Curriculum for Excellence 1
III. Project Definition
Introduction
Literacy is top priority in all education systems because of the essential role it plays in all
academic growth. How literacy is taught in public school systems is often influenced by policy in
education set at the national level, such as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act in the United
States, a policy set forth to raise student achievement in the core content areas by placing a
strong emphasis on teacher accountability and common teaching and learning standards (“No
Child Left Behind,” 2004). Scotland, on the other hand, also emphasizes raising standards and
improving the knowledge of its students, but Scotland’s recent education reform—‘A
Curriculum for Excellence’—takes on an entirely different approach.
In 2004, Scotland introduced a new framework for its national education curriculum: a
Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), which aims to provide “a more flexible, coherent curriculum”
by “includ[ing] the totality of experiences” to bring “learning to life and life to learning” (LTS,
n.d.b.). This means that they are aiming to integrate the subjects to contextualize academic
learning and create meaningful experiences, capitalizing on the teachable moment. CfE places
emphasis on the expert teachers while the NCLB seems to shift the “emphasis [toward] programs
and packages as opposed to emphasizing the role of the expert teachers,” as stated by Richard
Allington (2005, p. 18), the President of the International Reading Association. While the
American system aims to raise standards by implementing standardized, commercially-packaged
programs in schools across the nation and implementing state-wide common core standards to
guide all public school instruction, the Scottish system seeks to provide a broader, deeper, more
meaningful and cross-curricular approach to meeting their national priorities by placing greater
power in the hands of the professionals (LTS, n.d.b.). The contrast between these two systems is
Curriculum for Excellence 2
significant, I believe, because of the implications it has on classroom instruction and student
attainment of goals.
Both approaches are aimed at raising student achievement, but they seem to head towards
very different directions. The Scottish approach, defined within the Curriculum for Excellence,
offers insight into a different approach to achieving the same goals teachers in the United States
aim to achieve. Within this, there is surely something to be learned. I am intrigued by the
Scottish approach to education and I desire to learn the effects it has at the classroom level.
Specifically, in Scotland, what does it mean for classroom teachers and for students when CfE is
actualized in day-to-day practice? In particular, how is the literacy education—the foundation of
all learning—being affected?
I hope to examine Scotland’s national curriculum specifications for literacy education at
the classroom level in order to determine what can be gained from their approach. A background
understanding of A Curriculum for Excellence is essential before entering into the field-setting to
study it in greater depth, at the classroom level. The following sections will provide a literature
review which overviews the policy of CfE and the CfE guidelines for literacy education—
instruction and assessment, as published by Scottish government and public agencies. This initial
investigation provides the essential background information I need to further my study. I intend
to use this Richter fellowship to investigate through case-study what tools and strategies are used
for implementing CfE’s vision in classroom literacy instruction, how teachers are held
accountable for its implementation, and the general opinion of the curriculum’s effectiveness in
literacy instruction, as reported by those directly involved.
A Curriculum for Excellence
Curriculum for Excellence 3
Scotland has long been proud of the high quality of its education system. Over the past
twenty years, Scottish education policy reforms have been focused around a central goal of
bettering performance by increasing school effectiveness (Reeves, 2008). It is not out of a need
to “fix” the education system that CfE was born, but rather, out of a desire to promote further
growth and even higher attainment. In effort to achieve this, in 2002, the Minister of Education
and Young People launched a nation-wide debate to develop a long-term education policy: The
National Debate on Education. The goal of the National Debate was to “make sure that [the]
schools [were] offer[ing] pupils and students a welcoming, productive and stimulating learning
environment which is fit for the 21st century” (The Scottish Government, 2002). The debate was
conducted in a manner similar to a census, in which information was collected from students,
parents, employers, and others to gain insight and direction as they design the new policy.
The feedback forms in the debate collected information from the general public on all the
pragmatics of an education system. It surveyed public opinion on the best aspects of Scotland’s
current education system, ideas for improvement, the top five things that all students should learn,
the extent to which curriculum should be differentiated, how to best motivate children to learn,
how to best teach to children’s individual talents, and a vision for the future of education (The
Scottish Government, 2002). A committee—The Curriculum Review Group— was called to
review the responses gathered during the National Debate and draw up a framework of the new
curriculum. The results from the National Debate, as summarized by The Curriculum Review
Group (2004), outline the values of the people in regards to education:

general and flexible government control of education;

emphasis on both breadth and depth of learning;

teacher quality assurance;

quality material to support the content of the current curriculum;
Curriculum for Excellence 4

a more comprehensive approach, a more enjoyable learning experience;

a less-crowded curriculum;

a smooth transitional process throughout the entire education experience;

work-skills instruction;

greater opportunity for choice;

assessment which guides instruction
The feedback gathered through the National Debate on Education was recognized by The
Curriculum Review Group (2004) as they developed the four capacities for all learners: “Our
aspiration is to enable all children to develop their capabilities as successful learners, confident
individuals, responsible citizens, and effective contributors to society” (p. 1). The four capacities
serve as the guiding feature upon which a Curriculum for Excellence is organized around. While
restructuring the education system around these four capacities that they believe all learners
should obtain, the education reform also aims to maintain the high standards of the National
Priorities1, which have been left unchanged in the reform, as well as bring about a number of
other changes (The Curriculum Review Group, 2004):

to institute a single curriculum for students aged 3-18;

provide greater opportunity for student choice within the curriculum;

incorporate work-skills training into the curriculum;

capitalize on depth of understanding rather than just breadth of content;

mandate the inclusion of fine arts, sport, and nature in the broader educational experience
In addition, it aims to “declutter” the curriculum to “free up more time for young people to
achieve[,] to allow teachers the freedom to exercise judgment on appropriate learning” and to
reform the way in which achievement is recorded (The Curriculum Review Group, 2004, p. 7).
1
5 National Priorities: achievement and attainment; framework for learning; inclusion and equality; values and
citizenship; learning for life
Curriculum for Excellence 5
In a general sense, the goal of CfE is to put the focus of education on the child, rather than the
policy, in order better obtain a broader set of outcomes (Kidner, 2010).
“A Curriculum for Excellence” states that “each child has an enormous capacity for
learning and the potential to achieve in different ways” (The Curriculum Review Group, 2004, p.
12). The curriculum aims to reflect “what [they] value as a nation and what [they] seek for [their]
young people” (The Curriculum Review Group, 2004, p. 12). It is believed that the attainment of
the four capacities for all Scottish youth will bring about a growing economy, a multicultural
perspective, greater health, lower poverty rates, higher employment, and an overall readiness for
an uncertain future (The Curriculum Review Group, 2004). In order to achieve such broad goals,
the four capacities need to be used as the basis of lessons and reflected in all aspects of the
school community. They are to be implemented through “a wide range of planned experiences”
that will take place across the curriculum—literally embedded in each of the content areas, and
in other aspects of life in the school community (The Curriculum Review Group, 2004, p. 10).
Teaching is no longer only the role of the teachers, but of all school personnel. This teaching,
whether it is taught directly in classroom lessons or indirectly through experience, is to reflect
the seven principles for curriculum design (The Curriculum Review Group, 2004):

challenge and enjoyment;

breadth;

progression;

depth;

personalization and choice;

coherence;

relevance
The Curriculum Review Group (2004) intends for the seven principles for curriculum
design to provide the backbone of all curriculum measures, from age 3 to 18. ‘Challenges and
Curriculum for Excellence 6
enjoyment’ refers to the aim to create a more engaging and motivating curriculum that allows
students to take an active role in their learning, applying their individual creativity to tackle
appropriate challenges (The Curriculum Review Group, 2004). The students, likewise, should be
offered increasing opportunity as they grow for choice and personalization of their learning
experience. Because each student is different, the content which interests one student may vary
from another. So, the curriculums should be designed to allow students to learn in a broad range
of contexts and through a broad range of experiences (The Curriculum Review Group, 2004).
Likewise, it should foster depth by synthesizing different learning concepts to develop deeper
thinking (The Curriculum Review Group, 2004). Because CfE provides a sustained framework
for all stages of education, the progression from one grade-level to another should be smooth,
with each stage building upon the previous (The Curriculum Review Group, 2004). With this
sense of progression, the curriculum is coherent. Coherence is also to be achieved between
content areas; there should be clear links between all aspects of learning (The Curriculum
Review Group, 2004). And lastly, there must be purpose for all activities and lessons. This
relevance should not only be apparent to curriculum writers and teachers, but also clearly
understandable to the students and relevant to their lives both in the present and the future (The
Curriculum Review Group, 2004).
Each of these features—the four capacities, beliefs about the child as a learner, and the
seven principles—are the guidelines set forth by the national government, each of which is
further outlined in the five “Building the Curriculum” publications issued by The Scottish
Government. However, the actual curriculum used in schools is determined by the Local
Education Authorities (LEA), which are the regional government offices, comprised of elected
members, responsible for the public education services in their particular locality (INCA, 2008).
Curriculum for Excellence 7
The only statutory curriculum elements required in all LEA curriculums are some form of
religious instruction and Gaelic instruction in Gaelic-speaking areas (Kidner, 2010). Besides
these elements, the content of the curriculum is determined by the LEA and the school head
teachers2 under LEA jurisdiction are responsible for the delivery of that curriculum (Kidner,
2010).
As with any reform, the implementation of CfE is a multi-year progression. This multiyear progression is outlined in detail by Kidner (2010, p. 7) in a briefing issued by the Scottish
Parliament, and listed below:

2002: The National Debate on Education and the Curriculum Review Group established.

2004: The Curriculum Review Group published its proposal for reform in “A Curriculum
for Excellence.”

2006 – 2010: The Curriculum Review Group further published supplementary documents,
each entitled “Building the Curriculum.” These documents outline the framework of the
curriculum, focusing each document on key topics: active learning in the early years;
framework for learning and teaching; strategic vision and key principles; and assessment
framework. Also, beginning in August of 2010, schools were required to begin delivery
of Curriculum for Excellence and the new national assessment resource was made
available.

2011 (April): The Review Group will issue the new National Literacy and National
Numeracy qualifications.

2
2012: Unit and course specifications or Literacy and Numeracy will be published.
Scottish equivalent to American “principal”
Curriculum for Excellence 8

2013 – 2016: Further publications will be issued regarding secondary and higher
education, as well as certification requirements.
At the time of the current proposed research, Curriculum for Excellence is not fully
implemented. However, the reform is already in its sixth year and schools have already begun
delivery. My research findings will reflect this transformational stage, documenting this reform
from policy to classroom, as it is occurring. A proposal of reform is simply wishful thinking until
it is put into action. Critics have analyzed the implications of the CfE reform and identified the
challenges that teachers will face.
Reeves (2008) identifies three main challenges inherent in the implementation of the new
curriculum framework. She identified several challenges which can be summarized into three
main categories: the transformation of the role of the teacher, the structure of curriculum design,
and the teacher-student relationship. First, the role of the teacher is altered as, in order to align
with the vision of CfE, teachers are to employ instructional techniques that align themselves with
the constructivist and social constructivist theories of Piaget and Vygotsky, abandoning more
behaviorist approaches used in the past (Reeves, 2008). Second, the purpose of education is
changed by restructuring the curriculum to center on “cross-curricular capacities, which have
tended to be treated as peripheral distractions in the past,” which includes not only
interdisciplinary teaching but also a greater focus on character education within the general
education classroom (Reeves, 2008, p. 11). And third, the format in which the curriculum is
implemented, with greater student choice and more contextualized and interactive lessons, also
re-conceptualizes the relationship between student and teacher. In giving students “autonomy […]
in terms of their education,” practitioners are forced to view their relationships with the students
not as givers of knowledge, but as co-facilitators of a complex and interactive educational
Curriculum for Excellence 9
process (Reeves, 2008, p. 11). As I conduct my research in a Scottish primary classroom, I will
observe teachers and students as they face these challenges of reform.
Curriculum for Excellence and Primary Literacy Education
The reform brought about through Curriculum for Excellence affects each of the contentareas, but what I am most interested in is how it is affecting literacy education. As stated by the
current Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Michael Russell, literacy is
“fundamentally about every citizen having the means to understand our world and to improve
and shape our lives and communities for the better” (“Literacy Action Plan,” 2010, p. 1). It is
truly the foundation of lifelong success. CfE supports this by endorsing “a coherent approach to
planning the curriculum, learning, teaching and assessment” (The Scottish Government, 2010, p.
6).
In 2010, a Literacy Action Plan was issued, in conjunction with CfE, specifying the
nation’s plan to raise literacy scores, especially for those who are most vulnerable in this area. It
is designed to guide already existing practice, but also to raise literacy performance in four main
areas (“Literacy Action Plan,” 2010). The four priorities identified were to close the achievement
gap, help those who struggle with basic literacy, provide a successful progression for literacy
development, and raise literacy performance for all people in Scotland (“Literacy Action Plan,”
2010). Through this plan, it was expressed that the curriculum framework described in CfE will
effectively “drive up literacy standards for all learners from 3 to 18” (“Literacy Action Plan,”
2010, p. 8). This includes making it the responsibility for all teachers to use innovative but valid
practice to increase literacy achievement by developing advanced literacy skills, align instruction
with national specifications, use diagnostic and ongoing assessment, and inform parents of
Curriculum for Excellence 10
students’ progress and areas of need (“Literacy Action Plan,” 2010). This new plan affects
primary literacy education in terms of pedagogy and accountability. Pedagogy is affected as the
plan places the responsibility of literacy instruction on all teachers, whether that is their specialty
or not. It requires practitioners to focus on more advanced literacy skills, identify students’ areas
of need early on, utilize ongoing, formative assessments in a way that does not dominate the
learning process, and sets higher requirements for inclusion of children with special needs in the
general classroom (“Literacy Action Plan,” 2010). Teacher accountability is also affected by the
Literacy Action Plan as it calls for (a) greater teacher support within the school community and
by the LEA, (b) more literacy-intensive professional development opportunities, (c) an emphasis
on sharing practice through professional learning communities and national online sharing
resources, (d) more focused national assessment through the Scottish Survey of Literacy and
Numeracy (SSLN), (e) continued international benchmarking through the Programme for
International Student Assessment (PISA), and (f) continued school evaluations by Her Majesties
Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) every three years (“Literacy Action Plan,” 2010). Each of the
changes set forth in this plan are in response to the reform brought about by CfE. Knowing how
policy intends to shape literacy education helps shape the way in which I will go about studying
literacy education during my actual research.
Following the Literacy Action Plan, Scotland continued to publish documents regarding
the new literacy framework outlined by CfE. From these documents, I have begun to understand
the policy for literacy education in Scotland, as guided by CfE. The framework of literacy
instruction in Scotland is specified through three main components, five subdivisions, and
defined experience and outcome goals for each stage of learning. There are three main
components of literacy instruction outlined in the framework: listening and talking; reading; and
Curriculum for Excellence 11
writing. These skills are then further broken down into five subdivisions: enjoyment and choice;
skill and knowledge tools; finding and using information; understanding, analyzing and
evaluating; and creating texts (LTS, 2010). Under each of these subdivisions is a standard, or
“experience and outcome” as it is called in Scotland, for each stage of learning. There are five
stages of learning within CfE, spanning ages 3-18. They are outlined in the table below,
summarized from information provided by The Scottish Government (n.d.a):
Table 1
Stages of Scottish Education
Type of School
Stage
Years of school
Nursery
“Early”
Pre-school through P13
Primary
“First”
P24 through P45
“Second”
P56 through P77
“Third,” “Fourth,” and
S1 through S6, and
“Senior”
college/other means of
Secondary
further study
Each stage of learning within the literacy curriculum has specified experiences and outcomes
that are to be achieved in each of the five subdivisions, for each main component of literacy. The
experiences and outcomes are written as “I-statements” regarding general skills the student
should learn at each stage (LTS, n.d.a.). These are used to guide curriculum design by the LEAs
and classroom instruction by practitioners.
3
Primary 1: 5-6 years old (INCA, 2008)
Primary 2: 6-7 years old (INCA, 2008)
5
Primary 4: 8-9 years old (INCA, 2008)
6
Primary 5: 9-10 years old (INCA, 2008)
7
Primary 7: 11-12 years old (INCA, 2008)
4
Curriculum for Excellence 12
Knowledge of the framework of literacy instruction will be integral to my research as I
interview teachers and make classroom observations. I will design my interviews and structure
my observations around the structural components of literacy instruction specified in policy. I
seek to discover how this CfE policy is translated into classroom practice. If all teachers are
responsible for literacy education, including classroom teachers, what are teachers doing to
uphold this responsibility? What instructional strategies are teachers using to enable students to
meet the experiences and outcomes for the first stage? And, in light of the changes brought about
by CfE, such as student choice and cross-curricular instruction, what changes are being made to
the literacy instruction at the classroom level?
My research will focus specifically on literacy education in the primary school classroom,
at the first stage. The structure of the literacy curriculum, its objectives, and its tools of
assessment, will guide my research as I seek to discover the instructional practices of school
teachers in Scotland that align CfE policy with effective reading instruction.
Conclusions
Examining and analyzing a foreign education policy requires an entirely new mindset. As
I embark to study how Scotland’s ‘Curriculum for Excellence’ is affecting primary literacy
instruction at the classroom level, I need to possess a great deal of knowledge of the Scottish
education system and the CfE policy, itself. From my initial research, I have come to understand
that the vision of CfE is to enhance all learning in Scotland by transforming education into a
comprehensive, coherent, enjoyable, meaningful, and worthwhile experience that creates the
citizens that Scotland wants for its future. Although the curriculum extends beyond that vision,
delving into the nitty-gritty of government policy and educational ‘best practice,’ it maintains a
Curriculum for Excellence 13
strong and overpowering emphasis on an enjoyable and meaningful educational experience, not
just on test scores and attainment. It is here that my greatest interest lies. I want to study literacy
instruction in Scotland because I desire to learn how their policy is guiding literacy instruction—
the backbone of education—while redeeming education as an exciting journey toward becoming
a responsible citizen, effective contributor, successful learner, and confident individual.
References
Allington, R. J. (2005). NCLB, reading first, and whither in the future? Reading Today , 18.
INCA. (2008, January 21). Retrieved February 16, 2011, from International review of curriculum
and assessment frameworks: http://www.inca.org.uk/scotland.html
Kidner, C. (2010). SPICe briefing: Curriculum for excellence. Edinburgh: The Scottish
Parliament.
Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS). (2010, Janauary). Curriculum for excellence: Literacy
across learning principles and practice. Retrieved March 10, 2011, from Learning and
Teaching Scotland:
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/learningteachingandassessment/learningacrossthecurriculu
m/responsibilityofall/literacy/principlesandpractice/index.asp
Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS). (n.d.a). Experiences and outcomes: Literacy across
learning. Retrieved March 10, 2011, from Learning and Teaching Scotland:
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/learningteachingandassessment/learningacrossthecurriculu
m/responsibilityofall/literacy/experiencesandoutcomes/index.asp
Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS). (n.d.c). PowerPoint presentation: Curriculum for
excellence - An introduction. Retrieved February 21, 2011, from Learning and Teaching
Scotland:
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/resources/c/genericresource_tcm4628047.asp?strReferringC
hannel=understandingthecurriculum&strReferringPageID=tcm:4-627954-64
Literacy action plan: An action plan to improve literacy in scotland. (2010, October 27).
Retrieved March 10, 2011, from The Scottish Government: 2011
No Child Left Behind. (2004, September 21). Retrieved April 2, 2011, from Education Week:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/no-child-left-behind/
Reeves, J. (2008). Between a rock and a hard place? Curriculum for excellence and the quality
initiative in scottish schools. Scottish Educational Review , 6-16.
The Curriculum Review Group. (2004, January 11). A curriculum for excellence. Retrieved
February 20, 2011, from The scottish executive government:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2004/11/20178/45862
Curriculum for Excellence 14
The Scottish Government. (2002). The national debate on education: Briefing pack. Scottish
Executive Education Department (SEED).
IV. Methodology
The goal of my research is to answer the question of how the changes brought about
through CfE are affecting literacy education in the primary classroom and what can be learned
from this approach, both positive and negative. This single question can be further broken down
into the various aspects that make up literacy education according to Scottish policy, in
accordance with CfE: the four capacities, the seven principles, and the literacy experiences and
outcomes at the first stage of learning. How are these attributes of the policy playing out in
primary literacy education, at the classroom level?
In order to answer these questions, I will conduct intrinsic case study research. Case
study research, according to Gall, Gall, & Borg (2003), is the analysis of four characteristics: “(1)
the study of phenomena by focusing on specific instances, that is, cases; (2) an in-depth study of
each case; (3) the study of a phenomenon in its natural context; and (4) the study of the emic
perspective of the case study participants” (p. 436). The phenomenon in my particular case
research is literacy education. That phenomenon is being studied within the specific and natural
context of the public Scottish Primary 2 and Primary 3 reading classroom which follows the
statutes of CfE. Data from the study, collected through interview and observation of teachers,
will be collected in a format that displays the perspective of the participant teachers. The
category of case study that my research falls into is instrinsic case research. Barone (2004) states
that intrinsic case research is a type of case study in which “the researcher is seeking a better
understanding […] because it is interesting, not because it might contribute to theory building”
(p. 8). For my research, my intention is not to develop new theory about literacy education, but
Curriculum for Excellence 15
rather to explore and gain understanding of the Scottish approach, through CfE. Intrinsic case
study research has been chosen as my research methodology because it provides a deep and
comprehensive scope of the topic of research, thus allowing me to conduct an intense
examination of literacy education through CfE, use multiple modes of data collection (interview,
observation, reflective journaling); allot a more generous amount of time for data collection;
collect more focused, yet comprehensive, data; and use this data for pattern analysis upon which
I will draw my final conclusions.
Participants for this study will be Scottish Primary 2 and Primary 3classroom teachers.
Children will not be used as participants in any way. The study will take place in two primary
schools in Stirling, Scotland, with one Primary 2 and one Primary 3 teacher as participants in
each school. Teacher selection will be made according to ease of access and willingness to
participate. Prior to my research period, I will be student teaching at the Beaconhurst School, in
the Bridge of Allan district of Stirling, Scotland. For this reason, Stirling has been chosen as my
location of research. Of the two schools to participate in my study, one will be located at the city
center, in Stirling, and another on the outskirts, in the Bridge of Allan district. In order to select
participants, I have emailed the school headmasters, informing them of my intentions and
seeking permission to conduct the study within (see Supporting Documents section). After
securing two teachers for participation, I will provide a written form of informed consent for
interview, audio-recording, and classroom observation (Appendix 1). Consent forms will be
collected prior to time of interview/observation. Participant teachers will then be asked to
provide the time-block in which literacy education can be observed and a schedule will be made.
Teachers will also be asked to schedule a minimum of two hours for a semi-formal interview.
Curriculum for Excellence 16
Also, to ensure safety, I will email a copy of my federal background check to participating
schools.
Data collection instruments to be used during this case study include interview,
observation/observational field notes, and reflective journaling. Interviews will be conducted
with primary school teachers at the participant schools, using the attached interview questions
(Appendix 2). The interview conversations will be conducted in a semi-formal manner and
audio-recorded for later analysis. Observational periods will be during the teachers’ indicated
literacy blocks, for a minimum of two days, per classroom. The specific time and dates of these
interviews and observations is pending. For the observations, I will develop a checklist based on
the four capacities, seven principles, and experiences and outcomes upon which my research
question is framed. Each day, following my interviews and observations, I will do a step one
analysis of data collected that day, making notes, categorizing data, and searching for patterns
within. Then, I will write a journal entry, reflecting upon the data collected. These journals will
be kept separate from data, as to not confuse my interpretations with the data collected from
participants. All data collected will be kept confidential and in a safe place that only I have
access to.
The data collection tools chosen for my case study have been chosen to ensure that data is
collected from multiple perspectives. Interviews will provide data about the classroom literacy
education from the teacher’s perspective. Observations will provide data about the classroom
literacy education from the policy perspective. Reflective journals will provide ongoing analysis
and reflection upon these two sets of data from my own personal perspective, with the
knowledge from preliminary research and experience in mind. Using these three modes will
paint a larger picture of the role of literacy in Scottish classrooms, as guided by CfE.
Curriculum for Excellence 17
Analysis of all data will be through the form of written notes. During the interviews,
notes and audio-record will serve as data, and during observation, observational field notes will
be recorded. This data will be reflected upon daily throughout the period of study in the form of
reflective journaling. I will keep this journal electronically, reporting from a personal perspective
my interpretation of the data I have collected from both classroom observation and from teacher
interviews. In my reflections, I will discuss the implications of my findings, as they relate to the
readings done prior to research. I will look for patterns between classroom practice and Scottish
policy, as specified in the four capacities, seven principles, and literacy experiences and
outcomes. Then, I will examine these patterns to determine whether the three challenges
identified by Reeves (2008): the transformation of the role of the teacher, the structure of
curriculum design, and the teacher-student relationship, are present within the participant
primary literacy classrooms. This analysis will structure my later analysis and write-up in my
honors thesis.
Data collection will take place in November of 2011, following my student teaching.
Then, after all data is collected, I will return to North Central to complete my data analysis by the
end of January. Then, I will use the data to write up and submit my honors thesis paper at the end
of winter term 2012.
Below is a proposed timeline for my research:
Table 2
Timeline for Research
Time Frame
Research Activity
Week 1 – Participant School #1

Classroom Observations (minimum of two
days, per classroom)
Curriculum for Excellence 18

Scheduled Interviews (two hours, likely
spread out over two days, due to busy
teacher schedule)
Week 2 – Participant School #2

Initial data analysis

Classroom Observations (minimum of two
days, per classroom)

Scheduled Interviews (two hours, likely
spread out over two days, due to busy
teacher schedule)

Initial data analysis
References
Barone, D. M. (2004). Case-study research. In N.K. Duke & M.H. Mallete (Eds.) Literacy
research methodologies (pp. 7-27). New York: Guilford.
Gall, M. D., Gall, J. P., & Borg, W. R. (2003). Educational research: An introduction. Boston: A
and B.
Reeves, J. (2008). Between a rock and a hard place? Curriculum for excellence and the quality
initiative in scottish schools. Scottish Educational Review , 6-16.
V. Dissemination of Results
The final product of this research will be an approximately 30 page honors thesis,
covering an overview of CfE and policy and literacy instruction, data collected, and a detailed
analysis of data with clear conclusions about how the CfE policy is affecting primary literacy
instruction and what can be learned from it. In addition, my project will be submitted for
presentation at NCC’s Rall Symposium, as well as the National Conference on Undergraduate
Curriculum for Excellence 19
Research. The results of my study will provide insight into literacy education and this
information will be beneficial to other teachers and educators who seek a greater understanding
of other approaches being used around the world.
VI. Relevant Experience
I am a student whose high ambitions, strong work ethic, and past experience qualify me as
strong and worthy Richter grant candidate. Conducting a Richter research project is an enormous
undertaking, but, I believe, will be well worth it when it is complete due to the great enrichment
it brings to an academic experience. Now in my fourth year of college, I have taken numerous
courses that prepare me for this project, as well as demonstrated my high ability, as I have
maintained a 4.0 cumulative G.P.A throughout my entire college career. As an Elementary
Education major, the majority of my coursework has been directly related to child development
and learning, content-instruction, and teacher pedagogy at the primary level. Education courses
that I have completed that relate to this project include:







EDN 100: Introduction to Education
EDN 240: Children’s Literature
EDN 260: Classroom Management
EDN 330: Teaching Children with Special Needs
PSY 100: Introduction to Psychology
PSY: 210: Child Development
PSY: 220: Adolescent Psychology
Furthermore, I have completed all five instructional methods courses for my major, in which I
participated in over 300 hours of practicum experience and independently taught 16 content-area
lessons. These courses covered the content areas of math, social studies, science, language arts,
and reading. In addition to this, I have furthered my knowledge in the area of reading by taking
courses such as Reading Assessment and Intervention (EDN 462), Reading in the Content-Area
Curriculum for Excellence 20
(EDN 374), and Diagnostic Reading Instruction (EDN 463/464). At the time of my proposed
research, I will also have completed my student teaching in Stirling, Scotland, thus having a
greater understanding of the role of reading in the Scottish primary classroom.
Each of these courses and experiences prepares me to delve deeply into the content and
strategies of reading instruction and the intricacies of the education system in Scotland while I
conduct my research for this Richter grant. However, it is not only my relevant coursework and
high performance that prepare me for this project; it is also my personal experience. I have
traveled abroad numerous times, having visited three continents and seven different countries,
including Scotland. Nearly all of my experience abroad has been independent travel, in which I
had to take care of my food, housing, transportation, safety, and budget myself. One of these
experiences abroad included traveling to Taiwan alone and attending a public high school there
for an entire year, in which I successfully faced the challenge of adapting to a vastly different
culture, lifestyle, and school system. My past experience abroad instilled in me a greater sense of
open-mindedness, understanding, cultural appreciation, and confidence to take on difficult tasks.
These traits led me, in my second year of college, to organize and orchestrate an honors
capstone project in which I integrated my honors philosophy course with humanitarianism to
educate the public about life in Kenya following the riots related to the presidential election at
that time and to raise over $5000 to support children’s food needs at a particular orphanage. That
project remains in my mind as one of the highlights of my college experience. Through it I was
able to bring together my course-related knowledge with current issues, and apply my skills in
international relations, communication, and leadership, in order to successfully accomplish a
large-scale international project. I hope to repeat this success in my Richter research endeavors.
Curriculum for Excellence 21
Furthermore, my understanding of research has been influenced and developed through
courses I have taken and through the counsel of my research advisor, Dr. Leu. I have taken SOC
100, PSY 220, and HON 300, each of which taught me the basics of conducting research. And,
as I have developed this project proposal, I have also taken advantage of resources regarding
educational research methodology.
As a student who continually demonstrates high achievement and high ambition, who has
a strong knowledge-base in the coursework related to my research and to research itself, and has
diverse experience—both abroad experience and independent project experience, I am a
promising candidate for a Richter research grant to study the implications of the Scottish
‘Curriculum for Excellence’ education reform on primary reading instruction.
VII. Personal Application
Challenging myself as I take on this research project, I whole-heartedly expect, will make
a strong impact on me and my future. It is bound to alter my perspective, help me grow as a
professional, a leader, and an international citizen. As I conclude this project, I will also be
concluding my college career and embarking into the “real world,” as a reading teacher.
Studying literacy education in Scotland will help me grow as a professional in the education field,
allowing me to gain insight from a different perspective, develop my professional skills as I work
with other professionals in the field, and develop strong leadership skills that are sure to pay off
when I get my first teaching job. Also, considering my passion for international travel, I am
enticed by the prospect of a future career abroad. The experience I gain from this research
project will prepare me to develop further as an international citizen and international contributor.
Curriculum for Excellence 22
I sincerely look forward to the growth that will occur in me through this experience and the
impact it will have on my professional and personal goals.
VIII. Annotated Bibliography
Allington, R. J. (2005). NCLB, reading first, and whither in the future? Reading Today , 18.
This article highlights some of the key challenges of No Child Left Behind/Reading First
policies. Though the article pertains specifically with American school policy, it
provides a common argument/rationale with the ‘Curriculum for Excellence’ policy in
Scotland--that teaching is a profession of experts and teachers should be allowed to
practice that expertise with students in order to obtain best results. The article brings to
light the common issues in literacy education in both countries.
Barone, D. M. (2004). Case-study research. In N.K. Duke & M.H. Mallete (Eds.) Literacy
research methodologies (pp. 7-27). New York: Guilford.
This chapter explains, in detail, the characteristics of case study literacy research and its
history. The information provided within has contributed to the development of my own
research methodology and provided a greater understanding of other literacy case study
research that has taken place.
Conroy, J., Hulme, M., & Menter, I. (2008). Primary curriculum futures (Primary review
research survey 3/3). Cambridge: University of Cambridge Faculty of Education.
This is one of thirty-two reports conducted by the Cambridge Faculty of Education
regarding the state and future of the British school system, as of 2008. This particular
report focuses on the curriculum of primary classrooms in the UK. Within the article, it
states the focus of curriculum development: the learning of “transferable skills” and
emotional maturity, which receives increasingly greater emphasis over the foundational
content components of the curriculum: mathematics, literacy, and technology. It also
details the British curriculum’s growing emphasis of “thinking skills,” which are
imbedded in both England and Scotland’s national curriculum design and assessment
procedures. Scotland is one of the countries that makes up Great Britain and as such, it
will help answer questions about Scotland’s national curriculum specifications. It
provides a springboard for further research of the national curriculum and assessment by
suggesting that the Assessment is for Learning program, the “thinking skills” teaching
approach, and the emphasis on building of children’s emotional capacity are key
components.
Curriculum for Excellence 23
Gall, M. D., Gall, J. P., & Borg, W. R. (2003). Educational research: An introduction. Boston: A
and B.
This book is a handbook for educational research. The chapter on case research was
particularly usefully in helping me understand the characteristics and purpose of case
study research. This information served as a guideline as I developed my own research
methodology for this project.
Hall, K., & Ozerk, K. (2008). Primary curriculum and assessment: England and other countries
(Primary review research survey 3/3). Cambridge: University of Cambridge Faculty of
Education.
This is one of thirty-two reports conducted by the Cambridge Faculty of Education
regarding the state and future of the British school system, as of 2008. This particular
report compares the curriculum goals and structure of England with the rest of the United
Kingdom, as well as with France, Japan, and Norway. It discusses the evolution of all
United Kingdom school policies toward a joint goal to promote both the cognitive and
affective growth of students. In its comparison, it provides information and citations to
other documents that feature many key components of the Scottish system, such as its
aim to undo the decontextualization of learning and to stress assessment for learning over
assessment for accountability. This report will help answer basic questions about
Scotland’s national curriculum specifications and serve as a basis for deeper research in
these areas, providing reference to specific national documents and research articles that
will aid in exploring these concepts further.
Hayward, L., Priestley, M., & Young, M. (2004). Ruffling the calm of the ocean floor: Merging
practice, policy and research in assessment in Scotland. Oxford Review of Education ,
397-415.
This article is based on an initiative by the Scottish Executive Education Department
(SEED) to develop and implement its Assessment is for Learning (AfL) program. It
discusses a piloted formative assessment program in elementary schools across
Scotland. The main argument in the article is the collaboration of teaching professionals,
researchers, and policy-makers, in order to create and carry out a formative assessment
program that brings these three groups together, rather than pushing them apart. It
discusses the focus of implementing the research represented in national education policy
in the everyday classroom. The methods of policy and research implementation
discussed in the article provide insight about how assessment is approached by all three
parties: teachers, researchers, and policy-makers. It will help answer questions about the
tools and strategies of implementation of the national curriculum, by providing
Curriculum for Excellence 24
information that will aid in understanding the implementation of practice, from the
research level to the policy level and then to the classroom level.
INCA. (2008, January 21). International review of curriculum and assessment frameworks.
Retrieved February 16, 2011, from INCA: http://www.inca.org.uk/scotland.html
The International Review of Curriculum and Assessment Frameworks is an Internet
archive that collects educational frameworks from twenty-one different countries,
including all of the United Kingdom. It is run by the Qualifications and Curriculum
Development Agency, which is the English national curriculum development
agency. Within the INCA review of the Scottish education system, it outlines and
describes the structure and organization of the system and the nationally stated
curriculum and assessment arrangements, as well as a glossary of common terms used
within the system, linked reference to national websites regarding Education, and other
relevant source references.
This website provides answers to any questions regarding the make-up of the Scottish
national curriculum, the specifications of the curriculum, and the intended implications in
the classroom. It has specific sections that focus on the primary grades, as well as
specific sections that focus on literacy.
Kidner, C. (2010). SPICe briefing: Curriculum for excellence. Edinburgh: The Scottish
Parliament.
This report from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) provides a detail
summary of the rational, structure, and implementation procedures of CfE. In addition, it
covers the implications it has on assessment and qualifications, as well as a list of
sources. This briefing provides a comprehensive summary of what CfE is and what it is
to achieve.
Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS). (2010). Curriculum for Excellence building the
curriculum 5 a framework for assessment: Key ideas and priorities. Retrieved March 10,
2011, from Learning and Teaching Scotland:
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/Images/BtC5_assess_tcm4-582215.pdf
This document issued by The Scottish Government is a guiding tool for educational
administrators and practitioners to use while developing their local curriculum to align
with CfE priorities. It states the eight main differences between the prior curriculum and
CfE and outlines each. In addition, it provides a visual framework by which assessment
is to be organized within CfE.
Curriculum for Excellence 25
Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS). (2010, Janauary). Curriculum for Excellence: Literacy
across learning principles and practice. Retrieved March 10, 2011, from Learning and
Teaching Scotland:
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/learningteachingandassessment/learningacrossthecurriculu
m/responsibilityofall/literacy/principlesandpractice/index.asp
This document issued by The Scottish Government details various aspects of the ‘literacy
across learning’ initiative within CfE. It includes the definition of literacy, the literacy
framework, implications of the framework on learning and teaching, and features of
literacy assessment. It provides needed information about the structure of literacy
curriculum and assessment within CfE, according to policy.
Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS). (n.d.a.). Experiences and outcomes: Literacy across
learning. Retrieved March 10, 2011, from Learning and Teaching Scotland:
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/learningteachingandassessment/learningacrossthecurriculu
m/responsibilityofall/literacy/experiencesandoutcomes/index.asp
This document published by The Scottish Government specifies the national learning
standards for literacy throughout the entire 3-18 curriculum. It denotes which skills
students should have attained by each phases of education, in accordance with CfE. This
document will enhance my research because it provides information about how exactly
CfE is carried out in the classroom, in terms of primary literacy instruction.
Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS). (n.d.b.). National assessment resource assessment
materials. Retrieved March 15, 2011, from Learning and Teaching Scotland:
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/learningteachingandassessment/assessment/supportmaterial
s/nar/assessmentmaterials/index.asp
This is a website which contains information and documents pertaining to the National
Assessment Resource (NAR). The two documents provided include the NAR User
Guide and NAR Exemplars. The user guide explains what NAR is and how it can be
used to ensure quality literacy and numeracy assessment for students and the exemplar
displays a formatted example of what the online database looks like and content in
contains. This site gives me a greater understanding of how assessment is structured and
administered under CfE.
Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS). (n.d.c.). PowerPoint presentation: Curriculum for
Excellence - An introduction. Retrieved February 21, 2011, from Learning and Teaching
Scotland:
Curriculum for Excellence 26
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/resources/c/genericresource_tcm4628047.asp?strReferringC
hannel=understandingthecurriculum&strReferringPageID=tcm:4-627954-64
This Power Point presentation is a tool provided by LTS to inform parents of the changes
that will take place in their children’s classrooms as a result of CfE. It emphasizes the
importance of cross-curricular and contextual learning and the transformation for the role
of a teacher as a ‘trusted expert.’
Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS). (n.d.d.). Understanding the curriculum. Retrieved
February 21, 2011, from Learning and Teaching Scotland:
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/understandingthecurriculum/
Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) is a government supported website which
provides all relevant information about education in Scotland for educators and
administrators. ‘Understanding the Curriculum’ is a portion of this website which
overviews all aspects of CfE and provides access to key government documents.
Literacy action plan: An action plan to improve literacy in Scotland. (2010, October 27).
Retrieved March 10, 2011, from The Scottish Government: 2011
This document put forth by The Scottish Government contains information on the newest
government initiative in terms of literacy education: the Literacy Action Plan. It
delineates the literacy trends in Scotland, the vision for future literacy trends in Scotland,
the policy being set forth, the plan of action, and how it is to be achieved. It gives a wide
picture of what the Scottish government aims to achieve through CfE in order to improve
overall literacy.
Reeves, J. (2008). Between a rock and a hard place? Curriculum for Excellence and the Quality
Initiative in Scottish schools. Scottish Educational Review , 6-16.
This article outlines the conflict between two Scottish education initiatives: Curriculum
for Excellence and Quality Initiative in Scottish Schools. It delineates the difference in
objectives of each initiative and the challenge that Scotland faces in integrating the
two. The question approached in this article is how Scotland can effectively transform its
education system without losing quality assurance. In its analysis, it states both the
benefits and drawbacks of the new system in terms of theory and practicality. Thus, it
helps to answer questions regarding the rationale behind CfE and its repercussions in
classroom practice.
Stephen, C., Cope, P., Iddo, O., & Shand, P. (2008). 'They should try to find out what the
children like': Exploring engagement in learning. Scottish Educational Review , 17-28.
Curriculum for Excellence 27
This article discusses the perceptions of “engagement in learning” as described by
both teachers and students in Scotland. It is described as relevant research in relation to
the aims of a Curriculum for Excellence. While the teacher and student responses were
certainly interesting and provided insight about the role of teacher and role of student in
classrooms (in disregard to policy), what is most relevant to my research is the
methodology employed by the research team. Their methods of interviewing teachers
and conducting classroom observations are very similar to the methods I plan to pursue in
my research. Detailed description of how to obtain consent and how interview questions
were structured is provided within the article. This information will guide me as I
conduct my research.
The Curriculum Review Group. (2004, January 11). A Curriculum for Excellence. Retrieved
February 20, 2011, from The scottish executive government:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2004/11/20178/45862
This is the initial document published by the Scottish Executive Education Department
(SEED) in 2004 to introduce CfE and its proposed reform. It provides and outline of the
bare basics of the curriculum and what changes are involved with it.
The Scottish Government. (n.d.a.). Assessment for Curriculum for Excellence: Strategic vision
key principles. Retrieved March 15, 2011, from Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS):
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/Images/AssessmentforCfE_tcm4-565505.pdf
This document specifies the purpose and structure of literacy and numeracy assessment
in accordance with CfE. It states that assessment is not to lead learning, but support
it. Within the document is described how assessment is used to track progress, how
consistency is ensured, and how results are reported for both literacy and numeracy. This
provides me with foundational knowledge about how CfE is affecting literacy assessment.
The Scottish Government. (n.d.b.). Building the curriculum 5 a framework for assessment:
Understanding, applying and sharing standards in assessment for curriculum for
excellence: Quality assurance and moderation. Retrieved March 15, 2011, from Learning
and Teaching Scotland (LTS):
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/Images/BtC5SharingStandards_tcm4-630057.pdf
This ‘Building the Curriculum’ document focuses on assessment, and more specifically,
how assessment policy brought forth by CfE can be translated into classroom practice. It
explains how changes in assessment policy affect practitioners, schools, and education
authorities, as well as how support, quality assurance, accountability, and national
Curriculum for Excellence 28
guidance will be administered. Reading this supplies information about the policy of
assessment and how it is to be played out in the everyday classroom.
The Scottish Government. (2006). OECD review of the quality and equity of education outcomes
in Scotland: Diagnostic report. OECD.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an
international body which collects data on various areas that affect economic development,
including education, and provides publicly accessible reports. This document is the
diagnostic report issued by the OECD about the quality and equity of Scottish
education. It details the structure of the education system and its various sectors; past,
present, and future policies; and how Scottish students are performing in the various
content-areas. From this document, I can obtain information not only about how the
Scottish system in structured as a result of CfE, but also how students are performing in
literacy.
The Scottish Government. (2002). The national debate on education: Briefing pack. Scottish
Executive Education Department (SEED).
This is the original “National Debate” document published by SEED which was sent to
Scottish citizens seeking public opinion in regards to how Scottish young people should
be educated. Looking at this document provides insight into the rationale behind CfE and
how this reform was started.