Submission Guidelines
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Submission guidelines Table of contents 1. The Showcase Awards for Excellence in Schools 3 1.1 Background 3 1.2 Key dates 3 1.3 Eligibility 3 2. Categories 4 2.1 Showcase Award for Excellence in the Early and Primary Years 4 2.2 Showcase Award for Excellence in the Secondary Years 4 2.3 Showcase Award for Excellence in Inclusive Education 4 2.4 Showcase Award for Excellence in Parent and Community Engagement 5 2.5 Showcase Award for Excellence in Global Engagement 5 2.6 Showcase Award for Excellence in Rural and Remote Education 5 2.7 Showcase Award for Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education 6 2.8 Showcase Award for Excellence in Teaching 6 2.9 Jack Pizzey Award for Excellence in School Leadership (no self-nomination) 6 2.10 The Bevan Brennan ‘Every Child Needs a Champion’ Award 7 3. Judging standards 7 4. Awards process 8 4.1 Award submission 8 4.2 Regional judging 8 4.3 State finalist shortlisting 8 4.4 State finalist video profiles 8 4.5 State awards judging 8 4.6 Showcase Awards presentation 8 5. Entering the awards 9 5.1 Writing a submission 9 5.2 Uploading a submission 9 6. Development grants 17 6.1 Payments 18 7. Contacts 18 8. Terms and conditions 19 Attachment A: Rural and Remote Education category eligible schools 20 Attachment B: Group category judging standards and decision-making flow charts 22 Attachment C: Bevan Brennan ‘Every Child Needs A Champion’ Award judging standard 27 Linked document: Group category submission template Linked document: Individual category submission template 2021 Showcase Awards for Excellence in Schools Submission guidelines 2 1. The Showcase Awards for Excellence in Schools 1.1 Background The Department of Education (DoE) Showcase Awards for Excellence in Schools (Showcase Awards) are presented annually to Queensland state schools that are significantly improving student outcomes and bringing our State Schools Improvement Strategy to life. The Showcase Awards seek to recognise initiatives or implemented professional practices that demonstrate our people learning and working together, leveraging our different strengths, skills and perspectives, to address prioritised challenges, measure impact, build expertise and accelerate statewide improvement in student outcomes. The awards further aim to: celebrate excellent teaching and leadership practices in Queensland state schools recognise progress over time and effective improvement plans foster a learning culture by sharing evidence-informed practice within and across schools. Acknowledged as the Queensland Government’s most prestigious educational awards, the Showcase Awards reward and recognise dedicated teachers, principals, leadership teams and school communities with the chance to share in $314,000 of development grants. 1.2 Key dates 22 February 2021 Nominations open 17 May 2021 Nominations close 17–31 May 2021 Regional judging (by regional selection teams) 14 June 2021 Announcement of the Showcase Awards regional award winners and commendations. TBC Regional presentation events (all regions are encouraged to do a celebratory event) 15–16 July 2021 State finalists judging (by state evaluation team) 2 August 2021 Announcement of the Showcase Awards state finalists 7–8 October 2021 State finalist online interviews and judging by Showcase Awards Board 29 October 2021 2021 Showcase Awards online presentation streaming broadcast Announcement of the 2021 Showcase Awards state winners 1.3 Eligibility Participation is open to all Queensland state schools and employees. Nominations may be submitted by anyone within Queensland state schools and regional centres who wishes to recognise a teacher, principal, school or school cluster. The Excellence in School Leadership category must be nominated through a departmental Regional Director. Submissions that have previously been awarded a state Showcase Award are not eligible to be judged again in the same category, regardless of whether the program has been adapted. Please refer to Section 2 of this document for any additional category eligibility. 2021 Showcase Awards for Excellence in Schools Submission guidelines 3 2. Categories For Showcase Award categories 2.1–2.7, an ‘initiative’ includes professional learning activities, consultation and decision-making processes, resource or infrastructure development, events and activities that have contributed to positive changes in student outcomes. 2.1 Showcase Award for Excellence in the Early and Primary Years Recognises initiatives that demonstrate positive outcomes and measurable improvement for young children and students from kindergarten to Year 6, through one or more of the following focus areas1: systematic curriculum delivery effective pedagogical practices student learning and wellbeing engaging students as active learners. 2.2 Showcase Award for Excellence in the Secondary Years Recognises initiatives that demonstrate positive outcomes and measurable improvement for students from Year 7 to 12, through one or more of the following focus areas2: systematic curriculum delivery effective pedagogical practices student learning and wellbeing engaging students as active learners flexible education and training leading to post-secondary opportunities. 2.3 Showcase Award for Excellence in Inclusive Education Recognises schools or clusters that have demonstrated progress in their inclusive education journey to enable all students to fully access and engage in education, alongside their similar age peers, through one or more of the following focus areas3: leadership in developing a shared vision of inclusive education aligned to an explicit improvement agenda quality differentiation and adjustment to enable all students to access and engage in the Australian Curriculum alongside their similar age peers active engagement with parents and the local community learning environments that are safe, supportive and free from discrimination, bullying and harassment. This award celebrates initiatives that demonstrate whole-school commitment to inclusive education in line with evidence-based inclusive practice, and the measurable improvement for all students. This includes students from all social, cultural, community and family backgrounds, and of all identities. Guiding materials for this category include: Signposts for school improvement – Inclusive education Inclusive education policy statement 1 Based on the domains in the School Improvement Hierarchy which is informed by the National School Improvement Tool. 2 Based on the domains in the School Improvement Hierarchy, which is informed by the National School Improvement Tool. 3 Based on the Inclusive Education Policy Statement. 2021 Showcase Awards for Excellence in Schools Submission guidelines 4 2.4 Showcase Award for Excellence in Parent and Community Engagement Recognises initiatives that demonstrate positive outcomes and measurable improvement for students, through one or more of the following focus areas4: communication: effective communication is an exchange between students, parents, communities and schools that is inclusive and involves information sharing and opportunities to learn from each other partnerships with parents: partnerships between parents, students and schools promote student learning, wellbeing and high expectations for student success community collaboration: relationships between the school and wider community strengthen the ability of schools and families to support student learning, wellbeing and developmental outcomes decision-making: parents, students and community members play meaningful roles in school decision-making school culture: respectful relationships between students, parents and the school community are valued and enhance the promotion of student learning and wellbeing. 2.5 Showcase Award for Excellence in Global Engagement Recognises initiatives that demonstrate positive outcomes and measurable improvement for students, through one or more of the following focus areas: collaboration with education and/or community partnerships to strengthen global connections a focus on global competence, intercultural understanding and communication (which may include languages) collaboration with international students and local communities. 2.6 Showcase Award for Excellence in Rural and Remote Education Recognises initiatives that demonstrate positive outcomes and measurable improvement for students and staff in rural or remote schools, through one or more of the following focus areas: identifying and removing barriers to achievement, particularly those associated with geographic isolation developing high-quality teaching and learning that responds to the complexities of curriculum delivery in rural and remote locations effectively using learning platforms to support learning in rural and remote settings increasing learning opportunities through fostering positive partnerships with students, families and their communities. Examples of initiatives that may meet the criteria for a Showcase Award for Excellence in Rural and Remote Education include those that improve curriculum delivery and learning outcomes through the use of digital technologies, close the gap in outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, provide extension and enrichment opportunities, attract and mentor pre-service and beginning teachers, demonstrate improved transitions between phases of school (e.g. kindergarten to primary), or support the delivery of VET in Schools programs. Eligibility Queensland state schools, schools of distance