IMPROVING SCHOOLS IN SCOTLAND: AN OECD PERSPECTIVE (REVIEW OF CURRICULUM FOR EXCELLENCE) OECD Review Team Edinburgh, 14 Dec 2015

A 21 st century agenda of knowledge and competence Holistic approach – 3-18 and 4 capacities Real professional engagement, trust and consensus Enthusiasm for teaching and learning Courage and patience to stay the course Major parallel reforms e.g. teacher education. 2 So much that is positive in CfE

How to combine boldness of ambition with specific learning evidence, professional accountability and far-reaching equity? How to grow capacity for building CfE in schools & communities while enhancing system leadership? How to ensure that parents and the public are on board as well as educational professionals? 3 So our review about going even further, addressing such questions as:

EQUITY AND CLOSING THE GAP 4

Achievement levels spread relatively equally Scottish students are ‘resilient’ Migrant students do well, and gender gaps not as wide as in many systems Scottish schools are inclusive Impressive array of policies, programmes and strategies 5 Many positives

6

7 Scottish students are ‘resilient’

8 Scottish migrant students do well

Still concern about ‘closing the gap’ especially between areas of greater and less deprivation… … and particular challenges confronting secondary schools. 9 BUT…

10 Proportion of pupils performing well or very well, by deprivation category and stage Numeracy 2013 Reading 2014 Students in least deprived areas have higher achievement levels than those in most deprived areas, at all stages

Be rigorous about the gaps to be closed and pursue relentlessly “closing the gap” and “raising the bar” simultaneously. Ensure a consolidated and evidence- informed strategic approach to equity policies. 11 Our recommendations

EVIDENCE ABOUT QUALITY IN SCHOOLING 12

Achievement above international averages in science and reading, while similar in maths Positive attitudes towards school Upward trend in attainments and positive destinations Risk behaviour is improving. 13 There are clear positives

14 Scottish 15-year-olds are above OECD average in reading and science while similar to average in mathematics Achievement in mathematics, reading and science in OECD countries, PISA 2012

15 Positive attitudes towards schools among Scottish teenagers Attitudes towards school: 2003 and 2012 Percentage of students who reported “agree” or “strongly agree” (a) or who reported “disagree” or “strongly disagree” (b)

16 Continuous increase in the proportion of students pursuing further study Staying-on rates in publicly-funded secondary schools, 2000/01 to 2014/15

A stubborn minority of schools still not good enough Some declining achievement levels on international data, especially maths … and using Scottish data. 17 BUT…

18 Scottish performance in mathematics and reading dropped sharply before CfE was implemented … Trends in Scotland’s achievements in PISA by subject area since 2003

Develop metrics that do justice to the full range of CfE capacities informing a bold understanding of quality and equity. All other recommendations, especially about schools, teachers & leadership, and about evaluation and assessment. 19 Our recommendations

QUALITY, SCHOOLS & LEADERSHIP 20

Widespread engagement in learning, and engagement with parents and local communities. Widespread acceptance and commitment to CfE by the educational community. Strong focus on professional capital and leadership: TSF, GTCS standards & new Scottish College for Educational Leadership. 21 Many positives

Varying quality of implementation on the ground Value of innovating learning environments, especially for secondary schools in deprived areas (but not only) Need to focus on teacher and school collaborative practices with greatest impacts on student learning Need for greater leadership in and from the ‘middle’. 22 BUT…

Focus on the quality of implementation of CfE in schools and communities, and make this an evaluation priority. Develop targeted, networked, evaluated innovation in secondary school learning environments to enhance engagement. Develop a coherent strategy for building teacher and leadership social capital. 23 Our recommendations

ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION 24

Assessment as part of, and not separate from, learning and teaching. Strong formative emphasis, with range of methods to collect information - designed to support learning. The coherent developmental emphasis of teacher appraisal and school self-evaluation.. 25 Many positives

Insufficiently robust information and use of assessment to inform policy & practice Wide range of assessment practices, e.g. across LAs and across schools, including what to assess around Es & Os Persistent bureaucracy Insufficient engagement of research community and lack of independent evaluation 26 BUT…

Develop an integrating framework for assessment and evaluation that encompasses all system levels. Strike a more even balance between the formative focus of assessment and developing a robust evidence base on learning outcomes and progression. Strengthen evaluation and research, including independent knowledge creation. 27 Our recommendations

GOVERNANCE & DECISION- MAKING 28

Wide engagement of different stakeholders and a strongly consensual approach High trust Patient building of ingredients & capacity, and implementation Extensive frameworks, reference materials, and professional development. 29 Many positives

Central management is strong but what about leadership? – system leadership and from the ‘middle’ Simplification needed for a complex curriculum with many layers and dimensions Performance gaps between local authorities. 30 BUT…

Create a new narrative for the Curriculum for Excellence. Strengthen the professional leadership of CfE and the “middle”. Simplify and clarify core guidance, including in the definitions of what constitutes the Curriculum for Excellence. 31 Our recommendations

FINAL REMARKS 32

Is it: 1.Key transition moment? 2.Ready for take-off ? 3.Make or break time? We think our recommendations give an agenda for 1), will help drive 2) forward, and would tip the balance, if 3) looms, towards ‘make’ rather than ‘break’ 33 CfE at a “watershed”

34 Thank you! David Istance Andrew Hargreaves Maria Huerta Helen Timperley