Implementing the Australian Curriculum:Explicit teaching and engaged learning of subjects and capabilities

AcknowledgmentThe Smarter Schools National Partnership (on Literacy and Numeracy/for low SES School Communities/on Improving Teacher Quality) is a joint initiative of the Australian Government and the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, the Catholic Education Commission Victoria and Independent Schools Victoria.

Explore the key role principals will play in determining school-based approaches to the implementation of the Australian CurriculumDefine the dual implementation drivers of compliance and creativity/flexibility/personalised learningProvide a tool-kit of resources to support principals lead the implementation of the Australian Curriculum in schools.

Aims of program

Introduction to and outline of the Australian Curriculum and Victorias approach to implementationResearch and theoretical basis to support Victorias approach.Victorias implementation requirements.Curriculum planning to effectively implement the first four Australian Curriculum subjects of English, Mathematics, Science and History.Planning the explicit teaching of the general capabilities.Curriculum planning informed by the cross-curriculum priorities.Whole school curriculum planning.

Structure of program

Research by Nuthall, 2005, shows half (and perhaps more) of all materialtaught in anyclass is alreadyknownby thestudents.(Nuthall, The cultural myths and realities of classroom teaching and learning: a personal journey? in Teachers College Record, 107 (5), 902-903)

Pre-test activityIntroduction

Students also notably struggled with the concept of "the common good" strategies that refer to how individuals can influence systems for the benefit of society. They either didn't understand it, didn't believe in it, or couldn't see how they could exercise it. Two of the findings that surprised researchers involved Australian history. Only 16 per cent of Year 6 students and 23 per cent of Year 10 students could correctly name the event commemorated on Australia Day. Further, only 17 per cent of Year 6 and 27 per cent of Year 10 students could articulate why Australia Day was sometimes called Invasion Day.Refer Reading 1Why this matters

[Curriculum is] a particular, historically formed knowledge that inscribes rules and standards by which we reason about the world and our self as a productive member of that world

Curriculum is a disciplining technology that directs how the individual is to act, feel, talk and see the world and self. As such, curriculum is a form of social regulation.

Popkewitz, T. (1997). The production of reason and power: curriculum history and intellectual traditions. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 29(2), 132.Curriculum is

Curriculum All the structures, organisation and activities of a school.Intended, enacted, experienced.Syllabus as the structure, curriculum as the teaching program.Imposed vs student-led.

The matter of definitions

The curriculum is the defined and mandated set of knowledge and skills that schools are required to teach and assess.A democratic entitlement rather than individual determination of what is required for effective, participatory citizenship.A working definition

Tensions

Implementation approaches

Promoting world-class curriculum and assessment:a solid foundation in skills and knowledge on which further learning and adult life can be builtdeep knowledge and skills that will enable advanced learning and an ability to create new ideas and translate them into practical applicationsgeneral capabilities that underpin flexible and critical thinking, a capacity to work with others and an ability to move across subject disciplines to develop new expertise.

http://www.curriculum.edu.au/mceetya/melbourne_declaration,25979.htmlBasis of national curriculum

What is the Australian Curriculum?What is the Australian Curriculum?

LEARNING AREAS/ SUBJECT DISCIPLINESGENERAL CAPABILITIESCROSS-CURRICULUM PRIORITIESEnglishMathematicsScienceHealth and physical educationLanguagesHumanities and social sciences (History, Geography, Civics and citizenship, Business and economics)The ArtsTechnologies (Design and Digital technologies)Critical and creative thinkingPersonal and social capabilityIntercultural understandingEthical behaviourLiteracyNumeracyICTAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures Asia and Australias engagement with AsiaSustainability

Australian CurriculumAnother historic milestone towards implementation of Australias first national school curriculum was reached with Ministers endorsing the achievement standards for Foundation to Year 10 Australian Curriculum in English, mathematics, science and history. Following Ministers endorsement of the curriculum content for these first four learning areas in December last year, (2010) the achievement standards were refined after a validation process ....

ACARA will provide student work samples that illustrate achievement against each standard in the four learning areas in 2011 and during 2012 to enable the standards to be consistently interpreted and assessed across the nation.

MCEEYDYA Communiqu 14 October 2011Current status

Victorian timelines Phase 1: F-10

English, Mathematics, History and ScienceProfessional development F-10School-based planning and trialling F-10ACARA drafting of Years 11-12 curriculum2012Implementation of English, Mathematics, History and Science F 102013

Victorian timelines all domains

2013EnglishScienceHumanities - HistoryMathematics 2014Humanities - GeographyThe ArtsLanguages?2015Health and PE?Technologies, including ICT? Business and economics? Civics and citizenship?

AusVELS

Current VELS structure Conceptualisation of Interdisciplinary Learning/Physical, Personal and Social Learning/General CapabilitiesAs is the case with learning in subject areas, the learning associated with the general capabilities does not always happen by osmosis

Refer Readings 7, 8, 9, 10Digital literacy does need to be taught: young people have usually acquired some knowledge of computer systems, but their knowledge is patchy. The idea that teaching this is unnecessary because of the sheer ubiquity of technology that surrounds young people as they are growing up the digital native should be treated with great caution.

Shut down or restart? The way forward for computing in UK schools, January 2012, p 21AusVELS

AusVELS key features

AusVELS

Nominal school level/gradeVELS LevelAusVELS LevelPrep/Foundation1Foundation121223334454566757889691010

AusVELS

Grade 3

Level 4

Level 3Level 2

An example from The Arts domain Learning focusAs students work towards the achievement of Level 4 standards in the Arts, they apply and develop their arts knowledge by exploring arts processes and ways to communicate concepts arising from their personal experiences and from the world around them.StandardsAt Level 3, students are working toward the Level 4 standards.Referhttp://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/The-Arts/Curriculum#level=3

AusVELS

AusVELS - English

AusVELS - Mathematics

AusVELS - History

*AusVELS Science proposal

AusVELS viewed through the language modes of:Reading and viewingSpeaking and listeningWriting

Key differences - English

AC curriculum viewed by:

Key differences - EnglishVELS viewed by Reading, Writing, Speaking and listening

LanguageLiteratureLiteracyLanguage variation and changeLiterature and contextTexts in contextLanguage for interactionResponding to literatureInteracting with othersText structure and organisationExamining literatureInterpreting, analysing and evaluatingExpressing and developing ideasCreating literatureCreating textsSound and letter knowledge

The AC and VELS have much in commonFour proficiency strands, similar in purpose to current VELS Maths Working mathematically dimension.Achievement standards are written for each level however in AusVELS they will be organised around each content strand.

*Key differences - Mathematics

Two strands: Historical knowledge and understanding Historical skillsContent descriptions and Achievement standards included for F - 3History includes Depth studies for Levels 7 to 10Content descriptions for each level for Historical knowledge and understanding but across band levels for Historical skillsAchievement standards written for each level F-10

*AusVELS - History

Three strands:Science understandingScience as a human endeavourScience inquiry skillsContent descriptions and achievement standards included for F 10.Content descriptions for each level for Science understanding but across band levels for Science as a human endeavour and Science inquiry skills.Currently achievement standards written for each level F-10, but will be rewritten mainly in two-level intervals.

*AusVELS - Science

See circular to schools 62/2012http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/correspondence/notices/2012/62.html

Key reporting message:For 2013 the current reporting requirements will continue to apply.Specific information for student reporting of Phase 1 studiesReporting of remaining VELS domains

Assessment and reporting

Assessment and reporting: Phase 1, 2013 FoundationLevel 1Level 2Level 3

Remaining VELS domainsStudent reporting will continue as per current arrangements for the remaining VELS discipline domains and the Interdisciplinary Learning and Physical, Personal and Social Learning strands.

Student reports for Years Prep/Foundation to 2 will continue as per current arrangements for English, Mathematics, Health and Physical Education, The Arts and Interpersonal Development.

Assessment and reporting

No mandated time allocations (except HPE, Languages)Maintain school-based responsibility for design of learning programsRespect for professional autonomy/responsibility balance with accountabilitySchools should be able to demonstrate how the Australian Curriculum is being deliveredIt is expected all domains will be made available to all studentsVCE/VET programs will continue to be available in Year 10Victorian approach

National agreement to develop 14 senior secondary subjects (plus Geography) in four learning areas.No national agreement yet on development of further subjects in these or other learning areas.Senior secondary

Victorian timelines Phase 1: senior secondary

English, Mathematics, History and ScienceACARA drafting of Years 11-12 curriculum2012Implementation of English, Mathematics, History and Science F 10Packaging of agreed Years 11-12 curriculum into VCE study designs2013Implementation workshops for new study designs in English, Mathematics, History and Science2014New study designs introduced for Units 1 and 2 English, Mathematics, History and Science2015?New study designs introduced for Units 3 and 4 English, Mathematics, History and Science2016?Accreditation period of new study designs2015-2020

Senior secondary

Agreed content to be packaged into VCE study designs: RationaleAreas of studyOutcomesKey knowledgeKey skillsAssessment

Process

All other current VCE studies will continue to be offered as per existing arrangements.New subjects (e.g. Extended Investigation) will continue to be introduced.Other VCE studies?

Current VET arrangements will continueVCAL will continue to be offered

VET and VCAL

http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/foundation10/curriculum/index.htmlOverview and comparison documents (AC with VELS)Scope and sequence PowerPoint presentation with speaker notes for curriculum leadersPortfolios of annotated student work samples for AC

Resources

Charts that indicate linkages and continuity between the VEYLDF and the VELS have been developed and can be found at: http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/earlyyears/vfldoutcomes/index.htmlGovernment and Catholic schools will be required to report student achievement in F-2 against the AusVELS standards. However the VEYLDF outcomes can be used as curriculum organisers at F-2.The VCAA is currently working with five schools to develop case studies on this use of the VEYLDF outcomes.

Resources Early years

http://www.scootle.edu.au/ec/p/homeCatholic schools in Victoria contact:sxavier@ceomelb.catholic.edu.au Resources

How much time will we allocate to each learning domain?Australian Curriculum should take up no more than 80% of teaching time [69(d)] http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/The_Shape_of_the_Australian_Curriculum_V3.pdf, What else/more/deeper/broader do we want to teach?Teaching content does not necessarily mean teaching a timetabled subjectHow will we structure learning?Refer Reading 3Refer Template Bank Key issues

LiteracyNumeracyICTPersonal and social capabilityCritical and creative thinkingIntercultural understandingEthical behaviour

General capabilitiesgeneral capabilities that underpin flexible and critical thinking, a capacity to work with others and an ability to move across subject disciplines to develop new expertise.

Key questionsHow and when will we intentionally teach the qualities and dispositions associated with perseverance?How will we capture evidence of students developing capacity to persevere?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBBngsAvafQRefer Readings 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10Refer Template Bank Personal and social capability - Perseverance

Students in the lower 50% of their class in reading achievement who received the AB4L program showed statistically significant improvement in their reading comprehension performance.

Those students who received the AB4L program and who showed improvements in their behaviours for learning demonstrated statistically significant improvements in their reading comprehension performance.

Report on the Attitudes and Behaviours for Learning program(AB4L), 2011Professor Michael Bernard, University of Melbournehttp://www.youcandoit.com.au/Assets/Files/Helping_great_teachers_make_great_students_Full_Final[1].pdf

Empirical research

The Arts and Achievement in At-Risk Youth: Findings from Four Longitudinal Studieshttp://www.arts.gov/research/Arts-At-Risk-Youth.pdfTeenagers and young adults of low socioeconomic status (SES) who have a history of in-depth arts involvement show better academic outcomes than do low-SES youth who have less arts involvement. Among low-SES students Eighth graders who had high levels of arts engagement from kindergarten through elementary school showed higher test scores in science and writing than did students who had lower levels of arts engagement over the same period.Empirical research

The Australian Curriculum identifies three cross curriculum priorities:Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and culturesAsia and Australias engagement with Asiahttp://dl.nfsa.gov.au/clip/cuclamss/ Sustainability

These are not separate, perpetual areas of learning but rather illustrate how learning can be integrated across the subjects and general capabilities to enable students to engage with current issues in contemporary society.Cross curriculum priorities

Refer Template bank Cross-curriculum priorities

Will we have to report on History and Science in Prep?For government and Catholic sector schools, reporting and assessment requirements will remain unchanged in 2013. Any changes to assessment and reporting requirements will be informed by consultation with schools, parents and communities.Independent schools will be required to comply with national guidelines substantial implementation of phase 1 of Australian Curriculum by 2013.See circular to schools 62/2012http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/correspondence/notices/2012/62.htmlFAQ

Do students in Years 9-10 all have to do the Australian Curriculum subjects?It is expected that the learning program available for all students will draw on each of the eight learning areas.Schools retain the final responsibility for design to appropriate student learning programs.Schools will continue to be able to offer VCE and VET subjects to students in Years 9 and 10.Schools need to ensure that students are appropriately advised about the level of knowledge and skill required to successfully undertake VCE and VET studies.FAQ

Does the curriculum content set for a particular year level by the Australian Curriculum have to be taught to all students in that year level? What about multi-grade classrooms?The Australian Curriculum sets out a nationally-agreed sequence of learning, both in terms of content and achievement standards.However, teachers and schools retain the flexibility to tailor teaching and learning programs according to local circumstances while reporting against common standards.FAQ

What about EAL/D students?ACARA is developing teaching resources to support the teaching of EAL/D students.Government and Catholic schools in Victoria should continue to use the ESL scales for curriculum planning and assessment.*FAQ

FAQWhat about students with Additional Learning Needs?Continue to use current Victorian approach of matching student with appropriate levelsWorking Towards Level 1 of VELS to continue to be made availableACARA developing support materials*FAQ

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority(VCAA)

email: vcaa@edumail.vic.gov.au

www.vcaa.vic.edu.auContact details

*Questions for consideration:How do schools balance entitlement of learning with constraints that they face?How do schools balance delivery of the universal AC entitlements with personalised learning entitlements? How can schools move beyond compliance?What still needs to happen in our school t o design and implement learning programs for delivering the Australian Curriculum?How can schools use the AC as a catalyst for re-energising teaching and learning?

*Your sector will make these resources available for use with your school.*This pre-test activity serves two purposes:Practice what we preach whats the knowledge base of participants/learners?Activates existing knowledge and orients participants to the focus of the Australian Curriculum**This extract is from the 2010 report on the Civics and Citizenship National Assessment Program The assessment program is a sample testing of students at Years 6 and 10, held every three years.Given that Victorian students perform well on NAPLAN, it is highly likely that this poorer performance is due to the fact that these students are not taught the explicit knowledge and skills in the Civics and Citizenship VELS domain.Reports for tests conducted in 2007 and 2010 are located at: http://www.nap.edu.au/_Documents/National%20Report/NAP-CC%20Report%202010_251011.pdf

***AusVELS, the formal curriculum, should occupy approximately 80% of teaching and learning time. Schools determine the focus/content of the remaining 20%.*While there are jurisdiction requirements regarding the provision of the Australian Curriculum, this can cause tensions for schools when determining the relationship between whole-school provision and the needs of individual students. Schools need to shape a learning environment that suits their students and community, while fulfilling jurisdiction requirements. This may involve resolving ethical dilemmas as well as applying creativity when approaching problem solving.

*NSW and Queensland have taken a centralised approach to entitlement in NSW schools follow a centrally-developed syllabus that incorporates the Australian Curriculum; in Queensland, schools use centrally-developed units of work to address entitlement.Charter schools in the USA have complete autonomy over entitlement what is taught and how.Victoria is taking a hybrid approach to entitlement, identifying core requirements, but giving schools flexibility in designing creative programs to suit their needs. *The construct of the Australian Curriculum is very similar to the underpinning structure of VELS disciplines, interdisciplinary, and physical, personal and social strands.The key messages of the Melbourne Declaration can provide a very strong foundation for the development of individual school programs.*Learning areas contain content and standard statements.Currently the general capabilities identify a continua of student development with respect to knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions at years 2, 6 and 10.ACARA is currently extending these continua to include statements at two-year intervals, beginning at Foundation (F) this will more closely align the capabilities associated with the interdisciplinary and physical, personal and social domains within VELS. See slide 48 for further details.The cross-curriculum priorities do not have their own set of content and standards, but rather they indicate the nature of special attention that is given within the learning areas. They are embedded in the learning areas, but for each priority there are key organising elements that could be used by schools as conceptual lenses when planning learning programs.*This endorsement of the achievement standards acknowledges the commitment made by every state and territory to implement the Australian CurriculumSome states and territories are already implementing some or all of the phase 1 studies, for example Queensland and the ACT.*The Victorian Minister for Education has endorsed the implementation of the Australian Curriculum for these four studies from 2013.*AusVELS will be phased in over the next three years, starting with F 10 English, Science, History and Mathematics in 2013. For 2014, it is anticipated that Geography and The Arts will be ready for implementation. The question marks indicate a level of uncertainty about scheduled timelines being met. For example, Languages is scheduled to be implemented in 2014 but this maybe extended to 2015. The Technologies, Health and PE, Business and economics and Civics and citizenship subjects are scheduled to be implemented in 2015 but this maybe extended to 2016. These implementation decisions are contingent on the curriculum development progress made by ACARA.

The VCAA will continue to support schools implementing the AusVELS curriculum, including the early release of new AusVELS learning areas prior to their implementation, to assist schools in their curriculum planning. *AusVELS is a single coherent curriculum for years F-10 that incorporates the Australian Curriculum as well as VELS domains.This will continue until all Australian Curriculum studies are developed and will replace the VELS domains content.AusVELS provides one framework for curriculum and reporting purposes during this development period.

*AusVELS is a framework that accommodates the transition to the Australian Curriculum.The VELS framework continues to be the conceptual basis of the curriculum, however, specific content related to each domain will gradually be replaced with Australian Curriculum content.Some VELS domains currently residing in the Physical, Personal and Social Learning strand and the Interdisciplinary strand, namely Personal learning, Interpersonal development, Thinking Processes, Communications and ICT, are treated as general capabilities in the Australian Curriculum, namely Personal and social learning, Critical and creative thinking, literacy and ICT. As is the situation with VELS, knowledge and skills related to the general capabilities need to be explicitly taught to students. This teaching can take place in a stand-alone subject, e.g. ICT or it can be integrated within another subject e.g. Science and Critical and creative thinking. This is a school decision. Whatever the decision, explicit teaching of the content of these capabilities needs to occur.*The decision to remove the word year from the curriculum reflects the emphasis on the curriculum being viewed as a developmental learning journey. It acknowledges that within any one class there will be students demonstrating a range of abilities. For example, not all students coming into a year 3 class will be at the same starting point and not all will finish the year at the same level. While the curriculum has been constructed on a sequential basis, calibrated over 11 intervals (levels), the speed with which children move through this continuum varies. The curriculum within AusVELS is not set out according to nominal year levels that equate to particular school grades but to developmental levels that point to current levels of achievement and allow for appropriate planning for expected levels of achievement. See slide 20.In VELS, with the exception of Level 1, a level covers two years. In AusVELS a level covers one year. This means that for assessment purposes where the standards are from the VELS domains, a student at an odd (year) level would be working towards the next level. For example, a year 7 Art student would be learning the content of the VELS Arts domain for level 5 (aligned with year 8). However, using AusVELS terminology this would mean that the student would be considered as working towards level 8.

**Within any one class/grade there are typically students covers multiple levels.Regardless of whether a multi-level approach has been taken by a schools learning program or not, each class will have students working a varying AusVELS levels. Schools need to consider the relationship between the curriculum structure of AusVELS and the school structureThe Australian Curriculum sequentially identifies knowledge and skills through the levels, but the rate of learning progress for individual students through those levels varies, hence a nominal year or grade will have students working at these different levels. AusVELS recognises this by calling the content and standards levels and not year levels. See slide 18.*In VELS terms, students in year 3 are working towards level 3 standards.In AusVELS terms, students in year 3 are working towards level 4 standards.*There are achievement standards at levels F to 10.In AusVELS the default for viewing the curriculum at each level is through the modes of Reading and viewing, Writing, and Speaking and listening. An option exists for viewing the curriculum via the strands of Literature, Literacy and Language.The modes view reflects the nature of assessment in English and provides for meaningful feedback and reporting to students and parents. This structure also supports an integrated approach to the strands.Each content strand has sub strands, which in turn have a range of foci. The extent of the foci varies over the levels, but these form the basis for the English scope and sequence, a very useful tool for course planning.The deeper-coloured F cell indicates that from 2013, government and Catholic schools will report student progress in English from Foundation to their sectors. This is the same requirement as VELS.

*There are achievement standards at levels F to 10.There are no achievement standards at level 10A.10A contains additional content suitable as preparation for students proceeding to Methods or Specialist VCE pathways.There are content descriptions for the strands of Number and algebra, Measurement and geometry and Statistics and probability.An indication of the focus and emphasis for each of the proficiency strands is stated in each level description.The coloured cell in the Level column indicates that from 2013, government and Catholic schools will report student progress in Mathematics from Foundation (F) to their sectors. This is the same requirement as VELS.*In the VELS, there is no specific History standards until Level 4 (or levels 5 and 6 in AusVELS)In AusVELS there are content descriptions and achievement standards from Foundation.In AusVELS at each level from F 10 there are content descriptions for the Historical knowledge and understanding strand.In AusVELS at each level from F 10 there are achievement standards that focus on skills and understanding rather than substantive content. This is a contrast to VELS.In AusVELS the content descriptions for Historical skills are organised in bands of schooling. Levels F to 2 are grouped together, and thereafter the content descriptions for Historical skills are grouped on a two-level basis.The highlighted level level 3 indicates the first level at which government and Catholic schools need to report students progress in History to their sector. In 2013 Victorian government and Catholic schools do not have to report to the sectors student progress in History at Foundation, level 1 and level 2. As is the current situation with Humanities in the VELS, the content of History at these levels can provide advice about learning experiences that will assist students to work towards the achievement of the standards at Level 3 as well as providing a context for the development of students literacy for these levels.*

In the VELS, there are no specific Science standards until Level 3 Achievement standards address the three strands.Currently in AusVELS there are achievement standards for every level, but this will change to six sets of standards: F, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 and 9-10. The Australian Curriculum standards will still be the basis of this rewrite. This revised grouping will be available in term 4. The reorganisation will provide greater flexibility in schools for course planning.In AusVELS there are content descriptions and standards from Foundation (F).In AusVELS at each level from F 10 there are content descriptions for the Science understanding strand.In AusVELS the content descriptions for Science as a human endeavour and Science inquiry skills are organised in six bands F, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 and 9-10. The highlighted level level 3 indicates the first level at which government and Catholic schools need to report students progress in Science to their sector. In 2013 Victorian government and Catholic schools do not have to report to the sectors student progress in Science at Foundation, level 1 and level 2. As is the current situation with Science in the VELS, the content of Science at these levels can provide advice about learning experiences that will assist students to work towards the achievement of the standards at Level 3 as well as providing a context for the development of students literacy. statements for Levels F, 1 and 2.

**Structure and emphases of the new curriculumContent descriptions in each strand are grouped into sub-strands that, across the levels, present a sequence of development of knowledge, understanding and skills. The sub-strands are listed on the slide. Worthwhile noting that they do not appear at every year level. The three strands are:

Language: explicit knowledge about the English language The Language strand provides a more explicit common metalanguage for describing the features and functions of language, including terms drawn from functional grammar. Metalanguage to support teaching about features and functions of language is explained in a comprehensive hyperlinked Glossary. In the absence of a background document, there are a number of great resources being published by leading academics in this area on the functional model of language used in this strand. Beverly Derevianka, Christine Ludwig, Kristina Love, Sally Humphrey, Louise Droga, to name a few, and your professional associations, ALEA, PETAA and VATE are all providing excellent publications in this area.

Literature: an informed appreciation of literature The Literature strand introduces more emphasis on the study of literary texts in primary schools, on the comparison of literary texts, and on students own creation of literary texts. There are more explicit references to the types of texts students should read (for instance, ballad, limerick, haiku, tanka, verse novels). AC English is more explicit about comprehension and production of texts with images/moving images, and the design of texts with image and/or audio component.

Literacy: expanding repertoires of language use.The Literacy strand defines English as the area of the curriculum primarily responsible for developing students ability to use language accurately and effectively in a wide range of contexts. Literacy should nevertheless continue to be taught across the curriculum as in the VELS. I want to acknowledge that there may be some concern about the inclusion of the Literacy strand in English especially those of you who worked as part of the movement to ensure that all teachers are teachers of Literacy. The literacy included in the AC English is the literacy of English. It does not cover the literacy of other learning areas. However this confirms that English does have a core responsibility for language learning. For example, students may learn what a nominal or noun group is in English. They may learn how nominal groups can be used to support the writing of an engaging narrative text, through the use of intensifiers, describers and qualifiers. What they wont learn in English is how nominal groups behave in science, through the use of numeratives and classifiers, and even the way describers can be used differently, and how this reflects the objective approach used in science.

*In AusVELS the achievement standards will be organised around the three content strands one paragraph on each. In the Australian Curriculum they are written in two paragraphs one focusing mainly on content; the other on skills. The AusVELS achievement standards will be consistent in style with the Australian Curriculum achievement standards, but they will also incorporate reference to digital technologies and heighten the profile of the proficiencies.These enhanced achievement standards for AusVELS will be available later in 2012.Proficiencies are not separate content to be taught. They cover:UnderstandingFluencyProblem solvingReasoningTo plan mathematics curriculum and teaching and learning programs you would use in combination the content descriptions, proficiencies and achievement standards.Remember to check the Elaborations for clarification/additional information. These are not mandatory and teachers can develop their own.*

For each of levels 7 to 10 there are three Depth studies with one or more electives within them. For each of these levels (7 10) three Depth studies must be included.There are fewer elective choices within levels 9 and 10 than levels 7 and 8. This is because levels 9 and 10 contain what is regarded as essential learning. For example, World War 1 and World War 11, as well as Rights and freedoms are the only options within a Depth studies, hence they must be taught.

*There are three strands in Science and each one is further sub categorised into substrands. These could be used as scaffolds when planning programs at a unit, year and stages of schooling level.

*The Notice to Schools provides specific implementation and reporting information for the government, Catholic and independent sectorsFurther advice for student reporting in 2013 for government and Catholic sectors will be provided at the beginning of Term 4, 2012.*The Notice to Schools provides specific implementation and reporting information for the government, Catholic and independent sectorsFurther advice for student reporting in 2013 for government and Catholic sectors will be provided at the beginning of Term 4, 2012.While there is no reporting for some Phase 1 studies at specific levels, schools can still offer learning programs in these areas and undertake assessment.**The current policy position for government and Catholic schools in Victoria continues to be in place, that is each school uses the curriculum provided by the VCAA to work out the best way to organise its teaching and learning program, taking into account government policies and the school communitys priorities, resources and expertise (http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/overview/vcaa.html) The Victorian Minister for Education has endorse the implementation of the Australian Curriculum for English, Mathematics, History and Science in Victorian schools F-10 from 2013. There is therefore now an expectation that all students will have access to the content defined by the curriculum for these subjects across the years F-10 and that, for most students, their program of learning will include assessment of their learning of this content. Exceptions might include students who are following individual learning plans, students undertaking school-based apprenticeships or students undertaking VCE studies in Year 10.*Consultation on the14 subjects took place in term 2, 2012. Consultation on Geography occurred earlier in the year.Victoria will determine what subjects will form part of the VCE. Where there is no equivalent Australian Curriculum subject, for example, Psychology, then this subject will continue to form part of the VCE.

*Senior secondary studies are likely to be rolled out over two years, unlike most VCE study designs where all units (units 1 4) are implemented in the one year.The question mark indicates that there is still some uncertainty about the timing as discussion are still occurring between states and territories and ACARA.The implementation cycle is the same as for VCE studies in that schools are given a full year to become familiar with the study prior to it being taught.The take-up of what Australian Curriculum senior secondary subjects in each of the four learning areas will be a decision made by the Victorian Minister for Education, based on advice from the VCAA. For example, there are four different English curriculum in senior secondary VCAA may decide that only three will form part of the VCE.**The intention is for all senior secondary subjects, whether they be developed by ACARA or by the VCAA should look and feel the same. It is highly unlikely that all the available Australian Curriculum subjects within a learning area will be repackaged next year into VCE study design; rather there will be a rolling out of them.As a consequence of this staggered process, it is possible for a student doing more than one study from a learning area, to be completing both a VCAA-generated study and an Australian Curriculum-based study. Regardless of the source of the content, these subjects will form part of a students VCE.*Both ACARA-developed and VCAA-developed studies will co-exist within the VCE. For example, a student might be studying Biology (Australian Curriculum) and Visual Communication Design (VCAA). Both contribute to a students VCE; both are subjected to the same curriculum and assessment guidelines.**Portfolios are located on the AusVELS2013+ segment of the website at the end of the achievement standards

**In 2012, government schools wishing to investigate Australian Curriculum aligned resources can access Scootle, developed by Education Services Australia (ESA) by going to the Accessing Scootle page: http://www.scootle.edu.au/ec/p/accessing_scootle.

**The AusVELS curriculum should typically account for 80% of a schools teaching and learning program. The remaining 20% allows schools to focus of areas relevant to their school community. However, there are increasing demands from many quarters for schools to attend to social matters such as gambling, obesity etc.The general capabilities, building on the pioneering work of the VELS, now provide a curriculum structure and curriculum content to address these very issues that the community is demanding schools take on.*The AusVELS curriculum should typically account for 80% of a schools teaching and learning program. The remaining 20% allows schools to focus of areas relevant to their school community. However, there are increasing demands from many quarters for schools to attend to social matters such as gambling, obesity etc.The general capabilities, building on the pioneering work of the VELS, now provide a curriculum structure and curriculum content to address these very issues that the community is demanding schools take on.

*Currently in the AusVELS website there are no symbols indicating the embedding of the general capabilities in the subjects. There are two key reasons for this:ACARA is still developing a full continuum for the general capabilities currently the continuum intervals are at years 2, 6 and 10.The process of embedding does not acknowledge the specific body of knowledge and skills that are related to each of these general capabilities. Embedding them masks the underpinning knowledge and skills that should be acquired by students as they are areas of learning in their own right.

*It is expected that in late 2012/early 2013, when ACARA publishes continua for all general capabilities at two-year intervals (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10) the Minister for Education will approve that the general capabilities form part of AusVELS. If this does not occur, it is likely that Victoria will review its current relevant domains from the interdisciplinary and physical, personal and social learning strands to incorporate valued aspects of the general capabilities.For curriculum planning purposes schools need to consider how students will acquire and apply the knowledge and skills related to each of these general capabilities.One of the organising elements within the general capability Personal and social capability is Confidence, resilience and adaptability. In this example, the continuum formed the basis for identifying an underlying disposition that supports the development of confidence, resilience and adaptability, namely perseverance. An alternative approach could be to identify attributes or practices associated with Personal and social capability and then align them with the relevant statements in the continuum.Robert Marzano suggests that effective assessment strategies for capturing evidence of this nature includes unobtrusive methods, such as observation, and student-generated assessment, whereby students determine how they will demonstrate evidence. Details are available in Marzano, R Formative Assessment and Standards-Based Grading, Marzano Research Laboratory.

*AB4L is the acronym for Attitudes and Behaviours for Learning program.This program was designed to improve student attitudes and behaviours for learning as well as their reading performance.The key findings of the program are presented in a paper by Michael Bernard titled Helping Great Teachers Make Great Students (January 2011).

*School decisions need to be made regarding how the extra 20% of available teaching and learning time can be used. This research might provide a stimulus for considering an extension of the Arts program with this school program.*Each cross-curriculum priority is embedded in the learning areas.Their presence varies according to the learning area. Refer to the AusVELS website for further information: http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/CrossCurriculumPrioritiesThere are organising ideas (OI) for each priority, which could play a role in course planning.

****EAL/D is the acronym for English as an Additional Language/Dialect***