Preparing new teachers for Curriculum for Excellence

The journey through the Senior Phase: curriculum, qualifications and assessment

Ronnie Summers,Head of Qualifications Development

Overview

•Historical context and reasons for change•Senior Phase entitlements and qualifications•Learning not occurring in a straight line•Better gradient of learning and progress•Landscape of assessment and teaching•Developing teacher competence and skills•SQA Understanding Standards

Education Scotland website:

“The 3-18 curriculum is a forward looking, coherent curriculum that provides Scotland's children and young people with the knowledge, skills and attributes needed for life in the 21st century.

The development process has involved unparalleled engagement with teachers and practitioners. It has built upon the existing good practice across all sectors of Scottish education and ……. recognises the professionalism of teachers.”

Improving Scottish Education (2009)“The key to developing capacities, raising standards and meeting the needs of all learners lies of course in consistent, high quality learning and teaching.”“The current profile of attainment within andacross the different sectors of education remains uneven. In particular, many young people are not making the progress they should…..”

What needed to change:

•Over-crowding of curriculum•Need for enjoyment – wonder and magic•Articulation and smoother progression •‘Academic’ and ‘vocational’ balance •Focus on skills application rather than knowledge cramming•Personalisation and choice•Need for greater professional freedom•Challenge that assessment was perverting learning

New National Qualifications

•Build on strengths of current qualifications•Maintain current high standards and credibility•Better alignment of learning & assessment•Broader range of qualifications•Maximise progression opportunities

Reminders….

Qualifications contribute to: 4 capacities –

Successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens, effective contributors

Skills for Learning, Life and Work Developing Young Workforce Raising attainment and closing the gap Improving life chances

BTC3– “a senior phase which…

provides opportunities to obtain qualifications… continues to develop the four capacities develops skills for learning, skills for life and skills

for work (including career planning skills)…. has a continuous focus on literacy, numeracy

and health and wellbeing has personal support supports moving into positive and sustained

destinations beyond school.”

Progression, not separation

Skills and knowledge in CFE outcomes and experiences a sound basis for outcomes and assessment standards in senior phase

P7 and S3 profiles important part of self-reflection and awareness of achievements: pupils take their skills, knowledge and aptitude forward

7 year CFE development programme marked by continuous evaluation at the end of each year: teachers must seek continuity for learners

BTC5 diagram

Process of developing new qualifications

CFE Management Board SQA’s18 design principles Involvement of stakeholders – CARGS and

QDTS and Subject Working Groups, Higher Education, Education Scotland

IROCCG and EROCCG Draft documents out to consultation

Do you climb a Munro in one go?

Rising spiral of difficulty for course award N1 to Advanced Higher

Very much changed from the single terminal examination of the past!

N1to N3 – pass 3 units N4 – pass 3 units plus added value unit applying knowledge and skills from units; N5 to AH – pass 3 units plus added value coursework and usually examination paper/s against the clock

What is assessment?

•In SQA qualifications, assessment is defined as the process of evaluating how effectively learning is occurring. •It is the process of generating and collecting evidence of a learner’s attainment of knowledge and skills, and judging that evidence against defined standards for formal certification

Guide to Assessment (2014)

Assessment in the new qualifications

• Course assessment assesses breadth, challenge, application of skills, knowledge and understanding (added value) and provides the basis for grading A-D.

• Units allow candidates to build confidence, are stepping stone markers of progress

• Pupils need to work consistently over the year, not cram at the end

• Importance of formative assessment and AIFL

I Teach

They Learn

SQA assesses

Does the curriculum happen to children or with them? Personalisation and choice/ relevance?

Teacher as leader/ autocrat or facilitator?

A - Subject Knowledge and skills

B – Teacher and lecturer pedagogy

C - Qualifications

Principles of assessment

Valid Reliable

Practicable Fair and inclusive

Open and flexible Relevant

Credible Coherent

These should not be an add-on when developing courses, but integral to them.

Purposes of assessment

Evaluative Formative

Summative Monitoring

Guidance Qualification/Certification

Selection

Do we tend to over-focus on summative?

Unit assessment tasks - variation

Assignments Case Studies Essays Evidence accumulation Matching Multiple Choice Objective response Oral responses Practical work Performance Projects Presentations Portfolios Selected response Short answer questions

Assessing added value

For Course assessment and the assessment of the National 4 Added Value Units, there are seven agreed assessment methods which gives greater consistency to assessment approaches.:

Assignment Case Study

Practical Activity Performance

Portfolio Project

Question Paper/Test of Knowledge and Understanding

Teacher roles…..

PGDE students have deep subject knowledge but limited pedagogical knowledge

Need to respond to children’s social and emotional needs

Collaboration with colleagues departmentally and corporately

Know SQA qualifications for your subject – how levels make different and progressive demands

GTCS Standard for Career-Long Professional Learning

The key areas of career-long professional learning are: (i) Pedagogy, learning and subject knowledge; (ii) Curriculum and assessment; (iii) Enquiry and research; (iv) Educational contexts and current debates in policy, education and practice; (v) Sustaining and developing professional learning; (vi) Learning for sustainability

Understanding Standards and QA

Events for authority subject nominees Events for subject staff November – February Think of verification as educational MOT Round 1 – units up to Higher – published Round 2 – coursework and N4 Added Value unit Internal verification toolkit, not mandatory

General support for staff

• Website reorganised some time back – each subject area structured the same• SQA Secure – password from SQA co-ordinator but has terms and conditions attached•Assessment Support materials (Packs 1-3, coursework)• Understanding Standards materials used at events• Centre-produced Prior Verified Materials• Sign up for monthly newsletter

Closing comments

• Committed and well- qualified teaching staff BUT• Do all colleagues and prospective teachers model the 4 capacities we seek in our young people?• Importance of reflection, adjustment of practice and innovation in senior phase but also S1-3 and in liaison with primary colleagues (P5-S3 a faultline?)• Knowing where pupils are and helping them achieve their potential – “no child left behind”•Hope that these thoughts will prepare you for the contributions of other colleagues later today

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.”

Marcel Proust