Executive

Chief Executive Officer

Dr Peter Hill

Dr Peter Hill is the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority.

In his previous role, Peter was a Senior Advisor to the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority and an educational consultant on projects in Australia, Canada, the Middle East, the United Kingdom and the USA. From 2004 to 2007, Peter was Secretary General of the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority where he played a key role in developing and implementing changes in curriculum, assessment and certification in a major reform.

Peter began his career in education as a geography teacher in London, before moving to Australia in 1970. Since then he has held positions across the globe including Teacher and Research Officer, Superintendent of Research and Assistant Director (Planning) in Western Australia, Chairperson and Chief Executive of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Board, Chief General Manager of the Department of School Education in Victoria, Professor of Education, The University of Melbourne and Director of Research and Development, National Centre on Education and the Economy, Washington D.C.

Peter has been a Board Member of the Australian Council for Educational Research, the Australian Research Council, a Trustee of the National Centre on Education and the Economy, USA and Chair of the Board of Directors, Australian Principals Centre.

Acting General Manager Assessment

Mr Peter Adams

Peter Adams is Acting General Manager, Assessment at ACARA, coming from the position of General Manager, School Programs in the Assessment Services Division at the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER).

Peter was formerly a member of the Senior Management Group at the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and was responsible for project directing the scope and specification of the Schools Data and Reporting System – which became the My School website.

Prior to this, Peter was Project Director responsible for the introduction in 2008 of the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). He subsequently managed the 2009 NAPLAN test program and the 2009 NAPLAN equating study conducted in New Zealand and Australia.

Peter has held various roles prior to that including: General Manager, Executive Operations at Curriculum Corporation; Director Assessment and Testing Australia for Pearson plc; Manager VCE Examinations for the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA); and Executive Officer for The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Victoria Faculty.

Peter also has eighteen years experience in teaching and leadership roles within Victorian schools. Peter’s teaching areas included commerce, humanities and fine arts.

General Manager Corporate Strategy and Governance

Ms Rosemary Naughton

Rose Naughton was involved in the establishment of the Interim National Curriculum Board and the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) from April 2008.

Rose has a background in Drama and English education in Western Australian government, Catholic and independent schools in roles as teacher, head of department, deputy principal and as a chief examiner for English Literature. She was a lead teacher in applying learning technologies in the classroom, and as a Churchill Fellow her research in learning technologies and information systems resulted in key projects through Australian Research Council project grants such as information systems to improve wrap around services to schools and digital assessment formats for senior secondary examinations.

Public administration roles for the Curriculum Council and the Department of Education and Training in Western Australia provided Rose with significant experience in managing strategic executive services, ministerial liaison, communications and stakeholder relations (executive officer to the Council, 1999-2001 and 2004-2007). She was executive officer for Western Australia’s review of senior secondary education (1999-2001); strategic advisor for learning technologies (2002) and manager of education services for the West Coast district for the Department of Education and Training (2003); project manager for K–12 curriculum guides development for eight learning areas and project manager for the development of endorsed programs which provide for non-formal learning in the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) and include university, vocational education and training, community and personal development programs (2004-2007, Curriculum Council). 

Deputy CEO and GM Curriculum

Mr Robert Randall

Robert Randall has recently been appointed as General Manager, Curriculum with the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. He was previously General Manager of the Interim National Curriculum Board.

Prior to taking up this new position with ACARA, Robert was Director of Curriculum K-12 with the NSW Department of Education and Training. In this position Robert was responsible for leading and coordinating the development of curriculum policy and the provision of teacher professional learning and curriculum support materials for NSW public schools K-12.

From 1996 to 2001 Robert was Director, Curriculum, with the NSW Board of Studies, where he was responsible for the management of the Higher School Certificate syllabus review program and a range of K-10 syllabus development projects.

Robert began his career as a teacher of mathematics in Perth before holding a range of positions within and beyond schools in Western Australia. These included Head Teacher, Mathematics, Project Leader, Monitoring Standards in Education, Senior Curriculum Advisor (Curriculum Policy) and Manager, Assessment and Reporting with the Education Department and Principal Consultant with the Interim Curriculum Council of Western Australia.

Acting General Manager Reporting

Mr David Wasson

David Wasson was recently seconded from the NSW Department of Education and Training as A/General Manager, Reporting, with the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority.

Previous to this position, David was Director, Educational Measurement and School Accountability (EMSAD) in the NSW Department of Education and Training with responsibility for supporting school improvement initiatives across NSW government schools and ensuring accountability in the areas of: school, region and system provision of performance data; school reviews; and annual school reporting. He was also responsible for the development of the School Measurement, Assessment and Reporting Toolkit (SMART), a highly sophisticated analytical software package. In addition, he was responsible for the implementation of statewide tests in NSW such as the Essential Secondary Science Assessment (ESSA) and, more recently, national testing programs, including NAPLAN.

David was a secondary school teacher before becoming a regional consultant and later holding executive positions in schools, including that of deputy principal.  In 1994 he was seconded to the Quality Assurance Directorate.  He subsequently held various Chief Education Officer (CEO) positions relating to quality assurance and corporate performance before being appointed principal of Erina High School. He was then appointed School Improvement Officer, Parramatta District and later, CEO, School Reviews.