7:50

Registration and Morning Coffee

8:20

OPENING | Opening remarks from the Chair

Prof David de Carvalho, Executive Dean, Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Theology, The University of Notre Dame Australia

THE FUTURE OF SCHOOLING IN NEW SOUTH WALES

8:30

State Government Address and Fireside chat |

The Hon Prue Car MP, Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning, NSW
In Conversation with Bevan Shields, Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald

9:00

Departmental address |

Murat Dizdar PSM, Secretary, NSW Department of Education

9:20

International Keynote Address | Mississippi’s incredible school turnaround program

• How Mississippi became one of the fastest improving states in both literacy and numeracy whilst also closing the racial achievement gap
• Changing the culture and raising expectations
• Creating the strategic plan to take Mississippi from the worst performing state in the USA
• Settling on 6 achievement goals
  • Proficiency growth
  • Graduating students from high school
  • Early-childhood education
  • Capacity building for teachers and leaders
  • World-class data systems
  • Making every school and district meet a basic bar
• Effective communication of the goals and supporting districts to achieve them
• Using data for continual improvement
• Focussing on the social and emotional well-being of teachers, leaders and students

Carey Wright, Interim State Superintendent of Education, Maryland, USA

9:50

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

• Addressing teacher supply issues
• Adapting to the new curriculum and a changing world
• Engagement, Wellbeing, and behavioural management issues
• Appeasing the parents

Kerrie McDiarmid, Principal, St Mary’s Cathedral College
Phillip Heath AM, Head, Barker College
Scott Dinham, Principal, Grafton High School
Jeanie Brown, Principal, Riverbank Public School
Moderator: Lucy Carroll, Education Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald

10:20

Morning tea

10:50

Keynote Address | The future of school success

• How best do we measure and report on success within the legislative framework?
• What does transparency mean and what is its purpose?

Paul Martin, CEO, NESA

11:20

Panel Discussion | Sector response to the NSRA and other major reviews

• Ensuring the transparency and accountability of school funding
• Improving outcomes for equity groups
• Attracting and retaining teachers
• The use of data and targets to enhance student outcomes.

Henry Rajendra, President, NSW Teachers Federation
Margery Evans, Chief Executive, Association of Independent Schools of NSW
Dallas McInerney, Chief Executive Officer, Catholic Schools NSW
Dr Jordana Hunter, Education Program Director, Grattan Institute
Moderator: Prof David de Carvalho, Executive Dean, Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Theology, The University of Notre Dame Australia

BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT AND SCHOOL TURNAROUND

11:50

Keynote Address | An evidence-based approach to classroom management

• The engaged classroom initiative
• De-escalating misbehaviour and conflict
• Maximising students’ learning time

Dr Tim McDonald, CEO, the Y WA; Subject Matter Expert, The Engaged Classroom Initiative, AERO

12:10

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.

Ross Fox, Director of Catholic Education, Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn
Paul Sheather, Principal, Balgowlah Boys
Belinda Bristol, Principal, Windsor South Public School
Iris Nastasi, Principal, Rosebank College
Moderated by Glenn Fahey, Director, Education Program, The Centre for Independent Studies

12:40

Fireside chat | The Hon Jason Clare MP, Minister for Education

in conversation with Lucy Carroll, Education Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald

13:10

Lunch

14:10

Panel Discussion | The Future of Teaching

• Exploring the evolving role of the teacher
• Equipping teachers will the skills and resources to prepare future generations
• The future of Initial Teacher Education
• Solving the supply issue
• What can we do to improve retention rates?

Matthew Esterman, Director Innovation and Partnerships, Our Lady of Mercy College Parramatta
Dr Joanne Hack, Head of curriculum and assessment Catholic Schools NSW, Member of NESA curriculum and assessment committee, Former Deputy principal of St Mary’s star of the sea College, Wollongong for 10 years
Eddie Woo, Leader, Mathematics Growth, NSW Department of Education
Lubna Sayed, Principal, Australian International Academy of Education
Moderator: Christopher Harris, Education Reporter, The Sydney Morning Herald

AI IN EDUCATION

14:40

Panel Discussion | Generative AI and its role in the future of learning and teaching

• Creating a framework for the responsible use of generative AI in the classroom
• How can AI help reduce the admin burden for teachers?
• How are students currently using generative AI and the implications for assessments?
• Implementing practical policies to enhance the learning experience

Dr Paul Wood PSM, Executive Director, NSW Department of Education
Dr Sarah Golsby-Smith, Head of Learning & Teaching, PLC Sydney
Prof Matt Bower, Professor of Educational Technology, Macquarie School of Education
Lee Ursino, Teacher and Teaching and Learning Projects Officer, St Gregory’s College Campbelltown
Moderator: Prof David de Carvalho, Executive Dean, Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Theology, The University of Notre Dame Australia

15:10

Panel Discussion | Where are our future Principals coming from?

• Assessing the evolving role, challenges, and competences of middle leaders in today’s schools
• How sustainable is the leadership pipeline?
• Achieving diversity in educational leadership
• Successfully identifying and supporting aspiring middle leaders
• How the Queensland middle leadership trial is progressing

Mike Hennessy, Chief Research & Insights Officer, PeopleBench
Joanne Jarvis, Director, School Leadership Institute, NSW Department of Education
Darryl Buchanan, Associate Chief Executive: Leadership and Learning, Association of Independent Schools of NSW
Dr Sandra Nissen, Director Strategic Implementation and Educational Performance, Queensland
Moderated by Dr Kerry Elliott, Senior Research Fellow, Australian Council for Educational Research

15:40

Closing remarks from the chair and networking drinks