Curriculum Planning Modules Module 1: Whole school curriculum planning to suit our students Module 2: Planning programs for cohorts of students Department.

Curriculum Planning Modules

Module 1: Whole school curriculum planning to suit our students

Module 2: Planning programs for cohorts of students

Department of Education

Curriculum Planning Guidelines

Module 1: Whole school curriculum planning to suit our

students

Module 1 Whole school curriculum planning to suit our

students

Activity 1.1 Characteristics of effective whole school curriculum planning

Activity 1.2 School contextActivity 1.3 Victorian Essential Learning

StandardsActivity 1.4 Drivers for student learning Activity 1.5 Curriculum designActivity 1.6 Learning, teaching and

assessment


students

Activity 1.1 Characteristics of effective whole school curriculum planning

Outcomes• An understanding of curriculum reform in

Victoria and the characteristics of effective whole school curriculum planning

Key questions to be explored• Do we currently practise effective whole

school curriculum planning?• How can we improve our processes so that

we can develop an effective whole school curriculum plan?

OUR EDUCATIVE PURPOSE

What is powerful to

learn?

VictorianEssential Learning

Standards

What is powerful learning and

what promotes it?

Principles ofLearning

and Teaching P-12

LEARNER

How do we know it has been learnt?

Assessment Advice

Who do we report to?

StudentsParents

ColleaguesSchoolSystem

The Victorian Essential Learning Standards provide a new approach to organising the curriculum in schools.

Victorian Essential Learning Standards Overview p. 1

Implementation of the Standards therefore requires an holistic, whole school response.


(Schools are expected) to adopt the Victorian Essential Learning Standards and to establish the conditions for a supportive and productive learning environment where students’ needs, backgrounds and interests are reflected in the learning programs. There are three main avenues through which this can occur: consolidated school curriculum planning, strong school leadership and an accountability framework for results and assessment.

Closing the Loop p. 14

Closing the Loop

Characteristics of effective whole school curriculum

planning1. places the learner at the centre of curriculum planning through having the students’ diverse needs, backgrounds, perspectives, interests, achievements and ways of learning inform curriculum design

2. is a collaborative process where the school’s goals, targets, challenges and opportunities from the School Strategic Plan and Annual Implementation Plan are looked at in their entirety

3. reflects shared values, beliefs and understandings about the knowledge, skills and behaviours students are to learn and how this can be achieved

Characteristics of effective whole school curriculum planning (cont.)

4. provides connectedness between the strands, domains and dimensions of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards across the levels to ensure coherence, balance and continuity

5. clearly links standards, pedagogy, assessment and reporting practices

6. encourages student learning at a deeper, transferable and enduring level through a co-ordinated approach to learning and teaching across different year levels, subjects/programs

7. reduces the level of disparity in student achievement between classes and within classes

Characteristics of effective whole school curriculum planning (cont.)

8. involves selection of the most appropriate programs, organisation, structures and resourcing to best support students to achieve the standards in the Victorian Essential Learning Standards and Post Compulsory Education and Training

9. encourages all staff to build knowledge and expertise together as they share responsibility for improving student learning outcomes

10.establishes a procedure for monitoring and evaluating the planning process

Department of Education, 2006

Template 1.1B Characteristics of effective

whole school curriculum planning

Questions for each characteristic

• What do we currently do well? What evidence do we have?

• What will be challenging for us? What do we need to learn?

Involving students

• What should teachers know about you? • What is important for you to learn?• What do you think younger students need to learn?• How do you learn best?• How do you want to be assessed?

Involving parents

• What is important for the teachers to know about your child?

• What is important for your child to learn?• How do you think your child learns best?• How do you want your child to be assessed?


students

Activity 1.2 – School context

Outcomes• Analysis of a range of data/information about our

school leading to a summary of the information to focus our whole school curriculum planning

Key question to be explored• What does our school’s data/information tell us

about what we need to focus on to improve student learning?

Reporting website www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/studentreports/default.htm

• School Level Report – Student achievement data– Student attitude data– Student attendance data– Retention data

• Student cohort profile• On Track and other destination data• School diagnostic testing data• Principles of Learning and Teaching P - 12 component

mapping – student surveys• Other school data

Student data

Student data

Insert summary of your school’s

student data here

Statewide data available at:www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/standards/improve/index.htm

Insert summary of your school’s

student data here

Statewide data available at:www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/standards/improve/index.htm

Template 1.2A Student data

• What are the main messages from our student data overall?

• What are the trends for particular cohorts?• What are the variables that impact on our

data that we need to consider? • What will we focus on in our whole school

curriculum planning process?

Complete the Student data section (page 1) of the template

School strategic planning

• School Strategic Plan/Charter• Environmental Context as identified in the

School Strategic Plan • Annual Implementation Plan• School Level Report (including issues

concerning the school’s values, purpose and intent)

• Community profile (including School Level Report Parent Opinion Survey)

School strategic planning

Insert summary of relevant messages from

the school strategic planning

Template 1.2A School strategic planning

• How does our strategic planning to date inform our whole school curriculum planning?

Complete the school strategic planning section (page 2) of the template

Staff knowledge and expertise

• Anecdotal and historical knowledge of the school• Staff expertise/interest• Principles of Learning and Teaching P - 12 component

mapping – Teacher Component Map• Assessment Professional Learning Modules: Self

Assessment Tool• ICT teacher capability assessment tool • Performance and Development Culture

Staff knowledge and expertise

Insert summary of relevant information for

the school

Template 1.2A Staff knowledge and expertise

• What do we know about our students, staff and community that can be used to inform our whole school curriculum planning?

Complete the staff knowledge and expertise section (page 3) of the template

Handout 1.2BStudent learning initiatives

The intentions of the: • Victorian Essential Learning Standards • Principles of Learning and Teaching P - 12

• Assessment and Reporting Advice

Template 1.2AStudent learning initiatives

• How will the intentions of the Student Learning initiatives be reflected in our whole school curriculum planning?

• What needs to be strengthened?

Complete the student learning initiatives section (page 4) of the template

Template 1.2CSummary of data analysis

• What do the various data/information sources tell us about student learning for our whole school and for particular cohort groupings?

Complete the summary template for data analysis


students

Activity 1.3 – Victorian Essential Learning Standards

Outcomes • Documentation of the future learning needs of

our students based on the domains in the Victorian Essential Learning Standards and consideration of post-compulsory education and training where appropriate

Key questions to be explored

• What do the key characteristics of students at the different stages of learning mean for our whole school curriculum planning?

• Based on student strengths and needs what will be the future learning directions for our students in relation to the domains and dimensions?

• What aspects of learning will be emphasised across and within the domains and dimensions to best meet the learning needs of our students?

… that while student learning is a continuum from Prep through to Year 10, and that different students develop at different rates, they broadly progress through three stages of learning from: – Prep to Year 4 (laying the foundations)– Years 5 to 8 (building breadth and depth)– Years 9 and 10 (developing pathways)


Stages of learning

Template 1.3A Stages of learning

• How does our curriculum reflect this stage of learning?

• What are the gaps? What needs to be strengthened?

Victorian Essential Learning Standards

Standards define what students should know and be able to do at different levels of schooling …

They are, in effect, outcomes against which student achievement will be assessed and reported on and provide valuable information about student progress which can form the basis of further teaching and intervention. Victorian Essential Learning Standards Overview page 8

The Standards identify what is important for students to achieve at different stages of their schooling, set standards for those achievements and provide a clear basis for reporting to parents and for planning programs.

Victorian Essential Learning Standards Overview p.1

Victorian Essential Learning Standards

Introduction of standards

Standards are introduced where they are central to future learning and success and where research suggests they are developmentally appropriate.

Victorian Essential Learning Standards Overview page 10

Introduction of standards

Prep Years 1 & 2 Years 3 & 4 Years 5 - 10

English

Mathematics

The Arts

Interpersonal Development

Health and Physical Education

+ Information & Communication Technology

+ Personal Learning

Civics and Citizenship

The Humanities

Science

Design, Creativity and Technology

Thinking Processes

+ Economics Geography History

Communication

LOTE

Template 1.3B Victorian Essential Learning

Standards

Based on what we know about our students identify the future learning needs for each of the domains (refer to the standards)

Reflect on these future learning needs and highlight those domains that will be emphasised

Note the dimensions and standards that may need particular emphasis


students

Activity 1.4 – Drivers for student learning

Outcomes• Identification of curriculum drivers that will

structure learning for our students

Key questions to be exploredWhich curriculum drivers will: • reflect the intent of the Victorian Essential

Learning Standards • engage students in their learning • support students to develop deeper,

transferable and enduring understanding?

Curriculum drivers

Curriculum drivers: • are a way of structuring learning to connect

domains and dimensions in the Victorian Essential Learning Standards

• reflect our students learning needs and provide a structure for them to achieve the Standards

Curriculum drivers

Curriculum drivers may reflect: • what we want our school to stand for• the diverse needs, backgrounds, perspectives,

interests, achievements and ways of learning of our students

• the ‘big ideas’ that we want our students to engage with deeply

• the future learning needs of our students • particular domains.

Intentions of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards Three interwoven purposes

To equip students with the capacity to:

• manage themselves as individuals and in relation to others

• understand the world in which they live• act effectively in that world


Intentions of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards

There are three components of any curriculum which are necessary to enable students to meet the demands of a modern, globalised world.


These components are reflected in the three strands:•Physical, Personal and Social Learning•Discipline-based Learning•Interdisciplinary Learning

Future learning needs of our students

Discuss:• completed Template 1.2C Summary of data analysis

•completed Template 1.3B Victorian Essential Learning Standards

•information on student and parent perspectives from Activity 1.1A Characteristics of effective whole school curriculum planning

Deeper, transferable, enduring understanding

Fundamental to the Essential Learning Standards is the integrated focus on the three strands to develop deep understanding in learners which can be transferred to new and different circumstances.


Process for identifying curriculum drivers

1. Brainstorm possible ideas that could become curriculum drivers

2. Bundle ideas into groups

3. Label groups as curriculum drivers

4. Select curriculum drivers for the whole school and cohorts

Template 1.4A Brainstorm possible ideas that

could become curriculum drivers

Use sticky notes to identify possible ideas using the following categories

• what we want our school to stand for• the diverse needs, backgrounds, perspectives,

interests, achievements and ways of learning of our students

• the ‘big ideas’ that we want our students to engage with deeply

• the future learning needs of our students • particular domains

Bundle ideas into groups

• Place sticky notes that reflect similar and connected ideas together

• Add any other ideas to the bundles that are relevant

• Identify domains and dimensions that are reflected in

each of the bundles

Label groups as curriculum drivers

Discuss the characteristics of each of the bundles and select a name that best reflects the intent of this group of ideas

Select curriculum drivers for the whole school and

cohorts Does the curriculum driver connect domains and dimensions in the Victorian Essential Learning Standards?

Does it reflect our students learning needs and provide a structure for them to achieve the standards? Is this curriculum driver more appropriate for the whole school or for a particular cohort?

Which curriculum drivers will be long term? Which ones will be short term?

Template 1.4B Summary of drivers

At both the whole school and cohort level:

Do we have too many curriculum drivers? Which ones are going to best support student learning?

Does the combination of selected curriculum drivers ensure all domains and dimensions will be covered in the long term? Will there be any gaps created for student learning?


students

Activity 1.5 – Curriculum design

Outcome• Selection of a curriculum design that will best support

our students in their learning

Key questions to be explored• What is the most appropriate curriculum design given

the learning needs of our students and staff knowledge and expertise?

• Will the same curriculum design be appropriate for all cohorts of students?

• How will we arrange students, staff and resources to best implement our curriculum design?

• Insert completed Template 1.4B Summary of drivers

Imagining what’s possible

What do our drivers mean for:• our curriculum design• our school organisation• our professional learning teams• my teaching?

Implications of our drivers

The Standards

Schools will construct appropriate curriculum programs which ensure these essential outcomes are achieved, in ways which reflect the resources and expertise available, and the particular needs and interests of the school community.

Victorian Essential Learning Standards Overview Booklet, p.13

Design options

•Integrated approach

•Discipline-based subjects incorporating other strands

•Extended projects

•Other

•Our school

Integrated approach

• Benefits for student learning• School community views• Strengths• Limitations• Implementation issues

Discipline-based subjects incorporating other strands


Extended projects


Other


Our current design option/s


Selecting design options

Which design options ‘stand out’ for our school?

Which design options best: • match our drivers• support our students to learn – stages of learning • utilise our knowledge and expertise?

Subjects/programs

• What subjects/programs will best reflect our drivers, stages of learning and most appropriate design

options?

Template 1.5C Yearly planner

Decide for each of the subjects/programs:

•balance

•duration

•sequence

•most appropriate time of year

Evolution or revolution?

• Steady as she goes with as little tinkering as possible

• Continue with process of curriculum change we have already begun and incorporate changes as needed

• Use this as a catalyst to reconceptualise our curriculum

- a big bang or evolutionary change?

Template 1.5DOrganisational considerations

for our yearly planner• Student groupings• Staffing considerations • Reporting• Timetabling• Learning spaces• Resources• Leadership • Professional learning teams

Students

• What do you do now? Do current groupings support the selected subjects/programs?

• If not, how do students need to be organised?

Consider: age, gender, achievement

Staffing

• How can staff knowledge and expertise be matched to student groupings?

• What professional learning will we want to participate in to implement the Principles of Learning and Teaching P – 12 and effective assessment practices?

Reporting advice

Requirements for reporting to parents for 2007 are that all schools provide:• Two written reports – one each semester to parents on student achievement • Reporting on student achievement in the Victorian Essential Learning Standards in English, Mathematics, Health & Physical Education, Personal Learning, Civics and Citizenship, The Humanities, Economics, Geography, History, Communication, ICT Parent/teacher interviews • AIM and National benchmark data separate to written reports

Reporting

• Who will report to parents on each of the domains?

Consider: • elements of domains and dimensions covered in each

subject/program• identification of teachers who will report on particular

domains and students • coordination of information for reporting purposes if

more than one teacher has assessment information on a domain/s for particular students

Timetabling

• Use the subjects/programs and student groupings to organise the timetable

Consider: • how much time will be allocated to each

subject/program for the different cohorts in the school

Remember:• depth of learning takes time

Learning spaces

• How can we best use the learning spaces we have to support learning in the selected subjects/programs?

• How can we adapt learning spaces?• What learning spaces can we use outside of the

classroom?

Resources • For each of the subjects/programs identify what

resources are required

Consider:– ICT resources that will best support learning of the

subjects/programs– the best way to utilise existing resources – additional resources – budget allocation

Leadership • What will be the different leadership roles required to

support the implementation of the whole school curriculum plan?

• Consider leadership for:– cohorts of students– strands and domains – subjects/programs– professional learning teams – professional learning for teachers – role of the leadership team in the school

Professional learning teams

• What types of professional learning teams need to be created?

Consider: student cohort related, domain related, subjects/programs, pedagogy, assessment, reporting


students

Activity 1.6 – Learning, teaching and assessment

Outcome

• Identification of our priorities for the Principles of Learning and Teaching P–12 and assessment and reporting to support the implementation of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards

Key questions to be explored• What are the implications of the Principles of

Learning and Teaching P-12 for our whole school curriculum planning?

• What processes are most effective for assessing, tracking and reporting student learning?

Beliefs about learning

All students can learn.

Schools and particularly teachers make a difference.

If students are assisted to work hard and make an effort they improve.

An assessment culture in classrooms and schools is a critical factor in student achievement.

Failure is not an option for students, teachers or schools.

Closing the Loop: Curriculum, Pedagogy, Assessment & Reporting P. 3

Current research

Research consistently shows that learning is maximised when there is a supportive yet challenging learning environment and a curriculum that takes students’ backgrounds and interests into account, and when there are teaching and assessment practices that are flexible and responsive to student needs.

Closing the Loop: Curriculum, Pedagogy, Assessment & Reporting P. 8

Principles of Learning and Teaching P-12Students learn best when:

1. The learning environment is supportive and productive

2. The learning environment promotes independence, interdependence and self motivation

3. Students’ needs, backgrounds, perspectives and interests are reflected in the learning program

4. Students are challenged and supported to develop deep levels of thinking and application

5. Assessment practices are an integral part of teaching and learning

6. Learning connects strongly with communities and practice beyond the classroom

Template 1.6C Reflecting on the Principles of Learning and Teaching P-

12. Reflect on the each of the Principles and identify:

• what is happening now?• what could happen in the future?

PoLT Online Professional Learning Resource

Structure for each Principle: • Theory Snapshot• You can try this• Vignettes• Reflection• Want to know more?• Glossary

Principle 5 Assessment

Assessment practices are an integral part of teaching and learning

• 5.1 designs assessment practices that reflect the full range of learning program objectives

• 5.2 ensures that students receive frequent constructive feedback that supports further learning

• 5.3 makes assessment criteria explicit• 5.4 uses assessment practices that encourage

reflection and self assessment• 5.5 uses evidence from assessments to inform

planning and teaching

Assessment Professional Learning Modules

Module 1: Connecting Assessment with Learning Module 2: Assessment OF Learning Module 3: Assessment FOR Learning Module 4: Assessment AS Learning Module 5: Making Consistent Judgements

Assessment definition

Assessment is the ongoing process of gathering, analysing and reflecting on evidence to make informed and consistent judgements to improve future student learning

Department of Education, 2005

• Assessment for learning occurs when teachers use inferences about student progress to inform their teaching

• Assessment as learning occurs when students reflect on and monitor their progress to inform their future learning goals

• Assessment of learning occurs when teachers use evidence of student learning to make judgements on student achievement against goals and standards

Purpose of assessment

Reflecting on assessment practice

List all the assessment practices you currently use

At a whole school level: • What are major assessment practices? • Do we have a balance of assessment practices that

reflect assessment for/as/of learning?• Will there be opportunities for assessment against all

domains?

Assessment and the standards

Students will be required to demonstrate their achievement of the standards using a wide variety of learning activities and tasks

Victorian Essential Learning Standards Overview, Page 8

Standards

Progression Points

Making consistent judgements

Moderation is a process for improving the consistency of judgements through:

•Developing a common understanding of the standard to be assessed

•Drafting assessment task requirements

•Drafting criteria

•Analysis of student work samples

Reporting advice

Requirements for reporting to parents for 2007 are that all schools provide:• Two written reports – one each semester to parents on student achievement • Reporting on student achievement in the Victorian Essential Learning Standards in English, Mathematics, Health & Physical Education, Personal Learning, Civics and Citizenship, The Humanities, Economics, Geography, History, Communication, ICT Parent/teacher interviews • AIM and National benchmark data separate to written reports

Template 1.6E Whole school assessment and reporting

scheduleRecord on the template:

• What are our consistent and preferred assessment practices for the whole school and cohort of students? When will we use these?

• How and when will we incorporate processes for making consistent teacher judgements?

• What reporting processes will we use and when?

Activity 1.6F Priorities and directions for learning, teaching

and assessment

For each of the Principles of Learning and Teaching

P-12 identify priorities and directions

Module 2: Planning programs for cohorts of students

Activity 2.1 – Characteristics of effective program planning for cohorts of students

Activity 2.2 Steps for effective program planning for cohorts of students and sample templates

Curriculum Planning Modules Module 1: Whole school curriculum planning to suit our students Module 2: Planning programs for cohorts of students Department.

Documents

curriculum planning

centre of curriculum

curriculum design activity

school response

learning programs

powerful learning

school context activity

planning programs