Georgia Park
Cosgrove High School, TAS
Nipaluna Palawa, Lutruwita
Teaching Fellow
With a substantial proportion of the population in Tasmania considered to be functionally illiterate, improving literacy levels for children is an important focus in Tasmanian schools. It is in this area of expertise that Georgia Park, the Quality Teaching Coach at Cosgrove High School in Glenorchy, has made her mark and significantly transformed outcomes for many students.
Georgia first led instructional change at The Jordan River Learning Federation in Bridgewater, where she successfully designed, implemented and progress monitored a high-impact Response to Intervention and Multi-tiered System of Support. Her framework, underpinned by the principles of cognition and linguistics, has led to notable improvements in reading, with 71% of Grade 7 students demonstrating growth above their expected age growth. Substantial tier-by-tier gains followed and in the space of six months, a 50% reduction in the number of students accessing intensive literacy support occurred. This contributed to an increase in overall engagement and improved teacher-student relationships, as reflected in 2023 Derwent Collective Engagement Report.
Georgia has proactively engaged families and the community, empowering parents to effectively advocate for their children. She has collaborated with social workers and educational psychologists to implement screening protocols and to support students with specific learning needs. Georgia’s work has attracted attention beyond her school with teachers from other schools seeking to replicate her successful methods.
Georgia’s leadership and commitment to high-quality education have resulted in rapid and positive impacts on student learning, with many vulnerable children making profound and lasting progress in their literacy. Her approach has also led to transformative changes in pedagogy making her a standout educator in her field.