Leadership and collaborative learning lifts education outcomes

We partnered with a state government organisation responsible for educational leadership development to improve collaboration across the state’s education system.

After 15 years of plateauing results, the state government sought to improve education outcomes in schools using evidence-based strategies that directly addressed teaching and learning. The reforms aimed to lift student outcomes by building a collaborative learning culture across the system, and developing current and future principals and other education professionals to lead the state’s schools into the future.

1. Developing communities of practice across the network. As the foundation of the reforms, we created collaborative geographic networks of primary, secondary and special schools to share ideas, improve skills and foster a collaborative learning culture, using an evidence-informed communities-of-practice approach.

2. Implementing a program aimed at building local school leadership. We developed leader-led training for emerging leaders in schools, supported locally by school networks. This involved a powerful blend of face-to-face, online and workplace development, coupled with career guidance for emerging school leaders.

3. Implementing a program to develop system leaders. We developed a transformational systems leadership program for principals chairing geographic school networks and educational leaders in local regional services.

4. Establishing a talent management framework to support high-potential leaders. We prepared a framework for identifying potential school leaders early and a long-term development pathway to ensure a sustainable flow of high-calibre leaders into schools.

The communities-of-practice framework established across the network now underpins more than 50 school networks across the state and is being used in every primary, secondary and special school. The framework for communities of practice has received enthusiastic praise from local and global education experts as a unique, evidence-based foundation for improving system outcomes.

At the start of the local school leadership program, only 54 per cent of participants believed they had the skills to take the next step in leadership at their school. At end of the program this grew to 89 per cent. 

More than 80 per cent of the first 220 participants have recommended the program to their peers. The 28 facilitators of the program reported 100 per cent satisfaction with the materials and content, and an increase in energy and engagement by themselves and their participants.

Feedback from system leadership participants and facilitators indicates a major shift in mindset and behaviour across the state’s government school system, and genuine cultural change. The two-day intensive learning hub has been a particular highlight.