Brisbane Catholic Education Office
Delivering Excellent
Learning and Teaching
2014 - 2016 Strategy
Purpose
The Delivering Excellent Learning and Teaching, 2014 -2016 Strategy seeks to inspire high expectations
for learning that maximises engagement, progress and achievement for each student across our
community of schools.
Context
Our expectation for learners and learning is activated within a Catholic worldview of each learner,
created in the image and likeness of God, a whole person inspired by the spirit to respond with passion
and creativity to the integral challenge of learning and living. (BCE Learning & Teaching Framework,
2012)
Pope Francis challenges us to work to change our thinking towards leadership. This leadership requires
ethical imagination to engage with and be challenged by those whose continuing vulnerability is an
affront to the Gospel. We are called in our educational mission to bring ‘a revolution of tenderness’
(Evangelli Guardium [EG] 88) finding and forging ‘new paths of creativity’ (EG 11) as our young people
synthesise faith, life and culture through their learning.
Response
The Delivering Excellent Learning and Teaching Strategy is responsive to the stories of our learners. It
seeks to improve the progress and achievement of each student, particularly those who are not
achieving at standards that enable them to move successfully onto further learning; those whose
progress has halted or regressed; those who leave our schools before the final years of their schooling
and; those whose schooling does not contribute to viable post school pathways or life outcomes.
Connection
Delivering Excellent Learning and Teaching aligns explicitly with all pillars of the BCEO Strategy Map
2013-2016 (Figure 1) and activates the strategic intents and strategies of the first pillar, Deliver Excellent
Learning and Teaching.
Figure 1: Brisbane Catholic Education Office Strategy Map 2013-2016
BRISBANE CATHOLIC EDUCATION OFFICE
STRATEGY MAP 2013 - 2016
Leaders in authentic, inclusive and contemporary
Catholic schooling
Ensure the sustainability of high quality Catholic schooling enabled by the commitment of staff,
partnerships across Catholic school communities and responsible stewardship of our collective resources
Deliver Excellent
Learning and Teaching
Strengthen Catholic
Identity
Drive Responsible
Stewardship
Strategic Intents
Form and sustain leadership for quality learning.
Support staff and students to develop a personal
relationship with Jesus.
Ensure decision making processes are collaborative,
transparent and reflect strong leadership and
accountability.
Provide learning environments that focus on the
individual student as a person and a learner.
Develop socially just citizens who embrace
sustainability and make positive contributions
to our world.
Adopt a culture of continual improvement.
Ensure high quality curriculum and pedagogy using
contemporary research, practice and technology.
Ensure authentic experiences of Catholic traditions
and values relevant to the modern world.
Leverage BCE’s collective resources to promote
innovation and achieve equitable, effective and
efficient delivery of our Catholic mission.
Key Strategies
1. Build the capability of school leaders to enhance
quality pedagogy.
1. Create a cohesive and integrated approach
to the religious life of the school and the faith
formation of students.
1. Enable best value service delivery for schools to
optimise student learning.
2. Build the capability of teachers to adapt
pedagogy using data, evidence and
contemporary research.
2. Deliver a planned and integrated approach
to the development and formation of staff
for mission.
2. Ensure corporate systems and processes are
equitable, efficient and sustainable.
3. Enhance student participation in the curriculum
through improved achievement in literacy and
numeracy.
3. Enhance high quality learning and teaching
of religion.
3. Build organisational capacity with a particular
focus on leadership, professional capability and
collaborative technology.
4. Optimise engagement of the student as both
person and learner.
4. Embed a performance culture that inspires and
supports continuous improvement.
5. Enhance creativity and excellence in the arts.
5. Enable innovation in design to facilitate learning.
Being creative and innovative in all our endeavours …
It aligns the BCE Learning and Teaching, Leadership and Strategic Renewal Frameworks to focus on
excellent learning and teaching.
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Delivering Excellent Learning and Teaching The BCEO Delivering Excellent Learning and
Teaching, 2014 - 2016 Strategy
The Delivering Excellent Learning and Teaching, 2014-2016 Strategy describes the actions BCEO will take
to create optimum conditions to deliver excellent learning and teaching for each of our students, in
every classroom across all schools in BCE.
It combines three high yield strategies to connect the LEAD, LEARN and TEACH elements of the Strategy
aligning practices and support across BCEO and our schools. These strategies focus on the effective
use of data at system, school and classroom levels; the effective monitoring of student progress and
achievement; and the collaborative practices required to ensure teaching has a responsive and
positive impact on each student’s learning progress. The Strategy aims to develop system-wide
understanding and language to guide effective practice in engagement for learning, and innovation in
learning and teaching.
All elements of the Strategy are informed by the work of Michael Fullan (2011) who provides evidence of
a set of drivers that are effective in creating positive change and improvement at a system level:
i)
Collective capacity building around the learning-teaching-assessment nexus;
ii)
Team and group development practices that build social and professional capacity of the
profession;
iii)
Strong pedagogy supported by enabling technologies and
iv)
Developing synergies that result in systematic rather than fragmented actions.
Implementation
Two dispositions are critical to the successful implementation of the Delivering Excellent Learning and
Teaching Strategy.
The first is high expectations, which Brisbane Catholic Education names as applicable to outcomes for
each student; the engagement and commitment of all involved in implementing the Strategy; and the
overall expectation in relation to the Strategy’s success.
The second disposition is that of a prevailing culture of learning. All involved in delivering excellent
learning and teaching contribute their own knowledge, skills and understandings and with a view that
each continues to learn with and from others. John Hattie’s insight into this culture of learning shared by
students and teachers alike is thought provoking:
The greatest effects on student LEARNing occur when TEACHers become LEARNers of their own
TEACHing and when students become their own TEACHers.
(Visible Learning, 2009)
The successful implementation of this Strategy will benefit from active, regular and structured nurturing
of these dispositions.
2014 - 2016 Strategy
3
Brisbane
Catholic
Office
Brisbane
CatholicEducation
Education Office
DeliveringExcellent
Excellent Learning
and
Teaching
Delivering
Learning
and
Teaching
2014
- 2016Strategy
Strategy
2014
- 2016
ENG AGE
LEAD
Goal: Establish a system wide culture of learning built on
high expectations for each student.
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L e ar n e r
Fa
RN
Each
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Delivering Excellent Learning and Teaching IN N
ss
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m
a xi
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ct
Pr
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Purposefully engaging with students about the use of expected literacy practices and student learning
for
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S hared U
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i
S
ty
Renewed and collective focus to:
1. Develop common and shared language
about the interdependent cognitive,
emotional and behavioural elements
of engagement that lead to successful
access and participation in learning for
each student.
ar
n
i
pa
ni
c
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2.Establish processes, practices and tools to establish a culture
for learning and high impact teaching in schools.
4
Im
u
ge
1
r
ngu
a
1.Connect and align pedagogy, quality teaching
practices and professional learning that further
develop each teacher’s capacity to respond to the
impact of their teaching on each student’s progress
and achievement.
ve
m
Renewed and collective focus to:
om
Goal: Establish practices and processes to
identify evidence of the positive impact of
teaching on each student’s learning.
H
C
TEACH
A
2.Establish processes and tools for
the effective monitoring of each
student’s progress.
C
i ti
os
fP
e o
TE
1.Communicate with clarity and
support the use of effective and
expected practices for teaching
Literacy.
a
ti
Co m m o
E vid e n c
Renewed and collective focus to:
m
P
il y
Ac
h
Goal: Establish visible evidence of
progress in Literacy for each student.
ec
cit y f o r S y s
te m
ic
is
LEARN
ll
Co
C a pa
e
ti v
Goal: Establish shared understanding and
common language about the factors that
lead to effective engagement for learning
for each student.
r e of Le
2.Develop systemic leadership for improved
learning by training in and implementing
the effective use of data at system,
school and classroom levels, protocols
and processes for effective Review
and Response Cycles for improved
progress, and Learning Walks and
Talks.1
ENGAGE
tu
LEAD
ul
1.Develop collective capacity to implement the
principles and drivers for effective system-wide
action for improved learning and teaching.
on
C
Renewed and collective focus to:
2. Develop a holistic approach to the
implementation of the HPE curriculum
and Relationship and Sexuality
Education with an explicit Catholic
worldview and context.
INNOVATE
Goal: Establish shared understanding
and common language to guide
innovation in learning and teaching.
BCEO renewed and collective focus to:
1. Develop and communicate principles to
frame innovation to the pedagogical core2
to improve learning and teaching.
2. Develop resource-rich environments that
enable connected, real life and real time
learning and teaching.
O VAT E
2
The attributes of the Learner, Teaching, Curriculum and Resourcing and the interaction of each with the other (OECD, 2013)
2014 - 2016 Strategy
5
Theory of Action
Implementation of the Strategy requires more than the mere naming and nurturing of dispositions
and culture. This Strategy warrants a clear conceptual model to clarify who will be involved in
implementation and the characteristics of relationships amongst these participants.
The Theory of Action, consistent with the intent of the Delivering Excellent Learning and Teaching
Strategy, positions the student as its focus. All engaged in delivering excellent learning and teaching
are supported as they build their collective capacity to impact positively on student outcomes. In
addition, all who receive this support provide feedback on progress to inform future action.
At school level, teachers deliver quality teaching to students and through assessment practices, receive
feedback on the impact of their teaching. Teachers are collectively supported by Learning Leaders
within their school to further develop and refine their professional practice, knowledge and skills. They
undertake work in collaboration with school peers, and often with peer networks beyond the school.
Access is open to BCEO Learning Leaders who are trained and poised to provide a range of services
such as data identification and use, coaching, action learning, modelling, partnering and professional
learning.
The term Learning Leaders describes the variety of role holders who have responsibility to lead capacity
building in others to deliver excellent learning and teaching. In schools, it includes role holders such as
the principal, curriculum leaders, support teachers, teacher coaches and mentors. Learning Leaders
receive structured support to build their own capacity and collaborate with peer leaders within the
school and beyond.
BCEO Learning Leaders, be they members of the Leadership Team, Senior Staff, or those who are
traditionally seen as providing education-oriented services to schools, also receive structured support.
They work collaboratively with peers across BCEO and external networks.
Figure 2: Theory of Action
Teaching and
assessing
student learning
Student
Professional
learning and
implementation
support
School
Learning
Leaders
Teacher
Feedback
6
Teacher
professional
learning and peer
support
Feedback
Professional support
through building
capacity and
expertise & ongoing
formation in strategy
implementation
BCEO
Learning
Leaders
Feedback
Resourcing of
strategy
Subject Matter
Experts
(BCE or external)
Feedback
Feedback
Delivering Excellent Learning and Teaching Leadership
Team
Subsidiarity and Leadership
The Theory of Action aims to build collective capacity across all levels of Brisbane Catholic Education.
It does this so those closest to students (teachers and school Learning Leaders) are well prepared
to use highly effective teaching practices that impact positively on student progress, assess student
progress and use the evidence of such to inform planning of future teaching to maximise progress. This
represents subsidiarity in action and aligns with a long-held and valued operational principle employed
by Brisbane Catholic Education.
The Theory of Action positions leadership function across the organisation as
a) Setting strategic directions by connecting learning practices with research-based evidence;
b) Aligning resourcing and professional support for all with the strategic directions;
c) Demonstrating effective stewardship of all resources, especially the focused effort of all staff
over a specific period;
d) Aimed at achieving inherently important targets which will deliver excellent learning and
teaching (transformation).
This leadership function, expressed in terms of setting strategic directions, stands apart from the delivery
of routine services as detailed in a catalogue of services. Routine services continue in parallel to
strategic activity, providing a firm base for the delivery of functions required to sustain the mission of
Brisbane Catholic Education.
The Theory of Action supports the implementation of the Delivering Excellent Learning and Teaching
Strategy and defines relationships amongst participants within BCEO and schools. It also provides insight
into how each participant contributes to the success of the Strategy and two underlying dispositions
critical for success – culture of learning and high expectations.
Monitoring and Evaluation
The process for monitoring and evaluating our effectiveness during the strategy period will be
established through the development process for each element of the strategy. Data will be drawn
from relevant learning and teaching data sources including but not restricted to NAPLAN, SRS reporting
data, Visible Learning Matrix, Student Voice, Effective size data, survey data, and classroom literacy
data. Information from the monitoring and evaluation process will inform refinements to the current
strategy as well as future planning cycles.
References
Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium of the Holy Father Francis to the Bishops, Clergy, Consecrated
Persons and the Lay Faithful on the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World. (November 2013).
Retrieved 1 July 2014, from http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/
papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html
Brisbane Catholic Education, (2012), Learning & Teaching Framework.
Fullan, M., (2011), Choosing the wrong drivers for whole system reform, Centre for Strategic Education
Seminar Series Paper No. 204, May 2011
OECD, (2013), Innovative Learning Environments, Educational Research and Innovation, Retrieved 1 July
2014, from http://www.oecd.org/edu/ceri/innovativelearningenvironmentspublication.htm
Sharratt, Lyn, Fullan, Michael, Learning Forward, Ontario Principals’ Council 2012, Putting FACES on the
data: what great leaders do! Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, California.
2014 - 2016 Strategy
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