Excellence in Professional Practice Conference

Contact us

Margaret Taylor
T: 03 9277 5403 
F: 03 9277 5544
E: margaret.taylor@acer.edu.au

Keynote Speakers

Keynote 1: Sunday, 17 March, 9.10 - 10.30am
Professor Geoff N Masters, CEO, ACER
BSc, MEd, UWA, PhD Chicago, FACE, FACEL

Geoff Masters is Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) – roles he has held since 1998.

He has a PhD in educational measurement from the University of Chicago and has published widely in the fields of educational assessment and research.

Professor Masters has served on a range of bodies, including terms as founding President of the Asia-Pacific Educational Research Association; President of the Australian College of Educators; Chair of the Technical Advisory Committee for the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA); Chair of the Technical Advisory Group for the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA); member of the Business Council of Australia’s Education, Skills and Innovation Taskforce; member of the Australian National Commission for UNESCO (and Chair of the Commission’s Education Network); and member of the International Baccalaureate Research Committee. 

He has undertaken a number of reviews for governments, including a review of examination procedures in the New South Wales Higher School Certificate (2002); an investigation of options for the introduction of an Australian Certificate of Education (2005); a national review of options for reporting and comparing school performances (2008); and reviews of strategies for improving literacy and numeracy learning in government schools in Queensland (2009) and the Northern Territory (2011). He developed the National School Improvement Tool endorsed by education ministers in December 2012.  
Professor Masters was the recipient of the Australian College of Educators’ 2009 College Medal in recognition of his contributions to education.

Keynote 2: Monday, 18 March, 9.00 - 10.30am
Dr Hilary Hollingsworth, Senior Research Fellow, ACER

Dr Hilary Hollingsworth's main areas of interest are teacher professional learning and the assessment of student learning, and her current work foci include: teacher evaluation and assessment, classroom observation frameworks, the use of video for teacher professional learning and the assessment of student learning. Dr Hollingsworth’s interest in these areas was sparked by her doctoral studies and her extensive international experience working as the Australian representative on the TIMSS Video Study projects and as a Director of Teacher Learning for LessonLab in Los Angeles, California. Dr Hollingsworth’s experience related to teacher professional learning and the assessment of student learning extends across system and school levels. She has developed graduate programs and professional learning modules for teachers, and delivered numerous keynote addresses at education conferences. She regularly provides consultancy services to schools in different sectors and geographical regions, and completes projects for organisations including AAMT, AITSL, and Education Services Australia. Dr Hollingsworth has recently worked as a Senior Lecturer in the Melbourne Graduate School of Education at the University of Melbourne and is conducting research there related to classroom observations and feedback to teachers.

Keynote 3: Monday, 18 March, 2.30- 3.30pm
Robert Randall, CEO, ACARA

Robert Randall was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) in November 2012. He has worked at ACARA since 2009 and was previously Deputy CEO and General Manager, Curriculum, of ACARA. He was previously General Manager of the Interim National Curriculum Board. Robert has significant experience and success in curriculum, assessment and reporting projects, from design through to implementation, at both state and national levels. His most recent achievement has been to lead the development of the F-10 Australian Curriculum in English, Mathematics, Science and History which are at various stages of implementation across Australian states and territories. Robert began his career as a teacher of mathematics in Perth before holding a range of positions within and beyond schools in Western Australia, including Project Leader, Monitoring Standards in Education, Manager, Assessment and Reporting with the Education Department and Principal Consultant with the Interim Curriculum Council of Western Australia. In 1996 Robert was appointed Director, Curriculum, with the NSW Board of Studies and in 2001 took up the position of Director of Curriculum K-12 with the NSW Department of Education and Training.