NSW Curriculum Review Interim Report Consultation Workbook

NSW Education Standards Authority

NSW CURRICULUMREVIEW

Interim ReportConsultation

Workbook

www.nswcurriculumreview.nesa.nsw.edu.au

i

Have Your Say

Visit the NSW Curriculum Review website (www.nswcurriculumreview.nesa.nsw.edu.au) to:

• access the full Interim Report;• findresourcestohelpindevelopingasubmission;• readarticlesoncurriculumreformsandrelatedtopics;and

• accessupdatesonourconsultationactivities.

ProfessorGeoffMasters,ChiefExecutiveOfficeroftheAustralianCouncilforEducationalResearch, isleadingthereview.

TheInterimReportoftheReviewhasnowbeenreleased.TheInterimReporthasbeenproducedasaprogressreportandabasisforconsultationonthebroaddirectionsitidentifies.Followingthisconsultationafinalreportwillbeprepared,includingrecommendations,anddeliveredtotheMinister inthefirsthalfof2020.

TheInterimReportisinformedbyafirstphaseofpublicconsultationontheNSWCurriculumReview,heldbetweenSeptemberandNovember2018.Over2,100writtensubmissionswerereceived.TheInterimReportalsodrawsoneducationalresearchandlessonsfromotherjurisdictions.

Purpose of this documentTheInterimReportisopenforpublicconsultation.ThisWorkbookhasbeendevelopedtosupporttheconsultationprocess.ItincludestheExecutiveSummaryfromtheInterimReport,theTermsofReferencefortheReview,andanoutlineoftheInterimReport’smajorproposals.TheWorkbookprovidesquestions‘forexploration’.ThesemaybehelpfulinreflectingandprovidingfeedbackontheReview’sproposals.

ThefullInterimReportisavailableontheNSWCurriculumReviewwebsite.

Public consultation is now openSubmissions close on Friday 13 December 2019

In May 2018 the NSW Government announced a comprehensive review of the New South Wales (NSW) school curriculum from Kindergarten to Year 12 to ‘ensure that the NSW education system is properly preparing students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century’.


Interim Report Consultation

Workbook

CONTENTS

WORKBOOK

NSW Curriculum Review ..................................................................................... i Interim Report ConsultationsHaveYourSay

Overview of Reform Directions ............................................................................ 1ReformingtheContentoftheCurriculumReformingtheStructureoftheCurriculumReformingtheSeniorSchoolCurriculum

Reforming the Content of the Curriculum ............................................................ 51.Creatingalesscrowdedcurriculum2.Promotingdeepunderstanding3.Buildingskillsinapplyingknowledge4.Acommonentitlement

Reforming the Structure of the Curriculum .......................................................... 105.Creatingamoreflexiblecurriculum6.Restructuringthecurriculum7.Settinghighexpectations8.Monitoringwhetherlearningisontrack9.Ensuringcontinuityoflearning10.Assessingandcommunicatinglearning

Reforming the Senior School Curriculum ............................................................ 1711.Creatingamoreintegratedcurriculum12.Recognisingprogressandattainment13.Introducingamajorproject14.Redefininglearningareas15.ReviewingATAR

Terms of Reference ............................................................................................ 23

1

Thelong-termvisionisforafutureschoolcurriculumthatsupportsteacherstonurturewonder,ignitepassionandprovideeveryyoungpersonwithknowledge,skillsandattributesthatwillhelppreparethemforalifetimeoflearning,meaningfuladultemploymentandeffectivefuturecitizenship.

Althoughtheschoolcurriculumhasservedstudentswellandcontinuestoprovidethefoundationsforaqualityeducation,theReviewwaspresentedwithstrongevidenceoftheneedforchange.Broaderchangesinsociety,andparticularlyincreasingglobalisationandadvancesintechnologies,havechangedforevertheworldinwhichstudentslive,includingfutureemploymentpossibilities.Witharapidlyexpandingrangeofactivitiesnowbeingperformedbymachinesoroutsourcedtolow-wageeconomies,occupationsofthefuturewillrequirelevelsofknowledgeandskillbeyondthecapabilitiesofcurrentandemergingtechnologies,includingthosebasedonartificialintelligence.Thenewandurgentchallengeforschoolsandtheschoolcurriculumistoensurethatallstudentsreachlevelsofattainmentcurrentlyachievedbyonlysome.Thischallengeisbeingtakenseriouslybysomeschoolsystemsinternationallythatrecognisetheriskofgrowingnumbersofstudentsbeingleftunemployableandeconomicallydisadvantagedthroughouttheirlives,withlikelyimplicationsforincreasingsocialinequalitiesandtensions.

However,bysomeindicators,currenttrendsinstudentattainmentinthisstateappeartobeintheoppositedirection.Althoughthereisevidenceofimprovementinreadinglevelsinprimaryschools(basedonNAPLANtestsconductedbetween2008and2018),theproportionofNSW15yearoldsmeetingminimallyacceptablestandardsofreading,mathematicalandscientificliteracyhasbeeninsteadydecline(basedonPISAassessmentsconductedbetween2000and2015).NewSouthWalesstudentsslippedfrombeingamongthehighestperformersintheworldin2000tobeingneartheOECDaveragein2015.1 In other words,whilelow-levelskillsareindecliningdemandinworkplaces,theproportionofNSW15yearoldswithonlylow-levelskillshasbeengrowing.Reformstothecontentandstructureofthecurriculum,althoughonlypartofthesolution,areessentialinaddressingthischallenge.

TeacherswhospokewiththeReviewmadestrongcallsforchange.Theydescribedmanycurrentsyllabusesasovercrowdedwithcontent,impactingtheirabilitytoteacheffectively.Theycommonlydescribedbeingundertimepressuretocoverlargenumbersofsyllabus‘dot-points’.Asaresult,theyexperiencedifficultyinslowingdownteachingandre-teachingtoensurestudentshavelearnt;theyhavelimitedtimetoteachcoreideasindepth,includingbyprovidingopportunitiesforstudentstoapplytheirlearninginarangeofcontexts;andtheyoftenhaveinsufficienttimetobuildskillsinknowledgeapplicationthroughstudentprojectsandproblem-basedactivities.Thecrowdednatureofmanysyllabuses,particularlyinprimaryschools,butthroughouttheyearsofschool,wasdescribedasencouragingsuperficialcoverageofmaterialratherthanteachingforunderstanding,exploringrelevanceandmeaning,andprovidingopportunitiesforstudentstotransferandapplytheirlearning.

Teachersdescribedmost(butnotall)existingsyllabusesasspecifyingwhattheyaretoteach,whentheyaretoteach,andhowlongtheyaretospendteachingit.Thisoftenconstrainstheirabilitytomakeprofessionaljudgementsaboutwhatindividualstudentsarereadytolearnandtoadapttheirteaching

1 SomesubmissionstotheReviewquestionedthecontinuingusefulnessofmeasuressuchasNAPLANandPISA.ItwasclaimedthatsomeschoolsnowtrainstudentsforNAPLAN(possiblyinflatingcurrentresults)andthattherearenowotherimportantoutcomesofschoolingnotmeasuredbytheseassessments.Althoughtheseclaimsmaybevalid,literacyandnumeracyskillsremainamongthemostimportantoutcomesofschooling,andNAPLANandPISAprovidethebestavailabledataonrecentstateandnationaltrends.

OVERVIEW OF REFORM DIRECTIONS

The Review of the New South Wales school curriculum has concluded that change is required. The changes proposed by the Review are significant. They relate to the amount and nature of syllabus content, the overall structure of the curriculum, and the focus of learning in the senior years of school. Given the depth of the proposed changes, detailed planning, trialling, testing and implementation will be required over an extended period of time – possibly a decade – although the work on some changes should begin immediately.

ExtractfromtheNSWCurriculumReviewInterimReport,ExecutiveSummary

NSW CURRICULUM REVIEW | Interim Report Consultation Workbook2

accordingly.Teachingbecomesaprocessofdeliveringthespecifiedyear-levelsyllabus,ensuringitisfullycovered,andthenassessingandgradingeachstudentonhowwelltheyhavelearntwhathasbeentaught.Theinflexibilityarisingfromtheexpectationthatteacherswilldeliverthesamecontenttoallstudentswithinmandated(orrecommended)hoursmeansthatsomestudentsaretaughtcontentforwhichtheyarenotyetreadyorrequiremoretime.Asaresult,thesestudentsstruggle,tendtoachievelowgradesyearafteryear,andsometimesfallfurtherbehindthelongertheyareinschool.Ontheotherhand,themostadvancedstudents–whotypicallybegineachschoolyearfiveorsixyearsaheadoftheleastadvancedstudentsintheyearlevel–oftenarenotadequatelychallengedbythecontentofyear-levelsyllabuses.Therewasconcernthatmanyofthesestudentsarenotbeingstretchedtothelevelsofwhichtheyarecapable.Thestrongcallfrommanyteacherswasnotonlyforalesscrowdedcurriculum,butalsoforamoreflexiblecurriculumthatallowsteacherstoidentifyandbetteraddressindividuallearningneeds.

Therewerealsocallsforchangeinthesenioryearsofschool.AlthoughtheHigherSchoolCertificateiswidelydescribedasaworld-classcredential,submissionstotheReviewpointedoutthatlearningintheseyearscurrentlyisdrivenbytheneedsofpost-schooldestinationsandisbifurcatedinto‘academic’(mainlyknowledge-based)learning,usuallytomaximiseATARforselectionintouniversities,and‘vocational’(mainlyskills-based)learningforspecificoccupations.Currentarrangementsweredescribedaspromotingartificialandunhelpfuldistinctionsbetweenacademicandvocationallearning,theoryandapplication,andknowledgeandskills.Therewasparticularconcernabouttheundervaluingofformsoflearningthatwouldbetterprepareallyoungpeopleforfutureemployment.Vocationalcoursesweredescribedasmarginalisedincurrentseniorsecondaryarrangementsandsometimesfocusedonlow-levelqualificationsandskillsforparticularoccupationsthatmayormaynotexistinthefuture.

Therewerealsoconcernsaboutthe‘academic’streaminthesenioryears.Itwasobservedthat,whentheschoolleavingagewasraisedto17,ratherthanreconsideringthekindofsenioryearscurriculumthatwouldbeappropriatefortheentireagecohort,itwasassumedthatmoststudentswouldnowfollowtheacademicpathwaythroughATARtouniversity,andthosewhodidnotcouldundertakevocationalstudies.However,teachersquestionedwhetherthisassumptionmettheneedsofeverystudent.Teachersalsoexpressedconcernsaboutthelimitedformsoflearningpromotedbycurrentexternalexaminations.Somewereconcernedaboutcramming,thepre-preparationofanswers,andtheinfluenceexaminationshaveonlearningprioritiesandapproachesthroughoutthesecondaryschool.OthersexpressedconcernsaboutATARnowbeingthedominantmeasureof13yearsofschoolingandstudentsattemptingto‘game’ATARthroughtheirchoicesofsubjects.

Thisbifurcationoflearninginthesenioryearsparallelsearly20thcenturyattemptstocaterforthegrowingnumberof‘non-academic’studentsenteringlowersecondaryschooling.The‘academic’and‘non-academic’streamsestablishedatthattime,withtheirseparatecoursesandcertificates,wereeventuallyabolishedinfavourofcommoncurriculumarrangements(coreplusoptions)forallstudents.Along-termreformagendaforthesenioryearsofschoolwillbetodevelopacurriculumlessfocusedonmeetingthesometimesnarrowneedsofparticularpost-schooldestinationsandmorefocusedonprovidingeverystudentwiththebroadknowledge,skillsandattributestheywillrequireforfurtherlearning,lifeandwork.

BasedonconsultationsandsubmissionstotheReview,threebroadareasofcurriculumreformhavebeenidentified.Theserelatetothecontentofthecurriculum,thestructureofthecurriculumandtheseniorschoolcurriculum.Althoughtheseareasareinter-related,theyalsorepresentdistinctareasofreform.Withineacharea,anumberof‘reformdirections’havebeenidentified.

Reforming the Content of the CurriculumTheReview’sfirstsetofproposalsaddressthecontentofthecurriculum,includingconcernsthatmanysyllabusesarecurrentlyovercrowded.Theyproposeareductioninthecontentofmostsyllabusesbyprioritisingwhatiscentraltoeachsubject.Theintentionistopromotedeeplearningofcoredisciplinaryknowledge.Althoughdepthandbreadthoflearningarebothimportant,theproposedchangespreferencedeeperconceptualunderstandingovershallowercoverageofextensivefactualandproceduraldetail.Theintendedoutcomeisnotquantitativelylessteachingorlearning,butteachingandlearningrefocusedtodevelopdeeperunderstandingsandhigherlevelsofskill.

Thereductionofsyllabuscontentshouldbeginwiththeidentificationofwhatisessentialtoasubject–thecoreknowledge,conceptsandprinciplesattheheartofthediscipline.Theseincludedisciplinarywaysofthinkingandworkingandthe‘bigideas’aroundwhichlesscentraldetailcanbeorganisedandunderstood.Insomesubjectstheremayberelativelyfewofthese.Anindicatorofthecentralityofaconceptorprincipleislikelytobeitssustainedrelevanceacrosstheyearsofschoolandthefactthat studentsdevelopdeeperunderstandingsofthatconceptorprincipleastheyrevisititindifferentcontexts.

3OVERVIEW OF REFORM DIRECTIONS

Deepunderstandingincludesbeingabletorecognisehowlearningisrelevantto,andcanbeappliedin,differentcontexts.Themereacquisitionofknowledgeandskillsisinsufficient;opportunitiestotransferandapplylearningtonewcontextsshouldbeanintegralpartofeverysubjectthroughouttheyearsofschool.Applicationsoflearning,includingtomeaningfulchallengesandproblemsandthroughprojectsthatstudentsundertake,alsoprovideopportunitiestobuildstudents’skillsinknowledgeapplication–suchascriticalandcreativethinking,usingtechnologies,interpretinginformation/data,collaborating andcommunicating.

Teachersrequiretimeforteachingofthiskind.TheReviewwastoldthattheschoolcurriculumhadbecomemorecrowdedinrecentyearsbecauseofadditionaltopicsschoolshavebeenaskedtoaddress.Thesetopicsoftenrelatetospecifichealth,safetyorsocialconcernsnotbeingaddressedelsewhereinsociety.Recentadditionsofthiskindshouldberevisitedtodeterminewhetherallarestillrequired,andprotocolsdevelopedtodeterminehowtopicscouldbeaddedordeletedinthefuture.

Therewereotherconcernsthattimeforteachingwasbeingerodedbyincreasingcompliancerequirements.Numerousreferencesweremadeto‘boxticking’andpaperworknowrequiredofteachers.TheNewSouthWalesEducationStandardsAuthorityshouldinvestigateoptionsforreducingthetimeteachersandschoolleaderscurrentlyspendoncomplianceactivities.

Referencewasmadetootherfactorsthathaveimpingedonteachers’timeforteaching,includingareporteddownwarddriftofcurriculumcontentintoearlieryearsofschoolandteachingaimedatpreparingstudentsforNAPLANtests.

TheReviewalsoconsideredtheroleofthecurriculuminspecifyingacommonentitlementforlearning.Intheearlyyearsofschool,everystudentshouldreceivethesupporttheyrequiretoestablishsolidfoundationsinliteracy,numeracyandsocialandemotionaldevelopment.Theseareasoflearninganddevelopmentshouldbeprioritisedoverotherareasofthecurriculumandresourcedtoensurethateverystudentisontrackintheirlearningfromearlychildhood.

Reforming the Structure of the CurriculumTheReview’ssecondsetofproposalsaddressthestructureofthecurriculum,includingconcernsaboutitslackofflexibilitytomeetindividuallearningneeds.Theyaddressdirectlythefactthatstudentsinthesameyearofschoolcurrentlydifferwidelyinthepointstheyhavereachedintheirlearning,meaningthatsomestudentsarenotyetreadyfor,andothersarenotsufficientlychallengedby,commonyear-levelsyllabusexpectations.Theintentionoftheseproposalsistosupportteachersinestablishingwhereindividualsareintheirlong-termprogresssothateverystudentcanbeprovidedwithwell-targetedandappropriatelychallengingteaching.

Giventhatsomestudentsaretwotothreeyearsbehindyear-levelexpectationsandothersaretwotothreeyearsahead,theprocessofestablishingwhereindividualsareintheirlearningrequiresalargerframeofreferencethanayear-levelsyllabus.Itrequiresamapoflong-termprogressinanareaoflearningacrosstheyearsofschool.

TheReviewisproposingtheconstructionofamapoflong-termprogressintheformofasequenceof‘attainmentlevels’ineachareaoflearning.Theseattainmentlevelswilldescribeandillustrateincreasinglevelsofknowledge,understandingandskill,independentofstudentageoryearlevel.Teacherswillusetheselevelstoestablishwhereindividualsareintheirlearning,withthepossibilityofstudentsinthesameclassbeingatdifferentlevels.Foreachattainmentlevel,asyllabuswillspecifytheknowledge,skillsandunderstandingsrequiredto‘achieve’thatlevel,andalsoindicatethekindsofteachinglikelytobemostappropriateforstudentsworkingatthatlevel.

Theresultwillbeaverydifferentcurriculumstructure.Studentswillprogressthroughasequenceofattainmentlevels,possiblyatdifferenttimesandrates,ratherthanallmovinginalock-stepfashionfromoneyear-levelsyllabustothenext.Importantly,thisproposalrelatestothestructureofthecurriculum,notthestructureofschooling;itisassumedthatmoststudentswillcontinuetobegroupedbyage.Theobjectiveistoassistteacherstobetteridentifyandaddressthewidelyvaryinglevelsofreadinessandlearningneedswithineachyeargroup,recognisingthatwell-targetedteachingwillbenefiteverystudent.

TheReview’sproposalswillsethigherexpectationsforeverystudent’slearning.Thesequenceofattainmentlevelswillprovideaframeofreferenceformonitoringtheprogressindividualsmake.Everystudentshouldbeexpectedtomakeexcellentprogresseveryyear,regardlessoftheirstartingpoint.TheReviewalsoisproposingtheintroductionofastandard(aspecifiedlevelofattainment)ineachlearningareathateverystudentshouldbeexpectedtoreach–andideallysurpass–bythecompletionoftheir


2 Thisproposalrecognisesthattherewillcontinuetobeaneedforcoursesthatareaccessibletostudentswithdisability.

schooling.Somestudentswillreachthisstandardearlierthanothers.Thesequenceofattainmentlevelswillprovideabasisformonitoringthroughoutastudent’sschoolingwhethertheyareontracktoachievethisstandard.

Theseproposalsalsohaveimplicationsfortheassessmentandreportingofstudentlearning.Ratherthangradingeachstudent’sperformance(AtoEorequivalent)againstthesameyear-levelsyllabusexpectations,informationwillbeprovidedaboutthehighestattainmentlevelastudenthasachievedineachsubjectatanygiventimeandtheprogresstheyaremakingtowardtheachievementofthenextlevel,asassessedbytheirteacher.Inthisway,parents/carersandstudentsthemselveswillbeprovidedwithinformationabouthowastudentisprogressingandwhethertheyareontrackwithlearningexpectations.

Reforming the Senior School CurriculumTheReview’sthirdsetofproposalsaddresstheseniorsecondarycurriculum,includingconcernsaboutthebifurcatednatureof‘academic’and‘vocational’learning,andconcernsthatlearningintheseyearsoftenisnarrowedbytheparticularneedsofpost-schooldestinations.

Amoreintegratedapproachtolearningisproposedbasedonalimitedsetofrigorous,high-quality,advancedcourses.Theintentionistoensurethateverystudentiswellpreparedforfurtherlearning,lifeandworkthroughlearningthatintegratesknowledge,skillsandattributesandprioritisesboththeoryandapplication.

Currently,averylargenumberofcourses(morethan170)areofferedinthesenioryearsofschool.TheseincludecoursesdevelopedbyNESAandothercoursesdevelopedbyschools,universitiesandVETproviders.ConcernswereexpressedtotheReviewabouttheproliferationofcourses,theassociatedcallonresources,andthevariabledemandsofcurrentcourses,someofwhichresultinlow-levelVETqualifications.TheconclusionoftheReviewisthatthereneedstobeaconsolidationoflearninginthesenioryears,achievedthroughthelong-termdevelopmentofasmallernumberofdemanding,high-quality,advancedcourses.2

Overtime,itisproposedthateveryadvancedcourseincorporateamixoftheoryandapplication.Thismixislikelytovaryfromcoursetocourse,butnocourseshouldbefocusedonlyontheacquisitionoftheory/knowledgeoronlyonapplication/skills.Theimplicationforexisting‘academic’subjectsisthattheywillneedtogivegreaterattentiontoapplicationsoflearningandtodevelopingskillsinapplyingknowledge.Theimplicationforexisting‘vocational’coursesisthattheywillneedtogivegreaterattentiontotheoryandtodevelopingstudents’understandingsofimportantconceptsandprinciplesineachareaoflearning.Thegoalinbothcasesismoreadvancedlearningthroughtheintegrationoftheoryandapplication.

Toprovideadditionalcontextsfordevelopingandassessingstudents’skillsinapplyingknowledge–suchasgathering,analysingandevaluatinginformation;workingwithothers;communicating;thinkingcritically;creatingandevaluatingsolutions;andusingtechnologies–theReviewisproposingtheintroductionofasingle‘majorproject’asastandalonecomponentoftheseniorcertificate.Studentswillchoosetheprincipallearningareafortheirproject,whichwillbeassessedbyteachersusingcentrallyprovidedcriteria.

TheReviewisalsoproposingacommonstructureofprogressandattainmentinadvancedcourses,consistentwiththecurriculumstructureintheearlieryearsofschool.Ineachcourse,studentswillprogressthroughasequenceofseveralattainmentlevels.Inthissense,eachadvancedcoursewillbe‘modularised’withthepossibilityofrecognisingtheachievementofindividualmodulesintheformof‘micro-credentials’basedonteachers’assessmentsofstudentachievement.Insomeexistingsubjects,theseattainmentlevelswillreplacecurrentperformance‘bands’.Teachers’assessmentsagainsttheattainmentlevelswillprovidetheschool-basedcomponentofcourseassessments.

Inaddition,itisproposedthat,foreverycourse,therewillbeanexternalassessment.Insomecourses,thismaytaketheformofawrittenexamination,asatpresent.Inothercourses,externalassessmentsmaytakeotherformssuchasindependentevaluationsofstudents’performancesorworkandsupervised,onlineassessmentsofthecontentofindividualmodules/attainmentlevels.

Finally,theReviewisproposingthatadvancedsubjectsbegroupedintoanewsetoflearningareassuchas‘business,economicsandfinancialservices’and‘visualandperformingartsandentertainment’.Theaimistoreducetheacademic/vocationaldistinctionandtoprovidenewfocalpointsforpartnershipswithuniversities,vocationaleducationprovidersandindustries,andforimprovedcareeradviceandguidanceonpost-schoolcoursesandpathways.

5

REFORMING THE CONTENT OF THE CURRICULUM

OBJECTIVE:

to promote deep learningthroughalesscrowdedcurriculumthatprioritisesthedevelopmentofcoredisciplinaryknowledge,conceptualunderstandingsandwaysofthinkingandworking,togetherwithskillsinapplyingtheseinreal-worldcontexts.


Addressconcernsaboutthe‘overcrowding’ofthecurriculumandtheresultingpressuresonschoolsandteachers.Inparticular:

• commenceareviewofsyllabusestoidentifyhowthevolumeofmandatedcontentcanbereducedinmostsyllabuses(anappropriateobjectivemightbetoreducemandatedcontent by15to20percent,onaverage);

• aspartofthisreview,checksyllabusesforclarityaboutwhatismandatoryandwhatisnot;• considerwhethertherehasbeenadriftofcontenttoearlieryearsofschoolandwhetherthishas

addedto‘overcrowding’intheearlieryears;• reviewrecent(pastfiveyears)requeststhatschoolsaddressextra-curriculartopicstodetermine

whetherallarestillrequired,andreviewprotocolsforaddingsuchtopicsinthefuture;and• asktheNewSouthWalesEducationStandardsAuthoritytoinvestigateoptionsforreducingthe

timeteachersandschoolleaderscurrentlyspendoncomplianceactivities.

The main ideaOvercrowdedandoverlyprescriptivesyllabusescreatepressureonteachersandschools.They‘crowdout’thetimeavailabletoteachcoreknowledge,conceptsandskillsindepthandtomeetthediverseneedsofstudents.ManycurrentNSWsyllabusesareconsideredbyteacherstoincludetoomuchcontentandtoomuchprescription.Teacherswantalesscrowdedcurriculumthatgivesmoretimeandspaceforeffectiveteaching.

Additionalrequirementsonteachersandschoolsaddtoasenseofincreasingpressure.TheseaddedrequirementscanbedrivenbypoliciesorregulationimposedbyNESAorindividualschoolsectors,orreflectbroadergovernmentandcommunityexpectationsofschools.Effectiveanddeliberatedecisionmaking,takingintoaccounttheimpactofeachnewrequirementonteacherworkloadandteachingtime,isneeded.

To noteConsultationsuggestedalackofclarityonthepartofsometeachersaboutwhatwasoptionalandwhatwasmandatory.Thisisleadingsometeacherstotakea‘bettersafethansorry’approachtocomplying.Anycurriculumredesignmustconsiderhowsyllabuses,regulatoryrequirementsandextra-curricularexpectationsarecommunicatedtoensureclarityonwhatismandatory,andwhatisnot.

For exploration• Forwhichsyllabusesisareductionintheamountofcontentmostrequired?• Isitusefultospecifyanaveragepercentagereductionasatarget?• Ifso,is15to20percenttoolarge?Toosmall?• Isgreaterclarityaboutwhatismandatoryrequired?• Ifso,howcanthedesignoffuturesyllabusesimproveclarityaboutwhatismandatoryandwhatis

optional?• Areschoolsbeingaskedtoaddresstoomanyadditional(extra-curricular)topics?• Ifso,whatshouldbeconsideredwhenmakingdecisionsaboutsuchadditionaltopics?• Howcantheburdenofcomplianceactivitiesbereducedforschoolswhilestillmaintainingeffective

accountabilityandoversight?

REFORM DIRECTION 1

Creating a less crowded curriculum

7REFORMING THE CONTENT OF THE CURRICULUM

Aspartoftheprocessofreducingtheamountofmandatedcontentinsyllabuses,identifyandprioritisekeyknowledge,skillsandunderstandingsthatarecentraltoasubject,aredevelopedinincreasingdepthacrosstheyearsofschool,andagainstwhichlesscentral(factualandprocedural)informationcanbeunderstoodandorganised.

The main ideaEssentialdisciplinaryknowledge,skills,conceptsandprinciplesshouldbethefocusofteachingandlearningineverysubject.Identifyingthiscorecontentshouldguidedecision-makingaboutwhatiscentralandhowtheamountofmandatedcontentinsyllabusescanbereduced.Thesecoreaspectsoflearningneedtobeincorporatedintosyllabusesinwaysthatpromotetheirprogressivedevelopmentovertimeandprovideopportunitiesforstudentstotransferandapplytheirincreasinglydeepunderstandingstoavarietyofmeaningfulcontexts.

To noteThecontentofexistingsyllabusesishighlyvalued,butteachersconsiderthatthereistoomuchofitinmanysyllabuses.Prioritisingwhatisessentialtoasubjectdoesnotmeanthatothercontentisunimportant.Thecurriculummustbestructuredinawaythatisclearaboutwhatiscentralandthusprescribed,andwhatisoptionalandtobeincludedatthediscretionofschoolsectors,schoolsand/orteacherstoaddresstheneedsoflocalschoolcommunitiesandtheirstudents.

For exploration• Shouldmandatorysyllabuscontentfocusoncoreknowledge,skillsandconceptual

understandings?• Onewaytoidentifymandatory‘core’contentistofocusonknowledge,skillsandconceptsthatare

developedoveranumberofyears.Isthisaneffectiveapproach?• Whatotherapproachesmightbeusefulinidentifyingcorecontent?

REFORM DIRECTION 2

Promoting deep understanding


Includeintheexpectedlearningoutcomesofeverysyllabus,throughouttheyearsofschool,thetransferandapplicationofknowledgetomeaningfulcontexts,aswellasrelevantskillsinknowledgeapplication(suchskillsmightincludecriticalandcreativethinking,collaborating,interpretinginformation/data,communicatingandusingtechnologies).

The main ideaStudentsneedsufficienttimeandopportunitiestoapplytheirknowledgeinmeaningfulcontexts.Theabilitytotransferandapplyknowledgeandunderstandingtonewandunseencontextsisanindicatorofthedepthofstudentlearning.Opportunitiestoapplyknowledgecangivepracticalmeaningtootherwiseabstractconcepts,tosupportstudentlearning,interestandmotivation.

Theskillsofknowledgeapplicationarenotseparatefromthedevelopmentofexpertiseinadiscipline-theyareanintegralpartoflearningineveryschoolsubject.

To notePublicdiscussionsofthistopicoftenrefertoaknowledge-skills‘tension’.ThepositiontakenbytheReviewisthatskillsofknowledgeapplicationaredevelopedinthecontextofengagingwithdisciplinaryknowledgeandsoareanintegralpartofincreasingcompetenceandattainmentinasubject.

For exploration• Shouldskillsinapplyingknowledge(suchascriticalandcreativethinking,collaborating,

interpretinginformation/data,communicatingandusingtechnologies)beincludedaslearningprioritiesineverysyllabus?

• Areskillsofthiskindmoreimportantinsomestagesofschoolthanothers?

REFORM DIRECTION 3

Building skills in applying knowledge

9REFORMING THE CONTENT OF THE CURRICULUM

Inrevisingthecontentofthecurriculum,provideeverystudentwitha‘commonentitlement’(thatis,aspecificationofwhateverystudentisentitled,andexpected,tolearnwhileatschool)thatincludes:

• prioritisingliteracyandnumeracyandsocialandemotionaldevelopmentoverothermandatedareasofthecurriculumforchildrenwhorequirethisintheearlyyearsofschool;

• studyingaspecifiedrangeofsubjectsandachievingatleastminimallyacceptablestandardsinthosesubjectsbythecompletionoftheirschooling;

• developingabasicknowledgeabout,andappreciationof,Aboriginallanguages,culturesandhistories;• learningalanguageotherthanEnglishfromprimaryschool;• undertakingrigorous,highqualitylearninginareasofpersonalstrengthandinterestinthesenior

yearsofschool;and• developingdeeperunderstandingofcontentthroughpracticalapplicationsoflearningtoreal-world

problemsandmeaningfulprojectsinthesenioryearsofschool.

The main ideaPublicconsultationreinforcedNSWcommunitysupportforthecurriculumtoreflectcommonoutcomes(knowledge,skillsandattributes)expectedofeverystudent,supportedbyaccesstoacommoncoreofcurriculumcontentthateverystudentshouldhaveanopportunitytolearn.ThisisconsistentwithNSW’scommitmenttoaschoolingsystemcharacterisedbyequityandhighexpectationsforeverystudentandisreflectedhereasacommitmenttoa‘commonentitlement’.

Strongsupportremainsforexistingmandatedsubjects(KeyLearningAreas).Inaddition,thecommonentitlementmustreflectknowledge,skillsandlearningexperiencesconsideredessentialtodevelopthefoundationsneededbyeverystudentbythecompletionoftheirschoolingtobesuccessfulinfurtherstudy,workandlife.

To noteThealternativetothespecificationofa‘commonentitlement’wouldbeforeverystudenttopursuelearningintheirareasofinterest.ThepositionoftheReviewisthatthereissomelearningthatshouldbebothanentitlementandanexpectationofeverystudent.Inthecontextofthiscommonentitlement,andduringthesecondaryyears,studentsshouldhaveincreasingopportunitiestopursuepersonalstrengthsandinterests.

For exploration• Shouldtherebea‘commonentitlement’foreverystudent(thatis,thespecificationofwhatevery

studentisentitled,andexpected,tolearnwhileatschool)?• Shouldliteracyandnumeracyandsocialandemotionaldevelopmentbeprioritisedoverother

mandatedareasofthecurriculumforchildrenwhorequirethis?• ShouldthecurrentsetofmandatedKeyLearningAreasinprimaryschoolsandlowersecondary

schoolsberetainedasaminimum,commonentitlementandexperience?• Shouldeverystudentbeexpectedtodevelopabasicknowledgeabout,andappreciationof,

Aboriginallanguages,culturesandhistories?• ShouldeverystudentbeexpectedtostudyalanguageotherthanEnglishfromprimaryschool?• Shouldeverystudentinthesenioryearsofschoolbeexpectedtoapplytheirlearningtoreal-world

problemsandmeaningfulprojects?

REFORM DIRECTION 4

A common entitlement


REFORMING THE STRUCTURE OF THE CURRICULUM

OBJECTIVE:

to facilitate targeted teachingbyreorganisingsyllabusesintoasequenceofattainmentlevelstosupportteachersinestablishingwhereindividualsareintheirlearning,meetingindividuallearningneeds,andmonitoringwhetherstudentsareon-trackwithyearlevelexpectationsandtomeetthestandardsexpectedofeverystudentbytheendofschool.

11REFORMING THE STRUCTURE OF THE CURRICULUM

Committothedevelopmentofamoreflexibleschoolcurriculumthatdoesnotspecifywhenteachersshouldteachspecificcontentandhowlongtheyshouldspendteachingit,butinsteadprovidesaframeworkthatenablesteacherstoestablishthepointsstudentshavereachedintheirlearningandtoidentifyappropriatenextstepsinteachingandlearning.

The main ideaSuccessfullearningdependsonteachersbeingabletoadaptandtailorteachingtoindividuals’backgroundknowledge,understandings,interestsandcurrentlevelsofattainment.Thisrequiresamoreflexiblecurriculumthatenablesteacherstobeguidedbytheirprofessionaljudgementaboutwhattoteach,whentoteachandhowlongtospendteachingit.Currentspecificationsofthetiminganddurationofteachingcreateexpectationsthateverystudentwillprogressthroughthecurriculumatthesamerate.Amoreflexiblecurriculumwouldsupportteacherstoestablishwhereindividuallearnersareintheirlearningatanygiventimeandtodecidewhattodonexttopromotefurtherlearning.Studentassessmentsshouldidentify,acknowledgeandcommunicatetheprogressthatindividualsmakeintheirlearning.

To noteTheprocessofidentifyingwhereindividualsareintheirlearningandtargetingteachingaccordinglyisintendedtoensurethateverystudentischallengedandextendedintheirlearning.Theaimisforeverystudenttomakeexcellentprogresseveryyear,regardlessoftheirstartingpoint.Inotherwords,meetingstudentsattheirpointsofneeddoesnotlowerexpectations,butraisesexpectationsforeverystudent’sprogressandultimateattainment.

For exploration• Isthereaneedforamoreflexiblecurriculumthatislessprescriptiveaboutwhatteachersareto

teach,whentheyaretoteachit,andhowlongtheyaretospendteachingit?• Howrealisticisthealternativeconceptionofthecurriculumasaframeofreferencethatenables

teacherstoestablishwhereindividualsareintheirlearning?• Whatareimplicationsforresourcesandaccountability?

REFORM DIRECTION 5

Creating a more flexible curriculum


IneachKeyLearningArea,reorganisetheK-10curriculumintoasequenceofsyllabuses,witheachsyllabuscorrespondingtoaparticularlevelofattainment(knowledge,understandingandskill)ratherthanaparticularyearofschool.

The main ideaResearchisclearthatthewaytomaximiselearningistoprovideindividuallearnerswithlearningopportunitiesatanappropriatelevelofchallenge.Inresponsetothis,teachersareexpectedtodifferentiatetheirteachingtomeetthevaryingneedsoftheirstudents.Thisischallengingwhenteachersarefacedwithacommon,oftenlarge,setofpre-specified,year-levellearningoutcomestodelivertoallstudents.Acurriculumstructuredasacontinuumofattainmentlevelswouldsupportteacherstomonitor,reportandrespondtowherestudentsareintheirlearningprogress.

To noteThisproposaldoesnotrequireschoolstomoveawayfromtheage-basedclassroomgroupingstypicalinmostschools.Thepointistoseparatethestructureofthecurriculumfromthestructureofschools,nottochangethestructureofschools.Individuallearningplansarealsonotaprerequisiteofthisapproach.Explicit,whole-classteachingwouldremainimportant.Theintentionistoenablethebetteridentificationofthepointsstudentshavereachedintheirlong-termprogresstoidentifybestnextstepsforteaching.

For exploration• Howfeasiblewoulditbetoreorganisesyllabuscontentnotintoyearlevelsbutintoasequenceof

levelsofincreasingknowledge,understandingandskill?• Isthismorefeasibleinsomelearningareasthanothers?• Howpracticalwoulditbeforateachertohavestudentsworkingatmorethanoneattainment/

syllabuslevel?• Whatsupportisneededforsystems,schoolsandteacherstomeettheneedsofstudentsworking

atdifferentattainment/syllabuslevelsinaclassroom?

REFORM DIRECTION 6

Restructuring the curriculum


IneachKeyLearningArea,establishastandardthateverystudentshouldmeetbythecompletionoftheirschooling.Thisstandardshouldbesetatalevelofknowledge,understandingandskillnecessarytofunctioneffectivelyinadultlifeandshouldusuallybemetbeforecommencingadvancedstudyofthatsubjectinthefinalyearsofschool.

The main ideaStudiesshowthattherearetoomanyAustralianstudentsleavingschoolwithoutthebasics,particularlyinliteracyandnumeracy,atatimewhentheskilldemandsoftheworkplaceareincreasing.EstablishingexpectedstandardsofattainmentineachKeyLearningAreawillprovideafocusformonitoring,reportingandprovidingappropriatelearningopportunitiestosupporteverystudent’slearning.

To noteThesettingofstandardsisnotintendedtocreateabarriertopreventstudentsfromadvancing.TheintentionistoidentifyexplicitlythelevelofattainmentexpectedofstudentsineachKeyLearningAreabythecompletionoftheirschooling.Thislevelwillprovideafoundationforsuccessfulfurtherstudy,workandlife,butwillnotrestrictaccesstomoreadvancedstudy.

For exploration• InKeyLearningAreas,shouldtherebeanidentifiedlevelofattainment(knowledge,understanding

andskill)thateverystudentshouldbeexpectedtoreach,ataminimum?• ShouldthisapplytoallKeyLearningAreas,andifnot,inwhichKeyLearningAreasshould

minimallyacceptablelevelsofattainmentbeset?

REFORM DIRECTION 7

Setting high expectations


The main ideaThesettingofclearstandardsthatstudentsareexpectedtoreachbythecompletionoftheirschoolingprovidesteacherswithawayofmonitoringwhetherstudentsare‘ontrack’toachievethosestandards.Theuseofattainmentlevels,ratherthanaspecificexpectationlinkedtoayearofschool,reinforcesthestructureofthecurriculumasacontinuum,withstudentprogressmonitoredandcommunicatedovertime.

TheInterimReportprovidesanexampleofhowstudentprogressmightbetracked.Studentswouldmakeprogressthroughasequenceofattainmentlevels(shownbelow,ontheleft–numberingandlabellingarejustinitialsuggestions).Thestandardstudentsareexpectedtoreachisindicatedbythehorizontalline.The‘ontrack’regionshowsthelevelsstudentswouldneedtoreachineachyearofschooltobeontracktoachievethestandard.Thehypotheticaltrajectoryofonestudentwhohasdriftedofftrackisshown.

To noteThediagramabovewouldprovideparentsandcarers(andteachersandstudents)withinformationaboutwhetherastudentis‘ontrack’withexpectations,giventheiryearlevel.Itrecognisesthat,withineachyearlevel,studentsarelikelytobeworkingatarangeofattainmentlevelsandindicateswhetherastudentisworkingwithintheexpectedrange.Theaimistoensurethateverystudentisontrackfromasearlyaspossibleintheirschoolingandthateverystudentatleastachieves(andideallyexceeds)thestandardexpectedbytheendofschool.

For exploration• Istheconceptofastudentbeingatleast‘ontrack’throughtheirschoolyearsausefulideaforthe

majorityofstudents?• Whatarethestrengthsand/orweaknessesofthe‘ontrack’conceptformonitoringstudentlearning

progressacrosstheyearsofschool?• Whataretheresourcingimplicationsforsupportingastudentwhoisperformingbelowthe‘on-

track’expectation?

IneachKeyLearningArea,encourageteachers’useofattainmentlevelsasaframeofreferenceformonitoringandcommunicatingstudents’learningtrajectoriesandprogresstowardtheachievementoftheexpectedstandard.

REFORM DIRECTION 8

Monitoring whether learning is on track

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Makecontinuityoflearninganobjectiveineveryschoolsubjectbyminimisingtheimpactoftransitionsbetweenstagesandyearsofschool;providingcurriculumstructuresthatrecogniseandaccommodatestudents’varyinglevelsofattainment,regardlessofyearlevel;andremovingstructuresthatimposeceilingsonhowfarstudentscanprogressintheirlearning.

The main ideaWithinanareaoflearning,everystudentshouldbeabletocommencelearningfromwheretheyareandcontinuetheirlearningwithfewstructuralimpedimentsandfewlimitsonhowfartheycanprogress.Thisisakeytoan‘inclusive’curriculum.Inpractice,continuityoflearningoftenisunderminedbytransitionsbetweenstagesoryearsofschool–particularlyiftheyresultinchangesinteachingapproachesorlearningenvironmentsorincorrectassumptionsaboutwhatstudentsarereadytolearn.Inaddition,limitsonlearningcanbeimposedbylow-levelcoursesthatrestricthowfarstudentsareabletoprogress.Theschoolcurriculumshouldberestructuredtoenablethecontinuous,unrestrictedlearningofeverystudent.

To noteThedesirabilityofreducingtheimpactoftransitionsonthecontinuityofstudentlearningdoesnotmeanthattransitions(forexample,betweenprimaryandsecondaryschool)donothavevalueasmarkersinastudent’sincreasingmaturityandprogressthroughschool.Acknowledgingsuchmilestoneswillcontinuetobeimportant.

For exploration• Howcanthecurriculumbestructuredtominimisedisruptionstolearningthatoftenoccurbetween

stagesorfromoneschoolyeartothenext?• Whatwoulditmeantodispensewithstreaming(differentcourses)andtoviewstudentsasbeingat

differentpointsonthesamecontinuumoflearninginasubject?• Whatresourcesorsupportwouldsystems/schools/teachersrequiretoensuregreatercontinuity

ofstudentlearning?

REFORM DIRECTION 9

Ensuring continuity of learning


The main ideaArestructuredandmoreflexiblecurriculumrequiresadifferentapproachtoassessingandreportingstudentlearning.Marksorgradesaredesignedtoprovideinformationabouthowwellstudentshaveperformedagainstcommonyear-levelsyllabusexpectations.Buttheyareincapableofprovidinginformationaboutthepointsstudentshavereachedintheirlong-termlearningortheprogresstheymakeovertime.Asequenceoflevelsofincreasingattainmentinalearningareaprovidesaframeofreferencefordoingthisandalsoforsettinghighexpectationsforeverystudent’sprogressandattainment.

To noteAsequenceofattainmentlevelsnotonlyprovidesabasisforestablishingthepointastudenthasreachedintheirlong-termlearningandformonitoringandevaluatingtheirprogressovertime,butalsocanbeusedtodecideandcommunicate(toparents/carers)whethertheyareontrackwithexpectationsfortheirage/yearlevel.ThisisillustratedinthediagraminReformDirection8.Afocusonprogressprovidesinformationaboutastudent’slearningjourney,notjustpoint-in-timecomparativedata.

For exploration• Shouldreportingbefocusedoncommunicatingthepointsindividualshavereachedintheirlong-

termprogressinanareaoflearning?• Shouldinformationontheprogressstudentshavemadeovertimealsobecomeagreaterfocusfor

reporting?• Woulditbeusefulforparentsandcarerstoknowwhetherstudentswere‘ontrack’toachievethe

standardsexpectedofthembythecompletionoftheirschooling?

InKeyLearningAreas,replacegradesagainstpre-specifiedyear-leveloutcomeswithinformationaboutthehighestattainmentlevelastudenthasachievedandtheprogresstheyaremakingtowardtheachievementofthenextlevel–asassessedbytheirteacher.Providethisinformationinaformthatalsoallowsparents/carerstoseewhetherastudentisontracktoachievetheproficientstandardinthesubject.

REFORM DIRECTION 10

Assessing and communicating learning

17

REFORMING THE SENIOR SCHOOL CURRICULUM

OBJECTIVE:

toensureeverystudentiswell preparedforfurtherlearning,lifeandworkthroughrigorousseniorsecondarycoursesthatintegrateknowledge,skillsandattributesandprioritiseboththeoryandapplicationinlearning.


Committoalong-termagendatodevelopamoreintegratedapproachtolearninginthesenioryearsofschoolthroughthedevelopmentofalimitedsetofrigorous,high-quality‘advancedcourses’,eachofwhichincorporatesboththeoryandapplicationandisdesignedtodevelopknowledge,understandings,skillsandattributesforfurtherlearning,lifeandwork.

The main ideaTheseniorsecondaryschoolisrequiredtomeetthelearningneeds,passionsandinterestsofanincreasinglydiversebodyofstudents.Formany,theseniorsecondaryschoolcontinuestofeeldominatedbypreparationforuniversityasthemainpost-schooldestination.Forothers,vocationaloptionscanfocustoonarrowlyonskillsneededforaparticularindustryoroccupation.Thereishighdemandacrossthecommunityfortheseniorsecondarycurriculumtofocuslessonimmediatepost-schooldestinationsandmoreondevelopingastrongfoundationforongoinglearning,lifeandworkforallstudents.Acknowledgingtheneedforarobustunderpinningofboththeoryandapplicationforalloptionsintheseniorsecondarycurriculumwouldbeanimportantsteptowardreducingthereportedsenseofhierarchybetweenthegeneraleducation(or‘academic’)andtherangeofprogramchoicesincludedwithinthevocationallearningarea.

To noteThedevelopmentofamoreintegratedseniorcurriculumwouldbealong-termagendarequiringanumberofyearsofplanning,introductionandimplementation.TheReview’sproposalforasmallernumberofmoreintegrated,highquality‘advancedcourses’shouldnotbeconfusedwithcurrentusesoftheword‘advanced’inrelationtoseniorschoolcourses.

For exploration• Isthecreationofamoreintegrated(lesspolarisedinto‘academic’and‘vocational’)curriculumin

thesenioryearsadesirablelong-termobjective?• Overtime,shouldtherebeareductioninthetotalnumberofsubjectsavailableinthesenior

secondaryschoolbyconsolidatingsomeexistingsubjectsintorigorous,high-qualitycourses?• Whatwouldbetheimplicationsofexpectingeveryseniorsecondarycoursetoincludeabalance

ofunderpinningtheory(knowledgeandconceptualunderstanding)andtransferandapplicationofknowledge?

REFORM DIRECTION 11

Creating a more integrated curriculum

19REFORMING THE SENIOR SCHOOL CURRICULUM

Formost,ifnotall,advancedcourses,structurethecourseasasequenceofattainmentlevels,replacingcurrentachievementbands.Useteachers’assessmentsofthecontentofeachattainmentlevel(module)astheschool-basedcomponentofastudent’sreportedperformanceinthecourse.Supplementthiswithanexternalassessmentofattainment,notnecessarilyintheformofafinal writtenexamination.

The main ideaFormanystudents,thesenioryearscurrentlyareaperiodofpreparationforend-of-schoolexaminations.Thereislessfocusonhowstudents’knowledge,skillsandunderstandingsdevelopduringtheseyears.Thisproposalshiftsattentiontostudentprogress(orgrowth)duringthesenioryears,consistentwiththefocusintheearlieryearsofschool.Itisproposedthat,ineachadvancedcourse,studentsprogressthroughasmallnumberofattainmentlevels(learningmodules),witheachlevelbuildingonpriorlevelstodevelopprogressivelymoresophisticatedknowledge,deeperunderstandingsandhigherlevelsofskill.Itisproposedthatteachersassessstudents’achievementofeachattainmentlevel,withtheseassessmentsprovidingtheschool-basedcomponentofthecourseassessmentandalsopossiblybeingrecognisedthrough‘microcredentials’.

To noteThekeyproposalhereisto‘modularise’learningineachadvancedcoursetoprovideastrongerfocusonthedevelopmentofstudents’knowledge,skillsandunderstandingsacrosstheseyears.School-basedassessmentsineachadvancedcoursewillprovideinformationaboutthisdevelopment.Externalassessmentsalsomayprovideinformationabouttheachievementofeachattainmentlevel,ormaybebasedonanend-of-schoolexamination.

For exploration• Whatwouldbetheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofstructuringeachadvancedcourseasa

sequenceof‘modules’orattainmentlevelsthroughwhichstudentsprogressed?• Wouldtherebevalueinhavingteachersassessstudents’performancesoneachmoduleandin

makingtheseassessmentsthebasisoftheschoolassessmentineachcourse?• Whatwouldbetheworkloadimplications?• Shouldtherebeanexternallyassessedcomponentofeveryadvancedcourse(notnecessarilyinthe

formofawrittenexamination)?• Whatmorecouldbedonetoaddressconcernsthatend-of-schoolexaminationspromotethe

memorisationand‘regurgitation’ofpre-preparedanswers?

REFORM DIRECTION 12

Recognising progress and attainment


Introduceamajorprojectthateverystudentistoundertakeinthesenioryearsofschool,usuallyaspartofaprojectteamandinalearningareaoftheirchoosing(thespecificationsfortheprojectshouldrequiretheapplicationoflearningtoacomplexproblemorchallengethatrequiresarangeofknowledgeandskills).

The main ideaThemajorprojectprovidesstudentswithanopportunitytodevelopanddemonstratedepthofunderstandingandskillsinapplyingknowledge.Currently,thisopportunityisnotavailabletoallstudentsthroughtheirstudyofHSCsubjects.Themajorprojectprovidesacontextfordeliberateteaching,learningandassessmentofstudents’skillsintheapplicationofknowledge,suchascriticalandcreativethinking,analysingandinterpretinginformation/data,problemsolving,workingtogether,usingtechnologyandcommunicating.

To noteAmajorprojectinthefinalyearsofschoolisalreadyacomponentofsomeotherAustralianseniorsecondaryqualificationsandtheInternationalBaccalaureateDiplomaProgram.SomecurrentHSCsubjectsalsorequirethecompletionofprojects.TheReviewproposesthatthemajorprojectwouldmakeuptwoofthetenrequiredunitsfortheHSC.

For exploration• Shouldeverystudentberequiredtoundertakeamajorprojectaspartoftheirstudiesinthesenior

yearsofschool?• Howshouldthemajorprojectbeimplementedto: -supportstudentstocollaborateorworkinteams? -identifyandattributeeffortofindividualstudents? -minimiseanyadvantagessomestudentsmayhavebecauseofaccesstosuperiorresources? -ensureaccessforallstudents(includingthoseinremotesettings)? -ensureconsistentassessmentsofstudentwork?• Shouldtheprojectbeundertakenindividuallyoraspartofaprojectteam?

REFORM DIRECTION 13

Introducing a major project

21REFORMING THE SENIOR SCHOOL CURRICULUM

Introduceanewsetoflearningareastoreflectamoreintegratedapproachtothecurriculuminthesenioryears.Learningareasshouldbedefinedtoincorporateallexistingacademicandvocationalsubjects,buttheintentionovertimeshouldbetoreducethenumberofsubjectsineachlearningareatoasetofhighqualityadvancedcourses,eachofwhichincludesboththeoryandapplicationandisdesignedtodevelopknowledge,skillsandattributesrelevanttothelearningarea.

The main ideaThisproposaladdressesthecurrentacademic-vocationaldivideinthesenioryearsofschool.Currently,vocationaleducationandtraining(VET)islistedasaseparatelearningarea.Thisproposaldefinesanewsetof‘learningareas’,eachofwhichisagroupingofbothacademicandvocationalsubjects.AnexampleofsuchalearningareamightbeBusiness,EconomicsandFinancialServices.Somesubjectswithinthelearningareawouldbemoretheory-based,andotherswouldbemoreapplied,butallshouldbeamix.Thenewlydefinedlearningareasareenvisagedasfocalpointsforcollaborationbetweenschools,universities,VETprovidersandindustries,aswellasforcourseandcareeradvicerelatedtothearea.

To noteInthefirstinstance,thenewlydefinedlearningareaswouldsimplybegroupingsofexistingsubjects.Overtime,newadvancedcoursesmightbedevelopedwithineacharea,possiblyreplacingandconsolidatingsomeexistingcourses.Therewouldbenochangeinstudents’abilitiestochoosecoursesacrosslearningareas.Andtheimplicationisnotthateveryadvancedcourseshouldhavea‘workplace’component.

For exploration• Wouldtheredefinitionoflearningareasreducethecurrentacademic-vocationaldichotomy/

tension?• Howcouldredefinedlearningareasbedevelopedtoprovidefocalpointsforimprovedcollaboration

betweenschools,universities,vocationaleducationprovidersandindustries?• Howcouldredefinedlearningareassupportbetterinformationonpost-schoolpathways,including

furthereducation,training,careersandemployment?

REFORM DIRECTION 14

Redefining learning areas


TheschoolsectorshouldworkwiththeuniversitysectorandtheUniversitiesAdmissionsCentretoexplorethepossibilityofnotcalculatingandreportingATAR,replacingitinsteadwithtransparentinformationaboutthebasisforconstructingcourse-by-courseselectionranks,whichshouldshowanapplicant’srankinrelationtothenumberofplacesavailableineachoftheirpreferredcourses.

The main ideaWhileoutsidethescopeofthisReview,therewasstrongfeedbackfromconsultationontheperceiveddominanceofATARasthemainmeasureofeducationalsuccessattheendofschooling.Althoughnotwidelyunderstood,therankingthatdetermineswhetherastudentisselectedintoaparticularuniversitycourseisthe‘courseselectionrank’whichcanbedifferentfromATARbecauseit(increasingly)alsoincludesotherinformation.ThecalculationofATARisthusanintermediatestepincalculatingindividualcourseselectionranks.TheproposalhereisthatdiscussionsbeheldwithuniversitiesaboutthepossibilityofbypassingthecalculationandreportingofATARwithoutimpactinguniversities’selectionprocesses.Analternativewouldbetotellstudentstheircurrentrankingforthecoursestowhichtheyhaveapplied(forexample,‘thereare63placesandyouarecurrentlyranked68th’).

To noteTherewouldbenochangeintheinformationavailabletouniversitiesorinuniversities’selectiondecisions.TheaimistoreducethepublicprofileofATAR(whichcouldstillbecalculatedifrequired–forexample,forapplicantstointerstateuniversities).Thereshouldalsobenoreductionintransparencyifstudentsaretoldwhatisincludedinthecalculationoftheircourseselectionrankforeachcoursetowhichtheyapplyandtheirrankinginrelationtotheplacesavailable.

For exploration• ShouldtheschoolsectoroffertoworkwiththeuniversitysectorandUACtoexplorethefeasibility

ofnotcalculatingandreportingATARaspartofuniversityselectionprocesses?

REFORM DIRECTION 15

Reviewing ATAR

23

TERMS OF REFERENCE

The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) has been tasked with ‘a review of the NSW curriculum to ensure it equips students to contribute to Australian society in the 21st century’ (the Review).

TheReviewisconductedinacontextofahighperformingNSWEducationsystem,whichstrivestomeettheneedsofawiderangeofstudents,includingthosewhoareAboriginal,orfromculturallyandlinguisticallydiversebackgrounds,orlivingwithdisabilities.

TheReviewwillundertakeacomprehensivecommunityengagementprocesstoseekthediversityofviewsinthecommunity,includingtheviewsofyoungpeople,parents,employersandthoseinvolvedinthedeliveryofschooleducation.TheseTermsofReferencehavebeendevelopedfollowingtargetedstakeholderengagement.

TheaimoftheReviewistoenhancetheeffectivenessofschooleducationinNSWto:• provideaneducationthatengagesandchallengeseverychildandyoungpersoninlearning,

rewardsthemforeffortandpromoteshighstandards;and• prepareeachstudentwithstrongfoundationsofknowledge,capabilitiesandvaluestobelifelong

learners,andtoflourishinaworldinwhichrapidtechnologicaladvancesarecontributingtounprecedentedeconomicandsocialchangeinunpredictableways.

TheReviewwillconsiderthestrengthsandweaknessesofthecurrentNSWcurriculum,itsrelationshiptotheAustralianCurriculumanditsaccessibilitytothediverselearnersoftheNSWcommunity.

TheReview,indevelopingitsrecommendations,should:

1. articulatethepurposesoftheschoolcurriculum,includingunderpinningphilosophiesandprinciples

2. identifyessentialknowledge,skillsandattributesasthecommonentitlementforalllearners,ensuringparityofaccesstolearningthatisnecessaryforsuccess,takingaccountof:a. theevidenceonhowskillsandattributesareacquiredthroughknowledge-baseddisciplinesb. theextentofovercrowdinginthecurriculumc. theappropriatescopeforschoolcommunitychoicesaboutcontent

3. explainhowthecurriculumcouldberedesignedandpresentedtobettersupportteaching,learning,assessmentandreporting,includingbyconsidering:a. thedesirabilityofidentifyingprioritiesforlearningatdifferentstagesofschoolingb. theappropriatelevelofdetailincurriculumdocumentsc. thebreadthanddepthofstudyd. waysofimprovingeverylearner’stransitionintoschoolandacrosstheyearsofschoolinge. waysofenhancingtheoptionsandpathwaysforallstudentstofurthereducationandwork

4. identifytheimplicationsofanynewapproachtocurriculumdesignfor:a. assessmentandreporting(includingNAPLAN,theRecordofSchoolAchievementandthe

HigherSchoolCertificate)b. pedagogicalpracticesandteacherworkloadc. teacherpreparationandongoingprofessionallearningd. schoolorganisationandregulatione. relevantlegislationf. measuringthequalityandimpactofschooling.


The Review will have regard to:

• Nationalpolicydevelopmentsandreports,including:o the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Strategy 2015,andthenational

Closing the Gapstrategyo Through Growth to Achievement: Report of the Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in

Australian Schools.TheReviewwillcontributeappropriatelytoanyrelatednationalprocesseso Lifting Our Game: Report of the Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools

through Early Childhood Interventionso Australia’sChiefScientist,DrAlanFinkel’sreportOptimising STEM industry-school

partnerships: inspiring Australia’s next generationo the Independent Review into Regional, Rural and Remote EducationconductedbyEmeritus

ProfessorJohnHalseyo the Review of the Australian Curriculum: Final Report

• ObligationsundertheDisabilityDiscriminationAct1992andtheDisabilityStandardsforEducation2015

• The2016BOSTESReview(particularlyinrelationtothecrowdedcurriculum)andtheStrongerHSCReformsintroducedfrom2017

• AnysignificantlessonstobedrawnfromotherAustralianjurisdictionsincludingintheirimplementationoftheAustralianCurriculum,aswellasperspectivesfrominternationaljurisdictionswheretherehavebeenrecentreviewsandcurriculumrevisions

• CorrespondingworkoftheAustralianCurriculum,AssessmentandReportingAuthority(ACARA)toreviewandrefinetheAustralianCurriculum,includinginternationalresearch.

NSW Education Standards Authority

www.nswcurriculumreview.nesa.nsw.edu.au


Interim Report Consultation

Workbook

Documents

NSW Curriculum Review Interim Report Consultation Workbook