Term 1, 2006

Week 6

8th March

Hi Everybody

From discussions with a range of people, everybody is very busy at the moment as the pace doesn’t seem to diminish.

The State Council of the NSW Primary Principals’ Association has its first meeting in Sydney next week preceded by our first Executive meeting and meeting of Reference Group chairpersons at the Surry Hills Office. There has been much to do in getting ready for this meeting as we have had a few changes to systems and personnel, but we hope for a productive meeting.

There will be more news after the State Council meeting, but in the meantime, here are a few updates.

Reporting to Parents

You would all be aware of the Teachers’ Federation advice in relation to Reporting to Parents.

From a PPA perspective, it is useful to recall some of the processes which we have been involved in throughout the last eight months or so.

Following the Eltis Review, the PPA was involved in working with DET to develop a report format which reflected the recommendations of that review. This meant things like plain language and some indication of where a child’s performance sat relative to a continuum of expected outcomes. There was also, at that stage seen to be a call for a consistent state-wide format for Reporting.

Then, the Federal government passed legislation which mandated a number of things including Quartiles AND an A to E scale in all KLA’s. The passing of this legislation, the Schools Assistance Act, followed by the Regulations to that Act attached very serious strings to the funds which the Commonwealth would return to the State in the quadrennium from 2005 onward.

Along with all sorts of groups, the PPA expressed opposition to these measures and you may recall taking part in a national survey to assist this lobbying at the national level.

The PPA met with the NSW Minister separately, and as a part of the Public Education Alliance, and gained some good concessions around elements of the Reports.

• Quartiles were removed and were to only be available on request
• A phased introduction throughout 2006 was agreed to
• The linkage of A-E codes to a curriculum standards framework and the use of teacher judgement from existing assessment practices were assured. Within this there is also a recognition of the need for continued work on consistency of Teacher judgement and support for the usefulness of COG’s etc in planning and delivery of programs
• The quarantining of Kindergarten children from this reporting process.

Since then, there has also been work in ensuring that schools who have already developed or utilised other software systems would be able to use these provided that they comply with Federal Regulations.

By our Term 4 State Council meeting last year, members of our Educational Measurement Reference Group were able to report on these areas of positive PPA impact and members of the PPA have been working extremely hard in the areas of software and support development for new processes, given the fact that the Federal government have been intractable in pushing through these regulations, as they have in other areas like the Investing in Our Schools program, the Annual School Reporting requirements and a number of other measures around national testing and, last but not least, flagpoles.

Discussions are still occurring regarding aspects of the reports, and you would be aware that Federation’s position has not changed. In a meeting of the Public Education Alliance on Monday, President Maree O’Halloran stated that the Federation does not oppose outright the concept of an A-E scale, but rather the  mandating of such a scale as opposed to practices already developed by schools, and that they are basing their stance largely around the proposed timeline for implementation.

In meeting with senior DET officers this week, the PPA asked that the A-E scale be wound back further in Years 1 and 2 in areas other than English and Mathematics and that the other four KLA’s see a simple "Working Toward", "Achieved", "Working Beyond" three point scale. It is not clear at this stage what the outcome of these discussions will be.  In addition, talks were held around the protocols which might be developed to deal with situations where children were engaged in a modified educational program for a range of reasons including disability or new arrival status. The point was also strongly made that this implementation also put the spotlight back n the need for increased time for Teaching Principals and Executive staff to work with other staff in implementation. It really is a case of giving credibility to leadership teams by giving time for leaders to lead.

The key factor is, however, that the Federal mandating of things like Reports, Annual Reports, testing agendas, common starting ages, national student tracking systems etc etc are all tied to funding on a scale at which the state cannot afford to thumb its nose. It will also be interesting to see just how new Federal Education Minister, Julie Bishop, responds to the challenge to put her stamp on how other states may be responding to the Federal Regulations.

A whole range of people are also aware that the timely availability of software is critical to the effectiveness of support for schools and all stops are out in trying to have this available as soon in term two as possible.

So, your local Area Presidents and Delegates will hear more reports about all of this next week at State Council. I just thought, though, that it was useful to remind ourselves that this has been a long process and that, through strong and continued consultation and negotiation we have arrived at a position which is markedly different, and extremely more positive, than that which appeared to be looming on the horizon at this time last year.

Primary Education - A focus on the importance of early intervention in all areas.

In discussions with the Minister earlier this term, the PPA impressed upon here the valuable things which can be achieved when schools are given credibility in the early identification of children at the earliest possible stage who may have behavioural or other issues. We would like to be able to work at developing partnerships at that stage with parents and other support services to find solutions before these are compounded in early adolescence. There is plenty of sound work to support this view of continuing to strongly resource the early years. You can download the two papers below and you may find that there is useful material in them to start discussions with your P&C or staff and to suggest ways that we can continue to emphasise the importance of the work that schools do in assisting children access education.

Click to download - Professor Fiona Stanley AC  - THE REAL BRAIN DRAIN – WHY PUTTING CHILDREN FIRST IS SO IMPORTANT FOR AUSTRALIA

Click to download - The Economics of Investing in Early Childhood – Professor James Heckman – 8th Feb 2006,


APPA and AGPPA

The Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) and the Australian Government Primary Principals Association, (AGPPA) both met in Sydney late last week and into the weekend. With the continued importance of the Federal agenda and its impact on schools in the states the importance of a strong national voice is critical. At present, AGPPA is revitalising its website, commencing a research project in the area of describing the value of an “education commons,” and continuing to fulfil a very valuable role in sharing ideas and scenarios across the states. This is particularly useful in looking at the way that Principal Associations across the country deliver services to their members and the level of infrastructure that they have, as organisations to do this.

APPA has also taken on a greater role in the national scene and now has offices in Canberra staffed by a part time Executive Officer. National President Leonie Trimper has been working extremely hard to build relationships at all level and secure business partnerships which assist in the provision of support infrastructure. APPA is also undertaking the 3rd phase of a research project called the “Sufficiency of Resourcing Australia’s Primary Schools (SRAPS 3) and thanks goes out to all of those NSW Primary Principals who have already agreed to be part of the sample group. Your time is much appreciated.

For a whole range of information about APPA, you may be interested in this blurb from Leonie about the latest APPA newsletter which you can access by clicking here

Dear Colleague

Is the first Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) newsletter for 2006 worth a read? It is if you would like to read about:
• how you can order a fantastic new video resource written for upper primary school children on 'bullying' and 'belonging'. It includes teacher guides and you will find the link within the newsletter.
• the recommendations from the Music Review; the implications for you as a leader and what APPA is doing about it.
• our resourcing project, the overcrowded curriculum and a major research project we will be conducting later on children's physical wellbeing.
• our meeting with the Federal Minister and reporting to parents, etc.
• the information you will be expected to publicly report in 2007
and the list goes on. Enjoy your read. Leonie

To access the APPA newsletter, please click here

Open Book Scenarios- teaching for uncertain futures

Click here for a letter and outline from Teaching Australia inviting principals and teachers to participate in the exciting Open Book Scenarios- teaching for uncertain futures initiative.

The project, which is being run by Teaching Australia in partnership with the Neville Freeman Agency, will appeal to people and school communities who would enjoy and gain from an active and creative opportunity to explore the future of teaching.

The outline provides information about the project, and in particular, the different ways teachers and principals can be involved. Further information is also available at http://www.teachingaustralia.edu.au

It would be appreciated if you could discuss this project and the attached information with members of your school community. Expressions of interest can be emailed to openbook@nevillefreeman.com by 30 March 2006.

Food for Thought - Breakfast Session

The Institute of Senior Educational Administrators (ISEA), in cooperation with the ACER-APC-Macquarie Educational Leadership Partnership, is pleased to present the first of a series of breakfast sessions featuring prominent local, national or international educators.

The sessions are open to all with an interest in education.

THE TOPIC:

In 2004 the Federal Government launched an inquiry into how literacy is taught, what the research says about how it should be taught, and what should be done to address the needs of students. The Report was published in December 2005.

Dr Ken Rowe was Chair of the Committee and his presentation will highlight the key findings and recommendations from the Inquiry with specific reference to issues and implications for Australian education systems, schools, teachers and higher education providers-particularly as these relate to evidence-based ‘capacity-building’ that is demonstrably effective in maximizing the quality of teaching and learning provision.
To download the flyer for this event, click here

Healthy Kids Portal

Donna Robbins is currently working in the Department of Education and Training and co-ordinating the development of a Healthy Kids portal website. The project evolved as a result of the Government 2002 Obesity Summit and is a state-wide initiative between DET, NSW Health, National Hear Foundation and Dept. of Tourism, Sport & Recreation.

The aim of the site is to act as a one-stop-shop for those wishing to access information about healthy eating, physical activity and childhood obesity. The key target groups are primary school teachers, parents/carers, health professionals, coaches and childcare workers. The site will be live by the end of March and the address will be http://www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au


Over the next 2 months, there will be 10 regional professional development workshops for teachers and other professionals working in the nutrition/physical activity/childhood obesity field. These workshops aim to provide the latest research in the form of the recently conducted Schools Physical Activity & Nutrition Survey (SPANS), discuss strategies for increasing healthy eating and physical activity in children and showcase local projects.

To promote the Healthy Eating and Physical Activity for Kids workshops, there is a pdf invitation and also an online registration form. Click here to access the invitation, and the registration form is available at this link: http://www.curriculumsupport.nsw.edu.au/healthy/index.htm

For further information please contact Donna Robbins, Kids Healthy Lifestyle Portal Project Co-ordinator 02 9886 7548 or Email : donna.robbins@det.nsw.edu.au

Have a good week !

Don't forget to get an update from your local President and Delegate on what happens at State Council, and ... enjoy the rest of your week. Don't forget that you can use the online feedback form at the bottom of this newsletter to get in touch, and don't forget to regularly check the PPA website as new things are added all of the time.

Cheers

Roger Pryor

Principal Support number 1300 850 338