Agenda | Thursday 13 June 2024

All times are in Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT)

7:50

Registration and Morning Coffee

8:20

Welcome | Welcome remarks from the Conference Chair

Robyn Grace, Education Editor, The AGE

8:25

Opening Remarks from the Deputy Editor

Matthew Dunckley, Deputy Editor, The Age

THE FUTURE OF SCHOOLING IN VICTORIA

8:30

Keynote Ministerial Address and Fireside chat |

The Hon Ben Carroll MP, Deputy Premier and Minister for Education

9:00

Departmental Address |

Dr David Howes, Deputy Secretary, Schools and Regional Services, Department of Education

9:30

Panel Discussion | Principals’ Panel – Addressing the key challenges in running a school today.             

• Addressing teacher supply issues
• Are we expecting too much of teachers?
• Adapting to the new curriculum and a changing world
• Engagement, Wellbeing, and behavioural management issues

Kimberley Tempest, Principal, Cobram Secondary College
Damian McKew, Foundation Principal, Iona College Geelong
Dr Toni Meath, Principal, Melbourne Girls Grammar School
Moderated by Alex Crowe, Reporter, The Age

10:00

Keynote address | The pathway to a better and fairer education system

• The recommendations of the National Schools Reform Agreement to inform a better and fairer education system.
• How evidence-based approaches can help drive genuine and sustained improvement in student outcomes.
• The need for a systemic approach to offer tiered and targeted support for complex needs students and those who are falling behind.
• The most effective use of money to deliver the improvements needed in critical areas such as learning, equity, teacher workforce and wellbeing.

Dr Lisa O’Brien AM, Chair, Expert Panel to Inform a Better and Fairer Education System; Chair, Australian Education Research Organisation

10:30

Morning tea

CURRICULUM REFORM AND PLANNING

11:00

Curriculum design & implementation in schools

• Curriculum that improves outcomes
• Research and international best-practice
• Translating research into tangible improvement steps
• Decision-making & actions in schools
• Common difficulties in schools

Ben Jensen, CEO, Learning First

11:20

Panel Discussion | Curriculum management in practice

• Whole of school or one subject at a time?
• Implementation war stories
• Challenges faced. Hurdles overcome.
• Achieving buy-in from teachers, students, and parents
• Results to date. Future plans

Nick Rose, Founder and Chair, Curriculum Writers Association Australia
Shauna-Maree Sykes, General Manager Improved Learning Outcomes, Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools
Robert Boucher, Principal, Swifts Creek P-12
Hayley Dureau, Assistant Principal, Mentone Girls’ Secondary College
Moderated by Ben Jensen, CEO, Learning First

EVIDENCE-BASED TEACHING

11:50

The science of teaching

• A brief introduction to cognitive load theory
• Explicit teaching and the enquiring mind
• Implementing the science of learning

Trisha Jha, Research Fellow, The Centre for Independent Studies

12:10

Panel Discussion | Whole-school shifts to evidence-based teaching

• Impact on student learning from using evidence-based practices /Explicit teaching models in different school contexts.
• Applying cognitive load theory to practice
• Leading change through complexity and building teacher knowledge.
• Lessons learnt on the EBT trail.

Katie Roberts-Hull, CEO, Think Forward Educators
Lachlan Yeates, Principal, Cranbourne Primary School
Kitty Hancock, Principal, St Mary’s Primary School, Myrtleford
Kathryn D’Elia, Director of Learning, Goulburn Valley Grammar School
Moderated by Robyn Grace, Education Editor, The Age

GENERATIVE AI IN LEARNING AND TEACHING

12:40

Empowering Educators: Leveraging Innovations for Classroom Enhancement

• Uncover the transformative potential of recent advancements in generative AI and technology, paving the way for highly personalised, inclusive and future-oriented educational experiences.
• How the implementation of an AI strategy can streamline educational processes, optimise resource allocation, and empower educators to have a profound and lasting impact on student success.
• See how Toddle AI 2.0 is tailored for school leaders to effectively leverage AI, liberating teachers from administrative burdens and allowing them to focus wholeheartedly on their core mission of teaching.
• Experience firsthand a state-of-the-art communication platform powered by artificial intelligence.
• Dive deep into the evolution of assessment methods seamlessly woven into everyday classroom routines.

Nick Morgan, Regional Director, Toddle ANZ

1:00

Lunch

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

2:00

The case for trialling multi-school organisations in Victoria

• How effective multi school organisations (MSOs) work in England and New York
• How MSOs can provide greater support to Principals and teachers and boost student outcomes
• The broader benefits MSOs bring to the system.

Dr Jordana Hunter, Education Program Director, Grattan Institute

2:20

Panel Discussion| School improvement and turnaround

• What were we trying to address and how did we go about it?
• Generating teacher, student, and parent buy-in
• What we learnt along the way
• Plans to maintain this success and for further elevation.

Elaine Hazim, Principal, Victoria University Secondary College
Jacquie Burrows, Principal, Churchill Primary School
Dan Steele, Former Assistant Principal, Aldercourt Primary School
Moderated by Dr Jordana Hunter, Education Program Director, Grattan Institute

2:50

Afternoon Tea

BEHAVIOURAL MANAGEMENT

3:10

Evidence-based strategies for engaged classrooms.

• Maximising students’ on-task learning time and minimising disengagement and disruptive behaviour
• Fostering a positive classroom culture
• Nurturing teacher-student relationships for a safe learning environment
• Adopting a whole school approach and supporting individual needs

Dr Jenny Donovan, CEO, Australian Education Research Organisation

3:30

Panel Discussion| Behavioural Management

• Paths to calm, orderly classrooms
• The link between successful classroom management, effective wellbeing, and attainment
• Inclusivity and the future of special schools
• Teacher safety and wellbeing

Lisa Holt, Principal, Rosebud Secondary College
Robert Pyers, Executive Principal – Project Manager, School Performance Division, Department of Education
Dr Mark Merry, Principal, Yarra Valley Grammar School
Moderated by Robyn Grace, Education Editor, The Age

4:00

Closing remarks and networking mixer hosted by Toddle