Educators from around the world will gather in Sydney next month to share successful approaches that have helped improve student learning outcomes in school communities.
The theme of the three-day Excellence in Professional Practice Conference (EPPC) is Improving assessments of student learning.
The May 21 to 23 event, hosted by the Australian Council for Educational Research, shines the spotlight on practitioners - inviting them to share effective practice, knowledge and expertise through presentations and workshops.
EPPC 2015 features more than 100 presenters, including principals, teachers and education researchers from Australia and overseas. Topics covered include adopting a growth mindset, developing a culture of peer assessment, and creating teacher professional learning communities spanning several schools.
One of EPPC 2014's Outstanding Presentation Award recipients, Christine Hills, is on the list of this year's presenters. The Queensland principal will be reporting on the value of feedback across K-12 settings.
The conference is one of the highlights of ACER's Rolling Summit on Assessment Reform and Innovation. Professor Geoff Master AO, CEO of ACER, will open EPPC 2015 with his keynote The Role of Assessment in Professional Work.
Professor Jenny Gore, Director of the Teachers and Teaching Research Program at the University of Newcastle, will deliver her keynote - Empowering teachers to enhance professional practice and student learning - on the final day.
EPPC 2015 is also sharing the conference venue with the Science of Learning Research Centre Big (SLRC) Day Out. The SLRC is led by a consortium of researchers from the Queensland Brain Institute, the University of Melbourne and ACER.
In a joint session for EPPC and Big Day Out delegates, SLRC Director Professor Pankaj Sah and Deputy Director Professor John Hattie will discuss feedback in relation to education and neuroscience.
Stay tuned for future articles, podcasts and videos featuring some of this year's presenters.
The Teacher team will be at the EPPC conference, posting live updates on our Twitter feed, @teacheracer (#EPPC2015, #TeacherMag)
Awards update:
Several educators received awards at EPPC 2015.
Teachers Mutual Bank - Indigenous Scholarship Winner
Ms Deanne Aarts, Swansea Public School, Lake Macquarie, NSW
Outstanding presentation award winners 2015
St Monica's Primary School, Footscray, Victoria, Kimberley Morgan
Adopting a Growth Mindset: Using student data to improve learning outcomes in mathematics
Medina Primary School, WA, Sheri Evans
Putting Faces to the Data: Empowering students to engage with their learning
Port Augusts/Quorn Partnership, SA with Flinders University and Flinders View Primary School, Mr Shane Loader, Port Augusta/Quorn Partnership, SA, Ms Kristin Vonney & Ms Deb Lasscock, Flinders Centre for Science Education in the 21st Century, Flinders University, SA; Ms Daniela Leone-Welfare & Mr Troy Welfare, Flinders View Primary School, Port Augusta, SA
Mr Shane Loader, Port Augusta/Quorn Partnership, SA Ms Kristin Vonney & Ms Deb Lasscock, Flinders Centre for Science Education in the 21st Century, Flinders University, SA; Ms Daniela Leone-Welfare & Mr Troy Welfare, Flinders View Primary School, Port Augusta, SA
Empowering Local Learners: A pre- school to secondary approach to improving executive functioning through a mathematics lens
Xavier High School, Albury, NSW, Ms Lesley Gardner, Mr Gavin Dykes; Mr Edmund Brown and Ms Nicole Morton
Innovation: Collaboration growth in student performance
Sarah Redfern High School, Minto, NSW, Ms Karen Endicott and Mr Paul Gavin
Assessment Reform in Stage 5 and Record of School Achievement assessment judgement
St Therese Primary School, Torquay, Vic., Mrs Dena Reddan; Ms Stephanie Nitschke and Mr Ronald Dando
It's in My Hands: A student-based approach to assessment
La Salle Academy, Lithgow, NSW; Ms Megan Gerathy; La Salle Academy,Lithgow, NSW Mr Mark Picman, La Salle Academy, Lithgow, NSW; Dr Jane Mitchell, Lecturer, Charles Sturt University, NSW; and Ms Sara Murray, Lecturer, Charles Sturt University, NSW
Using Feedback to Build a Growth Mindset: A whole school initiative
Noosa Pengari Steiner School, Qld, Matthew Cunnane
Flipping the Textbook
EPPC 2015 takes place from May 21 to 23 at the Novotel, Brighton Beach, Sydney. For more information and to register visit www.acer.edu.au/eppc
