Literacy & Numeracy,
School Self-Evaluation and
Junior Cycle Student
Award: Towards an Aligned
Approach
Association of Community and Comprehensive
Schools (ACCS)
‘Only Connect’ (E.M. Forster)
Mark Fennell
5th February 2014
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Themes
 Conceptual framework for alignment of key
curricular initiatives and key issues
 Sample ‘roadmap’ as illustrative template for
planning for 2014-16
 Building capacity and professional learning as
priorities for schools now
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1.
Major National Initiatives
launched in succession…
 Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life: The
National Strategy to improve Literacy and
Numeracy among Children and Young people
2011-2020 (2011) (LN)
 School Self-Evaluation: Guidelines for Post
Primary Schools (2012) (SSE)
 A Framework for Junior Cycle (2012) (JCSA)
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Conceptual Framework:
A Synthesis
SSE
Junior Cycle
Student Award
Literacy and
Numeracy
Mark Fennell 2014
• Tool to support
curriculum /
assessment reform,
school improvement &
accountability
• The substantial
curricular reform that is
the focus of that
school improvement
• Core learning
priorities within and
alongside that reform
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School Self-Evaluation
 SSE is a part of School Development Planning
(SDP), shaped by what has been learnt over a
decade about how to make SDP more effective
 Sharper focus on improving the quality of pupil
learning through evidence based decisions
 SSE and SIP are incremental and iterative
 SSE, implementing JCSA and professional
development are deeply interlinked within SDP
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SSE
2013-2016
 Literacy
 Numeracy
 One aspect chosen from teaching and learning
‘Each school’s improvement plans - one for literacy, one for
numeracy and for another aspect of teaching and learning in
the first four year phase of school self-evaluation will fulfil the
requirements in the Department’s circular on school selfevaluation and the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy.’
DES, May 2013
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Literacy and Numeracy
 Foundation for learning and life
 Embedded in subject specifications of JCSA
 Dominate mandatory SSE interventions over next
3 years
 Strategy runs from 2011-2020
 Standardised testing (2017)…but no league tables
 Deficit literacy to curricular literacy and dialogic
competence is the deep linkage to JCSA & AFL
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Connections that prompt
re-thinking curriculum and
assessment in JCSA
Valued pupil
outcomes
and key
‘skills’
determine
curriculum
design and
delivery
Assessment
for and as
learning
embed key
skills in
teaching
and
learning
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Reframe
how
summative
assessment
relates to
learning
and
teaching
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Key Skills  Assessment for Learning:
Making Learning Explicit and Intentional
Key Skills:
Learner outcomes
 Managing myself
 Staying well
 Communicating
 Being creative
 Working with others
 Managing information
and thinking
 Literacy
 Numeracy
Assessment for Learning:
Classroom interaction
 Learning aims
 Success criteria
 Formative feedback
 Questioning for
dialogue and higher
order thinking
 Self evaluation
 Peer evaluation
 Cooperative learning
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JCSA Assessment and
Moderation: Core Issues
Assessment for learning and assessment for
reporting / certification purposes need to be
reconciled…framing challenge at this time
o The relative importance of different purposes
of assessment
o Impact of assessment upon the quality of
desired pupil learning
o Assessment ‘literacy’ is professional priority
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Popularly assumed model of
curriculum
1 Syllabus
(what?)
• Content
• Facts
Concepts
Skills…
2 Pedagogy
(how?)
3 Assessment
(whether?)
• Transmission
model
• Teacher
dominated
• Test
• After learning
• Motivates
through
competition
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Common ‘actually experienced’
model of curriculum
1 Assessment
• Determines
what’s
important
• Redefines
values & aims
• ‘Backwash
effect’ 
2 Pedagogy
3 Syllabus
• Responds to
focus of
assessment
• Re-interprets
knowledge,
competence
& skill 
• Content / skill
taught
• Content / skill
suppressed
• Negative
motivational
impact?
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2
Planning for an
Aligned Approach
An Example of an aligned plan: 20132016
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2013-14
• Literacy (link to JCSA)
SSE
• SSE & SIP (phase 1)
• Literacy Committee
JCSA
•
•
•
•
•
Establish JCSA Steering Group
English INSET for 2014
Key Skill + AFL
Short courses?
Why are we doing this? What is it?
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2014-15
SSE
JCSA
•
•
•
•
Numeracy (link to JCSA)
Numeracy Committee
SSE & SIP (phase 2)
Implementation cycle for literacy
• Review of current curriculum in
light of JCSA aims
• English (1Y) + Science (Prep.)
• Key skills + AFL
• Exploring assessment in JCSA
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2015-16
SSE
JCSA
• Area in Learning & Teaching (e.g.
Assessment in ‘active’ or coming JCSA
subjects)
• SSE & SIP (phase 3)
• Literacy & Numeracy : further SSE cycles
& widening understanding
•
•
•
•
•
Eng. (1,2), Sc. (1), Irish & Business (P)
Assessment modalities (school level)
Continue to embed AFL & Key skills
Literacy knits with AFL
Increasing role of subject departments in
planning and deliberation
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3.
Building Capacity
in planning and
professional
learning
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The ‘Engine’: reviewing
the fundamentals in your
School’s capacity
 JCSA / Assessment Steering Group
 A model of professional learning fit for purpose
to align LN, SSE & JC
 The Queensland experience of teacher led
assessment and moderation: implications for an
emergent collaborative professionalism
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JCSA Steering Group
 Critical to extend leadership and responsibility
beyond principal & deputy
 Include potential advocates for reform
 Support teacher ‘leaders of learning’
 Regular, calendared meeting schedule
 Formalise meetings (agenda, reports etc)
 Report to BOM, colleagues, stakeholders
 Identify short term (12-18 months) goals
 Maximise PD opportunities for members
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Professional Learning
Communities Lead Change







Richly collaborative and team based
Access new knowledge (Teacher led)
‘Action research’ model (8-10 weeks)
Scheduled ‘professional’ meetings in HR hours
Peer observation & demonstration
Evaluation: multiple sources of evidence
Dissemination of learning (e.g. film, PP
presentation to staff, reports…)
 Applying learning to next phase
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Assessment and
Moderation: Queensland lessons
 Alignment of curriculum, teaching and
assessment is guiding aim
 Very high quality of professional conversation
and collaboration required
 Sharing and mutual evaluation of samples of
student work according to set standards and
criteria
 Teaching aims, methodologies and classroom
assessment must be closely aligned and reliably
comparable
 ‘De-privatisation’ of teaching culture
Mark Fennell 2014
Introducing some key
ideas relevant to re-thinking
Junior Cycle Learning
www.juniorcycle.ie
See especially: Paul Black’s presentation at launch of new junior cycle reform
& resources
dylanwiliam.com
(assessment for learning)
www.journeytoexcellence.org.uk
(Scotland, ‘learning how to learn’ culture)
http://wiki.canterbury.ac.nz/download/attachments/5801103/something+more+
in+key+competencies.pdf (Rosemary Hipkins – key competences)
www.robinalexander.org.uk
(dialogic teaching)
www.co-operation.org
(Johnson & Johnson’s introduction)
www.ibe.unesco.org
(Google) Teacher Professional Learning: Best evidence synthesis summary
(32 pages: Helen Timperley)
http://racetothetopvolusia.wikispaces.com/file/view/Assessment+for+the+21st
Fennell 2014
+Century.pdf (Wyatt-Smith & Mark
Cumming:
eds – 21st century assessment) 22
Dr Mark Fennell
Educational Consultant & Facilitator
Mobile:
087-967-8832
Email:
markfennell@eircom.net
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