Curriculum Planning Modules

1. Curriculum Planning Modules Module 1: Whole school curriculum planning to suit our students Module 2: Planning programs for cohorts of students Department of Education

2. Curriculum Planning Guidelines

3. Module 1: Whole school curriculum planning to suit our students

4. Module 1 Whole school curriculum planning to suit our students Activity 1.1 Characteristics of effective whole school curriculum planning Activity 1.2 School context Activity 1.3 Victorian Essential Learning Standards Activity 1.4 Drivers for student learning Activity 1.5 Curriculum design Activity 1.6 Learning, teaching and assessment

5. Module 1: Whole school curriculum planning to suit our students Activity 1.1 Characteristics of effective whole school curriculum planning

6. Outcomes • An understanding of curriculum reform in Victoria and the characteristics of effective whole school curriculum planning Key questions to be explored • Do we currently practise effective whole school curriculum planning? • How can we improve our processes so that we can develop an effective whole school curriculum plan?

7. OUR EDUCATIVE PURPOSE What is powerful to learn? What is powerful learning and what promotes it? Who do we report to? LEARNER Victorian Essential Learning Standards Principles of Learning and Teaching P-12 Students Parents Colleagues School System How do we know it has been learnt? Assessment Advice

8. The Victorian Essential Learning Standards provide a new approach to organising the curriculum in schools. Victorian Essential Learning Standards Overview p. 1 Implementation of the Standards therefore requires an holistic, whole school response. Victorian Essential Learning Standards Overview p. 13

9. Closing the Loop (Schools are expected) to adopt the Victorian Essential Learning Standards and to establish the conditions for a supportive and productive learning environment where students’ needs, backgrounds and interests are reflected in the learning programs. There are three main avenues through which this can occur: consolidated school curriculum planning, strong school leadership and an accountability framework for results and assessment. Closing the Loop p. 14

10. Characteristics of effective whole school curriculum planning • places the learner at the centre of curriculum planning through having the students’ diverse needs, backgrounds, perspectives, interests, achievements and ways of learning inform curriculum design • is a collaborative process where the school’s goals, targets, challenges and opportunities from the School Strategic Plan and Annual Implementation Plan are looked at in their entirety • reflects shared values, beliefs and understandings about the knowledge, skills and behaviours students are to learn and how this can be achieved

11. Characteristics of effective whole school curriculum planning (cont.) • provides connectedness between the strands, domains and dimensions of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards across the levels to ensure coherence, balance and continuity • clearly links standards, pedagogy, assessment and reporting practices • encourages student learning at a deeper, transferable and enduring level through a co-ordinated approach to learning and teaching across different year levels, subjects/programs • reduces the level of disparity in student achievement between classes and within classes

12. Characteristics of effective whole school curriculum planning (cont.) • involves selection of the most appropriate programs, organisation, structures and resourcing to best support students to achieve the standards in the Victorian Essential Learning Standards and Post Compulsory Education and Training • encourages all staff to build knowledge and expertise together as they share responsibility for improving student learning outcomes • establishes a procedure for monitoring and evaluating the planning process Department of Education, 2006

13. Template 1.1B Characteristics of effective whole school curriculum planning Questions for each characteristic • What do we currently do well? What evidence do we have? • What will be challenging for us? What do we need to learn?

15. Involving students • What should teachers know about you? • What is important for you to learn? • What do you think younger students need to learn? • How do you learn best? • How do you want to be assessed?

16. Involving parents • What is important for the teachers to know about your child? • What is important for your child to learn? • How do you think your child learns best? • How do you want your child to be assessed?

17. Module 1: Whole school curriculum planning to suit our students Activity 1.2 – School context

18. Outcomes • Analysis of a range of data/information about our school leading to a summary of the information to focus our whole school curriculum planning Key question to be explored • What does our school’s data/information tell us about what we need to focus on to improve student learning? Reporting website www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/studentreports/default.htm

19. Student data • School Level Report • Student achievement data • Student attitude data • Student attendance data • Retention data • Student cohort profile • On Track and other destination data • School diagnostic testing data • Principles of Learning and Teaching P - 12 component mapping – student surveys • Other school data

20. Student data Insert summary of your school’s student data here Statewide data available at: www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/standards/improve/index.htm Insert summary of your school’s student data here Statewide data available at: www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/standards/improve/index.htm

21. Template 1.2A Student data • What are the main messages from our student data overall? • What are the trends for particular cohorts? • What are the variables that impact on our data that we need to consider? • What will we focus on in our whole school curriculum planning process? Complete the Student data section (page 1) of the template

22. School strategic planning • School Strategic Plan/Charter • Environmental Context as identified in the School Strategic Plan • Annual Implementation Plan • School Level Report (including issues concerning the school’s values, purpose and intent) • Community profile (including School Level Report Parent Opinion Survey)

23. School strategic planning Insert summary of relevant messages from the school strategic planning

24. Template 1.2A School strategic planning • How does our strategic planning to date inform our whole school curriculum planning? Complete the school strategic planning section (page 2) of the template

25. Staff knowledge and expertise • Anecdotal and historical knowledge of the school • Staff expertise/interest • Principles of Learning and Teaching P - 12 component mapping – Teacher Component Map • Assessment Professional Learning Modules: Self Assessment Tool • ICT teacher capability assessment tool • Performance and Development Culture

26. Staff knowledge and expertise Insert summary of relevant information for the school

27. Template 1.2A Staff knowledge and expertise • What do we know about our students, staff and community that can be used to inform our whole school curriculum planning? Complete the staff knowledge and expertise section (page 3) of the template

28. Handout 1.2BStudent learning initiatives The intentions of the: • Victorian Essential Learning Standards • Principles of Learning and Teaching P - 12 • Assessment and Reporting Advice

29. Template 1.2AStudent learning initiatives • How will the intentions of the Student Learning initiatives be reflected in our whole school curriculum planning? • What needs to be strengthened? Complete the student learning initiatives section (page 4) of the template

30. Template 1.2CSummary of data analysis • What do the various data/information sources tell us about student learning for our whole school and for particular cohort groupings? Complete the summary template for data analysis

31. Module 1: Whole school curriculum planning to suit our students Activity 1.3 – Victorian Essential Learning Standards

32. Outcomes • Documentation of the future learning needs of our students based on the domains in the Victorian Essential Learning Standards and consideration of post-compulsory education and training where appropriate

33. Key questions to be explored • What do the key characteristics of students at the different stages of learning mean for our whole school curriculum planning? • Based on student strengths and needs what will be the future learning directions for our students in relation to the domains and dimensions? • What aspects of learning will be emphasised across and within the domains and dimensions to best meet the learning needs of our students?

34. Stages of learning … that while student learning is a continuum from Prep through to Year 10, and that different students develop at different rates, they broadly progress through three stages of learning from: • Prep to Year 4 (laying the foundations) • Years 5 to 8 (building breadth and depth) • Years 9 and 10 (developing pathways) Victorian Essential Learning Standards Overview p. 2

35. Template 1.3A Stages of learning • How does our curriculum reflect this stage of learning? • What are the gaps? What needs to be strengthened?

36. Victorian Essential Learning Standards Standards define what students should know and be able to do at different levels of schooling … They are, in effect, outcomes against which student achievement will be assessed and reported on and provide valuable information about student progress which can form the basis of further teaching and intervention. Victorian Essential Learning Standards Overview page 8

37. Victorian Essential Learning Standards The Standards identify what is important for students to achieve at different stages of their schooling, set standards for those achievements and provide a clear basis for reporting to parents and for planning programs. Victorian Essential Learning Standards Overview p.1

38. Introduction of standards Standards are introduced where they are central to future learning and success and where research suggests they are developmentally appropriate. Victorian Essential Learning Standards Overview page 10

39. Introduction of standards

40. Template 1.3B Victorian Essential Learning Standards Based on what we know about our students identify the future learning needs for each of the domains (refer to the standards) Reflect on these future learning needs and highlight those domains that will be emphasised Note the dimensions and standards that may need particular emphasis

41. Module 1: Whole school curriculum planning to suit our students Activity 1.4 – Drivers for student learning

42. Outcomes • Identification of curriculum drivers that will structure learning for our students Key questions to be explored Which curriculum drivers will: • reflect the intent of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards • engage students in their learning • support students to develop deeper, transferable and enduring understanding?

43. Curriculum drivers Curriculum drivers: • are a way of structuring learning to connect domains and dimensions in the Victorian Essential Learning Standards • reflect our students learning needs and provide a structure for them to achieve the Standards

44. Curriculum drivers Curriculum drivers may reflect: • what we want our school to stand for • the diverse needs, backgrounds, perspectives, interests, achievements and ways of learning of our students • the ‘big ideas’ that we want our students to engage with deeply • the future learning needs of our students • particular domains.

45. Intentions of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards Three interwoven purposes To equip students with the capacity to: • manage themselves as individuals and in relation to others • understand the world in which they live • act effectively in that world Victorian Essential Learning Standards Overview p.6

46. Intentions of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards There are three components of any curriculum which are necessary to enable students to meet the demands of a modern, globalised world. Victorian Essential Learning Standards Overview p. 1 These components are reflected in the three strands: • Physical, Personal and Social Learning • Discipline-based Learning • Interdisciplinary Learning

47. Future learning needs of our students Discuss: • completed Template 1.2C Summary of dataanalysis • completed Template 1.3B Victorian Essential Learning Standards • information on student and parent perspectives from Activity 1.1A Characteristics of effective whole school curriculum planning

48. Deeper, transferable, enduring understanding Fundamental to the Essential Learning Standards is the integrated focus on the three strands to develop deep understanding in learners which can be transferred to new and different circumstances. Victorian Essential Learning Standards Overview p.13

49. Process for identifying curriculum drivers • Brainstorm possible ideas that could become curriculum drivers • Bundle ideas into groups • Label groups as curriculum drivers • Select curriculum drivers for the whole school and cohorts

50. Template 1.4A Brainstorm possible ideas that could become curriculum drivers Use sticky notes to identify possible ideas using the following categories • what we want our school to stand for • the diverse needs, backgrounds, perspectives, interests, achievements and ways of learning of our students • the ‘big ideas’ that we want our students to engage with deeply • the future learning needs of our students • particular domains