understanding of these strategies assisted students in providing more targeted feedback to teachers about what was helping them with their learning.
- Teachers worked with ACER to develop a short survey so that students could provide both pre and post intervention feedback to their teachers. This feedback formed the basis of discussions in PLTs and the focus of the various interventions that teachers implemented in their classes.
OUTCOMES
- Building a program where the learning occurring for teachers was visible to students and asking students to be involved in providing feedback to their teachers helped teachers understand how the strategies, they were applying were impacting students learning, and opportunities for refining these. The program also helps students better understand and improve their own learner behaviours.
- A common language was being used across the school, this helped both teachers and students to understand the strategies, irrespective of the content of their learning or methods.
INSIGHTS/LESSONS LEARNT
- Using a structured process that teachers were familiar with and could trust was important. Teachers knew the PLT process and format that was being adopted for their new learning related to the HITS. They knew what they were going to focus on (the selected Strategy) and what they would be talking about within their meetings.
- Developing PLTs that comprised of teachers across discipline areas created a level of discomfort and vulnerability within the teams. PLTs required teachers to draw on a broad range of experiences and expertise and this was considered a huge driver of teachers’ understanding of the power of collective efficacy.
LOOKING AHEAD
Due to the success of the project, the school is continuing with the PLT structure and their focus on building shared approaches to teaching and learning, with a continued focus on incorporating the HITS into their teaching.
Acknowledgements
The Collective Efficacy Tracking Tool was developed in partnership with the Menzies Leadership Foundation through the work of the Menzies School Leadership Incubator. Significant thanks go to the Collier Charitable Fund, for their three year commitment, supporting the three female, Victorian Government school leaders, Collier School Leader Fellows; Karen Snibson, Maria Karvouni and Anne Stout. We’d also like to thank the many people who have provided their input and contributed their ideas into the development of the framework, in particular the Collaborative Team members, Menzies Fellows, and the many other school leaders we’ve engaged with who have informed this work and afford the learning to happen. We also thank Jonathan Heard for his considered input into the Tool, and Liz Gillies and Sarah Jenkins for their review.
