FAQs

Catalyst ensures every student in every classroom across the Archdiocese has access to high-quality teachers who deliver engaging and impactful lessons.

Catalyst provides a consistent approach to teaching and learning across our Archdioceses, making the movement between schools in our system for teachers and students seamless.

The teaching and learning approach is based on the best available research on how best students learn. Leveraging this research ensures our approach and the way we implement it in our classrooms provides the best possible learning outcomes for students.

Catalyst aligns to the CECG vision of “Jesus Christ, our greatest teacher, calls us to share and bear witness to our Catholic Faith and Tradition, build inclusive communities and deliver contemporary quality learning opportunities for every person.”

Catalyst does this by

• Supporting our teachers, Leaders, and Principals to transform students’ lives through learning
• Improving the quality of the education we provide

Learn more about the Science of Learning by checking out the resources available in the Catalyst Knowledge Pack 1.0 and the Catalyst Knowledge Pack for Teachers.

Catalyst is based on the best available evidence on how children learn. Leveraging this research ensures our approach and the way we implement it in our classrooms provides the best possible learning outcomes for students.

The Catalyst journey has commenced in all schools. Each school will have a different implementation timeline and journey. For more information on your school’s journey, speak with your Principal or Leadership Team.

According to the Simple View of Reading, reading comprehension is the combination of using both decoding and language comprehension skills.

A student becomes competent at reading when they can use both of these skills to read and understand texts appropriate to their year level. This is true of every student across all  year levels.

All K-2 classrooms across CECG schools will implement an endorsed evidence-based literacy program. These programs teach Systematic Synthetic Phonics in structured lessons, which has been proven to drive positive student reading outcomes.

Systematic Synthetic Phonics is an evidence-based, structured approach to teaching students how to read.

This method of reading helps children to learn the relationships between the sounds (phonemes) of spoken language and the letter symbols (graphemes) of the written language.

Through the introduction of the DIBELS assessment tool and other reading based assessments in 2021, we can access more reliable data to inform our baseline level of reading across year levels.

In the coming years, we will continue to use these assessment models to track improvement in reading outcomes.

Online units provide background knowledge in the foundational research behind Catalyst. Each online unit is approximately 45 minutes long and they can be completed individually, in groups, or as a whole school. Every participant in the online unit is required to complete a quiz at the end of each unit. Online units are available in your school’s Catalyst Team.

For guidance on when you should complete the online units, speak with your Principal or Leadership Team.

HITP Theory & Practice involves two longer form professional learning sessions (approximately 1.5 hours) that have been designed to be completed in groups or as a whole school. Each learning session explores key research and examples of the practices that make up HITP.

For guidance on when you should complete the HITP Theory & Practice professional learning, speak with your Principal or Leadership Team.

HITP In Action is a professional learning course completed over 4-5 days of training with a specialist presenter. The course involves four phases – theory, demonstration, practice and coaching. Participating teachers are required to attend the professional learning sessions and engage in coaching.

For guidance on when you will attend HITP In Action, speak with your Principal or Leadership Team.

Yes, the foundation of HITP is based on Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction.

According to the Simple View of Reading, reading comprehension is the combination of using both decoding and language comprehension skills.

A student becomes competent at reading when they can use both of these skills to read and understand texts appropriate to their year level. This is true of every student across all  year levels K-12.

In 2021, we have first introduced the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills 8^th Edition (DIBELS) to monitor the development of early literacy and early reading skills in K-2. With additional reading based assessments, we can access more reliable data to inform our baseline level of reading across year levels and inform our teaching practices to support students’ individual learning needs.

In the coming years, we will continue to use these assessment models to track improvement in reading outcomes.

Catalyst supports curriculum resourcing and assessment across the system by curating selected high-quality resources and manipulatives that align to the Australian Curriculum and NSW Syllabus.

Curriculum resources have been developed to support K-10 Mathematics and Religious Education, with more learning areas across K-12 to be explored. These resources have been made available to schools in the Curriculum Hub, available in your school’s Catalyst Team.

Literacy curriculum support is also available for schools with programs including The Writing Revolution, Spelling Mastery, MiniLit and Reading Tutor Program. For more information on these resources please speak with your Performance and Improvement Leader or the Teaching and Learning team.

Catalyst provides professional learning in evidence-based pedagogy through High Impact Teaching Practice and K-12 Literacy.

While there are elements of the pedagogy that are based on Direct or Explicit Instruction, the program as a whole is not prescriptive. All teachers will learn about evidence-based strategies and the Science of Learning, and apply a range of pedagogical strategies to cater for all learners.

Teachers are empowered to employ the High Impact Teaching Practices into their lessons at appropriate points.

Catalyst is a program for all teachers, that provides them with professional learning and coaching opportunities.

We expect that all teachers in the Archdiocese will engage in elements of Catalyst professional learning and will understand and implement High Impact Teaching Practices in their classrooms where appropriate.

Each school will have a different implementation timeline and journey. For more information on your school’s journey, speak with your Principal or Leadership Team.

Catalyst has a focus on Literacy and Numeracy across all year levels.

Research has shown the importance of early learning to future academic achievement in later years. Our literacy focus for the early years (K-2) will provide all students with the foundational skills for future learning.

Further, a review of CE’s performance in 2020, found that student outcomes could be improved in Mathematics, across all year levels. Through Catalyst, a suite of high-quality curriculum resources for K-10 Maths has been developed.

High Impact Teaching Practice is designed for all grades and learning areas. HITP empowers teachers to embed Science of Learning in their classrooms, no matter the year level or subject they are teaching.

Curriculum resources for Years 7-10 Maths has also been collated.

While Classroom Support Assistants (CSAs) will not attend formal training, schools that require training for CSAs may consider doing this internally through school context funding.

Catalyst has a focus on Literacy and Numeracy across all year levels.

Research has shown the importance of early learning to future academic achievement in later years. Our literacy focus for the early years (K-2) will provide all students with the foundational skills for future learning.

Further, a review of CE’s performance in 2020, found that student outcomes could be improved in Mathematics, across all year levels. Through Catalyst, a suite of high-quality curriculum resources for K-10 Maths has been developed.

Teachers will be provided with all the knowledge, tools and resources to implement the teaching practices in their classrooms. These are provided through formal professional learning sessions, online units and coaching.

Catalyst is about engagement of all students in meaningful learning. It provides evidence-based pedagogy, high quality curriculum resources and assessment schedules that are relevant to all teachers in our system, regardless of the year level or subject they are teaching.

High Impact Teaching Practice is designed for all grades and learning areas. HITP empowers teachers to embed Science of Learning in their classrooms, no matter the year level or subject they are teaching.

Curriculum resources for Years 7-10 Maths has also been collated.

HITP provides a complete set of practices based on Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction. Principals will be provided with full briefing documents on HITP before it is expected to be delivered in their school. They are the strongest base for improving student learning outcomes.

The online units have been designed to be taken in a specific order, with some units being prerequisites for Professional Learning and coaching sessions.

Most of the professional learning will be completed during PL time or staff development days. The theory aspect of Catalyst will not require extra time from you – we are simply shifting our PL focus to incorporate the Catalyst program.

Teachers will complete HITP In Action in small groups / waves. This part does require extra work, as you will be required to submit your planning and respond to coaching.

Each school will have a different implementation timeline and journey. For more information on your school’s journey, speak with your Principal or Leadership Team.

Catalyst is not a Direct Instruction professional learning program.

Catalyst will help CECG schools to implement a comprehensive teaching and learning approach. All teachers will learn about evidence-based strategies and the Science of Learning, and apply a range of pedagogical strategies to cater for all learners. Direct instruction is a small component of the full suite of teaching pedagogies.

An example of where Direct Instruction is used in Catalyst is within K-2 Literacy. Evidence from comprehensive and contemporary research points clearly to the success of explicit teaching strategies in the teaching of phonics in literacy.

Teachers will have access to online units, professional learning programs, coaching and curriculum resources.

For more information on the resources available for your school, speak with your Principal or Leadership Team.

Catalyst supports curriculum resourcing and assessment across the system by curating selected high-quality resources and manipulatives that align to the Australian Curriculum and NSW Syllabus.

Curriculum resources have been developed to support K-10 Mathematics and Religious Education, with more learning areas across K-12 to be explored. These resources have been made available to schools in the Curriculum Hub, available in your school’s Catalyst Team.

Literacy curriculum support is also available for schools with programs including The Writing Revolution, Spelling Mastery, MiniLit and Reading Tutor Program. For more information on these resources please speak with your Principal or Leadership Team.

Yes, most of the professional learning undertaken through Catalyst is eligible to be claimed as NESA and / or TQI accredited hours.

While Classroom Support Assistants (CSAs) will not attend formal training, schools that require training for CSAs may consider doing this internally through school context funding.

The teaching and learning approach is based on the best available research on how best students learn.

Leveraging this research ensures our approach and the way we implement it in our classrooms provides the best possible learning outcomes for students.

A key focus of Catalyst is on early literacy. Research has shown the importance of early learning to future academic achievement in later years. Our literacy focus for the early years (K-2) will provide all students with the foundational skills for future learning.

Parents are encouraged to discuss how they can best support their child’s learning at home with their teacher. Some ways parents may support teaching could include

• Encourage daily reading with your child and support them to explain what they learnt or enjoyed in the book. For younger children, ask them to read aloud at least four times per week.
• Encourage your child to talk about a topic, idea or skill they have learnt at school, on a daily basis.
• Ask your child’s teacher for specific support and advice for reading together at home.

To ensure our teachers are kept up to date with the latest in teaching and learning, schools across the Archdiocese will hold professional learning days throughout the year including on the first day of Terms 1, 2 and 3, without students.

These days enable our leaders and teachers to engage in system-wide professional learning to determine how they will use the collective knowledge and provided resources, effectively in the classroom.