This SMART 100 profile and the information it contains is a duplication of content submitted by the applicant during the entry process. As a function of entry, applicants were required to declare that all details are factually correct, do not infringe on another’s intellectual property and are not unlawful, threatening, defamatory, invasive of privacy, obscene, or otherwise objectionable. Some profiles have been edited for reasons of space and clarity.
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1. THE BEGINNING
This innovation initially came to life when…
Three young professionals — a teacher, policy adviser and corporate regulator — felt that those in the teaching profession were in the dark when it came to feedback about their effectiveness in the classroom. Within 12 months, they had designed, developed, trialled and sold a powerful online professional learning tool that allows teachers to reflect upon and improve their instructional practice, allowing them to achieve better outcomes for the most important person in the equation: the student.
2. WHAT & HOW
The purpose of this innovation is to…
…fast-track teachers towards achieving their potential. Individual teachers can tap into student voice more effectively to transform their teaching practice, and Principals are able to target professional learning activities across the school to more effectively to improve student outcomes.
It does this by…
…having students complete an online four-minute survey comprising evidence-based questions aligned to the National Professional Standards. The teacher accesses confidential, beautifully presented, crystal-clear data on their strengths and areas for growth. Supporting resources guide teachers in the classroom, and additional independent debriefs/coaching sessions are available to help chart ‘the way forward’ for individuals and teaching teams.
3. PURPOSE & BENEFITS
This innovation improves on what came before because…
…it provides a secure, easy-to-administer, evidence-based survey tool — allowing teachers to take control of their own professional learning pathway, and providing meaningful school-level data for Principals and leaders to better promote a continuous learning culture. Our approach allows student voices to become a pivotal learning tool for each school.
Its various benefits to the customer/end-user include…
Survey results are available instantly and are easy to understand and actionable, and teachers and Principals alike can chart professional growth over time. School leaders can make judicious decisions about where and how to invest their professional development budget.
4. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
In the past, this problem was solved by…
…letting the best in the profession flounder without support and direction (or see them walk out of schools altogether), and wasted time and effort on professional development activities that are not targeted to individual needs.
Its predecessors/competitors include…
There’s nothing quite like ours in Australia! Our unique selling points are our expertly distilled questions, AITSL standards-aligned and beautiful reports, and comprehensive support programs, resources and debriefs — targeting individual teachers’ practice professional development needs.
5. TARGET MARKET
It is made for…
Our target audience are innovative, ambitious government, independent and Catholic schools throughout eastern Australia. Our partner schools — from urban top-tier independents to regional/rural comprehensive government schools and small primary schools — have consistently demonstrated the value of the Pivot approach in teaching teams at all stages of professional growth with the right support. We are also partnering with leaders in teaching practice such as Education Changemakers (through the Bastow Institute) and Teach for Australia.
It is available for sale through…
…us, contactable via www.pivotpl.com. We have also developed strong sales/delivery partnerships with key peak bodies at the forefront of innovation in education such as Teach for Australia and Education Changemakers (operating through Victoria’s Bastow Institute).
Our marketing strategy is to…
…demonstrate the value of the Pivot approach — to help teachers create change throughout classrooms in Australia. Through word of mouth, partnering with leading innovative schools/ consultancies/peaks/system administrators, and driving a niche in translating new education research into practical tools for teachers, we are confident the ability of our Pivot approach to roll out and scale rapidly.
FINE PRINT: This SMART 100 profile and the information it contains is a duplication of content submitted by the applicant during the entry process. As a function of entry, applicants were required to declare that all details are factually correct, do not infringe on another’s intellectual property and are not unlawful, threatening, defamatory, invasive of privacy, obscene, or otherwise objectionable. Some profiles have been edited for reasons of space and clarity.
