THE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM

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THE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM

• AN OVERVIEW

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2012 Western Australian Context

• The three year formal implementation period will
  commence in July 2012 as the total curriculum
  package, comprising Curriculum Content,
  Achievement Standards and Resources, including
  annotated work samples for the first phase of the
  Australian Curriculum, is now available.
• ACARA has indicated that NAPLAN tests will draw
  from the Australian Curriculum from 2014.
• Implementation timelines for the Year 11 and 12
  courses are still being negotiated.

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In Western Australia

• For Semester 1, 2012 What do I need to
  stop/What do I need to start Nice to know/Need
  to know/ developing school plans to prepare for
  implementation/ refining .
• Schools will not use the Australian Curriculum
  Achievement Standards to make a summative
  assessment or report student achievement during
  2012.
• The Departments Curriculum, Assessment and
  Reporting Policy is current at this point in
  time.
• For most teachers, this means that what they
  teach and how they teach it will remain largely
  unchanged in 2012.

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What about the Curriculum Framework?

• Schools are required to implement the Curriculum
  Framework.
• The content of the Australian Curriculum will
  provide students with opportunities to
  demonstrate the Curriculum Frameworks learning
  outcomes.
• The Curriculum Frameworks Principles of
  Learning, Teaching, and Assessment provide advice
  which is relevant to the delivery of the
  Australian Curriculum.

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What YOUR STAFF might like to do..
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AnOTHER CHANGE..

• RCS Repetitive Change Syndrome
• Why do we need it?
• No-one asked us!
• Why should we bother? it will probably change
  again in ten years!

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RCS Repetitive Change Syndrome

• Outcome Statements
• Middle Schooling
• Both had positive points Both were implemented
  inconsistently and at times badly and teachers
  and students bore the brunt of this
• When adopting change it needs to
• Keep the best of what is currently in place
• Adopt it sensibly, context specific be smart
• Ensure we have the support and resources
• Ensure that the students remain our key focus

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Why do we need it?

• We have a future that is unknown.
• We cannot predict what our world will be like in
  20 years.
• With these exponential times the skill sets of
  our youth need to be revisited.
• If we do not reassess then we severely deplete
  this our most valuable resource.
• Evolution of what we teach, and how we teach it,
  is inevitable.
• This mandates the what not the how.

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No-one asked us!

• Every State was involved in collaboratively
  reviewing the most contemporary Educational views
  from 1989 2008.
• From this the Melbourne Declaration on
  Educational Goals for Young Australians emerged.
• The Melbourne Declaration commits to supporting
  all young Australians to become successful
  learners, confident and creative individuals and
  active and informed citizens, and promotes equity
  and excellence in education.
• All facets of the Australian Curriculum have been
  and are being collaboratively developed with
  input from all states and allowing all to have a
  say.

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Why should we bother it will probably change
again in ten years!

• What will change is our teaching strategies
  they have to.
• What is unlikely to change is the curriculum
• This is not going to go away
• Is it better for our students yes, provided it
  is delivered inclusively
• Is it better for our teachers yes, provided it
  is introduced sensibly and they feel supported!

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Melbourne Declaration

• We must focus on improving outcomes for all young
  Australians.
• Goal 1 promoting equity and excellence.
• Goal 2 successful learners, confident and
  creative individuals, active and informed
  citizens.

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What is covered in the aC

• As the basis for a curriculum designed to support
  21st century learning the Melbourne Declaration
  emphasises the importance of
• knowledge, skills and understanding of learning
  areas,
• general capabilities.
• cross-curriculum priorities.

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Catering for diversity

• The Australian Curriculum focuses on an
  entitlement for all students while acknowledging
  that the needs, interests and abilities of
  students vary. See Rationalisation -14 15
  pages
• Schools and teachers will be able to implement
  the curriculum in ways that value teachers
  professional judgements and best reflect local
  and regional circumstances, educational
  philosophies and learning environments.

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Advantages of an AC

• 1. School and curriculum authorities can
  collaborate to ensure high quality teaching and
  learning materials are available for all schools.
• 2. Greater attention can be devoted to
  equipping young Australians with those 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.
• There will be greater consistency for the
  countrys increasingly mobile student and teacher
  population.
• There will be improved outcomes for our students.

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Development of the Learning Areas
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General Capabilities in the Australian Curriculum

• Literacy
• Numeracy
• ICT
• Critical and creative thinking
• Personal and social competence
• Intercultural understanding
• Ethical behaviour

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Cross-curriculum Priorities

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories
  and cultures
• Asia and Australias engagement with Asia
• Sustainability

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English (Foundation to Year 10)
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Mathematics (Foundation to Year 10)
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Science (Foundation to Year 10)
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History (Foundation to Year 10)
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Additional support for implementation

• 62 Teacher Development Schools provide targeted
  support to schools and school networks.
• The Institute for Professional Learning plays a
  key role in co-ordinating and brokering support
  for teachers and administrators.
• Teachers have access to digital resources through
  the K-12 Resources website and Resources Online.
• 4 Day Program in each LA Later this term
  Train the Trainer version 2 people per region
• Network capacity within the Mandurah region

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Early Childhood

• Big Ticket Items
• Need to embed General Capabilities
• Literacy
• Numeracy
• Personal and social competence
• Be familiar with the EYLF Early Years Learning
  Framework
• Familiar with the Teaching for Growth Report WA
  literacy in Preprimary and Year 1.
• Findings and recommendations

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SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS

• Referred schools to the ACARA Diversity of
  Learners Fact sheet
• Guidance for using the Australian Curriculum for
  students with special education needs
• Units of work, assessment tasks and work samples
  online (TBA)

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SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS

• The majority of SEN students can engage provided
  adjustments are made to
• the learning activities the way they are
  organised and presented
• the learning environment and/or
• the assessment strategies
• the way students are expected to demonstrate
  their learning
• SENAT English, Maths, Health and Phys Ed focus
  currently will align to all Learning Areas
• General Capabilities Literacy/Numeracy/Personal
  and Social Competence
• Work being done F-2 - Based on the UK (P) scales
• Curriculum Support Assessment and Reporting
  Support for Special Education Needs.
• Further curriculum advice and examples of how
  teachers can use the AC to identify current
  learning and plan for teaching of students with
  disability is underway

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WA PERSPECTIVE - SEN

• DoE Mini-trial term 2-3 looking at how schools
  identify where a student sits within the F-10
  curriculum and then how they differentiate the
  curriculum within an age appropriate context.
  (Units of work, assessment tasks and student work
  samples available Term 4)
• Teacher development schools (3 SEN)
• DoE has offered to trial the Prior to Foundation
  content
• Support Visiting Teacher Service (Centre for
  Inclusive Schooling)
• SEN Assessment Tool has been aligned to AC Maths,
  English, History and Science F-Year 2 (Plus First
  Steps Maths and English)

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EAL/D

• Now combined with Aboriginal team
• General Capabilities intercultural
  understandings
• EALD Teacher Resource ACARA
• Position students on progression
• Offers strategies to support them
• Understand where challenges exist and why for
  leavers
• ESL Resource Centre
• EALD Teacher Resource
• ESL Progress Maps online West One
• NSW translator notes

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Getting Started

• Establish/refine your familiarisation plan for
  2012
• Which areas of the Australian Curriculum content
  will be the focus during 2012?
• What professional learning is required?
• What support is needed to adapt teaching programs
  to address the content of the Australian
  Curriculum?
• Are current resources addressing the content of
  the Australian Curriculum?

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RESOURCES CONTACTS

• Work Smarter not Harder
• www.det.wa.edu.au/curriculumsupport
• www.acara.edu.au
• www.qsa.qld.edu.au
• http//www.acwa.wa.edu.au/
• SCOOTLE ( On right hand side of Portal Homepage)
• PORTAL Resources Tab
• http//www.edleadership.spydersweb.com.au -
  set up for the Mandurah Leaders Network
• CONTACTS See contact sheet

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Local NETWORKS

• Valuable and targeted professional learning that
  needs to be shared strategically back at your
  school
• Extremely valuable for your experienced, your
  aspirants, your potential future aspirants.
• Networks are shaped by the participants
• Designed to be sustainable beyond the funding
  duration

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Mandurah NETWORK

• Caters for Leaders Principals, Deputies and
  other key personnel, allowing them to access and
  share focused information and ideas at point of
  need and locally.
• Builds capacity of staff within schools and cells
  as instructional leaders
• Builds capacity of staff within schools and cells
  as instructional leaders
• Allows for schools to implement according to
  their context and needs
• Blends in and compliments with Secondary SCOPE
  Network
• Is efficient and strategic in Resource
  management
• Has school and network accountability mechanisms
  in place
• Links to broader networks where useful

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LETS ENJOY THE JOURNEY TOGETHER