Overview: Tackling teacher workload and boosting student outcomes – how a whole-school approach to curriculum planning can be a gamechanger for schools

Great teaching requires classroom instruction based on well-designed, knowledge-rich, and carefully sequenced lessons that build student knowledge and skills over time. But governments have radically underestimated the time it takes to develop curriculum materials that meet this brief. Most teachers carry a heavy curriculum planning load, and too often are left to try their best in near-impossible circumstances. A Grattan Institute 2022 survey of 2,243 teachers and school leaders across Australia found that only 15 per cent of teachers have access to a common bank of high-quality curriculum materials for all their classes. Teachers tell us they often plan alone from scratch, searching social media to try to find lesson materials. This creates Australia’s national lesson lottery – it undermines student learning and adds to the workload of overstretched teachers.

A whole-school approach to curriculum planning is a game-changer for teachers and students. With shared high quality curriculum materials in place, teachers can develop their professional expertise and save about three hours a week. Students are better off too – robust studies show a boost in learning of an additional 1-2 months each year, sometimes much more.  Jordana will step through Grattan’s latest research on teacher workloads and curriculum planning, and what schools can do to capture these benefits.

About: Jordana Hunter is the Education Program Director at Grattan Institute. She has an extensive background in public policy design and implementation, with expertise in school education reform as well as economic policy. She has co-authored a number of Grattan reports on school education, focusing on education strategy and teacher professional learning. Her particular research interests are in approaches to designing government policies to support quality teaching and evidence-based literacy and numeracy instruction.

Jordana previously held policy roles in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet, and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. She has also consulted to Australian school systems, education service providers, and individual schools.

Jordana has a PhD from the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne and has presented her academic research at several international conferences. She also has an Honours degree in Law and Commerce (Economics) from the University of Melbourne.

Overview: The Challenges facing Christian Schools and Churches in Today’s Post-Christian Society

About: Rev Tim Costello is one of Australia’s most respected community leaders and a sought after voice on social justice issues, leadership and ethics.

Tim is currently the Executive Director of Micah Australia which works with Christian Aid agencies and Churches to raise awareness and support for overseas Aid and Development. He is also Director of Ethical Voice through which he speaks in many contexts, both Christian and secular.

For 13 years until October 2016, Tim was Chief Executive of World Vision Australia (WVA).

Other positions Tim currently holds are Senior Advisor for the Centre for Public Christianity, Chair of the Community Council of Australia; Chief Advocate of the Thriving Communities Partnership. In 2021 he was appointed by Monash University as Chair of Peninsula Campus Community Advisory Committee.

Tim is a spokesperson for the Alliance for Gambling Reform, which campaigns for law reform to prevent harm from poker machine gambling.

In earlier roles Tim was National President of the Baptist Union of Australia and Mayor of St Kilda. He has been Baptist Minister at St Kilda Baptist and Collins Street Baptist in Melbourne, as well as Executive Director of Urban Seed.

Initially Tim studied law and education at Monash University, followed by theology at the International Baptist Seminary in Rueschlikon, Switzerland.  He also received a Masters Degree in Theology from the Melbourne College of Divinity.

In 2006 Tim was named Victoria’s Australian of the Year, in June 2005 was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO); in 2004, was named Victorian of the Year; and in 1997 was named as one of Australia’s 100 National Living Treasures

His books include:

A Lot with a Little (2019), Faith (2016), Hope (2012), Streets of Hope: Finding God in St Kilda; Tips from a Travelling Soul Searcher; and Wanna Bet? Winners and Losers in Gambling’s Luck Myth (co-written with Royce Millar).

Overview: Delivering powerful outcomes for teachers and students through professional development: the case of Quality Teaching Rounds

Major disruptions to schooling over recent years have challenged what it means to teach, with dire consequences for teachers, students and the wider community. This address provides a strong counternarrative, anchored in data from multiple studies – from case studies to randomised controlled trials – examining the effects of Quality Teaching Rounds (QTR) professional development on teachers and students. The evidence is clear – QTR has positive effects on: (1) the quality of teaching, (2) teacher morale, efficacy and sense of recognition and (3) student achievement. In this presentation, Professor Gore will provide an overview of this high impact approach to teacher development, a summary of the evidence showing its effectiveness and an analysis of the underlying mechanisms that account for why it is so effective.

About: Laureate Professor Jenny Gore is Director of the Teachers and Teaching Research Centre in the School of Education at the University of Newcastle. She took on the role of Dean of Education and Head of School during the period 2008-2013. Jenny has been awarded more than AUD$27 million in research funding, including grants from the Australian Research Council, the Paul Ramsay Foundation, and multiple State Departments of Education. Widely published and cited — with more than 120 publications and over 15,500 citations — Jenny tackles persistent educational challenges through comprehensive programs of research on teacher development, pedagogical reform, enhancing student outcomes, and the formation of student aspirations. Jenny’s impactful research on improving the quality of teaching and student outcomes through Quality Teaching Rounds led to the launch of the social enterprise Quality Teaching Academy in 2020.

A recipient of the Paul Brock Memorial Medal in 2018 for outstanding contributions to social justice and evidence-informed policy, practice, and research, Jenny was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW in 2021 which recognises NSW residents who are leaders in their fields within the disciplines of science, art, literature, and philosophy. Jenny has also been recognised by the Australian Council for Deans of Education for outstanding contributions to education reform and, as elected Fellow of the American Educational Research Association for her expertise across diverse research traditions. More recently, she was named in The Australian’s 2022 research magazine as the leading Australian researcher in the field of teaching and teaching education, using a measure that filters for both quality and impact.

Overview: Understanding Tweens

About: Michelle Mitchell is an award-winning speaker, and bestselling parenting author. She has been termed ‘the teenage expert’ by the media and is sought after for her compassionate and grounded advice for parenting tweens and teens.    Michelle started her career as a teacher, but soon discovered a special interest in wellbeing. She left teaching in 2000 to found Youth Excel, a ‘boutique’ health promotion charity which delivered tailor made life skills programs and psychological services to thousands of young people and their families.    Today she uses her experience to write and speak in schools, community events and through media.

Pastor Mike Hands, Lead Minister of the Newlife Family of Churches is leading Devotions.

Michael is a disciple, husband, father, leader, passionate nerd and the Lead Minister of the Newlife Family of Churches.

Michael is passionate about Jesus and being a part of renewal in and through the Uniting Church through dependency on the gospel of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Michael’s first degree was a dual degree in Arts and Education, majoring in History and Religion through the University of Queensland.

He went on to teach at All Saints Anglican School before stepping into ministry at Newlife. Michael now has a Diploma in ministry leadership and a Master of Ministry through the Adelaide College of Divinity, where he wrote his thesis on the role of discipleship in the western Church.

Married to Sarah, they share the delight of parenting Archer (3), Banner (1 ) and a loveable boxer named Maximus.