Background information about the role of ACARA in producing the Australian curriculum. (March 2010)
TRANSCRIPT
The Australian Curriculum Developed by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority
March 2010
Introduction
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA)• ACARA commenced its work on 1 June 2009• Independent Statutory Authority under the
Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997
• MCEECDYA (all Australian education ministers) is responsible for setting ACARA’s work program through a charter
• ACARA is responsible for national curriculum, assessment and reporting
Presenter
Presentation Notes
The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) commenced its work on 1 June 2009. ACARA inherited the work of the Interim National Curriculum Board, which ceased operating at the end of May 2009. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) was established under Section 5 of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority Act 2008 (ACARA Act) of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia. ACARA is a co-operative enterprise between state and federal jurisdictions and its activities are jointly funded by Commonwealth, state and territory governments. Section 7 (3) of the ACARA Act sets out that the Authority must also perform its functions and exercise its powers in accordance with the Charter set by the Ministerial Council on Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA). ACARA is responsible for: A national curriculum from Kindergarten to Year 12 in specified learning areas. A national assessment program aligned to the national curriculum that measures students’ progress. A national data collection and reporting program that supports: - analysis, evaluation, research and resource allocation; and - accountability and reporting on schools and broader national achievement
Who is ACARA?• ACARA Board 13 member board Appointed by and reports to MCEECDYA Chair – Prof Barry McGaw Deputy Chair – Tony Mackay
• ACARA Office Chief Executive – Dr Peter HillGeneral Manager, Curriculum – Robert Randall A/General Manager, Assessment– Peter Adams A/General Manager, Reporting – David Wasson General Manager, Corporate Strategy and Governance –
Rosemary Naughton
Presenter
Presentation Notes
The ACARA Board comprises members nominated by Commonwealth, state and territory education ministers, as well as the Catholic Education Commission and Independent Schools Council of Australia. The ACARA Board was appointed by and reports to the Ministerial Council. The chair of the ACARA Board is Professor Barry McGaw and the Deputy Chair is Mr Tony Mackay. Brief biographies for each member of the Executive team can be found at www.acara.edu.au
Why an Australian Curriculum?
• COAG decided• Skills, knowledge and capabilities for
young Australians• Combined efforts of states and territories
focused on improving student learning• Greater consistency for the mobile student
and teacher population.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
In 2008 all Australian governments agreed that a quality education for all young Australians is critical to maintaining Australia’s productivity and quality of life. Subsequently, all Australian education ministers committed to a set of educational goals and actions to better prepare young people for their participation in a changing and increasingly globalised world. One of these actions was the development and implementation of a world-class national curriculum. The commitment to develop an Australian Curriculum means: - The individual and combined efforts of states and territories can focus on how students’ learning can be improved to achieve the national goals, regardless of individual circumstances or school location. - Greater attention can be devoted to equipping young Australians with the skills, knowledge and capabilities necessary to enable them to effectively engage with and prosper in society, compete in a globalised world and thrive in the information-rich workplaces of the future. - High quality resources can be developed more effectively and made available around the country. - There will be greater consistency for the country’s increasingly mobile student and teacher population.
Overview of the Australian Curriculum
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Australian Curriculum Development
Implementation to commence in 2011,
with significant progress by 2013
Phase 1 development, consultation
andpublication2009-2010
Design Paper
Shape Papers
www.acara.edu.au
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Summarising the development of the Australian Curriculum: December 2008 The then Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) committed to a set of educational goals and actions, including the development and implementation of a world-class national curriculum. This commitment is captured in the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians. The Melbourne Declaration guides the development of the Australian Curriculum. The Shape of the Australian Curriculum documents Lead writers for the first phase learning areas, with advice from advisory groups, developed a framing paper for each learning area. The framing papers were published for consultation and analysis of the consultation feedback led to a revision and publication in May 2009 of the Shape of the Australian Curriculum and the four companion papers, The Shape of the Australian Curriculum: English, Mathematics, Science and History. These documents were the blueprint for writing the Australian Curriculum. Curriculum Design Paper Built on the Shape paper and provided guidelines for writers Phase 1 development, consultation and publication Expert curriculum writers, with feedback and advice from advisory panels and curriculum development workshops and forums, developed the draft K-10 curriculum for each of the phase 1 learning areas for consultation between March and the end of May 2010. Draft content for the senior secondary years curriculum in these learning areas will be available for consultation from April to June 2010. Consultation feedback will be analysed and incorporated into the revision of the draft curriculum. The final Australian Curriculum for English, mathematics, science and history will be published online in the third quarter of 2010. Implementation There will be flexibility in commencement of implementation of the Australian Curriculum for K-10 English, mathematics, science and history depending on specific issues to be addressed in each jurisdiction, provided the K-10 Australian Curriculum is implemented by 2013. Timelines for the implementation of the senior secondary curriculum will be determined in 2010.
The Australian CurriculumScope of work – by learning areas
• Initial brief – phase 1English, mathematics, science, history
• Phase 2 geography, languages other than English,
arts• ‘Phase 3’ The Ministerial Council has asked for advice
on making the entire curriculum national
Presenter
Presentation Notes
ACARA is responsible for the development of the Australian curriculum from Kindergarten to Year 12. ACARA’s scope of work in developing a national curriculum is divided into three phases. - In the first phase, national curriculum is being developed for English, mathematics, science and history. - The second phase of national curriculum development involves geography, languages and the arts. Initial shape papers for these learning areas will be available for public consultation in mid-2010. Writing, consultation and publication of the final curriculum for phase 2 will occur in 2011. - All education ministers have agreed that subsequent development work will focus on the remaining learning areas identified in the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians, namely information and communication technology and design and technology, health and physical education, economics, business and civics and citizenship. Timelines and processes for this future work have yet to be discussed and agreed by the education ministers. Learning areas currently not included in Australian Curriculum development will continue to be the responsibility of state and territory education authorities.
The Australian Curriculum Scope of work – across learning areas
General capabilitiesliteracy, numeracy, information and communication technology, thinking skills, creativity, self management, teamwork, intercultural understanding, ethical behaviour and social competence.
Cross-curriculum dimensionsIndigenous history and culture, Sustainability, Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia
Students with special needs
Students with English as a second language
Presenter
Presentation Notes
The Australian Curriculum pays attention to how 10 general capabilities and three cross-curriculum dimensions contribute to, and can be developed through, teaching in each learning area. The 10 general capabilities are: • literacy • numeracy • information communication technology • thinking skills • ethical behaviour • creativity • self-management • teamwork • intercultural understanding • social competence. The three cross-curriculum dimensions are: • Indigenous history and culture • Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia • Sustainability. ACARA is developing continuums of knowledge, skills and understanding for each of the general capabilities and the cross-curriculum dimensions. All continuums will be used to review the draft English, mathematics, science and history curriculum to ensure that there is strong and coherent inclusion of the general capabilities and cross-curriculum dimensions in the final curriculum. They will also be used to assist the writers of the Australian Curriculum in the other learning areas during future phases of development. As the continuums are developed, ACARA will review their place in the documentation of the Australian Curriculum and seek advice from stakeholders as to how they might most usefully assist schools to develop their teaching and learning programs. Students with special needs and Students with English as a second language ACARA has established working parties in these areas to assist in the curriculum development process. Their expert advice will ensure curriculum access for. these students
Timeline – Phase 1Stage Activity Timelines
K-10 Senior yearsCurriculum Framing Confirmation of directions for writing
Curriculum (English, mathematics, the sciences, history)
April, 2009 April, 2009
Curriculum Development
2 step process for development of curriculum documents• Step 1 - broad outline; scope and
sequence• Step 2 – completion of ‘detail’ of
curriculum
May 2009 –Feb 2010
June 2009 –March 2010
Consultation National consultation and trialing March – May 2010
Late April –June 2010
Publication Digital publication K-12 September / October 2010
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Curriculum Framing In June 2008, the interim National Curriculum Board (iNCB) published the National Curriculum Development Paper and held national and state/territory forums. Using feedback from those forums, the Board recruited a lead writer for each of the first phase learning areas (English, mathematics, science and history). With the assistance of small expert advisory groups, each writer prepared a concise initial advice paper providing a rationale for the learning area, and a broad scope and sequence of material for K-12. In October 2008, four national forums were held with teachers and curriculum experts to discuss these advice papers. Feedback from the October forums was used by the four lead writers to develop a framing paper for each learning area. The Framing Papers were published in November 2008 and were available for public consultation until the end of February 2009. Analysis of the Framing Paper consultation feedback led to a revision and the publication in May 2009 of the Shape of the Australian Curriculum and the four companion papers, The Shape of the Australian Curriculum: English, mathematics, science and history. These documents guided the writing of the Australian Curriculum. These documents are available on the ACARA website – www.acara.edu.au Curriculum Development In May 2009, expert curriculum writers and learning area advisory panels were recruited and inducted. In addition, panels were formed to provide advice on issues relating to equity and diversity and the different stages of schooling. In June and July 2009, ACARA conducted briefing sessions to large scale cross-sector education groups in each state and territory, outlining progress and directions for the writing of the curriculum. More than 1000 educators participated in these sessions. In September 2009, ACARA held eight national curriculum development workshops to obtain feedback on draft curriculum in each learning area for both K–10 and senior years from nominated expert academics and teachers. In addition, there were specially convened forums to address literacy, numeracy, information and communication technology, and the cross-curriculum dimensions of Indigenous history and culture, sustainability and Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia. The writers and advisory panels continued their work into 2010 with the draft Australian Curriculum K–10 for English, mathematics, science and history published online in March for trialing and public consultation until the end of May 2010. Consultation The draft K-10 Australian Curriculum for English, mathematics, science and history, was released on 1 March for public consultation. You can view and provide feedback directly online at www.australiancurriculum.edu.au. Consultation for the draft K-10 curriculum is open until 23 May 2010. Draft content for the senior secondary years curriculum in these learning areas will be available for consultation from April to June 2010. Consultation feedback will be analysed and incorporated into the revision of the draft curriculum. Publication The final Australian Curriculum for English, mathematics, science and history will be published online in the third quarter of 2010.
Who was involved?
• Lead writer with advisory group• Writing team• Learning area advisory panel• Range of other advisory panels
Writers and panel members (K-12) were teachers, academics and curriculum developers K-12 from across the country.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
The commitment and resourcing by all Australian governments to design a world-class Australian Curriculum has allowed some of the best talent across the nation – teachers, academics and curriculum experts – to be involved in drafting the Australian Curriculum for English, mathematics, science and history. The drafting of the Australian Curriculum has involved expert curriculum writers and learning area advisory panels. In addition, panels were formed to provide advice on issues relating to equity and diversity and the different stages of schooling. A full list of ACARA’s advisory panel members can be accessed at www.acara.edu.au Composition of ACARA’s writing teams and advisory panel members included representation of teachers, educators, academics, and curriculum experts across the state and territories with experience covering the stages of schooling K-12.
How was the K-10 curriculum developed?1. Advice Paper written
2. National forum on the Advice Paper3. Draft Shape paper
4. Consultation leading to revised Shape paper
5. K-10 broad outline prepared6. Targeted consultation on K-10 broad
outline 7. K-10 curriculum drafted
8. Public consultation on the draft K-10 curriculum
9. Revisions based on feedback 10. Final publication
Presenter
Presentation Notes
ACARA is currently at step 8 in the curriculum development process that began for the first four learning areas in the second half of 2008.
Curriculum design• Rationale• Aims of the learning area • Organisation of the learning area
curriculum• Content descriptions (and elaborations)• Achievement standards (with work
samples)
Presenter
Presentation Notes
The Australian Curriculum for each learning area includes content descriptions and achievement standards. The content descriptions specify what teachers are expected to teach. They include the knowledge, skills and understanding for each learning area at each year level. The content descriptions provide a well-researched scope and sequence of teaching, within which teachers determine how best to cater for individual students’ learning needs and interests. Examples that illustrate each content description can be found in content elaborations for K-10. These are available for those teachers and others who may require assistance to better understand the content description. An achievement standard describes the quality of learning (the depth of understanding, extent of knowledge and sophistication of skill) expected of students at each year level K-10. Students who achieve the standard are well able to progress to the next level. Annotated student work samples will illustrate the achievement standard at each year level K-10. Some samples are available to view during consultation and a more complete set will become available over time.
Rationale, Aims and Organisation of each learning area
• Why this learning area is an important part of the curriculum
• What the broad goals of this learning area are
• How the curriculum is organised in this learning area
Presenter
Presentation Notes
The Rationale describes the nature of the learning area in general terms and provides an outline of how learning in this area relates to the contemporary world and current practice. It explains the place and purpose of the learning area in the school curriculum and explains how it contributes to meeting the goals in the national declaration. The rationale provides teachers with a clear sense of the place of the learning area within the whole school curriculum. The Aims of the learning area identify the major learning that students will be able to demonstrate as a result of learning from the curriculum. The Organisation section provides an overview of how the curriculum is organised in a particular learning area. The curriculum across K–12 will be developed in a way that supports and coherently presents the continuity of learning, but which also provides for changing emphases across the K–12 range.
Content descriptions
• What students will be taught
• Specified for every learning area by year of schooling
• Includes: discipline knowledge, skills and understandings; and general capabilities and cross curriculum dimensions
• Supported with examples (elaborations)
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Content descriptions specify what teachers are expected to teach. They include knowledge, skills and understanding for each learning area and are described for each year level. The content descriptions will provide a scope and sequence to assist teaching and learning. Within this scope and sequence, teachers will continue to apply their professional judgment regarding what to cover and how to best cater for individual learning needs and interests.
Achievement Standards• The quality of learning expected of
students who are taught the content
• Specified for each learning area by year of schooling
• Students reaching the standard are well able to progress to the next level
• Illustrated with work samples
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Achievement standards will describe the quality of learning students should demonstrate in relation to the content for each year of schooling. The achievement standards will focus on students’: - depth of understanding - extent of knowledge - sophistication of skills. Student work samples will illustrate the achievement standards. For K-10, the achievement of the described standard will mean that a student is well able to progress to the next level of learning.
What to teach; How to teach
• The Australian Curriculum will make clear what we want all young Australians to learn.
• Classroom teachers are best placed to make decisions about how to organise learning for their students and the pedagogical approach/es required.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
While the curriculum will make clear to teachers a scope and sequence for what should be taught and what achievement standards are expected of students, classroom teachers will make decisions about how best to organise learning, the contexts for learning and the depth of learning that will be pursued to ensure effective learning outcomes for each child in their class.
Delivery of the curriculum
• Enables a flexible approach; not lock step and prescribed
• Acknowledge where students are
• Use appropriate teaching strategies and methods
• Assess appropriately using the standards as a reference point
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Teachers will use the Australian Curriculum to identify the most appropriate content (possibly from across several year levels) to teach individual and/ or groups of students. This will take account of the fact that in each class there will be a range of prior achievement (below, at and above the year level expectations) and that teachers will plan to build on current learning. Teachers can use the achievement standards to assist them as they plan and review teaching programs, and at the end of a period of teaching to make judgments about the quality of learning demonstrated by the students. The achievement standards will help teachers make decisions about the content of their teaching programs and the strategies that they will use. They will guide teachers on what is expected of students each year and aid them to think about where their students are ‘at,’ where they need to progress to, and to eventually judge how well they have achieved. To make judgments on student achievement at a point in time, teachers will draw on assessment data that they have collected during the course of the teaching period. These judgments will be one source of feedback to students and their parents and will inform formal reporting processes, including judgments about the award of A-E grades (or an agreed equivalent). It is acknowledged that individual school authorities may have specific assessment and reporting requirements that schools and/or teachers will need to meet.
The senior secondary years curriculum
Courses for phase one subjects
English to have four coursesmathematics to have four coursesscience to have four courses: biology,
chemistry, physics, earth and environmental sciencehistory to have two courses: ancient history,
modern history
Presenter
Presentation Notes
English a. There will be a course which focuses on further development of literacy and language skills that enable effective participation in workplace, education and training settings, and social, community and civic life. b. A second course will be developed for students from diverse backgrounds with English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) including Indigenous students. c. The third course will extend students in use of language and transfer of language skills to a variety of disciplines and purposes. It will involve understanding, analysing, appreciating, constructing and evaluating a range of print, spoken and multimodal texts for different purposes and audiences. d. The fourth course will be designed for students who choose to study literature at a more intensive level and will support students who intend to undertake further and extended study in English. This course will enhance the breadth and depth of students’ understanding of literary texts. • Mathematics a. The first type of course is an applied study of mathematics with a focus on the analysis of everyday work and life problems to enable students to view these problems mathematically and develop greater confidence in deriving solutions through the application of mathematical strategies. b. The second type of course is a study of mathematics which provides a suitable pathway to post-school studies with a moderate demand in mathematics. This course could include content such as business or financial mathematics, probability, statistics, applied geometry and measurement, and in some places possibly include topics like navigation, applied geometry and networks. c. The third type of course could enable a substantial development of mathematical knowledge suitable for many students, including those intending to study higher level mathematics, and include graphs and relationships, calculus, and statistics focusing on distributions. d. The fourth type of course could contain content intended for students with a strong interest in mathematics, including those expecting to study mathematics and engineering at university. It could include complex numbers, mechanics, vectors with related trigonometry and kinematics, and build on the calculus and statistics from the earlier course. In science it is proposed to develop four courses, each designed for students with good knowledge of science while recognising that they will have a wide range of abilities, interests and future intentions for study and work: a. Biology, which involves knowledge and understanding of living things and their environments. b. Chemistry, which involves understanding of matter and its interactions. c. Physics, which involves understanding energy, matter and their interrelationships. d. Earth and environmental science, which involves the study of the earth's systems and processes in aquatic and terrestrial environments. Students will study changes in and interactions between land, air, water, ice and living things, learn that humans have a greater influence on the environment than any other species, and recognise the importance of evidence in evaluating opinions and actions related to the earth and its environment. • In history it is proposed to develop two courses for students with a wide range of abilities, interests and future intentions for study and work. Ea a. Modern history, which will draw on themes or topics which could include international conflicts, imperialism, nationalism, revolution and reform, and economic and social movements. Contexts for learning may include the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Middle East, Australia and the USA. b. Ancient history, which will draw on themes or topics which could include investigating the past, people and events, site studies of ancient societies, and beliefs and practices (social, cultural, spiritual/religious). Contexts for learning may include Indigenous Australia, the Near East, Asia and the Mediterranean world.
The senior secondary years curriculum• ACARA is responsible for developing curriculum content and
achievement standards for certain senior secondary subjects.
• States and territories will continue to offer subjects that do not overlap significantly with the Australian Curriculum subjects.
• The list of Australian Curriculum subjects may grow in time if there is national agreement.
• ACACA agencies will be responsible for delivery of nationally agreed curriculum content and achievement standards within their jurisdiction ie determining their assessment, certification and quality assurance requirements.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
The draft content for the senior secondary Australian Curriculum for Years 11 and 12 for English, mathematics, science and history will be available online for consultation from April to June 2010. It is anticipated that the revised senior secondary years curriculum in these areas will be ready for publication in the third quarter of 2010. State and territory curriculum, assessment and certification authorities have policies and practices which will influence decisions about start dates for implementation of the senior years Australian Curriculum. The application of these policies will take account of decisions on implementation by the Ministerial Council on Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA). ACARA is developing the Years 11 and 12 curriculum for the learning areas of English, mathematics, science and history in close consultation with the Australasian Curriculum, Assessment and Certification Authorities (ACACA) in each state and territory. These ACACA agencies will continue to be responsible for assessment and certification of students in Years 11 and 12. Where a course is developed nationally that covers the scope of learning in existing state or territory courses, the state and territory courses will be replaced with the Australian Curriculum. Other courses not covered within the Australian Curriculum will continue to be offered by the state and territory authorities, provided that the scope of learning in these courses is distinct from the scope of learning in the nationally developed courses.
An online curriculum
Presenter
Presentation Notes
At the www.australiancurriculum.edu.au site one is able to view (and provide feedback on) the different elements of the draft K-10 curriculum for each of the Phase 1 learning areas, including: - The Rationale and Aims - The Organisation of the Learning Area - Content descriptions which specify what is to be taught to students at each year level from Kindergarten (the year prior to Year 1) to Year 10. - Achievement standards which describe the quality of learning (the depth of understanding, extent of knowledge and sophistication of skill) expected of students at each year level. - Content elaborations which are examples that illustrate each content description. - Annotated work samples that illustrate aspects of the achievement standard at a particular year level (a more complete set will become available over time). The main navigation features of the draft online Australian Curriculum K-10 include the ability to: - Organise and view the draft curriculum by year levels and strands for each learning area - Filter the draft curriculum for each learning area based on general capabilities, cross-curriculum dimensions and other aspects specific to a learning area (eg proficiency strands in mathematics, disciplines in science) - Save, download, print or email parts or the whole draft curriculum K-10 for each of the learning areas.
Working with an online curriculum• Initially a consultation website• Can view the curriculum in different ways (eg by
learning area or strand; by year level or across year levels; with particular capabilities or cross curriculum dimensions highlighted)
• Can download or print in preferred view/s• Will link eventually to available resources;
connect with other teachers; and support planning of teaching and learning programs.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Both the draft and final form of the Australian Curriculum will be published online at www.australiancurriculum.edu.au and will enable multiple views and access. An online curriculum will allow teachers flexibility in how they read and organise the curriculum. For example, teachers could view, download and print the curriculum for a particular learning area at one year level or across multiple year levels. They could also view, download and print content with a focus on one or more of the three cross-curriculum dimensions or 10 general capabilities. In addition, online publication of the curriculum will provide transparency as teachers and others in the broader education community are able to review and provide feedback online.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Following consultation on the draft Australian Curriculum for English, mathematics, science and history, ACARA will publish the revised Australian Curriculum online. The final digital version will include links to suggested resources that teachers and other educators can refer to which will assist them in the teaching of the curriculum. There is work currently underway on an online resource discovery project that eventually we hope will bring together the relevant resources available through the Learning Federation and also in states and territories.
Australian Curriculum consultation strategies• Online feedback K-12
Teachers and other stakeholders in the broader community will be able to – review the curriculum and provide feedback online until 23 May 2010– complete an online survey until 23 May 2010 (K-10)– provide feedback in similar ways April-June (senior years)
• Stakeholder consultation forums K-12– State and territory forums K-10 (March and April)– National forums (K-10) (April)– National forums (senior years) (May/June)
• Intensive school-based engagement with the draft K-10 curriculum– intensive, short-term activities with teachers in about 150 schools using
the draft curriculum materials– may include developing teaching programs and delivery of some
teaching and assessment activities.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Online survey The easiest way to provide feedback is by visiting the consultation website www.australiancurriculum.edu.au At this site you will able to view and provide feedback by using rating scales and/or writing comments with the click of a feedback button. The website is also the place where individuals and groups can complete an online feedback survey. ACARA will also work collaboratively with state and territory education authorities and with selected schools to gather targeted feedback on the draft curriculum. Targeted school consultation A number of schools expressed interest in participating in some specific activities with the draft K-10 Australian curriculum in order to provide substantial feedback and some possible resources. About 145 schools will be undertaking a range of planning, teaching and assessment activities using the draft K-10 Australian curriculum during the period of consultation. In addition, many of these schools will also be examining the functionality, accessibility and usefulness of the online curriculum. This practical application will provide ACARA with very useful feedback to review and improve the draft materials and the online format. The selected schools include a cross-section of schools based on jurisdiction, geography, size, sector, and socio-economic status. Consultation forums ACARA, in partnership with state and territory education authorities, is also conducting consultation forums in each state and territory throughout March and early April. Each of these forums will provide approximately 200 invited education stakeholders with the opportunity to provide considered feedback on the draft K-10 curriculum. State and territory education authorities are also planning various forums in a number of locations to capture further feedback from stakeholders in their respective states and territories. During April 2010, ACARA will convene national consultation forums, bringing together teachers and educators from each state and territory in each of the four learning areas to get further feedback on the K-10 draft curriculum. These national forums will provide an opportunity to validate the feedback and issues identified at the state and territory consultation forums. Draft content for the senior secondary years curriculum in English, mathematics, science and history will be released for public consultation later in April for three months consultation.
Australian Curriculum consultation processes
• Independent data collection and analysis
• Interim and final consultation reports
• ACARA panels and office to review feedback and revise/refine as necessary
• Reference to ACARA Board, education ministers and state/territory authorities
Presenter
Presentation Notes
During the course of the consultation, an independent research company will be undertaking the collation, analysis and reporting of the feedback from the website and from the other consultation activities. The independent research company will provide an interim and final consultation reports. These reports will be available on the ACARA website – www.acara.edu.au – when they become available. This analysis will assist ACARA to make further improvements to the draft K-12 curriculum prior to its final publication in September/October 2010
Implementation
Australian Curriculum - Implementation• Implementation of the Australian Curriculum is likely to vary by
learning areas and by states and territories depending on the extent of difference (curriculum mapping project)
• ACARA is working with state and territory education authorities to map the extent of change to assist them to develop their implementation plans.
• There will be flexibility in commencement of implementation (from 2011) provided the K–10 Australian Curriculum is implemented by 2013
• Timelines for the implementation of the senior secondary curriculum will be determined in 2010
Presenter
Presentation Notes
While the process of implementing the Australian Curriculum is a matter for each state and territory, ACARA will assist states and territories in this regard. Implementation of the Australian Curriculum is likely to vary by learning areas and by states and territories depending on the extent of difference between the new Australian Curriculum and existing state and territory curricula. ACARA is working with state and territory education authorities to map the extent of change to assist them to develop their implementation plans. There will be flexibility in commencement of implementation of the Australian Curriculum for K–10 English, mathematics, science and history depending on specific issues to be addressed in each jurisdiction. While implementation is scheduled from 2011, it is expected that K-10 implementation across the country will be underway in all schools in 2013. For some states and territories, 2011 is likely to see a smaller proportion of schools planning, teaching, assessing and reporting using Australian curriculum. The experience and advice from these schools will be used to guide implementation in the remaining schools in subsequent years. Timelines for the implementation of the senior secondary curriculum will be determined in 2010.
