Transcript Australian Curriculum

Australian Curriculum
English, Maths, Science
& History
Purpose of SACPPA Session

Context & exposure at moment being
done by CEO through introductory
courses and subject workshops
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Aim today is to focus on content and
feedback to ACARA

What is it that we need to think about as
educators?
Background
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COAG (Council of Australian Government) decided
that a National Curriculum was necessary
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Curriculum was to outline skills, knowledge and
capabilities for young Australians
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Melbourne Declaration, December 2008 – National
Education Goals for all Australian Students
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ACARA formed in June 2009 – work had already
begun on National Curriculum prior to the ACARA
formation
Background
Why a National Curriculum?
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Consistency between the states
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Consistency for both the mobile student
and teacher
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Our current state by State Curriculums are
good. Combining to one National
Curriculum will continue the national focus
on improving student learning
Overview of Australian Curriculum
Phase 1
English, Maths, Science and History
Phase 2
Arts, Geography & Languages
Phase 3
The Ministerial Council has asked for advice
on making the entire curriculum for schools
national i.e. there is more to come
Shape Papers
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In May 2009 the Interim National
Curriculum Board (NCB) published
The Shape of the Australian Curriculum:
English, Maths, Science & History
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The shape papers are the foundational
documents that have guided the
development of the Australian Curriculum
for each learning area in the first phase.
What does the Australian
Curriculum Consist of?
Rationale / Aims
 General Capabilities
 Cross Curricular Dimensions
 Content Strand Descriptions Knowledge, Skills & Understandings
 Achievement Standards
 Elaborations
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Rationale / Aims
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Rational / Aims written based on the Melbourne
Declaration and the Shape Papers
Are the Rationale/Aims a reflection of what was set
out in the Melbourne Declaration?
Does the rationale give a clear statement about
“curriculum”?
Is the Curriculum an articulate & coherent view of
“curriculum”?
Rationale / Aims
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Rationale - does it address 21st Century
needs?
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What is a 21st Century Curriculum?
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Is the Australian Curriculum a “curriculum” or
a series of stand alone subjects?
General Capabilities
Literacy
 Numeracy
 ICT
 Thinking skills
 Creativity
 Self management
 Teamwork
 Intercultural understanding
 Ethical behaviour
 Social competence
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General Capabilities
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This area of the Australian Curriculum is still
being developed
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ACARA is working to provide a continuum /
scope & sequence of the general capabilities
How were the capabilities decided? How are they to
be used?
How are the General Capabilities sequenced across
both subject areas and years of schooling?
Cross Curricular Dimensions
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Indigenous Perspectives
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A commitment to sustainable patterns of
living
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Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia.
Are the Cross Curricular Dimensions
accurate? Do they fit? Are they genuine?
Content Strand Descriptions Knowledge, Skills & Understandings
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Content Strand Descriptions outline the work
to be carried out on a year by year basis in each
subject area
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It is designed to be flexible, not lock step and
prescribed
Do the content descriptions give enough
information?
Are the content descriptions sequential?
Are the content descriptions Developmental?
Achievement Standards
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Achievement standards are to reflect the quality
of learning expected of students who are taught
the content
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Specified by each learning area and each year of
schooling
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“Students reaching standards are well able to
progress to the next level”
What about students who don’t reach the standard?
What are the implications for the following year?
Achievement Standards
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Assessment - what are the Achievement Standards
actually saying? Are the Achievement Standards just
an overview of content covered?
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Are teachers assessing and reporting what is taught?
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Will we develop outcomes based around the
Achievement Standards?
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Will the work samples help us with assessment?
Elaborations & Examples
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Elaborations are given to further explain
Content Descriptions
Are they good examples? Too broad? Too
specific?
What can we do to ensure that Elaborations
are not used as “the curriculum”?
Students with Special Needs &
ESL
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Students with Special Needs and ESL are
currently being looked at by ACARA
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At the moment the draft papers do not look
specifically at these areas
Does the Australian Curriculum address equity for all
students?
Do the documents, as they stand, assume that
content is neutral?
Pedagogy
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Pedagogy is not included in the Australian
Curriculum.
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HOW we teach the curriculum has not
been stated – it is up to states, territories
& schools to decided upon which
pedagogy is applied
Other key questions
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Consultation Period – it is only approx 10
weeks? Is this long enough?
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Is it a world class curriculum? What is a
“world class curriculum”?
Consultation
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Online surveys / feedback
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Stakeholders Consultation Forums
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National Forums (April)
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Intensive School based trials
Consultation
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ACARA wants people to register and give
feedback.
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Individuals and groups can give feedback.
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ACARA wants to identify the different
groups giving the feedback so they can
see what each are saying about the
Australian Curriculum, ie teachers,
parents, different sectors
Feedback
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ACARA are very open to feedback and do use
it
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Statement “students will learn” was taken out
of the initial drafts in response to the feedback
that was given, then “teachers will teach” also
taken out due to feedback
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The more feedback we can give – association
level, sector level, school level, individual level –
the better
Consultation
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At the end of Consultation Phase an
independent data and analysis will be
done (Insync Surveys)
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Interim & final reports given and ACARA
panels & office to review feedback
Initial Implementation Plan
proposed for CESA Schools
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At this stage comment has only be made by
ministers in regards to the implementation of
the Phase 1, English, Maths, History & Science
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Implementation by 2013 in first four areas,
K - 10
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No comment has been made from ministers in
regards to Phase 2 implementation
Initial Implementation Plan
proposed for CESA Schools
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CESA suggestion that we begin with English &
Maths in 2011 as currently there is most
support in these areas through the Literacy &
Numeracy Teams
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However, any combination could be possible
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This is the information we all have to date, this
could change as more detail/directives come
from ministers, ACARA
Australian Curriculum
ENGLISH