SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT FRAMEWORK

Curriculum

Self Assessment Tool

Produced for the ACT Department of Education, Youth and Family Services by the Education Policy and Planning Section.

All material is copyright. Apart from any fair dealings for educational purposes as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission from the ACT Department of Education, Youth and Family Services.

© ACT Department of Education, Youth & Family Services 2004.

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT FRAMEWORK

CURRICULUM SELF ASSESSMENT

Purpose

Teachers, schools and the system achieve four outcomes from the curriculum self-assessment process:

·  Schools gain information to inform whole-school improvement planning

·  Individual teachers gain valuable information to inform their Professional Pathways planning

·  Central Office obtains information that informs system planning and helps meet accountability requirements

·  Students benefit from enhanced learning and teaching

Overview

For the purpose of the review, curriculum is defined as everything that occurs in a school to improve learning outcomes for students.

The processes outlined in this guide allow schools to examine curriculum from a number of different perspectives.

Part 1. Curriculum documents – (The Intended Curriculum)

Effective schools have public records that outline the activities and programs that the school intends to implement in order to help students achieve the school’s common, agreed outcomes. These documents describe the intended curriculum. These documents may include:

·  Curriculum guides for Key Learning Areas;

·  Statements describing outcomes that are embedded through or above the Key Learning Areas. Examples include exit outcomes, essential learnings, and overarching outcomes;

·  Literacy and numeracy plans;

·  Hub documents.

Part One of the self assessment process requires schools to review these documents.

Part 2. Curriculum Self Assessment (The Delivered Curriculum)

Part Two of the self assessment process asks all teachers to reflect on three key elements of curriculum - learning and teaching, planning, and assessment. The emphasis in this phase is on the delivered curriculum in the classroom or other learning venues.

This curriculum self assessment tool is designed primarily as a guide for individual teacher reflection. The outcome of this reflection can guide individual Pathways Planning and professional growth.

It is recommended that school staff use the attached self assessment tool as a focus for discussion and collaborative planning about improvements in teaching practice.

Schools are also encouraged to consider using this self assessment tool to gather feedback from members of their school community. This could be done in the context of a focus group or workshop or other method as determined by the school where the purpose of the tool and some of the language used can be explained in more detail.

Further details regarding the use of the curriculum self assessment tool are included in the guidelines.

Part 3. Curriculum Self Assessment (Meta Curriculum)

As stated above curriculum includes everything that occurs in a school to produce and improve learning outcomes for students. Students learn a great deal through their involvement in day-to-day school culture. This includes daily routines, celebrations, simple ceremonies, student involvement in leadership, discipline processes, and a wide variety of other events and occasions. This aspect of curriculum might be referred to as the meta-curriculum.

This section invites schools to reflect on the contribution to learning that is made by elements of the schools culture and operations that are not included in sections one and two above.


CURRICULUM SELFASSESSMENT

PART 1.
CURRICULUM DOCUMENTS – THE INTENDED CURRICULUM

1.1 Key elements

Curriculum documents must articulate with the ACT Curriculum Framework.

Curriculum documents should include four key characteristics:

·  What the writer intends the student to learn – ie. learning outcomes;

·  What the writer intends that the student be taught – ie. content;

·  How the teaching will occur – ie. pedagogies used;

·  How learning will be assessed – ie. assessment strategies used.

Using a sample of your documents determine whether or not typical school curriculum documents in your school meet these criteria. Tick in the space provided to indicate that documents show evidence of the characteristic; use a cross if the characteristic is absent or incomplete.

Curriculum Area / Outcomes / Content / Pedagogy / Assessment
The Arts
English
Health and Physical Education
LOTE
Mathematics
Science
Society and Environment
Technology
Hub Document (if applicable)

1.2 Curriculum review and improvement schedule

Schools typically review and improve curriculum documents on a regular basis. Complete the table below to outline your school’s plan for curriculum review and improvement.

Learning area / Last review / Next review / Comment (optional)
The Arts
English
Health and Physical Education
LOTE
Mathematics
Science
Society and Environment
Technology
Hub Document (if applicable)

1.3 Literacy and numeracy plans.

When were literacy and numeracy plans first written (if known)? ______

When will literacy and numeracy plans be reviewed? Literacy ______Numeracy_____

Use examples to illustrate the extent to which the objectives of the school’s literacy and numeracy plans have been achieved in the last two years?

1.4 Curriculum organization

Schools use a variety of models to organize and deliver curriculum in their school. For example some schools use the term ‘integrated curriculum’ to describe curriculum organisation, management and delivery.

Using the definition of curriculum - Curriculum is everything that occurs in a school to improve learning outcomes for students – briefly outline how curriculum is organised and delivered in your school.

1

CURRICULUM SELF ASSESSMENT

Part 2.: DELIVERED CURRICULUM: A GUIDED REFLECTION FOR TEACHERS

GUIDELINES FOR USE

This part of the curriculum self assessment is designed primarily as a guide for individual teacher reflection. This reflection process can guide individual Professional Pathways planning and professional growth.

It is recommended that school staff use this self assessment tool as a focus for discussion and collaborative planning about improvements in teaching practice.

Schools are also encouraged to consider use of this self assessment tool to gather feedback from members of their school community. This would need to be done in the context of a focus group or workshop where the purpose of the self assessment tool and some of the language used can be explained in greater detail.

Suggested guidelines for use of this part of the curriculum self assessment are listed below:

Step 1 / Briefing. The external consultant or principal briefs all staff about the use of the self-refection tool. If schools want to collate individual teacher responses to inform whole-school professional development planning this should be negotiated at this briefing. Any other sharing of information should also be negotiated at this meeting.
Step 2 / Individual reflection. Teachers independently complete the self assessment. On completion there may be some discussion and guidance about how the outcomes of the reflection could be used to inform Professional Pathways planning and other professional development. Teachers keep the rubric and submit the summary sheet. It is recommended that names not be included on the summary sheets.

Only progress to steps three and four if there is negotiated agreement to do so

Step 3 / Collate reflections. Individual teachers complete and submit the summary sheet (last page of this document). It is recommend that names not be included on the summary sheets. Results are collated to establish a whole-school profile.
Step 4 / Follow-up. The whole-school profile can be used in a number of ways:
·  Teacher discussion in small groups, learning areas and sub-schools about features of the profile. For example, is there evidence of strengths and weaknesses? How might strengths be reinforced and concerns be addressed?
·  Does the whole-school profile provide indicators for possible areas of whole-school professional development or other strategic initiatives?
·  Does the whole-school profile help evaluate current school programs, initiatives and strategic directions?

Completing the rubric.

1.  Mark the box that best describes how you typically operate in your classroom or other learning venues. Use the notes column for examples or evidence that support your choice. Complete this rubric independently. You are not required to submit this page.

2.  If there is negotiated agreement, complete the summary sheet and hand this to the principal / coordinator / facilitator.

Note: The rubric acknowledges that teachers apply a range of strategic approaches to their work. Strategies outlined in column ‘A’ are generally less complex than those described in Column ‘D’. Teachers choose strategies that are most appropriate to classroom circumstances, their own experience and confidence, and other factors. Given that strategies build in complexity from ‘A’ towards ‘D’ one would expect that experienced, high performing teachers are more likely to identify their practice with descriptors in column ‘D’ than with descriptors in columns ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’.

Learning and Teaching

For students to become effective learners they must be actively engaged. They must want to take on the challenge and the risks involved, and be persistent in their efforts. This is most likely to occur when the teacher creates an environment that fosters this participation and promotes sustained and robust learning.

/ A / B (infers inclusion of A) / C (infers inclusion of A and B) / D (infers inclusion of A, B & C) /

Notes

/
1.  Teaching strategies used / The use of one preferred teaching strategy / Some variation of teaching strategies including small group work. / Greater variety of teaching strategies including problem solving and scaffolding. / Broad repertoire of teaching strategies used daily including effective use of ICT’s. /
2.  Learning styles and multiple intelligences / Limited attention to or recognition of individual learning styles / Some acknowledgement of different learning styles and use of strategies to match. / Awareness of different learning styles and deliberate attempt to address these. / Students and teachers work together to accommodate different learning styles. /
3.  Connection to what students already know / Prior learning is assumed / Prior learning is identified. / Content explicitly connects directly to prior learning. / Students are encouraged and taught to connect new learning to prior learning within and across KLA’s. /
4.  Challenge / Challenge not always evident. / Challenge provided for ‘those who finish tasks early’ through harder examples of the same work. / Challenge provided through extending students and accompanied by encouragement to take risks, think laterally. / Challenge is a major focus of all learning experiences; students encouraged and supported to make conjectures and research using any method including ICT’s. /
5.  Action and Reflection / Students provided with facts and procedures. Teacher use of demonstrations and other aids predominate. / Students involved in investigative ‘hands on’ learning. / Students actively engage in their learning. Reflection is encouraged but not scaffolded. / Students actively engage in making sense of new information and ideas. Reflection is scaffolded and used to direct future learning. /
6.  Motivation and Purpose / Purpose for learning may be unclear, students motivated to ‘pass a test’ or other extrinsic motivation. / Students motivated by teacher rewards and other encouragement to ‘present best work’. / Teacher makes the purpose clear to students. Learning is motivating and relevant and engages students. / Students are engaged with situations that are interesting and relevant and involve decision making and problem solving; learning is self motivated. /
7.  Inclusivity and difference / Diversity is acknowledged by teachers in formal ways e.g. teaching about NAIDOC Week, Chinese New Year. / All students from different cultural backgrounds are acknowledged, welcomed and encouraged to describe and explain differences. / Students research cultural differences and use this knowledge to inform further learning.
Teacher supports early identification of students with special needs and at educational risk. / Teacher embeds a culture of mutual respect acknowledging diverse backgrounds, needs, interests and achievements.
8. Independence and collaboration / Students work individually; teacher oriented decision-making. Some collaboration encouraged. / Some group work but students not taught to maximise strengths of cooperative learning situations. / Students participate actively in group work. Content and frequency of group work dependent on teacher decision making. / Students encouraged to work collaboratively whenever possible. Group norms established and practiced. Community/parent involvement and participation encouraged.


Planning

For teachers to plan effectively they must begin from the needs of their students. They must determine ‘where their students are at’, decide what their students need to know, ensure they understand this deeply themselves and choose effective pedagogies with which to teach the new knowledge, skills and thinking. This process is complex and is much more than just determining the ‘intended curriculum’.

/ A / B (infers inclusion of A) / C (infers inclusion of A and B) / D (infers inclusion of A, B & C) /

Notes

/
1.  Knowledge of needs of students / Plans from a syllabus or textbook, matching age or year group. Planning focus is on ‘getting through the course. / Largely plans on the basis of what students have been taught; is marginally flexible in diverging from the syllabus or textbook. / Plans on the basis of ACTAP assessment and other test information e.g. PIPS. / Uses a range of assessment evidence to decide what knowledge and skills students bring to the classroom and plans based on this evidence.
2.  Content to be learned / Uses a syllabus or textbook and focuses on ‘getting through the course. / Uses the National Profiles but maps outcomes to syllabus and textbook entries to decide what to teach. / Uses the National Profile based on understanding of key words in the outcome. / Deeply understands the outcomes of the National Profiles and makes connections with outcomes from other KLA’s wherever possible.
3.  Pedagogy used / Uses preferred pedagogical style. / Uses preferred pedagogical style with sporadic use of other strategies. / Uses a range of pedagogies. / Chooses and uses a wide range of pedagogies appropriate for teaching particular knowledge and skills in order that students develop deep understandings.
4.  Processes to be learned / Focuses on content. / Some problem solving and investigative teaching and learning. Students learn processes inadvertently, without support or instruction by teacher. / Problem solving and investigative processes explicitly taught. / Students taught higher-order thinking skills and meta cognition in the context of rigorous content learning and engagement.


Monitoring and Assessment