The Matrix

1
The Matrix Leanne Webb, Sean Hawthorne, Mike
Fowler development process the matrix and senior
English programmes embracing the new curriculum

2
Whats been happening over the last year

• A significant programme has been conducted by
  the Ministry and NZQA to re-write the standards
  so that they align with the revised New Zealand
  Curriculum (2007), address parity issues credit
  values / work required and remove duplication
  between existing standards.
• The Ministry has contracted NZATE to provide a
  new matrix for the standards in each subject,
  along with a rationale for the changes proposed,
  and information on the changes proposed.

3
Why?

• Weve got a new curriculum. Assessment is based
  on the curriculum. The standards must align
  standards with the NZC.
• Its also been to
• improve the design of all standards and coherence
  between standards esp unit and achievement
  standards
• Help improve assessment practice and improve the
  credibility of the NCEA and the National
  Qualifications Framework (NQF).

4
What has changed for English?

• All NZC-derived standards have become achievement
  standards.
• That means that existing Level 1 3 English unit
  and achievement standards have been replaced by
  standards in the new matrix.
• All standards are assessed at achieved, merit and
  excellence.
• The new Level 1 standards are based on level 6 of
  the curriculum.
• There are sufficient achievement standards at
  each level to offer a choice of assessment
  possibilities for a range of learning programmes
  for curriculum levels 6 to 8.

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6


7

A quick tour of selected standards AS
1.1/2.1/3.1 studied written texts and AS
1.2/2.2/3.2 oral / visual
Earlier versions of standards AS 1.1/2.1/3.1 and
AS 1.2/2.2/3.2 were not divided by written and
visual / oral modes, but based on world texts and
New Zealand texts classifications. In response to
strong feedback from the first consultation
round, written and visual / oral text divisions
were then included which is in keeping with
current achievement standards assessment foci.
To recognise how literature contributes to
students developing sense of identity, their
awareness of New Zealands bicultural heritage
p18, English Statement, NZC, teachers are
encouraged to include both world and New Zealand
texts when preparing students for assessment.
8

Range statements AS 1.1/2.1/3.1 written and
AS 1.2/2.2/3.2 oral / visual

• novel
• non-fiction
• Non Shakespearean drama script
• Shakespearean drama script NB no prescribed
  plays
• short story
• poetry / song lyric
• print media

• film
• television production
• drama production
• radio production
• multi-media text
• graphic novel

9

Writing AS 1.4 / 1.5 / 2.4 / 3.4 - Criteria
The four assessment criteria currently used in
writing achievement and unit standards assessing
ideas, structure, style and the use of writing
conventions have been conflated to two criteria
Develop and structure ideas Use language
features in order to make assessment more
straightforward. This conflation more closely
aligns the second criterion with the language
features substrand in the English Achievement
Objectives. Language features include stylistic
features, vocabulary selection and syntax, as
well as the use of written text conventions
including spelling, punctuation, grammar and
paragraphing appropriate to audience and purpose
for a selected text type. The separate ideas and
structure criteria from writing achievement and
unit standards also suit conflation to a single
criterion, as ideas together with their
structuring and development should clearly be
treated as integrated concepts both in how they
are taught and assessed. same two criteria
principle applies for oral and visual texts
standards
10

Writing 2.4 / 3.4 - Levels 2 and 3
At levels 2 and 3, students present two pieces
for assessment to encourage the flexible
selection of writing genre to suit students and
programmes and to align closely with the English
Achievement Objectives. Not specifying genre in
the level 2 and 3 standards recognises that the
creative and formal distinctions are often
arbitrary divisions particularly at senior
levels, based on the 1994 curriculum poetic and
transactional writing functions. Students
should have the opportunity to draft, develop and
craft a number of pieces. Writing should not be
treated as one or two short assessment events.
Programme design should ensure that a students
best writing is developed then recognised for
assessment. Spreading the writing programme over
an extended period is essential. Writing
activities can be integrated with work towards
other standards such as written reports developed
to present connections across texts.
11

Making connections AS 1.8 / 2.7 / 3.7 - beyond
thematic connections new at Level 1
These standards recognise that making
connections across texts is a dominant aspect
within several English Achievement Objectives and
a significant component within senior English
programmes. While these standards are likely to
be used by many teachers to explore thematic
connections as currently assessed by the popular
level 2 and 3 theme study unit standards, a range
of other aspects could be examined including
connections between purposes and audiences,
language features, or structures used across
texts. There are also new opportunities to make
connections across texts through the inclusion of
this standard at Level 1.
12

Making connections AS 1.8 / 2.7 / 3.7 -
presentation mode text level
Connections can be presented in any combination
of appropriate written, visual and/or oral modes
to encourage integration with assessment for
other standards. At all three levels, four texts
are set as a sufficient range for assessment
purposes. It is important that written, visual or
oral texts selected should be appropriate to the
curriculum level assessed or have characteristics
that enable students to meet the expected level
of discussion when exploring and commenting on
connections. However, a text below the
appropriate curriculum level could sometimes be
included in order to develop a broad and
interesting range of texts relevant to the focus
of the study.
13

Information literacy AS 1.9 / 2.8 / 3.8 -
purpose curriculum links
The purpose of these standards is to assess the
use of a range of appropriate information
literacy skills to gather and process
information, and then create and express relevant
conclusions. These standards assess information
literacy skills centred within the major
processes and strategies substrand that
underpins the other four substrands within the
English Achievement Objectives. Key indicators
on which assessment criteria are based include
integrating sources of information and prior
knowledge selecting and using appropriate
processing strategies evaluating the reliability
and usefulness of information as steps to
developing and communicating new
understandings.
14

Information literacy AS 1.9 / 2.8 / 3.8 - areas
for enquiry the process
Areas for enquiry should be broad in nature,
undertaken within the context of the English
curriculum and justifiable in terms of their
value and relevance. They should be chosen
individually to encourage independent enquiry and
to build engagement so students take ownership of
the enquiry process. The assessment criterion
focuses on key stages of the process of
demonstrating information literacy skills and
presenting understandings. Students formulate
areas for enquiry into authentic relevant
contexts based on gaps in their own knowledge. In
the process of locating information, they show an
awareness of a range of available sources and are
able to then use available sources. As they
select information, students know how to evaluate
sources, to identify main ideas, to select
relevant information and to record it
effectively. They can then use this information
gathered to create conclusions based on relevant
information collected. Conclusions could show
various viewpoints, perspectives, or ideas and
reflect students own thinking about the area for
enquiry.
15

Personal reading AS 1.10 / 2.9 written, oral
and visual numbers of texts
At Level 1, it was not possible to keep the unit
standards 8808, 8809, 8810 separate as oral,
written and visual texts presented in earlier
iterations of the matrix, as eight credits would
have been available just for personal reading.
Within the single independent reading standards,
visual and/or oral texts can also be included in
addition to written texts, in addition to the
option of including visual and oral texts at
Level 2 in an independent reading programme. The
responses to independent reading must be written
and/or oral. At both levels, six texts are set
as a sufficient number for students to be deemed
as reading widely for assessment purposes. The
texts selected must include at least four written
texts, (two of these must be extended texts) the
remaining two texts can be written and/or visual
and/or oral texts.
16

Not currently included Level 3 personal
reading NZATE view

• The inclusion of the personal reading standard is
  as important at Level 3 as at other levels.
  English teachers are able to make accurate
  distinctions between texts at all three levels.
  In guiding students in their personal reading
  text selections, teachers are aware of the
  expectations associated with the curriculum level
  in terms of the appropriateness of the texts
  selected. In determining whether each text
  selected is at curriculum level 6, 7 or 8 they
  consider the following aspects
• o Decisions on text selection are primarily based
  on text style. Style becomes increasingly
  developed and relatively complex in language
  and/or narrative perspective.
• o Themes/issues become increasingly
  sophisticated, exploring adolescent, to young
  adult, to adult themes.
• Assessment activities and exemplars should be
  developed that include a range of examples of
  texts with characteristics indicative of the
  types of texts acceptable for personal reading at
  Levels 1, 2 and 3, supported by consistent
  professional advice via NZATE and English
  advisers and moderators.

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• NZATE view personal reading responses assessed
  at A, M or E
• Personal responses to reading should be assessed
  at achievement, merit and excellence levels.
  Presenting personal responses means demonstrating
  personal understandings of, engagement with
  and/or viewpoints on texts. It can also include
  responding to links between the text and self,
  such as personal contexts and prior knowledge as
  well as connections between the text and the
  world, such as connections with knowledge,
  experience, and ideas from social, cultural,
  literary, political or historical contexts. At
  merit or excellence, personal responses become
  increasingly convincing, perceptive and
  insightful.

18

Not currently included Collaborative Text
Production
Outcomes focus on the participating and
contributing and relating to others
competencies, as students must listen actively,
recognise other points of view, share ideas, as
well as take on different roles appropriate to
the nature and scope of the production task.
These standards demands a high degree of self
efficacy as well as a significant degree of
ownership in order to see the collaborative text
production through to its successful
completion. Teacher observation of the
collaborative process should be on-going and
sufficient to determine that each student has
made a significant, appropriate and productive
contribution throughout the process. Care should
be taken in the setting up of collaborative tasks
so that each student has ample and equal
opportunity to participate and contribute. The
size of the groups should also carefully
considered. The collaborative process must result
in the successful completed production of a text.
A wide range of collaborative text production
tasks is possible.
19

Collaborative Text Production AS 1.12 Criteria
This achievement standard involves the
collaborative production of a text.
Achievement Achievement with Merit Achievement with Excellence
Contribute to the production of a collaborative text which uses text conventions appropriate to audience and purpose. Contribute confidently to the production of a collaborative text which uses text conventions with control and is appropriate to audience and purpose. Contribute confidently and effectively to the production of a collaborative text which uses text conventions to command attention and is appropriate to audience and purpose.
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• NZATE view Levels 1 - 3 collaborative text
  production
• The collaborative text production standards
  should be included in the English matrix at all
  three levels and are very much part of The New
  Zealand Curriculum. They are designed to reflect
  changes in society, where people work
  collaboratively in both face-to-face and online
  situations. It is appropriate that the
  collaborative standards appear within the matrix
  of a major subject such as English so that as
  large a number of students as possible have the
  opportunity to develop and to be assessed against
  these essential skills.
• The standards require the development of three
  key competencies that are not developed
  intrinsically in the other standards that are
  retained in the matrix Managing Self, Relating
  to Others, and Participating and Contributing.
• The standards offer a significant opportunity to
  develop oracy skills in an authentic context. The
  collaborative process is part of the listening
  and speaking outcomes of English programmes, and
  the listening and interpersonal speaking are not
  represented elsewhere in the matrix.
• The standards cater for diverse learning styles
  in a way that the individualised requirements of
  other standards do not. In particular we need to
  be cognisant of the learning contexts of Pasifika
  and Maori students.

21

Literacy and numeracy ?

• Developing new purpose built literacy and
  numeracy standards (worth up a total of 20
  credits)
• These standards would be
• internally assessed
• be at "notional" curriculum level 4/5
• provide a bridge to curriculum subjects at NCEA
  Level 1.
• These standards would be written as Unit
  Standards as they would be assessing functional
  literacy and numeracy skills rather than the
  curriculum-derived skills associated with
  English, Te Reo Maori and mathematics. They
  would not necessarily be designed for English or
  mathematics programmes. Rather, they would be
  generic and outcomes based enabling schools to
  use relevant cross-disciplinary contexts with
  them.

22

Literacy and numeracy ?
An alternative pathway to gain literacy/numeracy
requirements for NCEA Level 1 would include the
identification of specific Achievement Standards
at curriculum level 6 which could be regarded as
providing evidence of functional literacy and
numeracy. These would be drawn from curriculum
derived subjects such as English, history,
mathematics, geography, technology, science and
others.
23

Assessment and exemplar development

• Assessment materials will be developed for
  standards which have had substantial change.
  These will assist teachers and students in
  understanding the changes, how the revised
  standards might be assessed, and what the
  standard looks like at each level of performance.
  The intention is to provide two assessment
  activities per standard.
• Exemplars are crucial. It is intended that
  annotated examples of students work will be
  provided for every standard that has had
  substantial change. The focus will be on
  exemplifying student work at grade boundaries.
• BUT
• Fresh new curriculum based materials are
  required!
• New materials reflecting NZC based activities and
  exemplars are required to cover possible
  assessment contexts. Its not appropriate to just
  make do with whats there. Several tki based
  resources are supported by materials and
  exemplars that are approaching 10 years old and
  showing their age.

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The new curriculum and the new matrix provide a
major opportunity to take a fresh approach.

• You could swap a few headings in your department
  scheme, or

25

Embracing the new curriculum - Part 1 the
second half of the doc / the English Achievement
Objectives

• Looking at how particular standards might be
  incorporated into teaching programmes that
  embrace the new curriculum
• how the matrix could be used to build English
  programmes.
• the matrix and lower achieving students.
• When planning programmes, teachers should
  consider the range of standards on the English
  matrix and plan programmes that address the New
  Zealand Curriculum. The matrix needs to be
  considered in its entirety, and appropriate
  decisions made based around the learning needs
  and interests of students.

26

Key Messages regarding Senior Programmes and the
Draft Matrix

• 1. Start with the NZ Curriculum NOT the matrix
• 2. Your programmes should reflect the key
  principles of the NZC
• the centrality of the individual learner as a
  connected, confident, actively involved,
  life-long learners
• flexibility
• a focus on pedagogy/key competencies
• valid, fair assessment when the student is
  cognitively ready it benefits students, involves
  students, is suited to the purpose
• 3. Balance in programmes is essential not
  everything needs to be taught each year, not
  everything that you teach in a given year needs
  to be assessed. Plan holistically over a three
  year period, so that students are not exposed to
  a narrow range of genre or skills.

27

Concerns

• 4. My students will not engage in learning that
  is not directly assessed.
• This is a student response that comes from an
  overly assessment driven programme, particularly
  one in which assessment forms the basis of
  curriculum design. A thematic approach integrates
  all texts and modes within a learning context and
  assessment opportunities fall out of the
  teaching and learning. How the teacher constructs
  the programme for the year, and where the teacher
  places the emphasis is critical. Engagement of
  students with the learning in a programme is the
  key place to start and choice within programmes
  for students is an opportunity for teachers to
  engage reluctant learners.

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Concerns

• 5. I am worried that literature will disappear
  from English programmes.
• Consider teaching thematically so that the range
  of literature offered is rich and varied and
  there are more opportunities for a range of texts
  to be offered. In particular, thematic teaching
  favours the integration of poetry and short
  stories, which have become the poor relations
  of English programmes. There are many internal
  standards that can be used within a literature
  context.

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Concerns

• 6. Shakespeare will disappear from English
  programmes if it is not directly assessed.
• Shakespeare is not compulsory at the moment.
  Currently, many teachers are offering Shakespeare
  at level 3 but far fewer students answer the
  Shakespeare question than answer on film or
  extended texts. Shakespeare is also currently
  part of many English programmes at year 12, and
  students can respond to this text as an extended
  text if they wish. Consider incorporating
  Shakespeare into programmes where it can be
  assessed in a myriad of ways internally e.g
  seminars, research, thematic study, dramatic
  performance, visual presentation, or a
  collaborative project. Writing an essay about
  Shakespeare is not the only way to assess
  knowledge of, and response to Shakespeare. The
  NZC enables schools to reflect their values
  within their programmes for their students.
  Prescribing texts would deny schools the
  opportunity to construct their own curricula.

30

Concerns

• 7. I am worried that my workload will increase.
• If schools offer the three externally assessed
  standards, this will amount to 12 credits. The
  MoE/NZQA recommend a course of 18-20 credits as
  appropriate for the average student. Two to three
  internals would be the optimum number. This is
  fewer than many schools are offering now. A
  course of 30 credits is total overload for
  teachers and for students and leads to minimal
  teaching opportunities. Students should be
  offered assessment opportunities when the teacher
  is confident that the student is ready to be
  assessed

31
Planning a programme for lower achieving students

• Will the new matrix allow for success for lower
  achieving students?
• Quick answer is yes but perhaps in a more
  limited way.
• Alternative pathways for literacy skills will
  still be available even if actual English Level 1
  standards are beyond the students i.e.
• New Literacy standards
• Communication skills standards

32
Elements of good programmes designed for lower
achieving students

• Enable teachers students to know each other
  well as people as well as knowing strengths
  gaps in skills and knowledge.
• Promote positive relationships and learning
  dispositions.
• Allow for flexible learning outcomes.
• Provide multiple opportunities to assess and
  develop skills.
• Have success not failure as their outcome.
• Enhance students strengths.
• Address skill/knowledge gaps in supportive way.

33
Elements continued

• Spend the time necessary on developing skills or
  knowledge i.e. not time bound.
• May focus on fewer skills or areas of the
  curriculum but provide learning opportunities in
  several different contexts and/or modes.
• Provide challenge and enable students to gain the
  best credits that they can.
• Links to students own goals where possible
  i.e. relevance of learning to students lives is
  encouraged in these courses.

34
General Approach I use

• Thematic Approach
• Overarching Big Question that drives the
  content and that will be developed and revisited
  in multiple ways and contexts during semester.
• Concrete vs Abstract themes
• e.g. Relationships, Childhood, Growing Up,
  Survival, Heroes, Friendship
• vs Power, Identity, Difference, Isolation,
  Dystopia
• Multiple Varied Texts
• Use several different texts and text types to
  develop content knowledge e.g. novel, play,
  prose, non-fiction, film, oral
• Student choice of text where possible
• Assessment Opportunities
• Plan two or three assessment opportunities (times
  to collect evidence) during the year. Assess
  when ready (as much as possible ) rather than
  pushing through an assessment when majority still
  not ready to do it.
• Cover all aspects of the curriculum
• Plan a course that covers reading of written
  visual/oral texts writing viewing speaking and
  presenting of some sort.

35
Approach Continued

• Collection of evidence
• I would give students several opportunities to
  work towards achieving different standards and
  collect the evidence towards achievement.
  Particularly for writing standards.
• Sometimes evidence may be collected over more
  than one year.
• Formative assessment
• Use formative assessment to decide whether or not
  individuals are ready to be assessed for a
  standard.
• If it is clear students are not ready then dont
  assess them.
• Allow for assessment using student strengths
  where possible
• For example many of the new internal standards do
  not require assessment through written tests
  they allow for oral or visual modes of
  assessment. Encourage use of these other modes
  if it may enhance success.

36
New Matrix Standards to consider using

• Writing Standard(s)
• 1.5 /or 1273 and/or new literacy writing
  standard. Would insist on student doing writing
  of some sort in any programme even if this was a
  two-year plan.
• Reading Standard(s)
• 1.1 and/or 1.2 - external essay standard(s) on
  written and/or visual texts. Possibility for
  some students.
• 1.8 Explain significant connections between
  texts. Definite standard
• 1.9 independent reading with 4 texts only two
  of which must be extended written texts this may
  be a possibility. Level 6 of curriculum may be a
  barrier to students.
• 25060 new version of 2977 communication skills
  standard a strong possibility
• Speaking Standard(s)
• 1.6 /or new literacy speaking standard if there
  is one. Most students can succeed in
  constructing an oral presentation.
• Viewing Standards(s)
• Use film/oral texts in 1.8 theme study. Also
  look at 1.2 or 1.11 close viewing - unlikely to
  be a literacy standard for viewing.
• Presenting Standard(s)
• 1.7 presenting visual/verbal standard- no unit
  standard that covers this skill and unlikely to
  be a new literacy standard that did so either.

37
New Matrix standards continued

• Collaboration standard?
• Good opportunity to get students to work together
  on production of a text if it is allowed through.
  This may be a good standard for lower achieving
  students who often work better if they are able
  to work with someone else.
• Communication Skills standards
• These have just been reviewed and the new
  versions of these standards are now available.
  Many of the changes are positive and may make
  these more useable and/or interesting. At the
  moment they still count for NCEA Level 1
  literacy. No exemplars for new standards yet
  we may need to generate these within our English
  teaching community.
• NB old versions still valid until the end of
  2010.

38
Embracing the new curriculum - Part 2 the
front half of the doc / the pedagogies

• At Years 11 - 13, we shouldnt see working with
  the curriculum as somehow separate or different
  from how we work with assessment.
• At senior level implementing the curriculum
  effectively working effectively with the new
  standards.
• It means
• designing programmes which treat learning and
  assessment in an integrated way
• Keeping a focus on the front half of the
  curriculum and in particular on pedagogy.

39
Some NZC characteristics of learning and
assessment practices schools may move towards
over the next few years

• New Zealand Curriculum aligned approaches with an
  emphasis on personalised and differentiated
  learning
• for example by building in assessment
  opportunities when students are ready, rather
  than a one size fits all approach where
  everyone must jump through the same assessment
  hoops at the same time. Student learning and
  readiness for assessment and not an assessment
  calendar driving things.
• students making decisions in collaboration with
  their teachers about their learning.
• assessment practices and school systems being
  responsive to these approaches

40
Whats important / 1Knowing about the Conditions
for Assessment Guidelines CAGS

• The CAGs describe
• Assessment opportunities
• Good assessment practice
• Authenticity of student work
• for each standard in the matrix

41
Whats important / 2Knowing about the Further
Opportunities for Assessment Guidelines generic
guidelines across all subjects

• For example "In some standards, it may be
  appropriate for the teacher to gather achievement
  evidence over time. In this case there is no
  specific assessment event. Collecting evidence
  over time may be appropriate when the standard
  assesses skills, processes or understandings that
  students could demonstrate
• in their normal class work over the course of
  the programme such as in a folio or other work
  developed and produced over an extended period
• or outside the classroom in controlled contexts
  such as safe practice in a workshop, public
  speaking, performing arts, or appropriate use of
  technical equipment

42
And how those guidelines could work in an English
programme

• The writing standards are one critical area where
  skills are developed over an extended period and
  therefore its appropriate that evidence is
  collected over time. That's the way learning and
  assessment works best for writing. Students
  should have the opportunity to revisit work with
  fresh eyes, then to edit and revise - that's when
  significant improvements occur. Students'
  strongest work can then be recognised for
  assessment.
• Watch out for the NZATE Good Practice in
  Writing DVD and resources

43
Whats important / 3knowing the students you
teach

• With an understanding of the CAGs and the
  assessment guidelines, what approaches and
  programme designs will suit the range of students
  in my school?

44
Whats important /4Taking a hard look at the
how

• Best practice is about how.
• Much department focus can be on the what and
  when
• What will we teach in our programmes?
• Which part of the year will we teach it?

45
The old curriculum didnt explicitly focus on
pedagogy. This one does.

• The old curriculum didnt advocate a focus on
  pedagogy - the art of teaching - as an integral
  part of the document. This new curriculum does.
• Effective pedagogy is central to implementing the
  new curriculum. How students learn determines
  what they learn. The curriculum calls for a
  participatory view of learning.
• How we teach not just what and when

46
Doing the right thing

• The art of teaching is - to a large extent -
  intuitive. It relies on making spur of the moment
  decisions about the appropriate strategy for that
  moment in your classroom.
• The more you can do to understand effective
  pedagogy and to build your teaching repertoire,
  the better. This applies equally in your second
  or thirty second year of teaching. Im talking
  about professional intuition here and what we can
  do to enhance it.

47
Doing the right thing

• is being a creative teacher. Creative teachers
  adapt and adjust all the time. Theyre creative
  in their use of this pedagogical repertoire, in
  conjunction with a sensitivity that enables them
  to do the right thing for the students in front
  of them.
• means split screen thinking being aware of
  your purpose in using selected strategies as
  youre teaching and being sensitive to their
  effectiveness with your students. in other
  words, the teaching as inquiry process
  operating continually as you teach
• NZC Effective Pedagogies, P34 - 35

48
Building the repertoire

• Taking key pedagogies into your work with the
  matrix in Years 11 - 13
• Encouraging reflective thought and action
• Enhancing the relevance of new learning
• Facilitating shared learning
• Providing sufficient opportunities to learn
• But this is for another time

49
the real world - recognising that

• Doing the right thing is difficult and fraught
  with failure. Teaching is an inherently messy
  business. Put another way, the strategy you used
  brilliantly yesterday will be a total flop in
  another setting tomorrow.
• But its the creative teacher who will survive
  and prosper in this chaotic world and who will
  engage a few more of the disengaged.

50
Why pedagogy is central

• How will we work with the Achievement Objectives
  and at Years 11 - 13, the standards based on
  these AOs that suit your students in order to

• Develop competencies
• Embody principles
• Encourage the development of values
• Work to implement a vision

gt ? gt
51
Youre focusing on the single area over which you
have major influence and control and is central
to implementing the NZC.

• Developing competencies
• Embodying principles
• Encouraging the development of values
• Working to implement a vision

• Working with the Achievement Objectives

Effective gt gt Pedagogy