Leading, Coaching & School Improvement VLNS National Partnerships Schools Forum March 2011 Chris Wardlaw, Deputy Sec

1. Leading, Coaching & School Improvement VLNS National Partnerships Schools Forum March 2011 Chris Wardlaw, Deputy Secretary Office for Policy, Research and Innovation

2. Two Views on Education “What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to the soul.” - Joseph Addison “I had a terrible education. I attended a school for emotionally disturbed teachers.” - Woody Allen 2

3. School leaders will need to consider… Knowledge dimension High reliability dimension High performance dimension 3

4. The knowledge dimension…

5. The World has Changed ! The new global environment 5

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7. The game has changed! “Like never before, you have to be able to hit the target.” - Simon Dalrymple, Western Bulldogs recruiting manager

8. Changing Views of Knowledge • Understanding of Knowledge • Static Dynamic • Sources of Knowledge • Education institution  Everywhere (foundation knowledge,learning to learn, generic skills) (connected classroom) Knowledge • Structure of Knowledge • Compartmental •  Holistic • Nature of Knowledge • Authority Personal and • contextual (subjects & cross-curricular studies/enquiry projects) (teachers & students learning together) 8

9. 10 year national agenda Goal 1: Australian schooling promotes equity and excellence Goal 2: All young Australians become: Successful learners Confident and creative individuals Active and informed citizens. Melbourne Declaration 2008

10. Australian Curriculum What is curriculum? The core curriculum, comprising those general capabilities that all people need, use and develop through their life and the big issues of the day that all need to know about The formal curriculum, based on disciplinary rules understandings and methods The chosen curriculum that individuals students and teachers create through the choices they make The meta-curriculum comprising those activities, events and traditions that all good schools arrange to promote personal development, character and a community of learners The Australian Curriculum defines for all students the core and the formal curriculum, but leaves to schools, teachers, parents and students critical decisions about the chosen and meta curriculum 9

11. 8 Key Learning Areas English Mathematics Science Humanities and social sciences The Arts Languages Health and physical education Technologies, specifically design and technology 7 Generic Capabilities Literacy Numeracy ICT competence Critical & Creative Thinking Ethical behaviour Personal & Social Competence Intercultural Understanding Generic Capabilities Domain Expertise Cross curriculum priorities 3 Cross Curriculum Priorities One national/indigenous One regional/Asia One global/sustainability

12. Divergence or Convergence … ‘the fiercest debates in education circles are generally over the falsest of dichotomies …..’ Professor Michael Barber • “grammar” vs “whole language” • “narrative history” vs “thematic history” • “back to basics” vs “real mathematics” 12

13. Learning reform:aligning curriculum, pedagogy and assessment Curriculum what is worth learning Alignment for student learning how students learn & teachers teach Pedagogy Assessment knowing what students have learned 13

14. DEECD outcomes Youth Early childhood Schools transitions Best start Quality early childhood education & care Transition to school Student Achievement & improvement Successful Engagement in learning in life transitions

15. AEDI Measures 5 year old Children’s development in ‘Developmental domains’ • Physical health and well being • Social competence • Emotional maturity • Language and cognitive skills • Communication and general knowledge • 61,187 children in Victoria (94% of the 5 year-old population), national coverage was 261,203 children (97.5%) • Victoria faired well nationally, but 1 in 5 children who are entering school do not have the basic skills in place to develop and learn and achieve success at school

16. Proportion of children developmentally vulnerable by each AEDI domain, 2009

17. Percentage of children developmentally vulnerable on the Language and Cognitive Skills AEDI subdomains

18. Transition Learning and Development Statement • 90% of early childhood educators reported completing a Statement. • 91% of families reported receiving a Statement. • 98% of families that received a Statement agreed to forward it to the school. • 85% of families reported completing Part 1: the family information of the Statement.

19. Transition Learning and Development Statement cont… • 77% of Prep teachers reported having a better knowledge of the children starting school. • 58% of Prep teachers reported having a better knowledge of children with additional needs. • 46% of Prep teachers found information in the Statements useful for curriculum planning: • How Prep teachers are using the content of the Statements to inform curriculum planning is a critical part of the next phase of work around the initiative.

20. VELS 4 2009 -2010 English Online Interview Data 3 2 1 • Average scores were at or slightly above the expected VELS Level for each year • Achievement distributed across at least 3 VELS Levels from end Prep to year 2 • Substantial overlap in achievement between year levels • Most growth from start to end of prep

21. The high reliability dimension…

22. Where do we stand? In the dark all education systems, all schools, all classrooms look similar…. But with some good data …. Important differences become apparent 22

23. The future is here, it is just unevenly distributed 23

24. Baseline Performance What improvement/gaps are we targeting? PISA 2000 PISA

25. … the ‘intended curriculum’ and … the ‘implemented curriculum’ … conscious, explicit, relentless focus on the task(s) … implementation planning … operationalising high expectations. Closing the gap between … 25

26. Operationalising high expectations? 26

27. Primary International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2006 (Primary 4) 2nd(14th in 2001) Note: 26% operating at L1 literacy levels in English 8% in 2001 27

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29. 2010 NAPLAN Yr 9 Writing Score Distribution Students with a mark of 89 failed to answer a single question correctly. They are mostly males who were over the national minimum writing standard in 2008. These grades can be attributed to a lack of motivation rather than lack of ability. 23% at or below the national minimum writing standard 12.1% below the national minimum numeracy standard

30. Literacy and Numeracy 6-18 Month Strategy (Primary and Secondary) • Assessment schedule for students Prep to Year 10 • Advice on data analysis at a school, year, cohort and individual level.   • Multi-faceted approach to developing and maintaining a whole school focus on literacy and numeracy, including the student intervention, professional learning and partnerships with families. • Six-term strategy published at the beginning of 2010

31. Key Characteristics of Effective Literacy and Numeracy Teaching P- 6 and 7-10:Differentiating support for all students The Key Characteristics of Effective Literacy and Numeracy Teaching documents quality differentiated classroom teaching for all students. The resource is organised into four headings: Teacher knowledge Literacy/Numeracy Focus Assessment Planning and Instruction • Purpose: • Articulate effective practice in literacy and numeracy teaching that supports differentiation within the classroom • Build knowledge and capacity in literacy and numeracy teaching and learning with a focus on student improvement • Establish a common, shared language to describe effective practice in literacy and numeracy teaching

32. Contemplating research……. 32

33. Research into how people learn Three principles which, when incorporated into teaching, result in the improvement of student achievement….. Bransford, Brown and Cocking (2000) How people learn: brain, mind, experience and school. National Academy Press. Http://books.nap.edu/books 33

34. Learning is enhanced when teachers identify and work from learners’ current knowledge and beliefs Learning is most effective when it results in well-organised knowledge and deep understanding of concepts and their applicability Learning is enhanced by the ability to monitor one’s own learning 34

35. A Task: What evidence would you need to convince yourselves that your school is enacting these three principles?

36. The high performance dimension…

37. Rigorous benchmarking

40. Top 2 levels (5 & 6) in maths proficiency PISA 2009 Victoria

41. Top 2 levels (5&6) in reading proficiency PISA 2009

42. Aspirational or minimum standards? • 85% HK P3 students meet minimum standards in mathematics; • 96% in Australia (NAPLAN) • ?

43. Civic Knowledge Selected jurisdictions International Civic and Citizenship Education Study 2009

44. Teachers make a difference John Hattie suggests …it is what teachers get the students to do in the class that emerged as the strongest component of the accomplished teachers’ repertoire, rather than what the teacher, specifically, does.” (Visible Learning, 2009 pp. 34-35)

45. Professor John Hattie Meta research and evaluation…… 0.4 is the average size effect of various influences on learning

47. Professor John Hattie

49. A further task: Think about assessments undertaken in your school. Do they reflect Bloom’s Taxonomy?

50. Assessment as feedback • Sharing learning intentions • Sharing success criteria • Using effective teacher feedback • Using peers to provide feedback to each other • Questioning strategically • Encouraging student self-assessment • Making formative use of summative assessment