Lessons from the edge continued

This is a continuation of the feature item Lessons from the edge

The Principals as Literacy Leaders (PALL) project is a cross-jurisdictional, cross-sectoral project and governed through collaboration of ACU National with the Australian Primary Principals Association, the South Australian Department of Education and Community Services, Edith Cowan University and Griffith University. This project is being delivered in partnership with state and territory government, Catholic and independent education authorities.

The LAND Project is being co-directed by Professor Michael Gaffney and Professor Doug Clarke and managed by Dr Rhonda Faragher, with key strategic support provided by Associate Professor Michael Bezzina. Schools in metropolitan Adelaide and Perth are involved, along with schools in the West Australian Kimberley region and Northern Territory’s remote Indigenous Catholic community schools.

The PALL project is assisting some 60 primary school principals to work with their teachers and school communities to improve literacy outcomes for students. The principals are from low SES school communities in Queensland, Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia. The focus is on developing the capabilities of principals as leaders of school improvement, as well as refining their knowledge and skills in the teaching of literacy.

“Both these projects have enormous potential to improve the education outcomes for children in disadvantaged circumstances,” said ACU National Foundation Chair of Educational Leadership Professor Michael Gaffney.

“Because our University is nationwide in scope and we can work readily with educational agencies all over the country, and therefore play a significant role in policy design at a national level.”

Professor Gaffney, who was Head of Educational Services at the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn Catholic Education Office until joining the University last year, continues to have close connections with the Catholic education authorities. He was instrumental in developing the proposals for both the LAND and PALL projects through liaising with the National Catholic Education Commission and approaching Directors of Catholic Education in each state personally.

“A key issue for improving student achievement is how to design programs which have continuing impact and relevance across the system as a whole – not just in isolated pockets for limited periods of time,” said Professor Gaffney. “Related to this, we need to make sure that those programs and the policies that go with them are based on high quality feedback and information about what’s needed and what works in classrooms and school communities. Both LAND and PALL are based on tackling this issue. This is especially the case in working with remote schools.” 

Several LAND project schools are operating in communities under the Australian Government the emergency response initiative. “The schools in these situations are the central community agency; they are not only the educational focal point, they are a key social hub,” he explained.

“The teachers are enormously dedicated, going in the 4-wheel Drive to pick the children up from their homes, bring them to school, give them breakfast, morning tea and lunch and making sure they get home safely. These teachers make the most of the resources that are open to them, often without the resources (such as reliable internet communication) that other educators take for granted.

“Despite the commitment of the many principals and teachers working in these circumstances, problems such as burnout and high staff turnover make sustainable improvement very difficult.”

Both projects are designed to explore what the most effective teaching practices are, what professional learning needs to take place, and what policies and programs need to be in place at both school and system level to spread and embed the most effective practices. “The role of educational leaders at school and system level is vital in shaping the direction, and sustaining improvement.”

Professor Gaffney said that leadership in the project research is evident in actions of teachers, principals and system officers as they influence and implement different ways of structuring schools, differing forms of community engagement between school and parents, and different types of staffing configurations at the school level.

He explained that the research focus in both projects is based on the question, “What is it that is effective, and how can we develop and build on that?”

“We are researching what’s working, then providing advice and making recommendations to those at the local school and system level about how to support and sustain those practices,” he said.

“Our aim is to also ensure that the research findings and recommendations inform future directions in Australian Government policy on school education. 

“It is a big challenge, but for the University, serving the common good, it is right on our Mission.”