An Alberta Approach to School Improvement in an Australian Rural School

Abstract

This article reports on the experiences of teachers at a small rural school located in the North Coast region of New South Wales in Australia who participated in a school improvement project based on an approach developed over many years by David Townsend and Pam Adams in Alberta, Canada. The project involved monthly meetings between the teachers at the school, including the school’s Principal, and an external leadership team who facilitated the meetings employing the processes of collaborative inquiry and generative dialogue. All participants were volunteers in the North Coast Initiative for School Improvement. Over three years, the school achieved a significant improvement in its literacy and numeracy outcomes, thereby attracting acclaim from the Department of Education in New South Wales for the excellence of its achievements. The teachers at the school attributed this success to a school improvement model based on the Alberta approach, and transported to the Australian context known as the North Coast Initiative for School Improvement. The processes of collaborative inquiry and generative dialogue were said to have taught them ways to engage with evidence, to create professional space for deep and critical self-reflection, to improve their daily work efficiency, and to promote more student autonomy in learning. Keywords: school improvement, collaborative inquiry, generative dialogue, North Coast Initiative for School Improvement Cet article rapporte les experiences des enseignants d'une petite ecole rurale situee dans la region de la cote nord de la Nouvelle-Galles du Sud en Australie qui ont participe a un projet d'amelioration de l'ecole base sur une approche developpee depuis de nombreuses annees par David Townsend et Pam Adams en Alberta, Canada. Le projet prevoyait des reunions mensuelles entre les enseignants de l'ecole, y compris le directeur de l'ecole, et une equipe de direction externe qui facilitait les reunions en utilisant les processus d'enquete collaborative et de dialogue generatif. Tous les participants etaient des benevoles de la North Coast Initiative for School Improvement. En trois ans, l'ecole a ameliore de maniere significative ses resultats en matiere de lecture, d'ecriture et de calcul, s'attirant ainsi les eloges du ministere de l'Education de Nouvelle-Galles du Sud pour l'excellence de ses realisations. Les enseignants de l'ecole ont attribue ce succes a un modele d'amelioration de l'ecole base sur l'approche albertaine et transpose au contexte australien, connu sous le nom de North Coast Initiative for School Improvement. Les processus d'enquete collaborative et de dialogue generatif leur ont appris a s'appuyer sur des preuves, a creer un espace professionnel pour une autoreflexion profonde et critique, a ameliorer l'efficacite de leur travail quotidien et a promouvoir une plus grande autonomie des eleves dans leur apprentissage. Mots cles : amelioration des ecoles, enquete collaborative, dialogue generatif, North Coast Initiative for School Improvement