The National Curriculum The National Curriculum & Schooling Improvement& Schooling Improvement

For the Canterbury Principals’ For the Canterbury Principals’ Association Association

Brian AnnanBrian AnnanMarch, 2008March, 2008

A little about BAA little about BA

A westie JAFA with a slash of Italian and AfricanA westie JAFA with a slash of Italian and African

An ex-teacher and ex-principalAn ex-teacher and ex-principal

A heretic in the Ministry A heretic in the Ministry

A learnaholicA learnaholic

Always looking for AFDAlways looking for AFD

What is a curriculumWhat is a curriculum

A statement of official policy relating to A statement of official policy relating to teaching and learning in English-medium teaching and learning in English-medium New Zealand schools New Zealand schools (NZ government, 2007)(NZ government, 2007)

A set of discrete objectives and A set of discrete objectives and standards/levels standards/levels (Bob Slavin,2008)(Bob Slavin,2008)

Why have a curriculum?Why have a curriculum?

To set the direction for student learning and To set the direction for student learning and to provide guidance for schools to design to provide guidance for schools to design and review their curriculum and review their curriculum (NZ (NZ Government,2007)Government,2007)

To create a road map for next steps To create a road map for next steps (Margaret (Margaret

Heritage, 2008) Heritage, 2008)

5 things to get the road map right for 5 things to get the road map right for your schoolsyour schools

1.1. Sense makingSense making

2.2. TheorisingTheorising

3.3. Inquiry-based curriculum designInquiry-based curriculum design

4.4. Critically challenging talkCritically challenging talk

5.5. Seeking expert supportSeeking expert support

The first thing you have to do to get The first thing you have to do to get it right?it right?

Make sense of the national curriculum for Make sense of the national curriculum for your student populationyour student population

Second thing to get it rightSecond thing to get it right

Theorise to get the right curriculum design Theorise to get the right curriculum design for your student populationfor your student population

A set of linked ideas that explain why you A set of linked ideas that explain why you have prioritised some parts of the curriculum have prioritised some parts of the curriculum over others for your student populationover others for your student population

Lots of influences on next stepsLots of influences on next steps

The law – curriculum, self The law – curriculum, self management management

National policiesNational policies Assessment toolsAssessment tools School-level policiesSchool-level policies Syndicate/Department Syndicate/Department

policiespolicies Teachers’ units and Teachers’ units and

workbooksworkbooks Teachers’ snap Teachers’ snap

judgements judgements Students’ reactions to Students’ reactions to

learning opportunities learning opportunities provided provided

Big theories for action

Little theories for action

Espoused theories & theories in use Espoused theories & theories in use (Argyris & Schon, 1974)(Argyris & Schon, 1974)

Often a difference between the twoOften a difference between the two

E.g. I’m going to give up drinking wine during E.g. I’m going to give up drinking wine during the week but friends come over on Wednesday. the week but friends come over on Wednesday. I can’t help but be sociable! I can’t help but be sociable!

Theory competitionTheory competition (Robinson and Lai, 2007)(Robinson and Lai, 2007)

People have different theories about how to People have different theories about how to solve practical problems solve practical problems

Rival theories need to be resolvedRival theories need to be resolved

Explicit and implicit theories Explicit and implicit theories (Argyris & Schon, 1974)(Argyris & Schon, 1974)

Explicit ones are those that can be seen or Explicit ones are those that can be seen or heardheard

Implicit ones are hidden Implicit ones are hidden

New Zealand experienceNew Zealand experience

Implicit theories with little conflict Implicit theories with little conflict resolution, because resolution, because

Locals are experts (self-management)Locals are experts (self-management)

No.8 Wire cultural norm - heavy investment No.8 Wire cultural norm - heavy investment into development & little into programme into development & little into programme evaluationevaluation

Friendly and polite culture of schoolingFriendly and polite culture of schooling

An espoused theory underpinning An espoused theory underpinning the national curriculumthe national curriculum

Schools know best how to make links across the Schools know best how to make links across the curriculum to suit their students. They know, curriculum to suit their students. They know,

– how to connect various parts of the curriculum how to connect various parts of the curriculum – how to evaluate the success of their curriculum designhow to evaluate the success of their curriculum design– how to make appropriate adjustmentshow to make appropriate adjustments

It is best to provide some general direction and It is best to provide some general direction and lots of guidance from the centrelots of guidance from the centre

It is ok for students to progress fast or slowIt is ok for students to progress fast or slow

A competing theoryA competing theory

Finland

CanadaNew Zealand AustraliaKoreaJapan

SwedenBelgiumIceland

Norway Denmark

SwitzerlandSpainCzech Rep

GermanyGreece

Luxembourg

Mexico

420

440

460

480

500

520

540

560

5075100125150Variation expressed as percentage of average variation across the OECD

Mean performance in reading literacy .

r = 0.04

Low qualityHigh equity

Low qualityLow equity

High qualityHigh equity

High qualityLow equity

We have a serious underachievement We have a serious underachievement problemproblem

Therefore, Therefore,

Schools do not know best (for the students in the Schools do not know best (for the students in the tail). They need, tail). They need,

– To develop inquiry-based teaching To develop inquiry-based teaching

– Seek direction from centres of expertise to solve complex Seek direction from centres of expertise to solve complex problemsproblems

– To develop strong evidence of effectiveness To develop strong evidence of effectiveness

It is not ok for students to go slower than they are It is not ok for students to go slower than they are capable of going capable of going

Third thing to get it rightThird thing to get it right

Developing inquiry-based curriculum Developing inquiry-based curriculum design methodsdesign methods

– Inquiry practicesInquiry practices

– Problem analysis methodology for Problem analysis methodology for complex problemscomplex problems

Adaptation of schooling Adaptation of schooling improvement inquiry practicesimprovement inquiry practices

Collaborate to Collaborate to

– Agree on common assessment toolsAgree on common assessment tools

– Analyse achievement information to identify the priority Analyse achievement information to identify the priority problem/opportunties problem/opportunties

– Alter your curriculum mix & teaching practices based on Alter your curriculum mix & teaching practices based on analysisanalysis

– Check for successCheck for success

Analysing problemsAnalysing problems

Identification of a priority problemIdentification of a priority problem

A set of practices to solve the priority problemA set of practices to solve the priority problem

Reasons for selecting those particular practicesReasons for selecting those particular practices

Expected outcomes from those practices Expected outcomes from those practices

Fourth thing to get it rightFourth thing to get it right

Use “Learning talk” to make sure your inquiry-Use “Learning talk” to make sure your inquiry-based curriculum design is robustbased curriculum design is robust

Talk that helps change your practiceTalk that helps change your practice

Much talk is over ratedMuch talk is over rated

Model of Learning TalkModel of Learning Talk

Learning talkLearning talk • • aanalytical talk nalytical talk • • critical talk critical talk • • challenging talkchallenging talk

Teaching practices talk Teaching practices talk non-learning non-learning talktalk

School talkSchool talk non-teaching practices non-teaching practices talktalk

All talkAll talk Non-school talk Non-school talk

Analytical TalkAnalytical Talk

Definition: Definition: Checking things out - examines the impact on Checking things out - examines the impact on student achievement (teaching, management, student achievement (teaching, management, governance) governance)

To do so participants have to: To do so participants have to:

examine data that counts, i.e. non-inflated student examine data that counts, i.e. non-inflated student achievement informationachievement information

link achievement information to their practices link achievement information to their practices

seek support to make sense of the links seek support to make sense of the links (Spillane, Reiser & (Spillane, Reiser & Reimer, 2002)Reimer, 2002)

Critical talkCritical talk Definition: Definition: Looking in the mirror - evaluates the impact on Looking in the mirror - evaluates the impact on

student achievement (teaching, management, student achievement (teaching, management, governance) governance)

To do so participants have to:To do so participants have to:

evaluate honestly the impact of their own practices on student evaluate honestly the impact of their own practices on student achievementachievement

check their causal reasoning with each other to see if there are any check their causal reasoning with each other to see if there are any other explanationsother explanations

seek support to -seek support to -– check their explanations check their explanations – check if others have found the same issues and how they dealt check if others have found the same issues and how they dealt

with them with them

Challenging TalkChallenging Talk Definition: Definition: Doing it! Challenges participants to retain Doing it! Challenges participants to retain

effective practices and replace ineffective effective practices and replace ineffective practices (teaching, management, governance) practices (teaching, management, governance)

To do so participants have to:To do so participants have to:

avoid fads, power and control issues, Smeagol-Gollum scenarioavoid fads, power and control issues, Smeagol-Gollum scenario check on one anothercheck on one another seek support to:seek support to:

– check problem analysischeck problem analysis– select the right practices to solve the problem select the right practices to solve the problem – acquire the necessary pedagogical knowledgeacquire the necessary pedagogical knowledge

Average = stanine 4 (mean = 3.99, std dev = 1.88). Average = stanine 4 (mean = 3.99, std dev = 1.88). Tail at stanine oneTail at stanine one

About 40% at stanine 5 or higherAbout 40% at stanine 5 or higher

0

5

10

15

20

25

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Stanine

Perc

en

tag

e o

f stu

den

ts

Analytical talk at a community levelAnalytical talk at a community levelReading comprehension 2004 data – Year 3Reading comprehension 2004 data – Year 3

(NEAT TEAM Mangere, 2004) (NEAT TEAM Mangere, 2004)

Critique talk - at a community levelCritique talk - at a community level

Senior managers realised: Senior managers realised:

• they had a high tolerance they had a high tolerance towards the use of non-towards the use of non-evidence informed evidence informed interventions that got minimal interventions that got minimal resultsresults

• support services were too support services were too generalised - advisors and generalised - advisors and national literacy strategies national literacy strategies focusing on developing focusing on developing teacher’s content knowledgeteacher’s content knowledge

0

5

10

15

20

25

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Stanine

Perc

en

tag

e o

f stu

den

ts

Senior teachers and principalsSenior teachers and principals

agreed they needed to:agreed they needed to:

learn how to analyse and use learn how to analyse and use

achievement achievement information to information to

support teachers; andsupport teachers; and

negotiate targeted supportnegotiate targeted support

servicesservices

Challenging talk – at a community levelChallenging talk – at a community level

0

5

10

15

20

25

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Stanine

Per

cen

tag

e o

f st

ud

ents

Analytical talk – at a classroom levelAnalytical talk – at a classroom level (Timperley, 2003)(Timperley, 2003)

Year One Reading Graph

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101112131415161718

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940

Number of Weeks at School

Tex

t Le

vels

3 class syndicate -

19 students below stanine 4

32 students above stanine 6

Critique talk - at a classroom levelCritique talk - at a classroom level

Teachers realised:Teachers realised:

they had been teaching without they had been teaching without checking for evidence of checking for evidence of effectivenesseffectiveness

they lacked problem analysis skills they lacked problem analysis skills and specific knowledgeand specific knowledge

– teachers missing critical teachers missing critical teaching points in reading teaching points in reading comprehensioncomprehension

Year One Reading Graph

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101112131415161718

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940

Number of Weeks at School

Tex

t Le

vels

Challenge talk – at the classroom levelChallenge talk – at the classroom level

Agreed to check each other’sAgreed to check each other’s

understandings of the problem understandings of the problem

and the best solutionand the best solution

pedagogical content pedagogical content

knowledge relevant to the knowledge relevant to the achievement problems achievement problems

achievement results regularly achievement results regularly

Year One Reading Graph

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101112131415161718

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940

Number of Weeks at School

Tex

t Le

vels

A barrier to learning talkA barrier to learning talk

Traditional school cultureTraditional school culture

• polite acceptance of diversity regardless of polite acceptance of diversity regardless of effectivenesseffectiveness (Ball & Cohen, 1999) (Ball & Cohen, 1999)

• talk about issues peripheral to teaching and talk about issues peripheral to teaching and learninglearning (Timperley, Robinson & Bullard, 1999) (Timperley, Robinson & Bullard, 1999)

Fifth thing to get it rightFifth thing to get it right

Seek support from centres of expertise Seek support from centres of expertise to solve complex problems to solve complex problems

Centres of expertise can form in different Centres of expertise can form in different placesplaces Vertical learning

dimension

Classroom

National policy

School

Horizontal learning

dimension

School improvement

initiative

The English modelThe English model

School

Classroom

L.E.A’s

National policy mandates

International research team

National centres of expertise

The United States modelThe United States modelNational

policy

School

Classroom

Independent scientific research

School

Classroom

Local research

team

DI/SFA centres of expertise

NY district

#2 officeCo-ordinators

New Zealand modelNew Zealand model

National policy guidelines

Schools

Classrooms

National policy

developrs linked to

local officials

Horizontal learning dimension

EHSAS, ICT, Schooling Improvement clusters

NDP

Advantages of NZ’s approachAdvantages of NZ’s approach

Schools and teachers are liberated to contextualise the Schools and teachers are liberated to contextualise the national curriculumnational curriculum

Curriculum design occurs within and around classroomsCurriculum design occurs within and around classrooms

We avoided national testing (very little teaching to the test, We avoided national testing (very little teaching to the test, shame and blame)shame and blame)

Schools can group into learning networks to develop Schools can group into learning networks to develop appropriate curriculum appropriate curriculum – to solve common achievement problemsto solve common achievement problems– to address transition problemsto address transition problems