Workshop on Curriculum Management Kuwait City October

1. School Education Quality Improvement Program (SEQI 2)How to Implement the New Kuwait National Curriculum? Workshop on Curriculum Management Kuwait City October

2. School based Continuous Professional Development

3. Expected outcomes • Getting familiar with the main concepts of Supportive School-based Continuous Professional Development (SSbCPD). • Get ownership of implementation of SSbCPD mechanisms and roles of each actor involved (master trainer, technical supervisor, school principal, head of department, teacher). • Sharing experience and learning from each-other. • Guiding, monitoring and offering appropriate advice to all actors involved

4. Take responsibility for promoting the recommended mechanisms of Supportive SbCPD implementation; • Support districts and schools to implement and manage the professional development of teaching staff according to indicated procedures and guidelines. • Mediate and solve issues that might appear in the implementation process.

5. 2015-2016 Eight elements of novelty!

6. Introducing new Classroom Approaches by shifting from: • NO Curriculum Framework to YES Curriculum Framework • Content-based Subject Syllabus to Competence- and Standard-based Subject Curricula • From Syllabus-based Planning to Curriculum Standards-based Annual Planning • Content-based to competence-based textbooks and Teaching Learning Resources • New forms of professional development for teachers

7. Important questions • How would the new curriculum impact the school’s life in terms of: periods allocated/teacher/week according to the new TP , teachers working in two different paradigms, relationship with the parents? • What should be the relationship between the School Principals and District Technical Supervisors concerning monitoring implementation of the new curriculum, SbCPD of teachers, classroom observation and supervision procedures?

8. Curriculum Management Concepts

9. Main concepts (i) • Curriculum management is about how to turn a set of policy documents into classroom practices, resulting into better school achievements, into more knowledgeable and happier learners.

10. Main concepts (ii) Curriculum implementation should be understood as: • A nation-wide and overall systemic process by which the Kuwait National Curriculum is planned, designed, developed, managed, implemented, monitored, evaluated, reviewed, re-processed, and restructured. • A school-based systemic process – startingfrom clear guidelines provided by the National Curriculum – by which schools interpret, organize and implement the whole system of learning opportunities and approaches offered to students by the school as a learning environment (i.e. curriculum seen as a happening that supports the learning process).

11. Main concepts (iii) School-based curriculum managementis part of curriculum management and includes all activities organized at the school level, by each school, in order to meet the national objectives. • The values behind a SbCMare autonomy, accountability, effectiveness, creativity, professionalism, and participation. • The need to foster the school autonomy should be regarded as a must, as the philosophy of the competence-based curriculum requires autonomous decisions adapted to the concrete realities of each school.

12. Main concepts (iv) Quality Assuranceis the systematic review of the curriculum implementation strategy to ensure that the requirements of the competence-based curriculum and related domains are being maintained.

13. School-based Curriculum Management

14. The need for School-based Curriculum Management • To balance national standards with local needs and realities • To address the needs of diverse schools and children • To encourage flexibility and creativity in curriculum implementation

15. What kind of school environment? Learners’ achievement by fostered through creating an environment in which: • Both teachers and learners shared clear purposes and responsibilities for learning and are able to engage collaboratively in activities that promote the school goals • A “professional community” - teachers pursue a clear shared purpose, engage in collaborative activity, and there is a collective responsibility for student learning

16. How SbCMSupports Curriculum Implementation? • School-based professional development organized under the direct coordination of heads of departments, subject supervisors and school principals • Promoting a new collaborative approach in learning • Encouraging school-based initiatives, e.g. after-school programs

17. Context, concepts and principles

18. Exercise – SWOT Analyzes

19. Continuous Professional Development Program

20. Why continuous professional development for teachers when implementing the new curriculum?

21. The teachers are the main implementers of the new curriculum in their classrooms, therefore, they need to know: What are the changes? (paradigm shifts, the new organization of learning process) How to interpret and apply the new curriculum (procedures, pedagogies and learning resources)? How to assess students’ performance (curriculum standards, descriptors and assessment tools)? Who leads the process of implementation and offer permanent support? Finally, based on their initial classroom experience with the new curriculum, teachers need to know how the process could be improved to produce even better results!

22. In a different optic, teachers develop professionally

23. What do S-bCPD stand for?

24. What is school-based professional development? • School-based Continuous Professional Development (SbCPD) • is one of the key forms of Continuous Teacher Professional Development (CTPD). SbCPD is a complementary and continuous system of actions and learning opportunities based on school and teachers’ needs, organized and managed at school level. - This professional development model is taking place within a school where the teachers on a regular basis and in a more appropriate time participate in a range of learning activities aimed to improve their professional knowledge and skills and to implement the best educational practice.

25. The main features of Supportive SbCPD

26. The main features of Supportive SbCPD • Supportive – providing teachers with persistent encouragement of their professional development activity and necessary help; • Continuous – being regular and based on lifelong learning principles; • Systematic - being well organized and long-term planned; • Demand-driven– based on the real needs of teachers, focused on the needs of the education system and closer to schools; • Collaborative - based on interactive learning environment in which teachers engage in cooperation, sharing of experience, information, ideas and work together for solving the problems related to teaching; • Flexible –being more responsive to changing education environment and new requirements as well as the teachers’ needs and different professional levels and rates of progress; • Diverse -having various forms of delivery mechanisms and models according the needs and opportunities.

27. What are the goals of S-bcpd? On short term • Enabling Grade 1 teachers to effectively implement the new competence-based subject curricula for Grade one. • Facilitating the teachers’ access to the program of Supportive School-based Continuous Professional Development (SbCPD) as part of a new school culture, as a step towards turning school in a self-improved learning community. On medium and long term

28. What are the expected results of S-bcpd? • Teachers have the competences relevant to the needs of the 21stcentury schools; • Teachers have the knowledge, attitudes and pedagogic skills to implement a competence based curriculum; • Teachers have the opportunity to improve their professional development at school; • Teachers have the opportunity to improve systematically their qualifications in accordance with their needs; • Teachers are open for learning, reflection, feedback, for sharing skills, experiences and own resources.

29. Who are the participants ofS-bcpd ? • School principals • Heads of departments • Teachers • District and Technical supervisors

30. The responsibilities of the participants are the following School principal • is responsible for establishing the support system for Supportive SbCPD, internal organization, management and monitoring of the school, support in all the activities, leading the school towards an agreed set of SbCPD targets.

31. The responsibilities of the participants are the following: Heads of departments • . They coach the teachers in planning the teaching and learning process, establish priorities, offer constant supportive mentoring and coaching type of activity for all teachers, organize concrete SSbCPD activities at the school level, monitor the implementation of the agreed plans and offer professional help.

32. The responsibilities of the participants are the following: Teachers • are required to express a constant interest and support in organizing Supportive SbCPD activities, to collaborate with their Head of Departments to determine priorities and needs at school and subject level. • Some of experienced teachers, who will be trained as trainer-facilitators, mentors and coaches will be responsible for providing professional learning activities, reflection and supporting all the collaborative activities during the Program implementation. • .

33. The responsibilities of the participants are the following District and Technical supervisors are the link between the official level and school practice. They are required to increase their supportive role, advising school principals and heads of departments on various ways to realize the Supportive SbCPD Program according to MoE’s priorities

34. Training Needs Assessment • Usually data is collected through surveys and interviews • The purpose is to establish professional development needs in respect of helping decision makers (including the school principal) to better adapt professional development opportunities offered to teachers and to match them with the on-going reform processes. • The survey is confidential, and no individuals could be identified in any published results. The results will be used to observe general needs/trends to be addressed by future compulsory training programs. • For individual professional development needs, teachers could discuss with their district technical supervisors/school principals to identify a PD opportunity that might solve their issues.

35. Main activities • Teachers’ Needs assessment and analysis, and monitoring of improvement. • Establishment and improvement of new supportive professional climate. • Capacity building activities for experienced teachers • Establishment of professional development days for teachers • Development the content of Supportive SbCPD activities • Delivering of the different types of Supportive SbCPD activities • Organizing Networking and Resource Support activities

36. SECRET RECIPE? • As a supervisor, what is your secret formula to ensure a supportive environment for your teachers? • How can you motivate them to learn new things and perform better in classroom? • Is there any barrier preventing you to achieve your goals?

37. Supportive system • Leadership Support – management approach based on support (not evaluation) and professional leadership of teachers in their professional development efforts. • Organizational Support–organizing the necessary activities and establishing rules for supportive learning environment (safe, flexible, continuous, ICT based and so on) for the implementation of a school-based continuous professional development of teachers. • Psychological Support-sustainable supportive and psychologically safe collegial atmosphere and relationships between teachers and school leadership aimed to motivate the teachers to work without regard to criticism. • Informational Support- providing the teachers with all the necessary learning and teaching resources for the implementation of the new curriculum.

38. Supportive system

39. Stages of implementing the SSbCPD • Initial Countrywide Stage • order of the Minister of Education (main activities, timeframe, responsible persons and expected outcomes). • Kuwait Curriculum Portal • capacity building for school principals, technical, district supervisors on Supportive SbCPD • initial Teachers’ Training Needs Survey • Developing the Action Plan on implementation of Supportive SbCPD • Awareness campaign for parents of students (grade 1) and stakeholders.

40. Stages of implementing the SSbCPD School-based Stage • Leadership Support (role of the school principals and supervisors, heads of departments –supervision, mentoring, coaching) • Organizational Support (weekly compulsory PD, workshops on “hot” topics, Open Doors-classroom/lesson observation etc.) • Psychological Support (supportive classroom observation/supervision, mentoring, peer-coaching, teamwork, dissemination of knowledge and skills, meeting with parents) • Informational Support (School Curriculum Resource Center – official documents, collection of teachers’ portfolios, best practices in implementation, networking with other schools/teachers teaching the same subject)

41. Supportive Classroom Observation (SCO) • The supportive observation is based on observational evidence, and not on subjective judgments. The focus of SCO is on: • what and how teachers teach (b) instructional issues that are educationally critical and amenable to change (c) constructive analysis and the reinforcement of successful patterns rather than on the condemnation of unsuccessful pattern. The aim of supportive classroom observation is to increase individual capacity of teacher in order to improve student outcomes.

42. SCO- Pre-Observation Checklist( supervisors can give the following check list to head of departments ) Developing а common frame of reference 1. Generally, what do уои hope students will get out of this particular class? 2. How will class bе conducted so that students will achieve those goals? 3. How will уои decide whether or not уои have been successful? 4. What have students been asked to do to prepare for this class? 5. What do уои expect students to bе doing during the class? 6. What was done in earlier classes to lead ирto this one? 7. Is there anything in particular which the observer should focus on during this class?

43. Giving helpful feedback Focus feedback on: • actual performance of the teacher rather than on his personality; • observations data rather than assumptions, inference, or explanations; • description rather than evaluation; • specific and concrete rather than the general and abstract; • sharing of information rather than on giving advice; • alternatives rather than the "best path"; • information and ideas phrased in terms of "more or less" rather than "either-or"; • what the teacher needs rather than on what you need; • modifiable items rather than on what the teacher cannot do anything about; • what the teacher requests from you rather than on what you could impose on him.

44. Mentoring • Mentoring is a supportive, long-term relationship between the experienced mentor and their less experienced teacher • Reciprocal and collaborative learning relationship between two or more individuals who share mutual responsibility and accountability for helping a teacher work toward achieving clear and mutually defined learning goals • Mentoring process involves knowledge acquisition, application, and reflective supervision. • Successful mentoring rests on building and maintaining a relationship of trust and support.

45. Modelling, co-teaching, peer coaching • Modellinginvolves the inexperienced teacher going into an experienced teacher’s classroom to observe how they use various techniques for classroom management or teaching processes • Co-teaching involves two teachers delivering a lesson together. The underlying theory is that each person’s contribution helps the other to improve his or her techniques by delivering a lesson together. • Peer Coaching usually involve teachers on the same professional level. Teachers are working together on lesson plans, teaching/learning resources development, observe each other lessons and offer feedback on practices and behaviors, share with own experience and ideas, deciding the ways on overcoming issues in their teaching practice.

46. Reflection • How can we make sure that G1 teachers (behind closed doors) implement the new curriculum in their classroom and not a different one? • How can we make sure the new curriculum is implemented properly (not just formally- on paper work)? Time 15 minutes Discussion/Debate

47. School-based Workshops on curriculum implementation Key activities of SbCPDProgram: • Workshops should be conducted 1 time in 2 weeks • Should be flexible and based on the teachers’ needs assessment • Each school should design the program content and sequences of the proposed topics and find the appropriate time to organize/deliver • The trainers/moderators could be the Master Trainers, Subject Trainers (supervisors), Heads of Departments, experienced teachers

48. Suggested Topics for in-school Workshops • Practicing lesson plan development: lesson reflection and improvement • How to implement student-centered approach in various classroom settings • Teaching/learning resources: Using existing textbooks along with other resources • How do I organize the class: big and small group work, pair work, individual work • Formative assessment tools

49. Curriculum implementation- SbCPD quick suggestions for teachers • Read carefully the subject curriculum and the Teacher Guide • Raise all curriculum related issues in your regular department meetings • Enroll in a mentoring program designed for curriculum implementation • Invite the Head of Department/Supervisor/colleague to observe your lessons and ask for feedback • Observe other colleagues’ lessons and share what you liked • Ask your HoD to organize workshops or training programs in your school • Exchange ideas with your colleagues of different subjects teaching the same classes • Experiment with various resources and teaching strategies • Involve yourself in school-based projects on the curriculum • Start a professional network around a specific subject-matter focused on the new curriculum practices

50. Exercise – Design a SbCPD Program for your subject/ schools Design, in a brief format, a SbCPD Program for curriculum implementation for G1 teachers referring to your subject/ cluster of schools (Academic year 2015-2016). The plan should offer references related to: • Objectives • Teachers’ Needs Assessment (TNA) • Action Plan (What, When, Where, Who is responsible/roles) • Content • Methodology • Learning environment • Evaluation