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In 2017, the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement (ICSEI) is 30 years old. For three decades, this small organisation has focused on making schools around the world excellent and equitable.

ICSEI’s purpose is simple yet profound: To enhance the quality and equity of education for all students in schools in all countries. (ICSEI Constitution, revised 2010)

Members of ICSEI come from all corners of the earth and from diverse settings. They hold a variety of perspectives and represent policy makers, practitioners and scholars. ICSEI conferences generally attract people from more than 50 countries and have been held across the globe on every continent.

This year I had the privilege of attending the ICSEI conference and presenting research work that four Catholic Education Canberra and Goulburn Archdiocesan schools have been undertaking over the last two years. The Roundtable workshop presented by Lyn Smith, CECG; Dr Dorothy Andrews, Dr Cheryl Bauman-Buffone and Dr Joan Conway from Leadership Research International (LRI), University of Southern Queensland and (pictured below) was titled Leveraging the Power of “WE”: System-school partnerships enhancing and sustaining school improvement.

• The Four Participating Schools were: St Joseph’s CPS O’Connor
• St Patrick’s CPS, Bega, St John Vianney’ s CPS Waramanga and
• Rosary CPS, Watson.

The conference presentation highlighted research by the LRI group and CECG whose work in organisational capacity building for sustainable school improvement has spanned over a decade.  Significantly the roundtable discussion provided insights into system-school relationships which recognise the imperative role played by teacher leaders, in concert with principal leaders, where both schools and systems benefit from contextualised practice and targeted system support.

One perspective posed the importance of ensuring that schools and systems work collaboratively toward the alignment of policy and practice for effective pedagogical improvement. A new model emerged from the research which strengthens system-school alignment when organisational structures and the processes of achieving cognitive consensus involve the collaborative partnership between the school and system members.

It was a very exciting experience (although very cold!)  and I recommend the next one in 2018!

The next Annual ICSEI Conference will be held in Singapore 7-10 January 2018.