Australian Australian CurriculumCurriculum

English, Maths, Science & History

Purpose of SACPPA Purpose of SACPPA SessionSessionContext & exposure at moment

being done by CEO through introductory courses and subject workshops

Aim today is to focus on content and feedback to ACARA

What is it that we need to think about as educators?

BackgroundBackgroundCOAG (Council of Australian Government)

decided that a National Curriculum was necessary

Curriculum was to outline skills, knowledge and capabilities for young Australians

Melbourne Declaration, December 2008 – National Education Goals for all Australian Students

ACARA formed in June 2009 – work had already begun on National Curriculum prior to the ACARA formation

BackgroundBackgroundWhy a National Curriculum?

Consistency between the states

Consistency for both the mobile student and teacher

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 Overview of Australian CurriculumCurriculumPhase 1

English, Maths, Science and History

Phase 2Arts, Geography & Languages

Phase 3The Ministerial Council has asked for advice on making the entire curriculum for schools national i.e. there is more to come

Shape PapersShape PapersIn May 2009 the Interim National

Curriculum Board (NCB) publishedThe Shape of the Australian Curriculum: English, Maths, Science & History

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 What does the Australian Curriculum Consist of?Curriculum Consist of?

Rationale / AimsGeneral CapabilitiesCross Curricular DimensionsContent Strand Descriptions -

Knowledge, Skills & Understandings

Achievement StandardsElaborations

Rationale / AimsRationale / AimsRational / 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 / AimsRationale / AimsRationale - does it address 21st

Century needs?

What is a 21st Century Curriculum?

Is the Australian Curriculum a “curriculum” or a series of stand alone subjects?

General CapabilitiesGeneral CapabilitiesLiteracyNumeracyICTThinking skillsCreativitySelf managementTeamworkIntercultural understandingEthical behaviour Social competence

General CapabilitiesGeneral CapabilitiesThis area of the Australian Curriculum is still

being developed

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 Cross Curricular DimensionsDimensionsIndigenous Perspectives

A commitment to sustainable patterns of living

Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia.

Are the Cross Curricular Dimensions accurate? Do they fit? Are they genuine?

Content Strand Descriptions Content Strand Descriptions - Knowledge, Skills & - Knowledge, Skills & UnderstandingsUnderstandingsContent Strand Descriptions outline the work

to be carried out on a year by year basis in each subject area

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 StandardsAchievement StandardsAchievement standards are to reflect

the quality of learning expected of students who are taught the content

Specified by each learning area and each year of schooling

“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 StandardsAchievement StandardsAssessment - what are the Achievement

Standards actually saying? Are the Achievement Standards just an overview of content covered?

Are teachers assessing and reporting what is taught?

Will we develop outcomes based around the Achievement Standards?

Will the work samples help us with assessment?

Elaborations & ExamplesElaborations & ExamplesElaborations 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 Students with Special Needs & & ESL ESL Students with Special Needs and ESL are currently being

looked at by ACARA

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?

PedagogyPedagogyPedagogy is not included in the

Australian Curriculum.

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 questionsOther key questions

Consultation Period – it is only approx 10 weeks? Is this long enough?

Is it a world class curriculum? What is a “world class curriculum”?

Consultation Consultation Online surveys / feedback

Stakeholders Consultation Forums

National Forums (April)

Intensive School based trials

ConsultationConsultationACARA wants people to register and

give feedback.

Individuals and groups can give feedback.

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

FeedbackFeedbackACARA are very open to feedback and do

use it

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

The more feedback we can give – association level, sector level, school level, individual level – the better

ConsultationConsultationAt the end of Consultation Phase

an independent data and analysis will be done (Insync Surveys)

Interim & final reports given and ACARA panels & office to review feedback

Initial Implementation Plan Initial Implementation Plan proposed for CESA Schoolsproposed for CESA SchoolsAt this stage comment has only be made

by ministers in regards to the implementation of the Phase 1, English, Maths, History & Science

Implementation by 2013 in first four areas, K - 10

No comment has been made from ministers in regards to Phase 2 implementation

Initial Implementation Plan Initial Implementation Plan proposed for CESA Schoolsproposed for CESA SchoolsCESA suggestion that we begin with

English & Maths in 2011 as currently there is most support in these areas through the Literacy & Numeracy Teams

However, any combination could be possible

This is the information we all have to date, this could change as more detail/directives come from ministers, ACARA

Australian CurriculumENGLISH