8: Sharing Our Story: One Approach to School and System Improvement

The development of the ‘human capital’ of a population through the schooling system is recognised more than ever as central to economic growth and prosperity (Productivity Commission, 2020). This improvement focus manifests itself in different ways in different contexts. In Australia, efforts to improve outcomes for all students is evidenced through the development and ministerial endorsement of an Australian Curriculum, public statements of what now constitutes quality teaching and school leadership as detailed in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (AITSL, 2011), the Australian Professional Standard for Principals and the Leadership Profiles (AITSL, 2014) and an increased monitoring of school and education system performance through the National Assessment Programme in Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). Across the globe, parallel activity is in operation. This chapter will detail the key initiatives of the first phase of a school system’s development of an operational culture focussed on continuous improvement. A ‘system’ in this context ‘comprises a group of schools with a centralized structure, governed by an education authority’ (Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), in press, p. 1). The aspiration to be a high-performing educational provider through all levels of activity motivates the action. The system is a small rural diocese located within the Riverina and south-western districts of New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1917 and administered through 31 parishes, Catholic Education, Diocese of Wagga Wagga (CEDWW) works in collaborative partnership with all key stakeholder groups to serve 25 primary schools (Kindergarten to Year 6) and 5 secondary schools (Year 7–Year 12).