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NSW Education Standards Authority
NSW CURRICULUMREVIEW
Interim ReportConsultation
Workbook
www.nswcurriculumreview.nesa.nsw.edu.au
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i
Have Your Say
Visit the NSW Curriculum Review website (www.nswcurriculumreview.nesa.nsw.edu.au) to:
• access the full Interim Report;• findresourcestohelpindevelopingasubmission;• readarticlesoncurriculumreformsandrelatedtopics;and
• accessupdatesonourconsultationactivities.
ProfessorGeoffMasters,ChiefExecutiveOfficeroftheAustralianCouncilforEducationalResearch, isleadingthereview.
TheInterimReportoftheReviewhasnowbeenreleased.TheInterimReporthasbeenproducedasaprogressreportandabasisforconsultationonthebroaddirectionsitidentifies.Followingthisconsultationafinalreportwillbeprepared,includingrecommendations,anddeliveredtotheMinister inthefirsthalfof2020.
TheInterimReportisinformedbyafirstphaseofpublicconsultationontheNSWCurriculumReview,heldbetweenSeptemberandNovember2018.Over2,100writtensubmissionswerereceived.TheInterimReportalsodrawsoneducationalresearchandlessonsfromotherjurisdictions.
Purpose of this documentTheInterimReportisopenforpublicconsultation.ThisWorkbookhasbeendevelopedtosupporttheconsultationprocess.ItincludestheExecutiveSummaryfromtheInterimReport,theTermsofReferencefortheReview,andanoutlineoftheInterimReport’smajorproposals.TheWorkbookprovidesquestions‘forexploration’.ThesemaybehelpfulinreflectingandprovidingfeedbackontheReview’sproposals.
ThefullInterimReportisavailableontheNSWCurriculumReviewwebsite.
Public consultation is now openSubmissions close on Friday 13 December 2019
In May 2018 the NSW Government announced a comprehensive review of the New South Wales (NSW) school curriculum from Kindergarten to Year 12 to ‘ensure that the NSW education system is properly preparing students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century’.
NSW CURRICULUMREVIEW
Interim Report Consultation
Workbook
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CONTENTS
WORKBOOK
NSW Curriculum Review ..................................................................................... i Interim Report ConsultationsHaveYourSay
Overview of Reform Directions ............................................................................ 1ReformingtheContentoftheCurriculumReformingtheStructureoftheCurriculumReformingtheSeniorSchoolCurriculum
Reforming the Content of the Curriculum ............................................................ 51.Creatingalesscrowdedcurriculum2.Promotingdeepunderstanding3.Buildingskillsinapplyingknowledge4.Acommonentitlement
Reforming the Structure of the Curriculum .......................................................... 105.Creatingamoreflexiblecurriculum6.Restructuringthecurriculum7.Settinghighexpectations8.Monitoringwhetherlearningisontrack9.Ensuringcontinuityoflearning10.Assessingandcommunicatinglearning
Reforming the Senior School Curriculum ............................................................ 1711.Creatingamoreintegratedcurriculum12.Recognisingprogressandattainment13.Introducingamajorproject14.Redefininglearningareas15.ReviewingATAR
Terms of Reference ............................................................................................ 23
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1
Thelong-termvisionisforafutureschoolcurriculumthatsupportsteacherstonurturewonder,ignitepassionandprovideeveryyoungpersonwithknowledge,skillsandattributesthatwillhelppreparethemforalifetimeoflearning,meaningfuladultemploymentandeffectivefuturecitizenship.
Althoughtheschoolcurriculumhasservedstudentswellandcontinuestoprovidethefoundationsforaqualityeducation,theReviewwaspresentedwithstrongevidenceoftheneedforchange.Broaderchangesinsociety,andparticularlyincreasingglobalisationandadvancesintechnologies,havechangedforevertheworldinwhichstudentslive,includingfutureemploymentpossibilities.Witharapidlyexpandingrangeofactivitiesnowbeingperformedbymachinesoroutsourcedtolow-wageeconomies,occupationsofthefuturewillrequirelevelsofknowledgeandskillbeyondthecapabilitiesofcurrentandemergingtechnologies,includingthosebasedonartificialintelligence.Thenewandurgentchallengeforschoolsandtheschoolcurriculumistoensurethatallstudentsreachlevelsofattainmentcurrentlyachievedbyonlysome.Thischallengeisbeingtakenseriouslybysomeschoolsystemsinternationallythatrecognisetheriskofgrowingnumbersofstudentsbeingleftunemployableandeconomicallydisadvantagedthroughouttheirlives,withlikelyimplicationsforincreasingsocialinequalitiesandtensions.
However,bysomeindicators,currenttrendsinstudentattainmentinthisstateappeartobeintheoppositedirection.Althoughthereisevidenceofimprovementinreadinglevelsinprimaryschools(basedonNAPLANtestsconductedbetween2008and2018),theproportionofNSW15yearoldsmeetingminimallyacceptablestandardsofreading,mathematicalandscientificliteracyhasbeeninsteadydecline(basedonPISAassessmentsconductedbetween2000and2015).NewSouthWalesstudentsslippedfrombeingamongthehighestperformersintheworldin2000tobeingneartheOECDaveragein2015.1 In other words,whilelow-levelskillsareindecliningdemandinworkplaces,theproportionofNSW15yearoldswithonlylow-levelskillshasbeengrowing.Reformstothecontentandstructureofthecurriculum,althoughonlypartofthesolution,areessentialinaddressingthischallenge.
TeacherswhospokewiththeReviewmadestrongcallsforchange.Theydescribedmanycurrentsyllabusesasovercrowdedwithcontent,impactingtheirabilitytoteacheffectively.Theycommonlydescribedbeingundertimepressuretocoverlargenumbersofsyllabus‘dot-points’.Asaresult,theyexperiencedifficultyinslowingdownteachingandre-teachingtoensurestudentshavelearnt;theyhavelimitedtimetoteachcoreideasindepth,includingbyprovidingopportunitiesforstudentstoapplytheirlearninginarangeofcontexts;andtheyoftenhaveinsufficienttimetobuildskillsinknowledgeapplicationthroughstudentprojectsandproblem-basedactivities.Thecrowdednatureofmanysyllabuses,particularlyinprimaryschools,butthroughouttheyearsofschool,wasdescribedasencouragingsuperficialcoverageofmaterialratherthanteachingforunderstanding,exploringrelevanceandmeaning,andprovidingopportunitiesforstudentstotransferandapplytheirlearning.
Teachersdescribedmost(butnotall)existingsyllabusesasspecifyingwhattheyaretoteach,whentheyaretoteach,andhowlongtheyaretospendteachingit.Thisoftenconstrainstheirabilitytomakeprofessionaljudgementsaboutwhatindividualstudentsarereadytolearnandtoadapttheirteaching
1 SomesubmissionstotheReviewquestionedthecontinuingusefulnessofmeasuressuchasNAPLANandPISA.ItwasclaimedthatsomeschoolsnowtrainstudentsforNAPLAN(possiblyinflatingcurrentresults)andthattherearenowotherimportantoutcomesofschoolingnotmeasuredbytheseassessments.Althoughtheseclaimsmaybevalid,literacyandnumeracyskillsremainamongthemostimportantoutcomesofschooling,andNAPLANandPISAprovidethebestavailabledataonrecentstateandnationaltrends.
OVERVIEW OF REFORM DIRECTIONS
The Review of the New South Wales school curriculum has concluded that change is required. The changes proposed by the Review are significant. They relate to the amount and nature of syllabus content, the overall structure of the curriculum, and the focus of learning in the senior years of school. Given the depth of the proposed changes, detailed planning, trialling, testing and implementation will be required over an extended period of time – possibly a decade – although the work on some changes should begin immediately.
ExtractfromtheNSWCurriculumReviewInterimReport,ExecutiveSummary
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NSW CURRICULUM REVIEW | Interim Report Consultation Workbook2
accordingly.Teachingbecomesaprocessofdeliveringthespecifiedyear-levelsyllabus,ensuringitisfullycovered,andthenassessingandgradingeachstudentonhowwelltheyhavelearntwhathasbeentaught.Theinflexibilityarisingfromtheexpectationthatteacherswilldeliverthesamecontenttoallstudentswithinmandated(orrecommended)hoursmeansthatsomestudentsaretaughtcontentforwhichtheyarenotyetreadyorrequiremoretime.Asaresult,thesestudentsstruggle,tendtoachievelowgradesyearafteryear,andsometimesfallfurtherbehindthelongertheyareinschool.Ontheotherhand,themostadvancedstudents–whotypicallybegineachschoolyearfiveorsixyearsaheadoftheleastadvancedstudentsintheyearlevel–oftenarenotadequatelychallengedbythecontentofyear-levelsyllabuses.Therewasconcernthatmanyofthesestudentsarenotbeingstretchedtothelevelsofwhichtheyarecapable.Thestrongcallfrommanyteacherswasnotonlyforalesscrowdedcurriculum,butalsoforamoreflexiblecurriculumthatallowsteacherstoidentifyandbetteraddressindividuallearningneeds.
Therewerealsocallsforchangeinthesenioryearsofschool.AlthoughtheHigherSchoolCertificateiswidelydescribedasaworld-classcredential,submissionstotheReviewpointedoutthatlearningintheseyearscurrentlyisdrivenbytheneedsofpost-schooldestinationsandisbifurcatedinto‘academic’(mainlyknowledge-based)learning,usuallytomaximiseATARforselectionintouniversities,and‘vocational’(mainlyskills-based)learningforspecificoccupations.Currentarrangementsweredescribedaspromotingartificialandunhelpfuldistinctionsbetweenacademicandvocationallearning,theoryandapplication,andknowledgeandskills.Therewasparticularconcernabouttheundervaluingofformsoflearningthatwouldbetterprepareallyoungpeopleforfutureemployment.Vocationalcoursesweredescribedasmarginalisedincurrentseniorsecondaryarrangementsandsometimesfocusedonlow-levelqualificationsandskillsforparticularoccupationsthatmayormaynotexistinthefuture.
Therewerealsoconcernsaboutthe‘academic’streaminthesenioryears.Itwasobservedthat,whentheschoolleavingagewasraisedto17,ratherthanreconsideringthekindofsenioryearscurriculumthatwouldbeappropriatefortheentireagecohort,itwasassumedthatmoststudentswouldnowfollowtheacademicpathwaythroughATARtouniversity,andthosewhodidnotcouldundertakevocationalstudies.However,teachersquestionedwhetherthisassumptionmettheneedsofeverystudent.Teachersalsoexpressedconcernsaboutthelimitedformsoflearningpromotedbycurrentexternalexaminations.Somewereconcernedaboutcramming,thepre-preparationofanswers,andtheinfluenceexaminationshaveonlearningprioritiesandapproachesthroughoutthesecondaryschool.OthersexpressedconcernsaboutATARnowbeingthedominantmeasureof13yearsofschoolingandstudentsattemptingto‘game’ATARthroughtheirchoicesofsubjects.
Thisbifurcationoflearninginthesenioryearsparallelsearly20thcenturyattemptstocaterforthegrowingnumberof‘non-academic’studentsenteringlowersecondaryschooling.The‘academic’and‘non-academic’streamsestablishedatthattime,withtheirseparatecoursesandcertificates,wereeventuallyabolishedinfavourofcommoncurriculumarrangements(coreplusoptions)forallstudents.Along-termreformagendaforthesenioryearsofschoolwillbetodevelopacurriculumlessfocusedonmeetingthesometimesnarrowneedsofparticularpost-schooldestinationsandmorefocusedonprovidingeverystudentwiththebroadknowledge,skillsandattributestheywillrequireforfurtherlearning,lifeandwork.
BasedonconsultationsandsubmissionstotheReview,threebroadareasofcurriculumreformhavebeenidentified.Theserelatetothecontentofthecurriculum,thestructureofthecurriculumandtheseniorschoolcurriculum.Althoughtheseareasareinter-related,theyalsorepresentdistinctareasofreform.Withineacharea,anumberof‘reformdirections’havebeenidentified.
Reforming the Content of the CurriculumTheReview’sfirstsetofproposalsaddressthecontentofthecurriculum,includingconcernsthatmanysyllabusesarecurrentlyovercrowded.Theyproposeareductioninthecontentofmostsyllabusesbyprioritisingwhatiscentraltoeachsubject.Theintentionistopromotedeeplearningofcoredisciplinaryknowledge.Althoughdepthandbreadthoflearningarebothimportant,theproposedchangespreferencedeeperconceptualunderstandingovershallowercoverageofextensivefactualandproceduraldetail.Theintendedoutcomeisnotquantitativelylessteachingorlearning,butteachingandlearningrefocusedtodevelopdeeperunderstandingsandhigherlevelsofskill.
Thereductionofsyllabuscontentshouldbeginwiththeidentificationofwhatisessentialtoasubject–thecoreknowledge,conceptsandprinciplesattheheartofthediscipline.Theseincludedisciplinarywaysofthinkingandworkingandthe‘bigideas’aroundwhichlesscentraldetailcanbeorganisedandunderstood.Insomesubjectstheremayberelativelyfewofthese.Anindicatorofthecentralityofaconceptorprincipleislikelytobeitssustainedrelevanceacrosstheyearsofschoolandthefactthat studentsdevelopdeeperunderstandingsofthatconceptorprincipleastheyrevisititindifferentcontexts.
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3OVERVIEW OF REFORM DIRECTIONS
Deepunderstandingincludesbeingabletorecognisehowlearningisrelevantto,andcanbeappliedin,differentcontexts.Themereacquisitionofknowledgeandskillsisinsufficient;opportunitiestotransferandapplylearningtonewcontextsshouldbeanintegralpartofeverysubjectthroughouttheyearsofschool.Applicationsoflearning,includingtomeaningfulchallengesandproblemsandthroughprojectsthatstudentsundertake,alsoprovideopportunitiestobuildstudents’skillsinknowledgeapplication–suchascriticalandcreativethinking,usingtechnologies,interpretinginformation/data,collaborating andcommunicating.
Teachersrequiretimeforteachingofthiskind.TheReviewwastoldthattheschoolcurriculumhadbecomemorecrowdedinrecentyearsbecauseofadditionaltopicsschoolshavebeenaskedtoaddress.Thesetopicsoftenrelatetospecifichealth,safetyorsocialconcernsnotbeingaddressedelsewhereinsociety.Recentadditionsofthiskindshouldberevisitedtodeterminewhetherallarestillrequired,andprotocolsdevelopedtodeterminehowtopicscouldbeaddedordeletedinthefuture.
Therewereotherconcernsthattimeforteachingwasbeingerodedbyincreasingcompliancerequirements.Numerousreferencesweremadeto‘boxticking’andpaperworknowrequiredofteachers.TheNewSouthWalesEducationStandardsAuthorityshouldinvestigateoptionsforreducingthetimeteachersandschoolleaderscurrentlyspendoncomplianceactivities.
Referencewasmadetootherfactorsthathaveimpingedonteachers’timeforteaching,includingareporteddownwarddriftofcurriculumcontentintoearlieryearsofschoolandteachingaimedatpreparingstudentsforNAPLANtests.
TheReviewalsoconsideredtheroleofthecurriculuminspecifyingacommonentitlementforlearning.Intheearlyyearsofschool,everystudentshouldreceivethesupporttheyrequiretoestablishsolidfoundationsinliteracy,numeracyandsocialandemotionaldevelopment.Theseareasoflearninganddevelopmentshouldbeprioritisedoverotherareasofthecurriculumandresourcedtoensurethateverystudentisontrackintheirlearningfromearlychildhood.
Reforming the Structure of the CurriculumTheReview’ssecondsetofproposalsaddressthestructureofthecurriculum,includingconcernsaboutitslackofflexibilitytomeetindividuallearningneeds.Theyaddressdirectlythefactthatstudentsinthesameyearofschoolcurrentlydifferwidelyinthepointstheyhavereachedintheirlearning,meaningthatsomestudentsarenotyetreadyfor,andothersarenotsufficientlychallengedby,commonyear-levelsyllabusexpectations.Theintentionoftheseproposalsistosupportteachersinestablishingwhereindividualsareintheirlong-termprogresssothateverystudentcanbeprovidedwithwell-targetedandappropriatelychallengingteaching.
Giventhatsomestudentsaretwotothreeyearsbehindyear-levelexpectationsandothersaretwotothreeyearsahead,theprocessofestablishingwhereindividualsareintheirlearningrequiresalargerframeofreferencethanayear-levelsyllabus.Itrequiresamapoflong-termprogressinanareaoflearningacrosstheyearsofschool.
TheReviewisproposingtheconstructionofamapoflong-termprogressintheformofasequenceof‘attainmentlevels’ineachareaoflearning.Theseattainmentlevelswilldescribeandillustrateincreasinglevelsofknowledge,understandingandskill,independentofstudentageoryearlevel.Teacherswillusetheselevelstoestablishwhereindividualsareintheirlearning,withthepossibilityofstudentsinthesameclassbeingatdifferentlevels.Foreachattainmentlevel,asyllabuswillspecifytheknowledge,skillsandunderstandingsrequiredto‘achieve’thatlevel,andalsoindicatethekindsofteachinglikelytobemostappropriateforstudentsworkingatthatlevel.
Theresultwillbeaverydifferentcurriculumstructure.Studentswillprogressthroughasequenceofattainmentlevels,possiblyatdifferenttimesandrates,ratherthanallmovinginalock-stepfashionfromoneyear-levelsyllabustothenext.Importantly,thisproposalrelatestothestructureofthecurriculum,notthestructureofschooling;itisassumedthatmoststudentswillcontinuetobegroupedbyage.Theobjectiveistoassistteacherstobetteridentifyandaddressthewidelyvaryinglevelsofreadinessandlearningneedswithineachyeargroup,recognisingthatwell-targetedteachingwillbenefiteverystudent.
TheReview’sproposalswillsethigherexpectationsforeverystudent’slearning.Thesequenceofattainmentlevelswillprovideaframeofreferenceformonitoringtheprogressindividualsmake.Everystudentshouldbeexpectedtomakeexcellentprogresseveryyear,regardlessoftheirstartingpoint.TheReviewalsoisproposingtheintroductionofastandard(aspecifiedlevelofattainment)ineachlearningareathateverystudentshouldbeexpectedtoreach–andideallysurpass–bythecompletionoftheir
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NSW CURRICULUM REVIEW | Interim Report Consultation Workbook4
2 Thisproposalrecognisesthattherewillcontinuetobeaneedforcoursesthatareaccessibletostudentswithdisability.
schooling.Somestudentswillreachthisstandardearlierthanothers.Thesequenceofattainmentlevelswillprovideabasisformonitoringthroughoutastudent’sschoolingwhethertheyareontracktoachievethisstandard.
Theseproposalsalsohaveimplicationsfortheassessmentandreportingofstudentlearning.Ratherthangradingeachstudent’sperformance(AtoEorequivalent)againstthesameyear-levelsyllabusexpectations,informationwillbeprovidedaboutthehighestattainmentlevelastudenthasachievedineachsubjectatanygiventimeandtheprogresstheyaremakingtowardtheachievementofthenextlevel,asassessedbytheirteacher.Inthisway,parents/carersandstudentsthemselveswillbeprovidedwithinformationabouthowastudentisprogressingandwhethertheyareontrackwithlearningexpectations.
Reforming the Senior School CurriculumTheReview’sthirdsetofproposalsaddresstheseniorsecondarycurriculum,includingconcernsaboutthebifurcatednatureof‘academic’and‘vocational’learning,andconcernsthatlearningintheseyearsoftenisnarrowedbytheparticularneedsofpost-schooldestinations.
Amoreintegratedapproachtolearningisproposedbasedonalimitedsetofrigorous,high-quality,advancedcourses.Theintentionistoensurethateverystudentiswellpreparedforfurtherlearning,lifeandworkthroughlearningthatintegratesknowledge,skillsandattributesandprioritisesboththeoryandapplication.
Currently,averylargenumberofcourses(morethan170)areofferedinthesenioryearsofschool.TheseincludecoursesdevelopedbyNESAandothercoursesdevelopedbyschools,universitiesandVETproviders.ConcernswereexpressedtotheReviewabouttheproliferationofcourses,theassociatedcallonresources,andthevariabledemandsofcurrentcourses,someofwhichresultinlow-levelVETqualifications.TheconclusionoftheReviewisthatthereneedstobeaconsolidationoflearninginthesenioryears,achievedthroughthelong-termdevelopmentofasmallernumberofdemanding,high-quality,advancedcourses.2
Overtime,itisproposedthateveryadvancedcourseincorporateamixoftheoryandapplication.Thismixislikelytovaryfromcoursetocourse,butnocourseshouldbefocusedonlyontheacquisitionoftheory/knowledgeoronlyonapplication/skills.Theimplicationforexisting‘academic’subjectsisthattheywillneedtogivegreaterattentiontoapplicationsoflearningandtodevelopingskillsinapplyingknowledge.Theimplicationforexisting‘vocational’coursesisthattheywillneedtogivegreaterattentiontotheoryandtodevelopingstudents’understandingsofimportantconceptsandprinciplesineachareaoflearning.Thegoalinbothcasesismoreadvancedlearningthroughtheintegrationoftheoryandapplication.
Toprovideadditionalcontextsfordevelopingandassessingstudents’skillsinapplyingknowledge–suchasgathering,analysingandevaluatinginformation;workingwithothers;communicating;thinkingcritically;creatingandevaluatingsolutions;andusingtechnologies–theReviewisproposingtheintroductionofasingle‘majorproject’asastandalonecomponentoftheseniorcertificate.Studentswillchoosetheprincipallearningareafortheirproject,whichwillbeassessedbyteachersusingcentrallyprovidedcriteria.
TheReviewisalsoproposingacommonstructureofprogressandattainmentinadvancedcourses,consistentwiththecurriculumstructureintheearlieryearsofschool.Ineachcourse,studentswillprogressthroughasequenceofseveralattainmentlevels.Inthissense,eachadvancedcoursewillbe‘modularised’withthepossibilityofrecognisingtheachievementofindividualmodulesintheformof‘micro-credentials’basedonteachers’assessmentsofstudentachievement.Insomeexistingsubjects,theseattainmentlevelswillreplacecurrentperformance‘bands’.Teachers’assessmentsagainsttheattainmentlevelswillprovidetheschool-basedcomponentofcourseassessments.
Inaddition,itisproposedthat,foreverycourse,therewillbeanexternalassessment.Insomecourses,thismaytaketheformofawrittenexamination,asatpresent.Inothercourses,externalassessmentsmaytakeotherformssuchasindependentevaluationsofstudents’performancesorworkandsupervised,onlineassessmentsofthecontentofindividualmodules/attainmentlevels.
Finally,theReviewisproposingthatadvancedsubjectsbegroupedintoanewsetoflearningareassuchas‘business,economicsandfinancialservices’and‘visualandperformingartsandentertainment’.Theaimistoreducetheacademic/vocationaldistinctionandtoprovidenewfocalpointsforpartnershipswithuniversities,vocationaleducationprovidersandindustries,andforimprovedcareeradviceandguidanceonpost-schoolcoursesandpathways.
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5
REFORMING THE CONTENT OF THE CURRICULUM
OBJECTIVE:
to promote deep learningthroughalesscrowdedcurriculumthatprioritisesthedevelopmentofcoredisciplinaryknowledge,conceptualunderstandingsandwaysofthinkingandworking,togetherwithskillsinapplyingtheseinreal-worldcontexts.
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NSW CURRICULUM REVIEW | Interim Report Consultation Workbook6
Addressconcernsaboutthe‘overcrowding’ofthecurriculumandtheresultingpressuresonschoolsandteachers.Inparticular:
• commenceareviewofsyllabusestoidentifyhowthevolumeofmandatedcontentcanbereducedinmostsyllabuses(anappropriateobjectivemightbetoreducemandatedcontent by15to20percent,onaverage);
• aspartofthisreview,checksyllabusesforclarityaboutwhatismandatoryandwhatisnot;• considerwhethertherehasbeenadriftofcontenttoearlieryearsofschoolandwhetherthishas
addedto‘overcrowding’intheearlieryears;• reviewrecent(pastfiveyears)requeststhatschoolsaddressextra-curriculartopicstodetermine
whetherallarestillrequired,andreviewprotocolsforaddingsuchtopicsinthefuture;and• asktheNewSouthWalesEducationStandardsAuthoritytoinvestigateoptionsforreducingthe
timeteachersandschoolleaderscurrentlyspendoncomplianceactivities.
The main ideaOvercrowdedandoverlyprescriptivesyllabusescreatepressureonteachersandschools.They‘crowdout’thetimeavailabletoteachcoreknowledge,conceptsandskillsindepthandtomeetthediverseneedsofstudents.ManycurrentNSWsyllabusesareconsideredbyteacherstoincludetoomuchcontentandtoomuchprescription.Teacherswantalesscrowdedcurriculumthatgivesmoretimeandspaceforeffectiveteaching.
Additionalrequirementsonteachersandschoolsaddtoasenseofincreasingpressure.TheseaddedrequirementscanbedrivenbypoliciesorregulationimposedbyNESAorindividualschoolsectors,orreflectbroadergovernmentandcommunityexpectationsofschools.Effectiveanddeliberatedecisionmaking,takingintoaccounttheimpactofeachnewrequirementonteacherworkloadandteachingtime,isneeded.
To noteConsultationsuggestedalackofclarityonthepartofsometeachersaboutwhatwasoptionalandwhatwasmandatory.Thisisleadingsometeacherstotakea‘bettersafethansorry’approachtocomplying.Anycurriculumredesignmustconsiderhowsyllabuses,regulatoryrequirementsandextra-curricularexpectationsarecommunicatedtoensureclarityonwhatismandatory,andwhatisnot.
For exploration• Forwhichsyllabusesisareductionintheamountofcontentmostrequired?• Isitusefultospecifyanaveragepercentagereductionasatarget?• Ifso,is15to20percenttoolarge?Toosmall?• Isgreaterclarityaboutwhatismandatoryrequired?• Ifso,howcanthedesignoffuturesyllabusesimproveclarityaboutwhatismandatoryandwhatis
optional?• Areschoolsbeingaskedtoaddresstoomanyadditional(extra-curricular)topics?• Ifso,whatshouldbeconsideredwhenmakingdecisionsaboutsuchadditionaltopics?• Howcantheburdenofcomplianceactivitiesbereducedforschoolswhilestillmaintainingeffective
accountabilityandoversight?
REFORM DIRECTION 1
Creating a less crowded curriculum
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7REFORMING THE CONTENT OF THE CURRICULUM
Aspartoftheprocessofreducingtheamountofmandatedcontentinsyllabuses,identifyandprioritisekeyknowledge,skillsandunderstandingsthatarecentraltoasubject,aredevelopedinincreasingdepthacrosstheyearsofschool,andagainstwhichlesscentral(factualandprocedural)informationcanbeunderstoodandorganised.
The main ideaEssentialdisciplinaryknowledge,skills,conceptsandprinciplesshouldbethefocusofteachingandlearningineverysubject.Identifyingthiscorecontentshouldguidedecision-makingaboutwhatiscentralandhowtheamountofmandatedcontentinsyllabusescanbereduced.Thesecoreaspectsoflearningneedtobeincorporatedintosyllabusesinwaysthatpromotetheirprogressivedevelopmentovertimeandprovideopportunitiesforstudentstotransferandapplytheirincreasinglydeepunderstandingstoavarietyofmeaningfulcontexts.
To noteThecontentofexistingsyllabusesishighlyvalued,butteachersconsiderthatthereistoomuchofitinmanysyllabuses.Prioritisingwhatisessentialtoasubjectdoesnotmeanthatothercontentisunimportant.Thecurriculummustbestructuredinawaythatisclearaboutwhatiscentralandthusprescribed,andwhatisoptionalandtobeincludedatthediscretionofschoolsectors,schoolsand/orteacherstoaddresstheneedsoflocalschoolcommunitiesandtheirstudents.
For exploration• Shouldmandatorysyllabuscontentfocusoncoreknowledge,skillsandconceptual
understandings?• Onewaytoidentifymandatory‘core’contentistofocusonknowledge,skillsandconceptsthatare
developedoveranumberofyears.Isthisaneffectiveapproach?• Whatotherapproachesmightbeusefulinidentifyingcorecontent?
REFORM DIRECTION 2
Promoting deep understanding
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NSW CURRICULUM REVIEW | Interim Report Consultation Workbook8
Includeintheexpectedlearningoutcomesofeverysyllabus,throughouttheyearsofschool,thetransferandapplicationofknowledgetomeaningfulcontexts,aswellasrelevantskillsinknowledgeapplication(suchskillsmightincludecriticalandcreativethinking,collaborating,interpretinginformation/data,communicatingandusingtechnologies).
The main ideaStudentsneedsufficienttimeandopportunitiestoapplytheirknowledgeinmeaningfulcontexts.Theabilitytotransferandapplyknowledgeandunderstandingtonewandunseencontextsisanindicatorofthedepthofstudentlearning.Opportunitiestoapplyknowledgecangivepracticalmeaningtootherwiseabstractconcepts,tosupportstudentlearning,interestandmotivation.
Theskillsofknowledgeapplicationarenotseparatefromthedevelopmentofexpertiseinadiscipline-theyareanintegralpartoflearningineveryschoolsubject.
To notePublicdiscussionsofthistopicoftenrefertoaknowledge-skills‘tension’.ThepositiontakenbytheReviewisthatskillsofknowledgeapplicationaredevelopedinthecontextofengagingwithdisciplinaryknowledgeandsoareanintegralpartofincreasingcompetenceandattainmentinasubject.
For exploration• Shouldskillsinapplyingknowledge(suchascriticalandcreativethinking,collaborating,
interpretinginformation/data,communicatingandusingtechnologies)beincludedaslearningprioritiesineverysyllabus?
• Areskillsofthiskindmoreimportantinsomestagesofschoolthanothers?
REFORM DIRECTION 3
Building skills in applying knowledge
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9REFORMING THE CONTENT OF THE CURRICULUM
Inrevisingthecontentofthecurriculum,provideeverystudentwitha‘commonentitlement’(thatis,aspecificationofwhateverystudentisentitled,andexpected,tolearnwhileatschool)thatincludes:
• prioritisingliteracyandnumeracyandsocialandemotionaldevelopmentoverothermandatedareasofthecurriculumforchildrenwhorequirethisintheearlyyearsofschool;
• studyingaspecifiedrangeofsubjectsandachievingatleastminimallyacceptablestandardsinthosesubjectsbythecompletionoftheirschooling;
• developingabasicknowledgeabout,andappreciationof,Aboriginallanguages,culturesandhistories;• learningalanguageotherthanEnglishfromprimaryschool;• undertakingrigorous,highqualitylearninginareasofpersonalstrengthandinterestinthesenior
yearsofschool;and• developingdeeperunderstandingofcontentthroughpracticalapplicationsoflearningtoreal-world
problemsandmeaningfulprojectsinthesenioryearsofschool.
The main ideaPublicconsultationreinforcedNSWcommunitysupportforthecurriculumtoreflectcommonoutcomes(knowledge,skillsandattributes)expectedofeverystudent,supportedbyaccesstoacommoncoreofcurriculumcontentthateverystudentshouldhaveanopportunitytolearn.ThisisconsistentwithNSW’scommitmenttoaschoolingsystemcharacterisedbyequityandhighexpectationsforeverystudentandisreflectedhereasacommitmenttoa‘commonentitlement’.
Strongsupportremainsforexistingmandatedsubjects(KeyLearningAreas).Inaddition,thecommonentitlementmustreflectknowledge,skillsandlearningexperiencesconsideredessentialtodevelopthefoundationsneededbyeverystudentbythecompletionoftheirschoolingtobesuccessfulinfurtherstudy,workandlife.
To noteThealternativetothespecificationofa‘commonentitlement’wouldbeforeverystudenttopursuelearningintheirareasofinterest.ThepositionoftheReviewisthatthereissomelearningthatshouldbebothanentitlementandanexpectationofeverystudent.Inthecontextofthiscommonentitlement,andduringthesecondaryyears,studentsshouldhaveincreasingopportunitiestopursuepersonalstrengthsandinterests.
For exploration• Shouldtherebea‘commonentitlement’foreverystudent(thatis,thespecificationofwhatevery
studentisentitled,andexpected,tolearnwhileatschool)?• Shouldliteracyandnumeracyandsocialandemotionaldevelopmentbeprioritisedoverother
mandatedareasofthecurriculumforchildrenwhorequirethis?• ShouldthecurrentsetofmandatedKeyLearningAreasinprimaryschoolsandlowersecondary
schoolsberetainedasaminimum,commonentitlementandexperience?• Shouldeverystudentbeexpectedtodevelopabasicknowledgeabout,andappreciationof,
Aboriginallanguages,culturesandhistories?• ShouldeverystudentbeexpectedtostudyalanguageotherthanEnglishfromprimaryschool?• Shouldeverystudentinthesenioryearsofschoolbeexpectedtoapplytheirlearningtoreal-world
problemsandmeaningfulprojects?
REFORM DIRECTION 4
A common entitlement
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REFORMING THE STRUCTURE OF THE CURRICULUM
OBJECTIVE:
to facilitate targeted teachingbyreorganisingsyllabusesintoasequenceofattainmentlevelstosupportteachersinestablishingwhereindividualsareintheirlearning,meetingindividuallearningneeds,andmonitoringwhetherstudentsareon-trackwithyearlevelexpectationsandtomeetthestandardsexpectedofeverystudentbytheendofschool.
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11REFORMING THE STRUCTURE OF THE CURRICULUM
Committothedevelopmentofamoreflexibleschoolcurriculumthatdoesnotspecifywhenteachersshouldteachspecificcontentandhowlongtheyshouldspendteachingit,butinsteadprovidesaframeworkthatenablesteacherstoestablishthepointsstudentshavereachedintheirlearningandtoidentifyappropriatenextstepsinteachingandlearning.
The main ideaSuccessfullearningdependsonteachersbeingabletoadaptandtailorteachingtoindividuals’backgroundknowledge,understandings,interestsandcurrentlevelsofattainment.Thisrequiresamoreflexiblecurriculumthatenablesteacherstobeguidedbytheirprofessionaljudgementaboutwhattoteach,whentoteachandhowlongtospendteachingit.Currentspecificationsofthetiminganddurationofteachingcreateexpectationsthateverystudentwillprogressthroughthecurriculumatthesamerate.Amoreflexiblecurriculumwouldsupportteacherstoestablishwhereindividuallearnersareintheirlearningatanygiventimeandtodecidewhattodonexttopromotefurtherlearning.Studentassessmentsshouldidentify,acknowledgeandcommunicatetheprogressthatindividualsmakeintheirlearning.
To noteTheprocessofidentifyingwhereindividualsareintheirlearningandtargetingteachingaccordinglyisintendedtoensurethateverystudentischallengedandextendedintheirlearning.Theaimisforeverystudenttomakeexcellentprogresseveryyear,regardlessoftheirstartingpoint.Inotherwords,meetingstudentsattheirpointsofneeddoesnotlowerexpectations,butraisesexpectationsforeverystudent’sprogressandultimateattainment.
For exploration• Isthereaneedforamoreflexiblecurriculumthatislessprescriptiveaboutwhatteachersareto
teach,whentheyaretoteachit,andhowlongtheyaretospendteachingit?• Howrealisticisthealternativeconceptionofthecurriculumasaframeofreferencethatenables
teacherstoestablishwhereindividualsareintheirlearning?• Whatareimplicationsforresourcesandaccountability?
REFORM DIRECTION 5
Creating a more flexible curriculum
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IneachKeyLearningArea,reorganisetheK-10curriculumintoasequenceofsyllabuses,witheachsyllabuscorrespondingtoaparticularlevelofattainment(knowledge,understandingandskill)ratherthanaparticularyearofschool.
The main ideaResearchisclearthatthewaytomaximiselearningistoprovideindividuallearnerswithlearningopportunitiesatanappropriatelevelofchallenge.Inresponsetothis,teachersareexpectedtodifferentiatetheirteachingtomeetthevaryingneedsoftheirstudents.Thisischallengingwhenteachersarefacedwithacommon,oftenlarge,setofpre-specified,year-levellearningoutcomestodelivertoallstudents.Acurriculumstructuredasacontinuumofattainmentlevelswouldsupportteacherstomonitor,reportandrespondtowherestudentsareintheirlearningprogress.
To noteThisproposaldoesnotrequireschoolstomoveawayfromtheage-basedclassroomgroupingstypicalinmostschools.Thepointistoseparatethestructureofthecurriculumfromthestructureofschools,nottochangethestructureofschools.Individuallearningplansarealsonotaprerequisiteofthisapproach.Explicit,whole-classteachingwouldremainimportant.Theintentionistoenablethebetteridentificationofthepointsstudentshavereachedintheirlong-termprogresstoidentifybestnextstepsforteaching.
For exploration• Howfeasiblewoulditbetoreorganisesyllabuscontentnotintoyearlevelsbutintoasequenceof
levelsofincreasingknowledge,understandingandskill?• Isthismorefeasibleinsomelearningareasthanothers?• Howpracticalwoulditbeforateachertohavestudentsworkingatmorethanoneattainment/
syllabuslevel?• Whatsupportisneededforsystems,schoolsandteacherstomeettheneedsofstudentsworking
atdifferentattainment/syllabuslevelsinaclassroom?
REFORM DIRECTION 6
Restructuring the curriculum
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13REFORMING THE STRUCTURE OF THE CURRICULUM
IneachKeyLearningArea,establishastandardthateverystudentshouldmeetbythecompletionoftheirschooling.Thisstandardshouldbesetatalevelofknowledge,understandingandskillnecessarytofunctioneffectivelyinadultlifeandshouldusuallybemetbeforecommencingadvancedstudyofthatsubjectinthefinalyearsofschool.
The main ideaStudiesshowthattherearetoomanyAustralianstudentsleavingschoolwithoutthebasics,particularlyinliteracyandnumeracy,atatimewhentheskilldemandsoftheworkplaceareincreasing.EstablishingexpectedstandardsofattainmentineachKeyLearningAreawillprovideafocusformonitoring,reportingandprovidingappropriatelearningopportunitiestosupporteverystudent’slearning.
To noteThesettingofstandardsisnotintendedtocreateabarriertopreventstudentsfromadvancing.TheintentionistoidentifyexplicitlythelevelofattainmentexpectedofstudentsineachKeyLearningAreabythecompletionoftheirschooling.Thislevelwillprovideafoundationforsuccessfulfurtherstudy,workandlife,butwillnotrestrictaccesstomoreadvancedstudy.
For exploration• InKeyLearningAreas,shouldtherebeanidentifiedlevelofattainment(knowledge,understanding
andskill)thateverystudentshouldbeexpectedtoreach,ataminimum?• ShouldthisapplytoallKeyLearningAreas,andifnot,inwhichKeyLearningAreasshould
minimallyacceptablelevelsofattainmentbeset?
REFORM DIRECTION 7
Setting high expectations
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The main ideaThesettingofclearstandardsthatstudentsareexpectedtoreachbythecompletionoftheirschoolingprovidesteacherswithawayofmonitoringwhetherstudentsare‘ontrack’toachievethosestandards.Theuseofattainmentlevels,ratherthanaspecificexpectationlinkedtoayearofschool,reinforcesthestructureofthecurriculumasacontinuum,withstudentprogressmonitoredandcommunicatedovertime.
TheInterimReportprovidesanexampleofhowstudentprogressmightbetracked.Studentswouldmakeprogressthroughasequenceofattainmentlevels(shownbelow,ontheleft–numberingandlabellingarejustinitialsuggestions).Thestandardstudentsareexpectedtoreachisindicatedbythehorizontalline.The‘ontrack’regionshowsthelevelsstudentswouldneedtoreachineachyearofschooltobeontracktoachievethestandard.Thehypotheticaltrajectoryofonestudentwhohasdriftedofftrackisshown.
To noteThediagramabovewouldprovideparentsandcarers(andteachersandstudents)withinformationaboutwhetherastudentis‘ontrack’withexpectations,giventheiryearlevel.Itrecognisesthat,withineachyearlevel,studentsarelikelytobeworkingatarangeofattainmentlevelsandindicateswhetherastudentisworkingwithintheexpectedrange.Theaimistoensurethateverystudentisontrackfromasearlyaspossibleintheirschoolingandthateverystudentatleastachieves(andideallyexceeds)thestandardexpectedbytheendofschool.
For exploration• Istheconceptofastudentbeingatleast‘ontrack’throughtheirschoolyearsausefulideaforthe
majorityofstudents?• Whatarethestrengthsand/orweaknessesofthe‘ontrack’conceptformonitoringstudentlearning
progressacrosstheyearsofschool?• Whataretheresourcingimplicationsforsupportingastudentwhoisperformingbelowthe‘on-
track’expectation?
IneachKeyLearningArea,encourageteachers’useofattainmentlevelsasaframeofreferenceformonitoringandcommunicatingstudents’learningtrajectoriesandprogresstowardtheachievementoftheexpectedstandard.
REFORM DIRECTION 8
Monitoring whether learning is on track
K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
on track
Begi
nnin
g
Est
ablis
hing
Em
ergi
ng
Pr
ofici
ent
A
dvan
ced
6543214321432143214321
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15REFORMING THE STRUCTURE OF THE CURRICULUM
Makecontinuityoflearninganobjectiveineveryschoolsubjectbyminimisingtheimpactoftransitionsbetweenstagesandyearsofschool;providingcurriculumstructuresthatrecogniseandaccommodatestudents’varyinglevelsofattainment,regardlessofyearlevel;andremovingstructuresthatimposeceilingsonhowfarstudentscanprogressintheirlearning.
The main ideaWithinanareaoflearning,everystudentshouldbeabletocommencelearningfromwheretheyareandcontinuetheirlearningwithfewstructuralimpedimentsandfewlimitsonhowfartheycanprogress.Thisisakeytoan‘inclusive’curriculum.Inpractice,continuityoflearningoftenisunderminedbytransitionsbetweenstagesoryearsofschool–particularlyiftheyresultinchangesinteachingapproachesorlearningenvironmentsorincorrectassumptionsaboutwhatstudentsarereadytolearn.Inaddition,limitsonlearningcanbeimposedbylow-levelcoursesthatrestricthowfarstudentsareabletoprogress.Theschoolcurriculumshouldberestructuredtoenablethecontinuous,unrestrictedlearningofeverystudent.
To noteThedesirabilityofreducingtheimpactoftransitionsonthecontinuityofstudentlearningdoesnotmeanthattransitions(forexample,betweenprimaryandsecondaryschool)donothavevalueasmarkersinastudent’sincreasingmaturityandprogressthroughschool.Acknowledgingsuchmilestoneswillcontinuetobeimportant.
For exploration• Howcanthecurriculumbestructuredtominimisedisruptionstolearningthatoftenoccurbetween
stagesorfromoneschoolyeartothenext?• Whatwoulditmeantodispensewithstreaming(differentcourses)andtoviewstudentsasbeingat
differentpointsonthesamecontinuumoflearninginasubject?• Whatresourcesorsupportwouldsystems/schools/teachersrequiretoensuregreatercontinuity
ofstudentlearning?
REFORM DIRECTION 9
Ensuring continuity of learning
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The main ideaArestructuredandmoreflexiblecurriculumrequiresadifferentapproachtoassessingandreportingstudentlearning.Marksorgradesaredesignedtoprovideinformationabouthowwellstudentshaveperformedagainstcommonyear-levelsyllabusexpectations.Buttheyareincapableofprovidinginformationaboutthepointsstudentshavereachedintheirlong-termlearningortheprogresstheymakeovertime.Asequenceoflevelsofincreasingattainmentinalearningareaprovidesaframeofreferencefordoingthisandalsoforsettinghighexpectationsforeverystudent’sprogressandattainment.
To noteAsequenceofattainmentlevelsnotonlyprovidesabasisforestablishingthepointastudenthasreachedintheirlong-termlearningandformonitoringandevaluatingtheirprogressovertime,butalsocanbeusedtodecideandcommunicate(toparents/carers)whethertheyareontrackwithexpectationsfortheirage/yearlevel.ThisisillustratedinthediagraminReformDirection8.Afocusonprogressprovidesinformationaboutastudent’slearningjourney,notjustpoint-in-timecomparativedata.
For exploration• Shouldreportingbefocusedoncommunicatingthepointsindividualshavereachedintheirlong-
termprogressinanareaoflearning?• Shouldinformationontheprogressstudentshavemadeovertimealsobecomeagreaterfocusfor
reporting?• Woulditbeusefulforparentsandcarerstoknowwhetherstudentswere‘ontrack’toachievethe
standardsexpectedofthembythecompletionoftheirschooling?
InKeyLearningAreas,replacegradesagainstpre-specifiedyear-leveloutcomeswithinformationaboutthehighestattainmentlevelastudenthasachievedandtheprogresstheyaremakingtowardtheachievementofthenextlevel–asassessedbytheirteacher.Providethisinformationinaformthatalsoallowsparents/carerstoseewhetherastudentisontracktoachievetheproficientstandardinthesubject.
REFORM DIRECTION 10
Assessing and communicating learning
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17
REFORMING THE SENIOR SCHOOL CURRICULUM
OBJECTIVE:
toensureeverystudentiswell preparedforfurtherlearning,lifeandworkthroughrigorousseniorsecondarycoursesthatintegrateknowledge,skillsandattributesandprioritiseboththeoryandapplicationinlearning.
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Committoalong-termagendatodevelopamoreintegratedapproachtolearninginthesenioryearsofschoolthroughthedevelopmentofalimitedsetofrigorous,high-quality‘advancedcourses’,eachofwhichincorporatesboththeoryandapplicationandisdesignedtodevelopknowledge,understandings,skillsandattributesforfurtherlearning,lifeandwork.
The main ideaTheseniorsecondaryschoolisrequiredtomeetthelearningneeds,passionsandinterestsofanincreasinglydiversebodyofstudents.Formany,theseniorsecondaryschoolcontinuestofeeldominatedbypreparationforuniversityasthemainpost-schooldestination.Forothers,vocationaloptionscanfocustoonarrowlyonskillsneededforaparticularindustryoroccupation.Thereishighdemandacrossthecommunityfortheseniorsecondarycurriculumtofocuslessonimmediatepost-schooldestinationsandmoreondevelopingastrongfoundationforongoinglearning,lifeandworkforallstudents.Acknowledgingtheneedforarobustunderpinningofboththeoryandapplicationforalloptionsintheseniorsecondarycurriculumwouldbeanimportantsteptowardreducingthereportedsenseofhierarchybetweenthegeneraleducation(or‘academic’)andtherangeofprogramchoicesincludedwithinthevocationallearningarea.
To noteThedevelopmentofamoreintegratedseniorcurriculumwouldbealong-termagendarequiringanumberofyearsofplanning,introductionandimplementation.TheReview’sproposalforasmallernumberofmoreintegrated,highquality‘advancedcourses’shouldnotbeconfusedwithcurrentusesoftheword‘advanced’inrelationtoseniorschoolcourses.
For exploration• Isthecreationofamoreintegrated(lesspolarisedinto‘academic’and‘vocational’)curriculumin
thesenioryearsadesirablelong-termobjective?• Overtime,shouldtherebeareductioninthetotalnumberofsubjectsavailableinthesenior
secondaryschoolbyconsolidatingsomeexistingsubjectsintorigorous,high-qualitycourses?• Whatwouldbetheimplicationsofexpectingeveryseniorsecondarycoursetoincludeabalance
ofunderpinningtheory(knowledgeandconceptualunderstanding)andtransferandapplicationofknowledge?
REFORM DIRECTION 11
Creating a more integrated curriculum
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19REFORMING THE SENIOR SCHOOL CURRICULUM
Formost,ifnotall,advancedcourses,structurethecourseasasequenceofattainmentlevels,replacingcurrentachievementbands.Useteachers’assessmentsofthecontentofeachattainmentlevel(module)astheschool-basedcomponentofastudent’sreportedperformanceinthecourse.Supplementthiswithanexternalassessmentofattainment,notnecessarilyintheformofafinal writtenexamination.
The main ideaFormanystudents,thesenioryearscurrentlyareaperiodofpreparationforend-of-schoolexaminations.Thereislessfocusonhowstudents’knowledge,skillsandunderstandingsdevelopduringtheseyears.Thisproposalshiftsattentiontostudentprogress(orgrowth)duringthesenioryears,consistentwiththefocusintheearlieryearsofschool.Itisproposedthat,ineachadvancedcourse,studentsprogressthroughasmallnumberofattainmentlevels(learningmodules),witheachlevelbuildingonpriorlevelstodevelopprogressivelymoresophisticatedknowledge,deeperunderstandingsandhigherlevelsofskill.Itisproposedthatteachersassessstudents’achievementofeachattainmentlevel,withtheseassessmentsprovidingtheschool-basedcomponentofthecourseassessmentandalsopossiblybeingrecognisedthrough‘microcredentials’.
To noteThekeyproposalhereisto‘modularise’learningineachadvancedcoursetoprovideastrongerfocusonthedevelopmentofstudents’knowledge,skillsandunderstandingsacrosstheseyears.School-basedassessmentsineachadvancedcoursewillprovideinformationaboutthisdevelopment.Externalassessmentsalsomayprovideinformationabouttheachievementofeachattainmentlevel,ormaybebasedonanend-of-schoolexamination.
For exploration• Whatwouldbetheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofstructuringeachadvancedcourseasa
sequenceof‘modules’orattainmentlevelsthroughwhichstudentsprogressed?• Wouldtherebevalueinhavingteachersassessstudents’performancesoneachmoduleandin
makingtheseassessmentsthebasisoftheschoolassessmentineachcourse?• Whatwouldbetheworkloadimplications?• Shouldtherebeanexternallyassessedcomponentofeveryadvancedcourse(notnecessarilyinthe
formofawrittenexamination)?• Whatmorecouldbedonetoaddressconcernsthatend-of-schoolexaminationspromotethe
memorisationand‘regurgitation’ofpre-preparedanswers?
REFORM DIRECTION 12
Recognising progress and attainment
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Introduceamajorprojectthateverystudentistoundertakeinthesenioryearsofschool,usuallyaspartofaprojectteamandinalearningareaoftheirchoosing(thespecificationsfortheprojectshouldrequiretheapplicationoflearningtoacomplexproblemorchallengethatrequiresarangeofknowledgeandskills).
The main ideaThemajorprojectprovidesstudentswithanopportunitytodevelopanddemonstratedepthofunderstandingandskillsinapplyingknowledge.Currently,thisopportunityisnotavailabletoallstudentsthroughtheirstudyofHSCsubjects.Themajorprojectprovidesacontextfordeliberateteaching,learningandassessmentofstudents’skillsintheapplicationofknowledge,suchascriticalandcreativethinking,analysingandinterpretinginformation/data,problemsolving,workingtogether,usingtechnologyandcommunicating.
To noteAmajorprojectinthefinalyearsofschoolisalreadyacomponentofsomeotherAustralianseniorsecondaryqualificationsandtheInternationalBaccalaureateDiplomaProgram.SomecurrentHSCsubjectsalsorequirethecompletionofprojects.TheReviewproposesthatthemajorprojectwouldmakeuptwoofthetenrequiredunitsfortheHSC.
For exploration• Shouldeverystudentberequiredtoundertakeamajorprojectaspartoftheirstudiesinthesenior
yearsofschool?• Howshouldthemajorprojectbeimplementedto: -supportstudentstocollaborateorworkinteams? -identifyandattributeeffortofindividualstudents? -minimiseanyadvantagessomestudentsmayhavebecauseofaccesstosuperiorresources? -ensureaccessforallstudents(includingthoseinremotesettings)? -ensureconsistentassessmentsofstudentwork?• Shouldtheprojectbeundertakenindividuallyoraspartofaprojectteam?
REFORM DIRECTION 13
Introducing a major project
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21REFORMING THE SENIOR SCHOOL CURRICULUM
Introduceanewsetoflearningareastoreflectamoreintegratedapproachtothecurriculuminthesenioryears.Learningareasshouldbedefinedtoincorporateallexistingacademicandvocationalsubjects,buttheintentionovertimeshouldbetoreducethenumberofsubjectsineachlearningareatoasetofhighqualityadvancedcourses,eachofwhichincludesboththeoryandapplicationandisdesignedtodevelopknowledge,skillsandattributesrelevanttothelearningarea.
The main ideaThisproposaladdressesthecurrentacademic-vocationaldivideinthesenioryearsofschool.Currently,vocationaleducationandtraining(VET)islistedasaseparatelearningarea.Thisproposaldefinesanewsetof‘learningareas’,eachofwhichisagroupingofbothacademicandvocationalsubjects.AnexampleofsuchalearningareamightbeBusiness,EconomicsandFinancialServices.Somesubjectswithinthelearningareawouldbemoretheory-based,andotherswouldbemoreapplied,butallshouldbeamix.Thenewlydefinedlearningareasareenvisagedasfocalpointsforcollaborationbetweenschools,universities,VETprovidersandindustries,aswellasforcourseandcareeradvicerelatedtothearea.
To noteInthefirstinstance,thenewlydefinedlearningareaswouldsimplybegroupingsofexistingsubjects.Overtime,newadvancedcoursesmightbedevelopedwithineacharea,possiblyreplacingandconsolidatingsomeexistingcourses.Therewouldbenochangeinstudents’abilitiestochoosecoursesacrosslearningareas.Andtheimplicationisnotthateveryadvancedcourseshouldhavea‘workplace’component.
For exploration• Wouldtheredefinitionoflearningareasreducethecurrentacademic-vocationaldichotomy/
tension?• Howcouldredefinedlearningareasbedevelopedtoprovidefocalpointsforimprovedcollaboration
betweenschools,universities,vocationaleducationprovidersandindustries?• Howcouldredefinedlearningareassupportbetterinformationonpost-schoolpathways,including
furthereducation,training,careersandemployment?
REFORM DIRECTION 14
Redefining learning areas
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TheschoolsectorshouldworkwiththeuniversitysectorandtheUniversitiesAdmissionsCentretoexplorethepossibilityofnotcalculatingandreportingATAR,replacingitinsteadwithtransparentinformationaboutthebasisforconstructingcourse-by-courseselectionranks,whichshouldshowanapplicant’srankinrelationtothenumberofplacesavailableineachoftheirpreferredcourses.
The main ideaWhileoutsidethescopeofthisReview,therewasstrongfeedbackfromconsultationontheperceiveddominanceofATARasthemainmeasureofeducationalsuccessattheendofschooling.Althoughnotwidelyunderstood,therankingthatdetermineswhetherastudentisselectedintoaparticularuniversitycourseisthe‘courseselectionrank’whichcanbedifferentfromATARbecauseit(increasingly)alsoincludesotherinformation.ThecalculationofATARisthusanintermediatestepincalculatingindividualcourseselectionranks.TheproposalhereisthatdiscussionsbeheldwithuniversitiesaboutthepossibilityofbypassingthecalculationandreportingofATARwithoutimpactinguniversities’selectionprocesses.Analternativewouldbetotellstudentstheircurrentrankingforthecoursestowhichtheyhaveapplied(forexample,‘thereare63placesandyouarecurrentlyranked68th’).
To noteTherewouldbenochangeintheinformationavailabletouniversitiesorinuniversities’selectiondecisions.TheaimistoreducethepublicprofileofATAR(whichcouldstillbecalculatedifrequired–forexample,forapplicantstointerstateuniversities).Thereshouldalsobenoreductionintransparencyifstudentsaretoldwhatisincludedinthecalculationoftheircourseselectionrankforeachcoursetowhichtheyapplyandtheirrankinginrelationtotheplacesavailable.
For exploration• ShouldtheschoolsectoroffertoworkwiththeuniversitysectorandUACtoexplorethefeasibility
ofnotcalculatingandreportingATARaspartofuniversityselectionprocesses?
REFORM DIRECTION 15
Reviewing ATAR
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TERMS OF REFERENCE
The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) has been tasked with ‘a review of the NSW curriculum to ensure it equips students to contribute to Australian society in the 21st century’ (the Review).
TheReviewisconductedinacontextofahighperformingNSWEducationsystem,whichstrivestomeettheneedsofawiderangeofstudents,includingthosewhoareAboriginal,orfromculturallyandlinguisticallydiversebackgrounds,orlivingwithdisabilities.
TheReviewwillundertakeacomprehensivecommunityengagementprocesstoseekthediversityofviewsinthecommunity,includingtheviewsofyoungpeople,parents,employersandthoseinvolvedinthedeliveryofschooleducation.TheseTermsofReferencehavebeendevelopedfollowingtargetedstakeholderengagement.
TheaimoftheReviewistoenhancetheeffectivenessofschooleducationinNSWto:• provideaneducationthatengagesandchallengeseverychildandyoungpersoninlearning,
rewardsthemforeffortandpromoteshighstandards;and• prepareeachstudentwithstrongfoundationsofknowledge,capabilitiesandvaluestobelifelong
learners,andtoflourishinaworldinwhichrapidtechnologicaladvancesarecontributingtounprecedentedeconomicandsocialchangeinunpredictableways.
TheReviewwillconsiderthestrengthsandweaknessesofthecurrentNSWcurriculum,itsrelationshiptotheAustralianCurriculumanditsaccessibilitytothediverselearnersoftheNSWcommunity.
TheReview,indevelopingitsrecommendations,should:
1. articulatethepurposesoftheschoolcurriculum,includingunderpinningphilosophiesandprinciples
2. identifyessentialknowledge,skillsandattributesasthecommonentitlementforalllearners,ensuringparityofaccesstolearningthatisnecessaryforsuccess,takingaccountof:a. theevidenceonhowskillsandattributesareacquiredthroughknowledge-baseddisciplinesb. theextentofovercrowdinginthecurriculumc. theappropriatescopeforschoolcommunitychoicesaboutcontent
3. explainhowthecurriculumcouldberedesignedandpresentedtobettersupportteaching,learning,assessmentandreporting,includingbyconsidering:a. thedesirabilityofidentifyingprioritiesforlearningatdifferentstagesofschoolingb. theappropriatelevelofdetailincurriculumdocumentsc. thebreadthanddepthofstudyd. waysofimprovingeverylearner’stransitionintoschoolandacrosstheyearsofschoolinge. waysofenhancingtheoptionsandpathwaysforallstudentstofurthereducationandwork
4. identifytheimplicationsofanynewapproachtocurriculumdesignfor:a. assessmentandreporting(includingNAPLAN,theRecordofSchoolAchievementandthe
HigherSchoolCertificate)b. pedagogicalpracticesandteacherworkloadc. teacherpreparationandongoingprofessionallearningd. schoolorganisationandregulatione. relevantlegislationf. measuringthequalityandimpactofschooling.
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NSW CURRICULUM REVIEW | Interim Report Consultation Workbook24
The Review will have regard to:
• Nationalpolicydevelopmentsandreports,including:o the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Strategy 2015,andthenational
Closing the Gapstrategyo Through Growth to Achievement: Report of the Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in
Australian Schools.TheReviewwillcontributeappropriatelytoanyrelatednationalprocesseso Lifting Our Game: Report of the Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools
through Early Childhood Interventionso Australia’sChiefScientist,DrAlanFinkel’sreportOptimising STEM industry-school
partnerships: inspiring Australia’s next generationo the Independent Review into Regional, Rural and Remote EducationconductedbyEmeritus
ProfessorJohnHalseyo the Review of the Australian Curriculum: Final Report
• ObligationsundertheDisabilityDiscriminationAct1992andtheDisabilityStandardsforEducation2015
• The2016BOSTESReview(particularlyinrelationtothecrowdedcurriculum)andtheStrongerHSCReformsintroducedfrom2017
• AnysignificantlessonstobedrawnfromotherAustralianjurisdictionsincludingintheirimplementationoftheAustralianCurriculum,aswellasperspectivesfrominternationaljurisdictionswheretherehavebeenrecentreviewsandcurriculumrevisions
• CorrespondingworkoftheAustralianCurriculum,AssessmentandReportingAuthority(ACARA)toreviewandrefinetheAustralianCurriculum,includinginternationalresearch.
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NSW Education Standards Authority
www.nswcurriculumreview.nesa.nsw.edu.au
NSW CURRICULUMREVIEW
Interim Report Consultation
Workbook