So what’s been keeping the NCCA busy in post-primary education? Dr. Sarah FitzPatrick Presentation to SDPI: 24/08/05

1 NCCA About the NCCA  NCCA (1987)  Statutory body (2001)  Representative structure (25 members) –representing teachers, school managers, parents, employers and trade unions  Enabling Structures of Council

2 NCCA Executive NCCA Council Subject/area committees Steering committees Overarching committees NCCA Structures

3 NCCA and ADDIE… Analyse Design Develop Implement Evaluate/Review

4 NCCA Curriculum development/review  Subject review –Mathematics  Curriculum review –Primary Curriculum Review: Phase 1  Programme review –Senior Cycle Review

What is the NCCA’s Junior Cycle Review all about?

6 Junior Cycle: Issues  Extensive consultations on the development of Junior Cycle identified 4 issues: –Curriculum overload and overlap –Curriculum planning –Assessment for Learning (AFL) –Students’ experiences in Junior Cycle

7 Junior Cycle: Issues Junior Cycle Review

8 Junior Cycle: Curriculum overload/overlap Issue: Repetition of topics across subjects  Analysis of syllabus documents  Model template for all  Phase 1: Business studies, English, history, home economics, music.  Phase 2: Art, craft and design, Environmental and social studies, Gaeilge, geography, mathematics

9 Junior Cycle: Curriculum planning Issue: Planning JC curriculum in schools  Tools to assist schools in reviewing and planning for the curriculum  School Development Planning: Curriculum review at Junior Cycle (2002)

10 Junior Cycle: Assessment for Learninng Issue: Assessment neglected in professional and in-career development of teachers  AFL initiative based on 3 principles –Sharing learning intention –Sharing success criteria –Providing focused feedback

11 Junior Cycle: Assessment for Learning Phase 1 – 20 teachers, (2003/2004)  Effectiveness of AFL in classrooms in Cork and Sligo (English and Geography) Phase 2 – 108 teachers (2004/2006)  Effectiveness of AFL in reporting to students and parents  Development of web-based support for initiative.

12 Junior Cycle: Students’ experiences Issue: Absence of information concerning students’ experiences of JC  Phase 1: ESRI research (2002/2003) Moving Up: Experiences of first year students in post-primary education (2004)  Phase 2: ESRI research (2003/2004) Experiences of second year students

13 Junior Cycle: Students’ experiences Findings – phase 1  Curriculum discontinuity  School culture and integration  Taster subjects in first year  Practical subjects  Lower ability students  Mixed ability groups versus streaming

What is the NCCA’s review of Senior Cycle all about?

15 Senior Cycle: Background  Developing Senior Cycle education: Consultative paper on issues and options (2002)  Developing Senior Cycle education: Directions for development (2003)  Proposals for the future of Senior Cycle in Ireland: Overview advice (2004)  Proposals for the future development of Senior Cycle Education in Ireland (2005)

16 SC: Programme of Study  is a combination of transition units, short courses and subjects taken by a SC student  subscribes to general aims SC education  characterised by choice and flexibility  can be a 2-year or 3-year programme  should meet interests, needs, aptitudes of individual student

17 SC: Programme of Study 2-year programme of study: requirements  study of Irish language  inclusion of 1 transition units  meeting matriculation requirements  generation of points score  completion of 1 transition unit as part of matriculation requirement

18 SC: Programme of Study 3-year programme of study: requirements  study of Irish language  inclusion of 11 transition units, 2 short courses  meeting matriculation requirements  generation of points score  completion of 1 transition unit as part of matriculation requirement

19 SC: Curriculum Components Subjects  Review subject list  Agree syllabus template  Examine structure of syllabus  Develop assessment options  Explore potential for unitisation  Explicate key skills  Illustrate differentiation

20 SC: Curriculum Components Short Courses  Course descriptions  Assessment and certification Transition Units  Teaching and learning  Development of transition units  Assessment and certification

21 SC: Curriculum Components What’s new: Summary  For students –More flexible, better assessed and certificated –Improved learning experiences/environment  For schools –clear direction and realistic milestones –co-ordinated and well-resourced approach to change –Rethinking professional development and educational change

22 SC: Next steps  Structures to review subjects  School-based development of transition unit  Ongoing review of subjects  Subjects awaiting implementation: –Art –Technology subjects –Economics

23 Review Mathematics Education: Background  Primary School Curriculum –Mathematics Curriculum (1999)  Junior Cycle –Higher (A), Ordinary (B), Foundation (C), (1987) –Revised syllabus at all 3 levels (2000)  Senior Cycle –Higher, Ordinary (1992) –Foundation (Ordinary alternative) (1990)

24 Review Mathematics Education Issues  Low levels of mathematics skills  Uptake and participation  Methodologies –Problem solving, modelling, investigating…  Syllabus style  Examinations  Difficulty of questions

25 Mathematics: Next steps  Initiate consultation activities for root-and- branch review of mathematics education based on issues identified in discussion paper

26 Review of Languages: Background  Languages in the Post-Primary Curriculum: Discussion paper (2003)  Survey on Languages in the Post-Primary Curriculum (2004)

27 Review of Languages: Issues  need for a language policy  an integrated language curriculum  Gaeilge: T1 and T2  greater diversity in the languages curriculum  practices in language teaching and learning  assessment  engagement with the Common European Framework for Languages and the European Languages Portfolio

28 Languages: Next steps Initiate second phase of review to address:  assessment of language syllabuses  syllabus for native (T1) speakers of Irish  pilot studies on integration, language awareness and language proficiency  ICT in teaching and learning of languages  developments at European level

A quick update on the NCCA’s… Interculturalism Guidelines ICT Framework Special Educational Needs Framework

Go raibh maith agaibh! Junior Cycle Senior Cycle