Leading change for equity: Ethical use of evidence within, between - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Leading change for equity: Ethical use of evidence within, between & beyond schools Dr Jess Harris The University of Newcastle SVA Bright Spots Schools Connection| November 19 2018

Presentation overview • The education marketplace • Using evidence in schools • Challenges for inquiry • Thinking fast, implementing slow • Building a program logic for equity

The global education marketplace • Quality and Equity as a GERM (Sahlberg, 2011) • Competition in the marketplace • Questions of school choice • A challenge to equity

Policy landscape Schools reported being subject to increasing surveillance, monitoring, control and focused efforts to raise test scores. At the local level then - what can teachers and school leaders do?

Changing approaches in education research • Engaging with views of different stakeholders • Collaborating and networking • Using current resources to improve practice • Developing local capacity for sustained change

Foundations • Building on work from Greater Manchester Challenge • Collaborative Inquiry to improve equity Using evidence Study in schools • 2 universities: • Queensland University of Technology • University of Manchester • Queensland Educational Leadership Institute • 6 Queensland schools

Program Diagram Practice Understanding Research questions On-going school development Planning Evidence Multiple Acting Links Observing Accounts & analysis Reflecting Improvements in knowledge, practice and Contributions to knowledge outcomes

Green Point Secondary school • School under pressure to improve performance • Long standing principal willing to invest in the research process • Substantial interest from disciplinary teams, which reduced over time to extended collaborative research by one team

Green Point • Performance data used as a catalyst, but quickly became a conversation between researchers and teachers in the English faculty. • Teachers shared their “hunches” that students lacked confidence in writing, and that their reluctance to write was impeding their learning and assessment results. • A group of enthusiastic volunteer teachers worked together to investigate further and trial different strategies to turn around student confidence.

An inquiry ry stance • Teachers at Green point began to talk about conducting surveys, collecting data, observing students, making notes … drawing on the language of inquiry

Collaborative inquiry ry - opens up personal, professional and political dimensions Planning Reflecting Acting Observing

Types of f information Interviews and focus groups Student, teacher and Periodic Assessment Perception data community surveys (e.g., for report cards) Ongoing in class assessment Program and Achievement Achievement data specific to a (e.g., project work, reading program or faculty levels etc.) faculty data data Data Standardised Classroom observations of test results (NAPLAN, QCS etc) students Teacher Demographic observations data Observations of other teachers’ Student, teacher, community pedagogy demographics

The changing nature of inquiry • Finding creative ways to use data for inquiry not accountability • Building approaches that support equity • Ethical leadership promotes leaders to consider justice, care & critique • Balancing the long-term goals of teachers with the goals of education bureaucrats and politicians

Outcomes for Green Point • Year 9 (& Year 10) students reported higher levels of confidence in their writing • Teachers in the English department were engaged, enthusiastic, dedicated to ongoing inquiry • Despite engaging in collaborative inquiry for 12 months, NAPLAN results did not improve

Raising the questions • Is success a measure of improved test results or increased engagement (of teachers & students)? • What are the effects of competition and accountability on students and schooling? • How can we move beyond the ‘quick fix’ to consider the needs of all students?

Slowing down for equity • Adopting long term, local perspectives • Making time for sustained conversations • Allowing teachers to focus on individuals, not accountability • Taking an inquiry stance not just responding to pressure Image from shutterstock – from The Conversation

What is needed • Collaborative inquiry – between universities and schools • Not just change but sustained, critical inquiry of every step along the way, how our actions can change the outcomes.

Building a program logic Activities Teachers attend workshop to learn how to conduct QTR in their school Ultimate goals (outcomes) Teachers undertake QTR with school-based facilitators Teachers having undertaken QTR facilitate QTR with colleagues in their schools Improved Quality of Teaching Improved Student Outcomes Engagement, Academic, Equity

Building evidence in program logic Activities Intermediate Teachers attend workshop to learn how to conduct QTR in their school outcomes (outputs) Ultimate goals (Outcomes) Teachers undertake QTR with school-based facilitators Enhanced capacity to lead colleagues in QTR and discussions about teaching Teachers having undertaken QTR facilitate QTR with colleagues in their schools Enhanced Improved teacher Improved well- Improved Enhanced professional efficacy being, morale collaboration and professional knowledge and engagement support among identity among among teachers among teachers teachers teachers Improved Quality of Teaching Improved Student Outcomes Engagement, Academic, Equity

Identifying & Challenging Assumptions Activities Teachers attend workshop to learn how to conduct QTR in their schools Intermediate Teachers gain the necessary skills to conduct QTR outcomes Ultimate goals Teachers undertake QTR with school-based facilitators Enhanced capacity to lead colleagues in refinement of teaching Assumptions Teachers having undertaken QTR facilitate QTR with colleagues in their schools (ripple effect) School leadership is willing to support teachers in developing their teaching practice Teachers want to collaborate and learn with peers Teachers are willing to develop and change their views / practice Teachers follow the program with fidelity Enhanced Improved Improved well- Enhanced professional collaboration and being, morale Improved teacher professional identity among support among and engagement efficacy knowledge teachers teachers among teachers among teachers Improved Quality of Teaching Improved Student Outcomes Engagement, Academic, Equity

Final thoughts • “Every inquiry paradigm is anchored in some set of assumptions about the fundamental character of the phenomena we seek to learn about.” (Bryk, 2014, p. 469) • Invest in systematic learning about changes we implement • Move from the notion that something can work to understanding whether and how it can be effective for your school • Adopt an inquiry stance to examine evidence of effects of change for all students

Thank you! Dr Jess Harris Teachers and Teaching Research Centre PhD Scholarships associated with the project Building Capacity for Quality Teaching in Australian schools now available. Contact jenny.gore@newcastle.edu.au School of Education, Faculty of Education and Arts The University of Newcastle, Australia https://www.newcastle.edu.au/profile/jess-harris jess.harris@newcastle.edu.au Connect with us on Twitter! @jess_harris2 Email us at teachers-and-teaching@newcastle.edu.au