Policy and Development update March 2011 Dr Lena Gray, Head of Policy

1. Policy and Development update March 2011 Dr Lena Gray, Head of Policy Roderic Gillespie, Head of Curriculum for Excellence

2. Policy work ongoing Specifications, guidance and support Progression, hierarchies and recognition Skills for learning, life and work Assessment Quality Assurance arrangements Appeals

3. Specifications, guidance and support New ways of specifying requirements – shorter, more open, less prescriptive: Course Specification: outlines Course structure and what is required to pass the Course Unit Specification: outcomes and assessment standards Course and Unit Assessment Specifications: mandatory assessment requirements More guidance and support – for example: Course and Unit Support Notes: guidance on delivering Courses and the Units, approaches to learning and teaching Exemplification: approaches to Course and Unit assessment

4. Progression, hierarchies and ‘fallback’ Key messages from engagement: Maximise curricular continuity between levels Ensure consistent steps between levels Use hierarchical structures where-ever possible, as appropriate to subject and level Facilitated by skills-based outcomes Credit for positive achievement

5. Skills Greater focus on skills development Skills for learning, life and work: Literacy Numeracy Skills for health and well-being Employability, enterprise and citizenship Thinking skills

6. Assessment Course assessment : • added value – breadth, challenge and application • methods defined Unit assessment: • broader outcome statements and assessment standards, • more open, flexible evidence requirements • flexibility for practitioners to make decisions about assessment methods

7. Qualifications Development Model Hybrid of previous qualifications development models Separates roles, clear and focused remits Qualifications will be developed in a more strategic and proactive way ‘Front ended’ quality assurance is now an integral part of the development process Engagement activities – open & transparent - will be more clearly focused at each stage of the development process.

8. Clear roles & remits

9. Relationship between CfE and SCQF Levels Continues to 12 ≈ 4 4 SCQF Levels CfE Levels 3 3 2 2 1 1 early years

10. Progression from Es & Os Only a broad match between CfE Level 4 and SCQF Level 4 Each course is specific, and ... has a clear, distinct rationale and unit structure draws on the Ps & Ps papers for its ‘big ideas’ draws on Es and Os as appropriate is based on national standards has evidence requirements is set against SCQF

11. National 4 and National 5,draft Course Rationale and Summary Follow on from Overview Reports Purpose and aims of learning Outline of skills and knowledge Course Structure, brief description of units Nature of Added Value Method(s) for assessing Added Value Key messages published online for each Course on its subject page, accompanied by a request for specific feedback.

12. Environmental Science National 4 - key points This new Course: builds on the principles and practice papers in the sciences and social subjectscurriculum areas and has a strong inter-disciplinary nature provides progression from the sciences and social science principles and practice papers by giving learners opportunities and encourages an experiential and investigative approach to learning provides progression from the experiences and outcomes to investigate the natural and human impact on sustainability, the Earth’s systems and resources allows flexibility and personalisation within the Course by allowing choice in the topics studied promotes a problem-solving approach to topics like power generation, waste reduction, recycling, land use, forestry, agriculture, economics, and a wide range of other areas assesses added value through a projectand a test

13. Stakeholder engagement Open andtransparent - draft materials on web Wide range of groups and individuals Proactive, planned engagement to explore issues and help shape thinking offer advice and guidance reflect on and test proposals ‘MyAlerts’ and feedback facilities on web – feedback summaries to CARGs and QDTs and then published on web. Intrinsic part of the development process.

14. CARGs, QDTs and SWGs Externally nominated 8 Curriculum Area Review Groups (CARGs) Review Group for Literacy & Numeracy Review Group for Access 1 & 2 42 subject based Qualification Development Teams (QDTs). Register of Interest Subject Working Groups (SWGs).

15. Suites of Courses – what’s new? New broad based Courses at Access 3 and National 4 - business; design & technology; science; and social subjects/sciences. New Courses – computing & information design & manufacture; engineering; environmental science; and practical maths. New practical Courses – cookery; cake baking and finishing; electronics; fabric & textiles; metalworking; and woodworking. New Awards - belief & reflection; health & wellbeing; languages; and personal development.

16. What’s next? Nat 4/5 draft Course Rationale and Summary Nat 4/5 draft Course Specifications Apr 11 Higher draft Course Rationales and Summaries May 11 Higher draft Course Specifications Aug 11 Nat 4/5 draft Unit Specifications Aug 11 Acc 3 draft Courses Rationales and Summaries Aug 11 Higher draft Unit Specifications Nov 11 N4/5 draft Course and Unit Assessment Specs Nov 11 Acc 3 draft Unit Specifications Dec 11 Nat 4/5 draft Unit Support Packs Jan 12 Publication of final Specifications - Apr 12 Assessment support and exemplification (N4/5 from Apr 12, H from Apr 13. and AH from Apr 14 )