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 Wyong
In 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
General
capabilities
Perspectives/Priorities
• Learning area knowledge and skills (e.g.
English, Maths, Science, History)
• General Capabilities:
 Literacy
 Numeracy
 ICLT
 Ethical Behaviour
 Intercultural Understanding
 Critical and Creative thinking
 Personal and Social competence
• Cross Curriculum Priorities:
 Indigenous
 Asian
 Sustainability
• Catholic Worldview?
Cross 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
Australian Curriculum Implementation K-12 (2009-15)
Phase 2
development
consultation
and
publication
2010-2011
AC
Shape
Papers
AC
Design
Paper
2007
2008
2009
Phase 3
development
consultation
and
publication
2011-2012
Phase 1
development
consultation
and
publication
2009-2010
2010
2011
Phase 3 implementation to
commence from 2013, with
significant progress by 2015
Phase 2 implementation to
commence from 2012, with
significant progress by 2014
Phase 1 implementation to
commence from 2011, with
significant progress by 2013
2012
2013
2014
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)