# data[].attributes.body
Leadership not recognising the difference better our elite school and regular school needs.

# data[].attributes.body
Low socio-economic schools are not being given attention enough in re to the changes we are making to assessments. Any school other than Rossmoyne, Churchlands, Perth Mod, JCCA...regional, remote, country areas are not being consulted and considered. Yes, there needs to be consistency in teaching, learning and assessment, but the reality is our expectations of areas outside central metro are not able to implement effectively because of context, culture, families, financial pressures...

# data[].attributes.body
We are trying to squeeze all students into the same box by too much alignment.

# data[].attributes.body
Consistency in school programs and school accountability: we have not a handle on the support of our service, by the existence and rigour of the classroom program.

# data[].attributes.body
Data systems: we are making decisions on not enough information. However, the gathering of that data cannot be consistently required of IMSS teachers, especially when the data (eg. about student retention into high school) comes after it is needed for effective planning. We have precious little time. We need investment in better, effective, easy to use, and most importantly automated data collection systems that tell us what we need to know before we need it, not after the fact.

# data[].attributes.body
Administration communication: we need more effective lines of comms with the people who need the information in schools so that we can do our jobs. Time delays, ICT access, communication limitations all have a massive negative effect on our teaching.

# data[].attributes.body
Teacher and student first contact in PS and HS: often is defined by information coming too late, incorrect, and/or thoroughly over and under inflated. HS don't tend to be very organised (often through no fault of their own) so getting IMSS enrolment information and specialist program enrolment information is a major bottle-neck.

# data[].attributes.body
Stop pushing students online more. We want to provide an activity where students can engage off screen for a change!

# data[].attributes.body
Consistency of expectations across different instrumental areas.

The crossover from Primary to High school- it needs to be the same process for all that focuses on retaining students. A seperate platform of information of primary school students that all high schools can access. So if a student ends up going to a different school they don’t get lost?

A different way to connect with primary school students and parents other than connect. (They don’t use connect).

Fine tune access to student medical information and more medical training for teachers.

The school contacts don’t get enough direction or support from imss. (If not an Imss teacher already).

Schools are pushing performing arts to the wayside and it’s become a constant battle to demonstrate the importance of music. Perhaps more research based support provided to school principals and deputies.

More co-ordinator support for new staff members in the regions.

# data[].attributes.body
Lack of flexibility for low socio-economic schools, where students will be driven away by rigid structure, excessive assessments, and lack of flexibility in repertoire choice.

# data[].attributes.body
Lack of trust in individual teachers to make the best decisions for their schools and individual students, regarding assessment choices, assessment timing, and repertoire choice.

# data[].attributes.body
We are not considering enough the balance between consistency (teaching, learning, assessment, reporting) and our need to provide a service. We need to be careful to think more carefully about how our consistency models apply to schools in which this doesn't work very well. We need to ask the question, to whom are we applying this "service"? Is it possible, is it appropriate, is it fair to the variable contexts in which we teach. One size does not fit all.

# data[].attributes.body
More admin requirements for teaching staff, in an age where we are all time-starved and exhausted.

# data[].attributes.body
Lack of flexibility to reflect individual teaching strengths and preferences.

# data[].attributes.body
(Cross-posted from ‘opportunities.) IMSS works well across a broad spectrum of schools because of individual teacher FLEXIBILITY, reflecting the needs of individual schools and students. This new, rigid approach undermines this strength.

LESS STATISTICS, MORE HOLISTICS

# data[].attributes.body
Musical style and expression: stylistic interpretation in common marking key needs to be addressed. This is a very different, and potentially data warping area of the common marking key. Perhaps we need flexibility in how this looks/operates for voice, percussion, brass, WW...etc.

# data[].attributes.body
There is little regard for the development of individual students, and on fostering a love of music and individual confidence, and too much focus on assessment and benchmarking.

# data[].attributes.body
Prioritise 100% attendance to lessons

Clearer directives to the schools and IMSS staff when students don't turn up to lesson

Prior communication to parents about what happens if students miss lessons

Clarity of roles

What is IMSS responsible for and what is the school responsible for?

Change our expectations/selection process

Stop selecting overachievers

Review testing process - doesn't test for potential or commitment

IMSS teachers need a stronger say in the selection process - our expertise needs to be advocated for

Resource to help classroom teachers in selecting suitable students

# data[].attributes.body
Common marking keys don’t reflect the stylistic differences between different repertoire areas (voice). What is required of a contemporary singer is very different to what is required of a theatre singer.

The common marking keys are a negative for Voice as a whole, as they do not accommodate for vital, vocal-specific skills such as stagecraft, emotive expression, etc.

# data[].attributes.body
Quality of instruments hired from Imss i.e. cello and double bass. challenges of mixed instruments 5 students with three different clefs, slide and valve,different keys and inappropriate learning room. Moving rooms wastes time. And transitioning.

# data[].attributes.body
Pastoral Care and Welfare notes need to be available to IMSS Teachers

Consistency of information at all schools

What are we doing to cater for students with special needs learning challenges

Comparative data with NAPLAN - IMSS MIA?

More information for and promotion of schools about the value of Instrumental Music and Ensemble

Better introduction and information about new systems and programs.

Can we retain 30 min lessons for lower numbers.

Networking in local areas - information, communication, common understandings, consistent direction

# data[].attributes.body
IMSS needs to consider who we are and how we work, at a more fundamental level than throwing more rubrics and eduspeak together. Is our (70/80s) model relevant or effective in 2024? Are we elite and excellence producers, or participation-focused, giving the maximum number of music opportunities?

Are there different ways to work and have an impact that maintains our relevance in a 21st century education system and society? We all know that music is important and valuable, but our contusion around identity is in many cases actually deleterious to our impact (and leads to deep frustration for the passionate imss teaching staff).

Is our selecting of students for small group instruction on an instrument in their primary school the most powerful use of our service? Is it the best way to either produce long term engagement with music making, or to create excellence? At the core, are we engaging with enough young people early enough?

Could imss fill the growing gaps in primary school music education by creating large ensemble-based music training such as choirs, world music ensembles, percussion groups? Suzuki-style string groups? Groups that teach fundamental skills and knowledge but with more instant ‘success’ and the motivation for music making this would create. Later primary/early hs could introduce concert band instruments.

‘Selection’ for small group lessons as we run currently could come later from a larger pool of young musicians with existing skills and knowledge. This fulfills the twin goals of mass engagement at primary schools, but then also fostering that elite excellence in small group settings in older students.

# data[].attributes.body
We are a service provider. Not a school. Our job is to consult with EVERY school and ask what they want. Then provide it. Then and only then those students from all different schools are being catered for to the very best of our ability. The days of "one size fits all" are gone... a huge percentage of students in a school have an IEP of some description. This is how we should be approaching each school at which we teach- with an IEP, if we are to truly provide a service.

This means that low socio-economic schools are not being compared to GATE and "leafy green" schools. It means differentiation - which is what we have been told we should be doing in every class (but then we are told to assess kids all the same?!)

# data[].attributes.body
Leadership at IMSS is on their own path and are not listening to the feedback from the staff. We are all professionals but are being treated like naughty little children who need to be pulled into line.

Treat us like professionals - an example is at the SDD3 where we had allocated seating. There was absolutely no reason for this. If it was to share expertise and experience across the sections, I could have understood it but it was purely a power kick for the exec.

# data[].attributes.body
Allow staff to make the decisions on what is best for their students. We are the ones best able to judge what should be taught and assessed... according to the needs of that student at that school.

Leadership should not be dictating what and when to teach and assess what. One size doesn't fit all.

# data[].attributes.body
I have noticed more and more student coming into high school unable to read music. This has been declining particularly in the woodwind section since the explicit teaching of sight reading has stopped and more playing by ear has taken its place. Students go to a band rehearsal and have music put in front of them that they are unable to decipher as they are not motivated to read when it is not required in their lessons. Students are being expected to learn by copying. This is not serving students well for their future learning.

# data[].attributes.body
IMSS executive has gone mad, become data collectors and pushing teaching by assessment, and asking us in our limited time to teach in a directive, uncreative way. IMSS teachers are professional musicians who are dedicated to our students' well-being and we are being treated like children who don't know anything.

# data[].attributes.body
I teach at a mixture of high and low socio-economic schools. The assessment plan is too much for the low socio-economic schools. This is something that a lot of teachers are saying. It makes teaching at those schools and providing an effective service really hard. I understand the need to collect data for the higher ups etc but I feel like if it was just one repertoire task per semester that was common to everyone, then each teacher could individualise the rest of it to the school as needed.

I feel like our strength at IMSS is that we provide a service to the school that the particular school needs.

# data[].attributes.body
SLT are working super hard to get the alignment stuff rolled out! They are working far beyond reasonable hours. I can imagine they are super stressed, and this stress is being passed on to IMSS teachers who are trying to keep up!

Meanwhile, timely communication with schools affecting the day-to-day effectiveness of our actual program has been severely sacrificed. School contacts are noticeably annoyed.

# data[].attributes.headline
The data we collect is about to get very flawed

# data[].attributes.subject
The data we collect is about to get very flawed

# data[].attributes.body
With the exception of our GATE and high socio-economic schools, teachers are going to make big compromises to the assessment content, schedule and rubrics in order to:

Retain students

Encourage students

Give students a healthy sense of achievement

Have actual teaching and learning time with the students not just assessing.

So even if it seems like “we’re doing it!” and “it’s working!” and “retention is growing!” and “attendance is improving!” it doesn’t mean that the alignment and assessment changes are beneficial, it’s just that the teachers care too much about students to let this harm them.

# data[].attributes.body
Students would benefit from streaming as other subjects in schools. Backwards mapping from ATAR is only beneficial for upper school students who plan on attending university for music and does not account for students who just wish to learn an instrument and have fun with it (which should be the core of a positive musical experience over statistics). It is important to prioritise progression but it would be best for retention if there were streamed expectations for benchmarks that accommodate for high-risk students or those with disabilities, particularly if learning an instrument feels like schoolwork for them. Heavy emphasis on assessment will drive these students away and weaken the overall program at individual schools.

# data[].attributes.body
Considering the new IWSTLP, the lack of 'streaming' is causing concern among many of our staff - in particular in the Play/Sing from Notation: Repertoire, and the backward mapping from ATAR level.

This is already forcing staff to either remove 'stylistic interpretation' altogether, or simply rely on professional judgement to accommodate a student at that point in time along their learning journey.

Advice from staff who have previously or do currently teach classroom Music in schools is that schools DO stream... why can't we? Or at least be given the allowance to be flexible and apply relevant marking keys to students based on their pathways or course enrolment in a school?

(ie/ General, GATE, Specialist, etc)

Consideration would need to be given for review of the RTP assessment outline.

# data[].attributes.headline
Lack of "human touch"... let's get it back!

# data[].attributes.subject
Lack of "human touch"... let's get it back!

# data[].attributes.body
With all the focus on data and assessment in recent times, it appears we've lost the "human touch" in our organisation, particularly in the context of staff meetings... the simple things, like acknowledging incoming and outgoing staff, birthdays which coincide, staff celebrations, etc... these now appear to maybe reside in SIM News only, amongst all the other reading we give our staff.

I think these are easy things we can get back, and may help boost staff morale and the human existence in our organisation, rather than the numbers and data behind it all... which are important, but would be nothing without the human contribution our staff make.