Implementing the

Australian curriculum:

a case study

Dr Mark Askew

ACSA Conference

8 October 2011

Some thoughts from the conference:

• The persistence of the influence of the English Public School curriculum; (Jane Kenway)

• How do schools (and school systems) position themselves in relation to the Australian curriculum? (Jane Kenway)

• The AC as a “world class curriculum”; (Peter Hill)

• Curriculum is a deceptively complicated topic; (Lyn Yates)

Implementing the Australian curriculum: a case study

• The context of Broken Bay

• Progress to date on exploring the Australian curriculum

• Future plans and challenges

Isabella Rosson 1789

Mary MacKillop’s Australian Curriculum

First Australian Curriculum: St Cecilia’s WyongIn 1909: 650 Sisters, 117 schools, 12 500 students.

Broken Bay context

• A Catholic school system of almost 50 schools

• A school system of considerable diversity: socioeconomic; multicultural; Indigenous

• A well articulated values base: the Catholic Worldview

• Professional learning focus on Quality Teaching Framework (Newcastle) and Leading Learning (Auckland)

The Quality teaching Framework

Three dimensions:

•Intellectual Quality

•Quality Learning Environemnt

•Significance

Leading Learning initiative: • With the University of Auckland’s Centre for Educational Leadership (UACEL) for two years. • Professor Helen Timperley: focus on the importance of leading teacher professional learning. • Teacher Inquiry and Knowledge Building Cycle and Practice Analysis Conversation: improving teacher learning and practice to improve student outcomes.• A collaborative process with school leadership teams to achieve the goals through School Improvement Plans.• Focus on communication skills, data analysis and goal setting to improve learning outcomes.

Australian and NSW context:

Hobart 1989;

Adelaide 1999;

Melbourne 2008.• In the 21st century Australia’s

capacity to provide a high quality of life for all will depend on the ability to compete in the global economy on knowledge and innovation.

Goals:• Australian schooling promotes

equity and excellence.• All young Australians become: successful learners confident and creative

individuals active and informed citizens.

ACARA Curriculum Model

Learning area knowledge and skills

Perspectives/Priorities

General capabilities

• Learning area knowledge and skills (e.g. English, Maths, Science, History)

• General Capabilities:LiteracyNumeracy ICLTEthical Behaviour Intercultural UnderstandingCritical and Creative thinkingPersonal and Social competence

• Cross Curriculum Priorities: IndigenousAsianSustainability

• Catholic Worldview?

Cross Curriculum PrioritiesCross Curriculum Priorities In a context of internationalisation:

Focus Priority

National Indigenous culture and history

Regional Asia and Australia’s engagement with the region

Global Sustainability

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Australian Curriculum ImplementationAustralian Curriculum Implementation K-12 (2009-15)K-12 (2009-15)

Phase 2 implementation to commence from 2012, with significant progress by 2014

Phase 2 development consultation

and publication2010-2011

AC Design Paper

AC

Shape Papers

Phase 1 developmentconsultation

and publication2009-2010

Phase 1 implementation to commence from 2011, with significant progress by 2013

Phase 3 development consultation

and publication2011-2012

Phase 3 implementation to commence from 2013, with significant progress by 2015

NSW Board of Studies• Broken Bay is a registered school system

under the 1990 NSW Education Act

• In NSW teaching programs must be based on NSW Board of Studies syllabuses

• NSW syllabuses will be developed for the Australian curriculum

• In NSW the K-10 syllabuses in English, Maths, Science and History will not be required to be taught until 2014

• Progress to date ...

Broken Bay process:

• Reference groups of education officers; school leaders and classroom teachers established in each of the phase one areas to engage with ACARA documents;

• Once NSW draft syllabuses available, small groups of expert teachers developed sample scope and sequence documents and possible teaching programs

• A consultation with learning support teachers was also organized.

Results of the consultation: General concerns: There is a general lack of consistency between each of the four draft

syllabuses in terms of the:• layout and formatting of the syllabus content• the use of learn to and learn about statements

English teachers were most concerned with differences in layout and structure between K-6 and 7-10 components of the syllabus.

There is strong sentiment that the English, Science and to a lesser extent History draft syllabuses failed to deliver a K-10 curriculum. In contrast, the Mathematics syllabus was the only document that demonstrated an authentic K-10 approach.

The hybrid nature of the draft documents promotes uncertainty:• The precise role of the course outcomes is unclear.• The lack of explicit learn to and learn about statements do not

adequately support the ACARA content descriptions. • The inclusion of the additional NSW Cross Curriculum Areas at the

expense of the ACARA General Capabilities creates an additional layer within the curriculum.

•  

• How do schools (and school systems) position themselves in relation to the Australian curriculum?

(Jane Kenway)

• A significant opportunity to reinvigorate the curriculum.

In the context of:

• Catholic Worldview

• Quality Teaching Framework

• Leading Learning

• Understanding by Design approach

Understanding by Design

• “Backwards design” steps:

• Design appropriate learning outcomes/goals

• Identify exactly what achieving the outcomes might look like ... the evidence/assessment

• Plan learning experiences to help students get there

Future plans and challenges

… a often a challenge and a risk

• Focus on the disciplines• Possibilities of on line

resources• Risk of continuing as usual

(Keep calm and carry on)• Implementing the Australian

curriculum as a Catholic system in NSW

How do schools

(and school systems)

position themselves

in relation to the

Australian curriculum?(Jane Kenway)