1. The Australian Curriculum Progress with its development and implementation plans

2. The Australian Curriculum OVERVIEW An opportunity to reflect on the development of the Australian Curriculum from the perspective of Religious Education

3. The Australian Curriculum OVERVIEW The Learning Areas/Phases of implementation General capabilities Cross-curricular priorities Elements of the curriculum: K-10 Achievement standards Assessment and reporting Consultation findings across learning areas Catholic Education feedback Implementation in Western Australia Senior Secondary Australian Curriculum Implementation scenario

4. The Australian Curriculum The Learning Areas Learning areasTimeline EnglishPhase 1 MathematicsPhase 1 SciencePhase 1 Humanities and social sciences History Geography Economics, Business, Civics and citizenship Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 The ArtsPhase 2 LanguagesPhase 2 Health PEPhase 3 TechnologiesPhase 3

5. The Australian Curriculum The Learning Areas Learning areasTimeline EnglishPhase 1 MathematicsPhase 1 SciencePhase 1 Humanities and social sciences History Geography Economics, Business, Civics and citizenship Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 The ArtsPhase 2 LanguagesPhase 2 Health PEPhase 3 TechnologiesPhase 3

6. The Australian Curriculum General capabilities Literacy Numeracy Information and communication Technology (ICT) Critical and creative thinking Ethical behaviour Teamwork Personal and social competence Intercultural understanding

7. The Australian Curriculum General capabilities Actions being taken: 1.Identify where the capabilities fall naturally and most powerfully within the curriculum 2.Review how the capabilities could be combined eg. creativity and thinking skills; teamwork, self-management and social competence (personal and social learning) 3. Explain the place of the capabilities within the curriculum and their relationship to the cross-curriculum priorities

8. The Australian Curriculum Cross-curricular priorities FocusPriority NationalIndigenous culture and history RegionalAsia and Australia’s engagement with the region GlobalSustainability Actions being taken: Address the feedback which overall supported their inclusion and asked for a more consistent approach and more explicit representation both across the years and, as appropriate, across the learning areas

9. The Australian Curriculum Elements of the curriculum: K-10 Content descriptions A core of knowledge, skills and understandings – what students will be taught (with content elaborations as examples) Achievement standards The expected standard or quality; aspirational, but achievable; aligned to a ‘C’ in an A-E reporting framework (with generic descriptors on achievement scale and annotated work samples)

10. The Australian Curriculum Achievement standard = ‘achievement standard description’ + ‘generic C-grade descriptor’ + ‘set of annotated work samples’

11. Assessment and Reporting Need a transition strategy to move from current practices to more nationally consistent assessment and reporting arrangements August - mid October 2010: revise and publish with samples; some work on descriptions for mid point on 5 point scale December 2010 – December 2012: validate and refine standards; build range of work samples Beginning 2013: longer term policy on assessment and reporting Revised Shape paper (2010), to provide account of the relationship between curriculum content, achievement standards and the reporting framework and discussion on longer term objectives for assessment and reporting The Australian Curriculum

12. Some consultation findings across learning areas: 1.Content heavy Consistent feedback highlighted overcrowding across the draft curriculum which will detract from the depth and quality of understanding achievable 2.Clearer achievement standards Need to be clearer with stronger links to assessment

13. The Australian Curriculum 3. Catering for students with diverse and special needs Clear statement acknowledging ACARA’s responsibility for students with special education needs Identify content for those students whose learning will require access to content that is not represented on the map of the draft K-10 content sequences 4. Broader range of annotated work samples Required to exemplify the standards

14. The Australian Curriculum 5. Stronger focus on transition points Specifically highlighted in the transition from year 6 to 7 6. Curriculum structure and nomenclature Improved coherence of sequences and clarity to language use, terminology and descriptions

15. The Australian Curriculum Catholic Education Feedback Religious Education We have stressed the need to have consideration to the place of Religious Education for denominationally based schools. ACARA needs to be aware that Catholic Schools have specific curriculum offerings which must be maintained Overcrowding Concern has been expressed regarding the potential for overcrowding of the curriculum How much time will be available to cover each learning area? Care needs to be taken to ensure that time will be left for other learning areas in the future, not just phase 2 and 3 learning areas.

16. The Australian Curriculum Catholic Education Feedback Early Years There is some degree of concern that assessment will focus only on formal assessment (e.g. A-E grades). There is continuing debate on formal assessment in the early years and beginning formal reporting

17. The Australian Curriculum Revision Process – next steps National learning area panels (July and August) Primary schools national workshops (August) Meetings with states/territories and professional associations (July and August) Curriculum Committee (6 September) AEEYSOC (17 September) ACARA Board (20 September) MCEECDYA (30 September) Proposed release of K-10 Curriculum - December 2010

18. The Australian Curriculum Implementation in Western Australia Even though ACARA has responsibility to develop the curriculum, states are responsible for implementation Ministers have agreed that once finalised (each learning area), there will be three years for substantial implementation Implementation in Western Australia being guided by the review of Curriculum Framework

19. The Australian Curriculum Implementation in Western Australia - Timeline 2011 – a range of proposed activities –Some targeted pilot schools to produce additional support. These pilots supported through grants –Familiarisation by all teachers and school leaders –Detailed planning by end of 2011 –This doesn’t preclude schools implementing 2012 – Everyone commences implementing End 2013 – Substantial implementation

20. The Australian Curriculum Implementation in Western Australia - Strategies Liaise with the Department of Education, AISWA and the Curriculum Council for a coordinated approach – these discussions have begun Within regular Professional Development and network opportunities, expose teachers and Head’s of Department and leaders to the new curriculum

21. The Australian Curriculum Implementation in Western Australia - Strategies Run Professional Development on making consistent judgements for allocating grades based on the standards Work with other sectors on a state standard other than “C”

22. The Australian Curriculum Implementation in Western Australia - Strategies Specific up-skilling in learning areas where there is significant difference between the Australian Curriculum and the existing Curriculum Framework e.g. maths, science, history, Years 6-7 Identify schools who could contribute to pilots, allocating consultants to schools to ensure learning is shared with other schools so we don’t just get early adopters. Lessons need to be learnt from low resourced school

23. The Australian Curriculum Implementation in Western Australia - Strategies Catholic Network Australia – sharing digital resources Continue to be involved in consultation for new phases, e.g. Geography, ICT

24. The Australian Curriculum Implementation in Western Australia - Strategies Regular updates on CEOWA noticeboards and/or website Curriculum leadership forums with Principals and leadership teams

25. The Australian Curriculum Senior Secondary Australian Curriculum PHASE 1 The draft Senior Secondary Australian Curriculum for English, mathematics, science and history is made up of 14 draft courses across four learning areas The current suite of courses was selected to reflect the approach that currently exists across states and territories

26. The Australian Curriculum Senior Secondary Australian Curriculum Achievement standards Achievement standards will be available - early 2011, the curriculum content and achievement standards will be subject to further national consultation Professional Development The evidence from wide-ranging consultation (collated from Learning Area Consultants of the Catholic Education Office, Curriculum Council Course Advisory Committee members and school representatives across all learning areas) suggests that the up-skilling of teachers through effectively targeted professional development opportunities will be essential for the successful implementation of the new senior secondary Australian Curriculum

27. The Australian Curriculum Progress with its development and implementation plans

28. The Australian Curriculum From the material presented today on the Australian Curriculum, how may this impact on the delivery of the Religious Education curriculum? How and Why

29. The Australian Curriculum Progress with its development and implementation plans