Closing the gap in educational attainment Pre Visit to Fife 4th February 2015 Closing the gap in educational attainment Craig Munro OECD Evaluation of Curriculum for Excellence

Closing the gap in educational attainment Pre Visit to Fife 4th February 2015 Closing the gap in educational attainment What matters? What is working? What more is needed? OECD Evaluation of Curriculum for Excellence

What matters? Social context Post-school life chances Early Years School attainment Social context Community and home By age 5, gap of 18 months between children whose parents have: degrees / no qualifications (Growing Up in Scotland) Holistic approach to Children’s Services

What matters? The individual Compared with a typical Fife child: Culture & ethos ASN child twice as likely to be in negative destinations Social context Individual needs Culture: individual & community attitudes Additional Support Needs Social disadvantage Attendance Ambition Child in SIMD deciles 1-3 twice as likely to be in negative destinations Child in negative destination attends school one day less per week

What matters? A GIRFEC approach Universal Provision Varying need Focussed working The view of the child The potential of the child The needs of the child Targeted support Information & understanding E.g. Fife pupilwise survey of LAC

Professional development What matters? We know! ADES Raising Attainment Paper, OECD Joseph Rowntree, GUS Hattie, Sutton Trust Donaldson, Wood Leadership Learning & Teaching Professional development

What matters? Making it happen Evidence-based approach Rounded and balanced view Support improvement of professional judgment Track and monitor progression of learning Learning & Teaching

What is working? In Fife Family Nurture Approach Early intervention Family Nurture Approach Developed through action research involving vulnerable families Delivered through existing early years partnerships Improving parenting and attachment Improving early literacy / communication Christie

What is working? In Fife Literacy Strategy Focus: The lowest attaining Reading to learn using “real books” Highly significant impact: Comprehension skills Outcomes: Improving literacy levels in primary More than 50% of S4 pupils get a National 5 pass in English … …and we are closing the gap! Learning & Teaching Donaldson

What is working? In Fife Learning & Teaching Fife Scotland “Excellent” in all QIs 2.9% 1.0% Some “Excellent” QIs 11.8% 6.9% “Very Good” or better in all QIs 26.5% 22.1% Some “Very Good” QIs 67.6% 51.5% “Good” or better in all QIs 79.4% 69.6% Official Statistics (March 2011-14) 69% Data for all school inspections (based on reference QIs: 1.1, 2.1, 5.3) Summary of all inspections since March 2011 (based on most recent data) Learning & Teaching

What is working? In Fife Developing the Young Workforce Employability skills Developing the Young Workforce Work-based pathways STEAM collaborative Modern Apprenticeships for Looked After Children Wood

What is working? Nationally Pre Visit to Fife 4th February 2015 What is working? Nationally Clear, common purpose Scotland has organically developed the key elements of a coherent and holistic system Equity Synergies for Better Learning (OECD) Close collaborative working Improvement Partners Learning Partners Raising Attainment for All (RAFA) ADES Networks etc OECD Evaluation of Curriculum for Excellence

What more is needed? National Performance Framework Need a framework to align these elements and achieve a coherent & holistic system (Allow greater sharing of data without creating perverse incentives?) National Performance Framework Student learning and assessment Quality of teaching Standards of school leadership School self-evaluation School external evaluation Local and national ‘system’ evaluation

What more is needed? Need to ensure that resources are targeted on the things that make a difference How do we get our best teachers/ practitioners into the “hardest shifts”? How do we …. ?

What more is needed? Need to ensure that policies and programmes are targeted on the things that make a difference with a clearer articulation between programmes designed to support national and local community planning partnership priorities A clear rationale for action A call for bids Arising from a clear and common purpose Prompted by a general concern Aiming to improve quality of learning & teaching Focussing on quantity (e.g. resources, inputs) Ensuring better integrated services for children Directed at professional silos And supporting a more holistic and child-centred approach Addressing professional interests