Day one of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL) National Conference 2026 has kicked off in Perth with keynotes and presentations on the theme of Bold Leadership: New Frontiers in Education. Presented in partnership with the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), the conference has drawn delegates from around the world to explore complex leadership, the future of learning and the evolving role of educators.

Recorded live at the National Education Summit in Melbourne, Teacher’s Deputy Editor Rebecca Vukovic is joined by Jonathan Heard, a Research Fellow at the Australian Council for Educational Research for this School Improvement episode. They discuss the importance of having a shared definition on what critical thinking is, the connection between critical thinking and information literacy, and provide some key takeaways for teachers, teacher librarians and school leaders.

To complement the widely adopted Driving School Improvement books by Pamela Macklin and Vic Zbar, the new Driving School Improvement Workbook offers school leaders a practical framework for turning improvement plans into action. This extract for Teacher readers is taken from a chapter on knowing you are making a difference.

‘PILNA helps countries see not only whether students are meeting expected levels, but also the conditions that support or constrain learning.’ The latest results from the Pacific’s largest regional education assessment point to encouraging signs of recovery in student learning, while also identifying key areas where further improvement is needed.

‘Our research shows aspirations for school community engagement in the design of school outdoor spaces are high. … And yet, for many re-designs to schoolyards, engagement does not happen.’  In this article, Hannah Richardson from the University of Canberra shares 3 simple activities for engaging students in schoolyard design.  

While the term ‘middle leadership’ can mean different things in different school contexts, we know the role of middle leaders is important in supporting both student outcomes and teacher practice. In today’s article, we share 5 open-access resources on the topic of middle leadership.  

Teacher magazine is delighted to welcome Lisa Rodgers – CEO of ACER – as a columnist. In this first article, she offers a different story about PISA that is built around 5 ideas – position, direction, distribution, resolution and ambition.

The release of the results of the latest cycle of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) made headlines around the world. More than 760,000 students assessed internationally, representing around 33 million 15-year-olds from 91 countries and economies. But the initial data are just the beginning.

Jo Earp sits down with Brad Gaynor to talk about leadership burnout. It's a timely topic – it’s R U OK? Day in Australia today. Brad's book From Burnout to Breakthrough: The Leadership Reset, looks at the growing pressure on school leaders and how it can impact wellbeing. He also shares his own lived experience of burnout.

In this episode of School Assembly, Teacher editor Jo Earp catches up with the leaders from all 3 series – Dan McShea from Notre Dame P-12 College in Queensland, Jo Camozzato from Bemin Secondary College in Victoria, and Dr Ray Boyd and Rachael Lehr from Dayton Primary School in Western Australia – to hear all about the progress made at their schools since we last spoke.