Report: Secondary Schools Conference ( Ballarat 3 & 4 March)

Swan Hill Network

The whole point of schools is that children come first…

…and everything we do must reflect this single goal

“Students First”

High excellence high equity- Raising the bar and narrowing the gap

Luxembourg

NorwaySweden

US

England

SwitzerlandScotland

WalesSpain

Poland

KoreaFinland

CanadaJapan

Belgium

N Ireland Germany

Turkey

New Zealand

Australia

460

480

500

520

540

560

70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140

200 minus Variance (a)

Mea

n sc

ore

on re

adin

g sc

ale

High excellenceLow equity

Low excellenceLow equity

Low excellenceHigh equity

High excellenceHigh equity

Source: PISA 2009, OECD

OECD average OECD average

(a) Total variance (between and within schools) is expressed as a percentage of the average variance in student performance across OECD countries. The OECD average is 101. For this chart, the variance is displayed as 200-variance, ie a country with a high relative variance of 120 will appear on this chart as 80 to the left of the chart.

OECD average

High Excellence High Equity - Raising the Bar and Narrowing the Gap

A world of change in the global talent poolApproximated by percentage of persons with high school or equivalent qualfications

in the age groups 55-64, 45-55, 45-44 und 25-34 years

%

1. Excluding ISCED 3C short programmes 2. Year of reference 20043. Including some ISCED 3C short programmes 3. Year of reference 2003.

13

1

1

27

These Twelve Secondary Schools …Are in the highest category of deprivation (35% or more Free School Meal), yet, they all:– Achieve over 80% good GCSE passes at 16, with a

consistent trajectory of improvement– Have at least two recent inspection reports

judged as ‘outstanding’– Received outstanding grades for teaching and

learning, leadership and the school overall– Record a pattern of high contextual value added

scores from Key Stage 2 (age 11) to Key Stage 4 (age 16)

They defy the association of poverty with outcomes

Yet the scale of challenge faced by these schools is considerable:– Higher than average proportion come form poor or

disturbed family backgrounds where support for learning and expectation of achievement are low

– Many students are subject to emotional and psychological tension and regular attendance is a problem

– They are open to a range of ‘urban ills’ that often characterise poorer communities – drugs and alcohol, peer pressure of gangs and fashion and overt racism which tend to attract behaviour which ranges from anti-social to violent.

– Getting these students ready and willing to learn is a constant challenge, which the schools strive to meet by providing a better daytime alternative to being at home or on the streets.

A Secondary Approach for Powerful Learning

Learning Intentions

Tasks

Pace

Questioning & Questions

Reflection

Collaborative Group Work

Academic Vocabulary

Tactical

Strategic

Teaching Skills -Nine Theory of Action Principles

• When teacher directed instruction becomes more enquiry focused the level of student engagement and achievement increases

• When teachers set learning intentions use appropriate pace and have a clear and strong narrative about their teaching then student’s are more secure about their learning and their level engagement and understanding is increased

• By consistently adopting protocols for teaching student behaviour and engagement is enhanced• By consistently adopting protocols for learning student understanding, skill level and confidence

is enhanced• If teachers use cooperative group structures / techniques to mediate between whole class

instruction and students carrying out tasks then the academic performance of the whole class will increase

• When teachers systematically use higher order questioning the level of student understanding is deepened

• When feedback contains reference to practical actions student behaiour becomes more positive and consistent

• When peer assessment (AfL) is consistently utilized student engagement, learning and achievement increases

• When learning tasks are purposeful, clearly defined, differentiated and challenging, (according to the students Zone of Proximal Development), then the more powerful and precise the learning for all students

Average Effect Size Using Learning Intentions

Learning IntentionsTheory of Action - When teachers set learning intentions use appropriate pace and

have a clear and strong narrative about their teaching then student’s are more secure about their learning and their level engagement and understanding is increased

Effect Size – 0.56

Group Discussion1. What is the practice related to learning intentions in your school and how

widespread is it?2. How helpful is the exhibit in helping you become more specific and consistent in

the practice of setting learning intentions in your school?3. What will be the impact of the consistent use of setting learning intentions on the

learning of your students?4. How will you achieve it?

Average Effect Size Using Higher-level Questions

Higher Order Questions

Theory of Action - When teachers systematically use higher order questioning the level of student understanding is deepened

Effect Size – 0.73

Group Discussion1. What is the practice related to higher order questioning in your

school and how widespread is it?2. How helpful is the exhibit in helping you become more specific and

consistent in the practice of higher order questioning in your school?

3. What will be the impact of the consistent use of higher order questioning on the learning of your students?

4. How will you achieve it?

Average Effect Size Using Feedback

Student Feedback

Theory of Action -When feedback contains reference to practical actions student learning behaviour becomes more positive and consistent

Effect Size – 0.73

Group Discussion1. What is the practice related to student feedback in your school and how

widespread is it?2. How helpful is the exhibit in helping you become more specific and

consistent in the practice of student feedback in your school?3. What will be the impact of the consistent use of student feedback on the

learning of your students?4. How will you achieve it?

An action plan for student achievement will need to include the following:

• Specific targets and success criteria related to pupils’ learning, progress and achievement that are clear and unambiguous;

• Teaching and learning strategies designed to meet the targets;• Evidence to be gathered to judge the success in achieving the targets

set;• Modifications to management arrangements to enable targets to be

met;• Tasks to be done to achieve the targets set and who is responsible for

doing them;• Time it will take;• How much it will cost in terms of the budget, staff time, staff

development and other resources;• Responsibility for monitoring the implementation of the plan –

progress checks;• Evaluating its impact over time – success check.

EXAMPLE OF SECONDARY ACTION PLANSWAN HILL SECONDARY COLLEGEKERANG TECH-HIGH

Effect Size of Teaching Student Performance

50th percentile

100th percentile

0 percentile

Age 8 Age 11

Students with high performing teacher

Students with low performing teacher

90th percentile

37th percentile

53 percentile points

McKinsey & Company, 2007:11

• At the school level, leadership can improve teaching and learning by setting objectives and influencing classroom practice

• At the local level, school leadership can improve equal opportunities by collaborating with other schools and local communities

• At the system level, school leadership is essential for successful education reform

School leadership: why does it matter?

School Leadership

At the heart of this is outstanding leadership practice

The Heads of these schools are not by and large iconic – they have taken on challenging schools out of a deep commitment to improving the lot of their students and communities. Moral purpose may be at the heart of it but successful Heads need a range of attributes and skills if they are to succeed in dealing with the challenges presented by turbulent and complex communities.

• Clear and unshakeable principles and sense of purpose

• Vigilance and visibility

• Courage and conviction

• Predisposition to immediate action, letting nothing slip

• Insistence on Consistency of approach, individually and across the organisation

• Drive and determination

• Belief in people

• Ability to communicate

• leadership by example

• Emotional intelligence

• Tireless energy

A change for the better …

Before the change of head teacher, the school:

• Was comfortable and happy• Had a strong pastoral system

although this was reliant on personalities rather than systems

• Had little culture of change and improvement

• Had a questionable work ethic• Set expectations around happy,

well-adjusted students with little discussion of whether they should also achieve higher academic levels

• Had a well liked head who was easygoing, genial and supportive but not challenging, often absent and who allowed poor staff to remain in post.

The new head teacher:

• Faced initial staff resentment with data; there was a belief that the school was happy and did not need to change

• Gradually changed the culture over a few years

• Retained what was good• Maintained a relentlessly positive

attitude showed high energy• Was a lateral thinker, prepared to

take a gamble• Had a very ‘can do’ attitude and said

‘yes’ wherever possible• Was prepared to tackle difficult

issues such as weeding out poor staff

• Trusted and motivated staff • Was approachable and relaxed• Made good use of promotion to

bring alienated staff onside• Used the wider senior team to

involve more staff as leaders