Stronger Smarter Census 2024
Thank you to all our Stronger Smarter Leadership Program and Jarjums Programs alumni who completed our 2024 Alumni Census. Your data is invaluable in helping us document and understand the impact of the Stronger Smarter Approach in schools and workplaces.
This year we sent out two different surveys. Over both surveys, we had a total of 548 full or partial responses that have been used in our analyses.
Alumni who hadn’t completed a Census previously were sent the full Census survey. Using this data together with previous surveys, we now have a data set of 2,336 alumni who have completed our Census survey. This represents 44% of all alumni from the Stronger Smarter Leadership Program (SSLP) and Stronger Smarter Jarjums Program (SSJP) since 2006 to the time the Census was sent out in 2024.
For anyone who had previously completed a Census, we sent a different survey asking for more information about changes made in classrooms and schools.
Thank you to everyone who shared their stories. Here are some initial results.
You are making a difference
Everyone who attends the SSLP or SSJP commits to a workplace challenge and reports on their progress with that challenge in the follow up session.
In our 2024 Census, over 90% of respondents had either completed or were still working on challenges.
In our overall figures, over 80% of respondents have either completed or were still working on their challenges at the time they completed the Census survey. This confirms what we know from our follow up sessions: that Stronger Smarter alumni have a very high rate of enacting the Stronger Smarter Approach in their schools and workplaces. Alumni tell us that our programs inspire them to make changes to their workplace practice and provide tools and strategies that they can take straight into schools, classrooms and workplaces.
In the graphs below, the data for respondents who undertook their program between 2006 and 2022 shows an 85% completion rate with 45% of participants setting themselves new challenges beyond their original workplace challenge.
As might be expected, for respondents who undertook the program in 2023 and 2024, 67% are still working on their workplace challenge.
The 2006-2022 data uses the most recent survey completed for each participant.
Workplace Challenge Outcomes
We will explore the Census data in more detail over the coming months. Here is a quick snapshot of the data from the questions where we ask alumni to describe the outcomes of changes they’ve made in their school or workplace. Inevitably, responses depend on their choice of workplace challenge and/or school priorities. What is clear, however, is that all are working towards the same goal of improving educational outcomes for First Nations Students.
The Word Cloud at the top of the page gives an idea of some of the concepts that stand out such as relationships, collaboration, engagement, connections, and expectations.
Student Outcomes
Respondents reported a range of outcomes for students. Many reported improved behaviour, attendance, engagement and performance. Some explained this further as students being happier, with a greater sense of trust. Students were proud of who they are and had a greater connection to culture. There were more respectful relationships. All this led to students being more ready to learn and passionate about their work.
We have seen better connections between staff and students. Staff that follow the key elements of high- expectations relationships continue to see a decline in negative behaviour and better connection and completion of work. Teacher, NSW.
Learning Environments
Respondents described the changes to the learning environment that had led to improved outcomes for students. For many this involved building high-expectations relationships in the classroom, bringing greater classroom cohesion and greater inclusion. Respondents also described culturally safe classrooms and increasing the embedding of Indigenous Knowledges in the curriculum.
I am creating a classroom where students can reach their full potential in a classroom that is strong and has a vision and they can learn to the best of their ability knowing that they can. Teacher, NSW.
Community Involvement
A number of participants reported that they had worked on increasing community involvement in the school. For some, outcomes were that community were more comfortable with the school, and there was greater involvement in events such as NAIDOC week. For others, outcomes were that community had a deepened participation in decision making, and greater feeling that their voices were listened to and valued.
We are a much more culturally safe school, and it is proven by the amount of extra community engagement occurring at our school and students are wanting to be ‘more’ than they thought they could be. Aboriginal Education Officer, NSW.
Staff Outcomes
For many alumni, workplace challenges begin around working with staff, either using Stronger Smarter tools to increase staff collaboration, or to disseminate the strength-based strategies of the Stronger Smarter Approach. This in itself has outcomes of increased staff morale, wellbeing, and energy in the workplace. Alumni describe increased staff collegiality, more empathy, and shared understandings of high expectations and strength-based approaches. For a number of schools who have worked with their local community, outcomes for staff also include a broader understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and how to embed this in the curriculum.
A change in assumptions, growth in high-expectations relationships between staff and students, which has led to more positive school outcomes for the students, identity of our mob and their pride in their heritage. Pastoral Leader, QLD.
As we describe in the Stronger Smarter Approach, the three Spheres of Personal, School and Community work together to bring improved outcomes for students. The work with staff to build strength-based approaches and shared language around high expectations flows into the Community and School spheres. This is the starting point to build the quality learning environments that engage and support students in their learning.
If you would like to join us in 2025, our program calendar is now open.
Read our Stronger Smarter Approach paper for more information.
