1. Aligning Curriculum, Teaching and Assessment: Case of Singaporean Schools
Presenter :
Dr Wei Shin Leong
National Institute of Education, Singapore

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Part 1:
Context of Singaporean schools and framework of alignment
Key stakeholders in alignment work
Part 2:
Evaluation of alignment – challenges and issues
Responsibilities of teachers and school leaders

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The importance that Singaporeans attach to education as shown in the growing education budget each year, reflects the larger role that education plays in Singapore’s economic and social development.
Education is not merely about allowing individuals to discover their strengths and realise their potential, but is also regarded as a critical pillar for supporting economic growth and building a nation.
(MOE, 2010)

5. Valuing our learners and learning values
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Valuing our learners and learning values
".... Over the past decade, we have created many new opportunities for every Singaporean to shine – new pathways, more options and greater flexibilities. Our children, regardless of family circumstances, are able to benefit from a wide range of enrichment activities and overseas programmes, … We want to make our education system even more student-centric, and sharpen our focus in holistic education – centred on values and character development. We could call this Student-Centric, Values-Driven education, with every school a good school."
Mr Heng Swee Keat
Minister for Education, 2011

6. subtitle GCE National Examination
Sec 1
Sec 2
Sec 3
Sec 4/Sec 5
GCE National Examination
(In collaboration with University of Cambridge) CA SA
Term
Pri 1
(Age 6-7)
Pri 2
Pri 3
Pri 4
Pri 5
Pri 6
National Examination (PSLE)

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Assessment = Blackbox?
= 70%

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9. subtitle 21st Century Competencies
To help Singaporean students thrive in a fast-changing world, MOE has identified competencies that have become increasingly important in the 21st Century and not just academic excellence. These competencies, represented in the framework, underpin the holistic education that Singaporean schools provide to better prepare our students for the future. It is envisaged that schools and parents need to work hand-in-hand to help our students develop these 21st Century Competencies. We can expect teachers to find it challenging to teach and help students learn these competencies while juggling with other subject teaching and learning.

10. Content reduction for each subject of between 10-20 percent.
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System Realigment in Teach Less, Learn More
Content reduction for each subject of between percent.
Teachers’ teaching hours reduced – given ‘white space’ to design/customise lessons
Encouraging school-based curriculum innovations (SBI) to design curricula that best meet the interests and abilities of students.
The banding of schools by their absolute academic results to be abolished
To provide greater space for school-based flexibility in the curriculum, there was judicious content reduction across subjects so that 10 to 20 per cent of curriculum time could be freed up as ‘white space’.
Teachers have the autonomy to use the ‘white space’ to customize lessons, using a variety of teaching and assessment methods to better meet the needs of their students.

11. subtitle PETALSTM Framework
To help teachers to plan and introduce what holistic and engaged learning could look like in every lessons, a teaching-learning-assessment framework is introduced to all schools which help teachers to align various components of teaching, learning and assessment. Known as the PETALS framework, this framework introduces specific strategies teachers could make use of in terms of curriculum planning and selecting appropriate pedagogy.

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It is against, and amidst a context of changes in the curriculum and pedagogical approaches, that the notion and discourse of formative assessment and Assessment for Learning (AfL) are widely introduced, after announcement of new ‘Holistic and Balanced Assessment’ initatives by the Ministry of Education (PERI, 2009; Heng, 2011). This involves dismantling the testing regimes that are happening particularly in the lower primary classrooms.
This new phase of Singaporean education brings a sharper focus to holistic education through aligning changes in curriculum and pedagogy, with its final piece of assessment.

13. subtitle Visible Assessment Intended Student Teaching/Learning
Outcomes
Visible Assessment A
Teaching and Learning
Environment
Actual Student
Learning
Outcomes
School graduand
attributes
Subject specific B C
National Examinations D E

14. SummativeAssessment Task
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Intended Student
Teaching/Learning
Outcomes A
SummativeAssessment Task
Formative
Assessment
And Rubric
Summative
Assessment Task
Actual Student
Learning
Outcomes
School graduand
attributes
Subject specific B C
National Examinations D E

15. Align to learning and teaching
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Assessment
Guiding Principles of
Align to learning and teaching
Provide regular, timely and constructive feedback to improve students’ learning
Make clear assessment criteria
Give students choice in selecting assessment tasks

16. Authentic/Alternative Assessment
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Formative Assessment
Authentic/Alternative Assessment
Rubrics
21st Century
Competencies
Self-Directed
Learning

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Key stakeholders in alignment work:
Ministry of Education
(Curriculum Planning and Development Division, School Division, Curriculum Policy Office and Student Development Curriculum Division)
Singapore Examination and Assessment Branch

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Part 2:
Evaluation of alignment – challenges and issues
Responsibilities of teachers and school leaders

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20. External Validation (EV) every six years
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Other features of SEM
External Validation (EV) every six years
EV team consists of MOE officers, superintendents, principals, external assessors
Report is given to each school indicating strength and areas for improvement
Continuous improvement is accelerated and multiplied by the sharing of good practices at the cluster, zonal and national level

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Challenges
Superficiality
Sustainability
Complexity

22. subtitle Responsibilities of School Leaders and Teachers
School leaders understand and use national frameworks to inspire and guide teachers on curriculum philosophy, lesson design principles, pedagogical approaches and assessment of student
Flexibility and autonomy devolved to school leaders and teachers to promote greater school and teacher ownership of students’ learning
Maintain high standards and accountability through rigorous national examinations and external audit

23. Fine balance between centralisation and autonomy
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Conclusion
Fine balance between centralisation and autonomy
Alignment of curriculum, teaching and assessment require system wide coherence (and therefore policy makers, school practitioners and academics need to work closely together)
“It takes a whole village to raise a child”

24. THANK YOU Dr Wei Shin Leong National Institute of Education, Singapore