Term 3 Forum - working strategically to improve classroom behaviour and engagement

A key leverage point for improving outcomes across low-SES school communities is ensuring a high quality learning environment built upon strong classroom behaviour and engagement.

However, it can be a complex task ensuring such an environment within low-SES school communities, given there can be significant variation in the learning and development needs of the students they serve (amongst other important things).

This Forum will explore how school leaders can work strategically to strengthen classroom behaviour and engagement across all classrooms, for all students (specifically within low-SES contexts).

It will include:

• Guest Speaker Cate Whiting from the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) on how evidence-based practice can enable leaders to take a rigorous, whole-school approach to improving classroom behaviour and engagement.

• Live case studies from school leaders from low-SES school communities on how they have led whole-school shifts in student behaviour and engagement, including:

  • Improving teacher capacity through targeted professional learning;​

  • Tailoring your whole-school approach to your community; and​

  • Applying a trauma-informed lens.

• Workshop on working strategically & systemically to improve classroom behaviour & engagement ​

This Forum is for Principal-Class and Middle Leaders across Victorian low-SES schools. 

About our Guest Speaker

AERO’s Principal Teaching and Learning Specialist Cate Whiting will provide an overview of the evidence-based approaches, the classroom management resources and guidance for leading a whole-school approach to classroom management.  Cate is an experienced teacher and school leader who has worked across a diverse range of primary schools, including those with very low and very high ICSEAs. ​ She has led school improvement in student engagement and behaviour, curriculum implementation, effective pedagogy, literacy and numeracy, and multi-tiered systems of support.

AERO has worked closely with school leaders, teachers and experts to develop practical guidance and tools for creating safe and supportive learning environments through effective classroom management and responses to student behaviour. ​

Effectively Managing Classrooms to Create Safe and Supportive Learning Environments discussion paper

AERO’s classroom management resources

AERO’s practice implementation resources

About the Education Equity Alliance's School Network
The Education Equity Alliance (EEA) is a not-for-profit led by educators. EEA’s School Network brings together school leaders in low-SES communities across Victoria to focus on what matters most to drive change in their communities at both the school and system level. It provides support to school leaders to pursue these priorities both individually and collectively.