Introducing AusVELS Sharon Foster Craig Smith Peter Fisher

Introducing AusVELS Sharon Foster Craig Smith Peter Fisher
I would like to show my respect and acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land,of elders past and present, on which this event takes place.

Getting started What is your most “burning” question?
What is your most burning question re AusVELS?

What do you already know?
AusVELS stands for: a. Australian VELS b. The Australian Curriculum/Victorian Essential Learning Standards c. Always Under Sized Victorian Eel Skins d. None of the above Answer: b

Which curriculum is the current F-10 curriculum for Victorian schools? a. The Australian curriculum b. AusVELS c. VELS d. All of the above Answer: b (for Independent schools, a or b – “AusVELS is available to all independent schools as a model and resource for the effective implementation of the Australian Curriculum”).

AusVELS = Australian Curriculum + VELS
Screen shot AusVELS website (

What is AusVELS? AusVELS is the Foundation (F) -10 curriculum that all Victorian government and Catholic schools need to use to plan, assess and report to parents from 2013. Provides a continuum of learning represented as 11 levels. AusVELS is available to all independent schools as a model and resource for the effective implementation of the Australian Curriculum.

a single curriculum for levels F-10 that incorporates the Australian Curriculum as it is progressively developed a framework that reflects particular Victorian priorities and approaches to teaching and learning as demonstrated in VELS designed to ensure that schools and teachers are not required to manage two different curriculum and reporting frameworks during the development of the Australian Curriculum. What is AusVELS

In 2013 AusVELS curriculum comprises of:
What is AusVELS in 2013? In 2013 AusVELS curriculum comprises of: four Australian Curriculum subjects the remaining 12 VELS domains three embedded cross curriculum priorities What is not there for 2013 on AusVELS are the General Capabilities – they are covered later in the presentation

Domains Screen shot, drop down menu, over ‘Domains’, from website

Cross curriculum priorities
Three priorities: i/ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures ii/ Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia iii/ Sustainability About the cross curriculum priorities: embedded in domains, but with varying presence not treated as separate areas of learning no curriculum content located under them, rather they illustrate how learning can be integrated across the domains Unpacking the ‘cross curriculum priorities’: the three priorities each marked with their own icon (a ‘hand’ for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, an ‘a’ in a lotus flower for Asia and Australia’s engagement, and a ‘leaf’ icon for Sustainability) cover respectively local, regional and global themes.

Basis of national curriculum
Promoting world-class curriculum and assessment: a solid foundation in skills and knowledge on which further learning and adult life can be built deep knowledge and skills that will enable advanced learning and an ability to create new ideas and translate them into practical applications general capabilities that underpin flexible and critical thinking, a capacity to work with others and an ability to move across subject disciplines to develop new expertise. e_declaration,25979.html Basis of the Australian curriculum – for a copy of the document, go to

Do we have to report against all subjects for AusVELS in 2013? a. Yes b. No c. Maybe d. None of the above Answer: a (‘Report what you have taught…’)

How AusVELS is organised: 11 levels
Nominal school level VELS Level AusVELS Level Prep/Foundation 1 Foundation 1 2 1 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 5 4 5 6 6 7 5 7 8 8 9 6 9 10 10 AusVELS – all domains are organized across 11 levels, from Foundation to Level 10

Conversion of VELS to AusVELS
VELS levels and progression points AusVELS levels and progression points AusVELS levels when nominally 2 years of learning Foundation Working towards Foundation F Working towards Level 2 Working towards Level 4 Working towards Level 6 Working towards Level 8 Working towards Level 10 Converting VELS levels and progression points to the 11 AusVELS levels and progression points Student reporting information if required: Level 0 will continue to exist – but with no progression point described (to allow for a Prep student to receive a ‘D’ when reporting) Three progression point levels will continue to exist past Level 10 (10.5, 11.0, 11.5) for the VELS domains converted into AusVELS subjects. Two progression point levels will continue to exist past Level 10 (10.5, 11.0) for the AC domains in AusVELS, to allow a Year 10 student to receive an ‘A’ when reporting

Student reporting implications
In AusVELS, teachers use the 11 levels for all domains, with 0.5 increments The content and achievement standards for the VELS domains that have been converted to AusVELS have not changed - only the level numbering has changed, so progress can be shown on the reports The content and achievement standards in the first four Australian Curriculum subjects in AusVELS (English, Maths, History and Science) have changed from VELS, thus the student report will not be able to continue to show progress from last year Student reporting is not the responsibility of the VCAA, but it is a major factor in schools. Some key ideas… The issues related to strand name changes, when to start reporting and the technical implications (outlined below) are covered in the AusVELS AC subject specific slides that follow. The major difference for reporting in 2013 is that you will be using the 11 levels of AusVELS (for all domains) not the 6 levels previously used in VELS. It would not be practical to report to parents the new Australian Curriculum subjects in 11 levels and then report the remaining VELS subjects in 6 levels. · The AusVELS curriculum framework has been designed to provide a single, coherent and comprehensive set of prescribed content and common achievement standards, which schools use to plan student learning programs, assess student progress and report to parents. · All the domains in AusVELS are represented in 11 levels. · If you want to check the content and achievement standards for all the AusVELS domains refer to You will see that all domains are shown in the 11 levels. · The content and achievement standards in the VELS domains that have been converted to AusVELS have not changed, only the level numbering has changed. The table below should assist you in understanding this number conversion. · The fact that the content and achievement standards have not changed in these domains (VELS domains that have been converted to AusVELS), it means that the student report will be able to continue to show progress from last year. This will be a simple number conversions – as per the table. The upcoming changes to CASES for AusVELS and the student reporting software package you use should will deal with this conversion automatically. · The content and achievement standards in the first four Australian curriculum subjects in AusVELS (English, Maths, History and Science) have changed from VELS. Refer to domain specific pages for a summary of these changes - ) · The fact that the content and achievement standards have changed in these 4 domains (English, Maths, History and Science), means that the student report will not be able to continue to show progress from last year. As these are new achievement standards, it is not possible to show progress from the previous standards. You are not comparing apples with apples. · The names of some of the strands within the new Australian Curriculum subjects have also changed. These changes will be made when CASES is updated to AusVELS, but if you want to check these refer to · You will be expected to report against the modes in English (Reading and viewing (viewing is new), Speaking and listening, and Writing), only 3 strands in Maths, and continue to report one averaged score for history and science. Teachers will still enter a separate score for each strand in History and Science and the student reporting software will produce an average score. · Reporting in History and Science is not required until Level 3, although this does not stop you from reporting at earlier levels if you want to. · If you want to access the progression points for all the domains refer to and navigate to the domain based resources. All progression points are shown in 0.5 increments to reflect the numbers in the conversion table below. · All the companies that develop student reporting software have been given the details to update their programs to reflect these changes. QuickVic has been appointed by DEECD as the provider for student reporting, if schools want to use this option. Schools are free to purchase their reporting software but they should make sure that it conforms with the Software Vendors Specifications as supplied on the DEECD website -

Which website do I go to get the F-10 curriculum? a. The ACARA website b. The Australian Curriculum website c. The AusVELS website d. The VCAA website Answer: c

Which website do I go to get curriculum support and resources? a. The VCAA website b. Scootle/FUSE websites c. The ACARA website d. All of the above Answer: d

Essential curriculum Overview - Rationale and aims - Structure Level descriptions Content descriptions - Strands - Elaborations Achievement standards Work samples Glossary Understanding the Australian Curriculum domains in AusVELS The essential components of the curriculum – provided on the AusVELS website Level descriptions Level descriptions provide an overview of the content that is being studied at that level. They also emphasise the interrelated nature of the two strands and the expectation that planning will involve integration of content from across the strands. Content descriptions The Australian Curriculum: History includes content descriptions at each level. These set out the knowledge, understanding and skills that teachers are expected to teach and students are expected to learn. However they do not prescribe approaches to teaching. The content descriptions have been written to ensure that learning is appropriately ordered and that unnecessary repetition is avoided. However, a concept or skill introduced at one level may be revisited, strengthened and extended at later levels as needed. Content elaborations Content elaborations are provided for Foundation to Level 10 to illustrate and exemplify content and to assist teachers in developing a common understanding of the content descriptions. They are not intended to be comprehensive content points that all students need to be taught. Glossary A glossary is provided to support a common understanding of key terms and concepts in the content descriptions.

Understanding the Australian Curriculum domains in AusVELS
Resources and support Understanding the Australian Curriculum domains in AusVELS Progression point examples Mapping against VELS Scope and Sequence Audit/Planning templates Additional links / PD Resources supplied on the VCAA website Difference between progression points and achievement standards

AusVELS in the future AusVELS 2015 VELS 2006 Domains/subjects
A double helix model VELS 2006 A triple helix model Physical, Personal & Social Learning Domains/subjects Discipline-based Learning Triple helix of VELs transitioning to the double helix when the general capabilities are finalised and this will have the cross curriculum priorities embedded NOTE: The actual graphic representation is still to be decided and this is just an example These changes to AusVELS will not begin to be implemented until 2015 at the earliest (the date for implementation being determined by the sectors). The aim is to make the next iteration of AusVELS available by end 2013, so it can be used for trialling and familiarisation by schools during 2014. General Capabilities Cross-curriculum priorities Interdisciplinary Learning

AusVELS in the future Subjects General capabilities
The Arts English Humanities – Economics and Business Humanities – Geography Humanities – History Humanities – Civics and Citizenship Languages Health and Physical Education Mathematics Science Technology – Design and Technologies Technology – Digital Technologies Critical and creative thinking Intercultural understanding Ethical understanding Personal and social capability Triple helix of VELs transitioning to the double helix when the general capabilities are finalised and this will have the cross curriculum priorities embedded NOTE: The actual graphic representation is still to be decided and this is just an example These changes to AusVELS will not begin to be implemented until 2015 at the earliest (the date for implementation being determined by the sectors). The next iteration of AusVELS will be available by end 2013, so it can be used for trialling and familiarisation by schools during 2014.

Australian Curriculum domains
Understanding the Australian Curriculum domains

I have read the domain overviews I have read the content descriptors 3. I have read the achievement standards 4. I have audited my existing units against the new curriculum For information on questions 1-3, go to the AusVELS website (

Understanding English
AusVELS F-10 English

Understanding the structure - English
Language: knowing about the English language Literature: understanding, appreciating, responding to, analysing and creating literature Literacy: expanding the repertoire of English usage. Language Literature Literacy Language variation and change Literature and context Texts in context Language for interaction Responding to literature Interacting with others Text structure and organisation Examining literature Interpreting, analysing and evaluating Expressing and developing ideas Creating literature Creating texts Sound and letter knowledge The Content descriptions are organised into three strands: The Language strand provides an explicit, common metalanguage for describing the features and functions of language, including terms drawn from functional grammar. The Metalanguage is supported by a comprehensive hyperlinked Glossary. The Literature strand introduces more emphasis on the study of literary texts in primary schools, on the comparison of literary texts, and on students’ own creation of literary texts. There are more explicit references to the types of texts students should read (for instance: ballad, limerick, haiku, tanka and verse novels). The AC English is more explicit about comprehension and production of texts with images or moving images, and the design of texts with image and/or audio components. The Literacy strand defines English as the area of the curriculum primarily responsible for developing students’ ability to use language accurately and effectively in a wide range of contexts. Literacy should nevertheless continue to be taught across the curriculum as in the VELS. Each strand is grouped into sub-strands that, across the levels, present a sequence of development of knowledge, understanding and skills. The sub-strands are listed on the slide. It is worthwhile noting that not all sub-strands appear at every year level.

Understanding the structure - English
Reporting modes: Reading and viewing Writing Speaking and listening . AusVELS English presented by modes

Content organised by modes
On the AusVELS website, the content for English has been organised by modes to make it easier for teachers.

Scope and sequence - by mode
The VCAA has extended viewing by modes to support resources such as Scope and Sequence charts for AusVELS English (

Mapping AusVELS to VELS
On the VCAA website, under the Curriculum/AusVELS Resources and Support section there are comparative documents between English VELS and AusVELS English (see

Understanding the structure of Mathematics
Take the time to read how each domain is structured and organized (screen shot of the home page of AusVELS Maths

Understanding the structure - Mathematics
Number and Algebra Measurement and Geometry Statistics and Probability Number and place value (F-8) Using units of measurement (F-10) Chance (1-10) Fractions and decimals (1-6) Shape (F-7) Data representation and interpretation (F-10) Real numbers (7-10) Geometric reasoning (3-10) Money and financial mathematics (1-10) Location and transformation (F-7) Patterns and algebra (F-10) Pythagoras and trigonometry (9-10) Linear and non-linear relationships (8-10)

Scope and Sequence ACARA developed Scope and Sequence documents available to support whole-school planning, published on the VCAA website, AusVELS Support and Resources, under Maths, in the Domain-based resources list (

Mapping AC to VELS VCAA have completed the mapping exercise from AC to VELS (Phase 1 subjects) First column is Australian Curriculum (to support Victorian teachers – ordered in VELS terms: Number and place value, Patterns and algebra, Shape then measurement etc. Second column makes any comments on differences and similarities, including emphasis and sequence against VELS (PDFS – detailed for all levels – see the VCAA website, AusVELS Support and Resources, under Maths

Audit against content - activity
Planning templates for each of the AC domains in AusVELS (go to the VCAA website, AusVELS Support and Resources, under the Domain-based resources list

Understanding the structure - Science
3 Strands Science Understanding Science as a Human Endeavour Science Inquiry Skills Achievement standards 2 year bands Reporting Begins at Level 3 You can begin reporting before level 3 if you want to. Level scores to be given for each strand and then there is a averaged score presented on the student report

Science - Overarching Ideas
Patterns, order and organisation Form and function Stability and change Scale and measurement Matter and energy Systems In the Australian Curriculum: Science, six overarching ideas support the coherence and developmental sequence of science knowledge within and across levels. The overarching ideas frame the development of concepts in the Science Understanding strand, support key aspects of the Science Inquiry Skills strand and contribute to developing students’ appreciation of the nature of science. The six overarching ideas that frame the Australian Curriculum: Science are: Patterns, order and organisation An important aspect of science is recognising patterns in the world around us, and ordering and organising phenomena at different scales. As students progress from Foundation to Level 10, they build skills and understanding that will help them to observe and describe patterns at different scales, and develop and use classifications to organise events and phenomena and make predictions. Classifying objects and events into groups (such as solid/liquid/gas or living/non-living) and developing criteria for those groupings relies on making observations and identifying patterns of similarity and difference. As students progress through the primary levels, they become more proficient in identifying and describing the relationships that underpin patterns, including cause and effect. Students increasingly recognise that scale plays an important role in the observation of patterns; some patterns may only be evident at certain time and spatial scales. For example, the pattern of day and night is not evident over the time scale of an hour. Form and function Many aspects of science are concerned with the relationships between form (the nature or make-up of an aspect of an object or organism) and function (the use of that aspect). As students progress from Foundation to Level 10, they see that the functions of both living and non-living objects rely on their forms. Their understanding of forms such as the features of living things or the nature of a range of materials, and their related functions or uses, is initially based on observable behaviours and physical properties. In later levels, students recognise that function frequently relies on form and that this relationship can be examined at many scales. They apply an understanding of microscopic and atomic structures, interactions of force and flows of energy and matter to describe relationships between form and function. Stability and change Many areas of science involve the recognition, description and prediction of stability and change. Early in their schooling, students recognise that in their observations of the world around them, some properties and phenomena appear to remain stable or constant over time, whereas others change. As they progress from Foundation to Level 10, they also recognise that phenomena (such as properties of objects and relationships between living things) can appear to be stable at one spatial or time scale, but at a larger or smaller scale may be seen to be changing. They begin to appreciate that stability can be the result of competing, but balanced forces. Students become increasingly adept at quantifying change through measurement and looking for patterns of change by representing and analysing data in tables or graphs. Scale and measurement Quantification of time and spatial scale is critical to the development of science understanding as it enables the comparison of observations. Students often find it difficult to work with scales that are outside their everyday experience - these include the huge distances in space, the incredibly small size of atoms and the slow processes that occur over geological time. As students progress from Foundation to Level 10, their understanding of relative sizes and rates of change develops and they are able to conceptualise events and phenomena at a wider range of scales. They progress from working with scales related to their everyday experiences and comparing events and phenomena using relative language (such as 'bigger' or 'faster') and informal measurement, to working with scales beyond human experience and quantifying magnitudes, rates of change and comparisons using formal units of measurement. Matter and energy Many aspects of science involve identifying, describing and measuring transfers of energy and/or matter. As students progress through Foundation to Level 10, they become increasingly able to explain phenomena in terms of the flow of matter and energy. Initially, students focus on direct experience and observation of phenomena and materials. They are introduced to the ways in which objects and living things change and begin to recognise the role of energy and matter in these changes. In later levels, they are introduced to more abstract notions of particles, forces and energy transfer and transformation. They use these understandings to describe and model phenomena and processes involving matter and energy. Systems Science frequently involves thinking, modelling and analysing in terms of systems in order to understand, explain and predict events and phenomena. As students progress through Foundation to Level 10, they explore, describe and analyse increasingly complex systems. Initially, students identify the observable components of a clearly identified ‘whole’ such as features of plants and animals and parts of mixtures. Over Levels 3 to 6 they learn to identify and describe relationships between components within simple systems, and they begin to appreciate that components within living and non-living systems are interdependent. In Levels 7 to 10 they are introduced to the processes and underlying phenomena that structure systems such as ecosystems, body systems and the carbon cycle. They recognise that within systems, interactions between components can involve forces and changes acting in opposing directions and that for a system to be in a steady state, these factors need to be in a state of balance or equilibrium. They are increasingly aware that systems can exist as components within larger systems, and that one important part of thinking about systems is identifying boundaries, inputs and outputs (from

Science- Content Structure
Science Understanding Science as a Human Endeavour Science Inquiry Skills Biological sciences Chemical sciences Earth and space sciences Physical sciences Nature and development of science Use and influence of science Questioning and predicting Planning and conducting Processing and analysing data and information Evaluating Communicating From

Screen shot AusVELS Science level 1 (http://ausvels. vcaa. vic. edu

Scope and sequence Scope and sequence chart for AusVELS Science – published on the VCAA website, AusVELS Support and Resources, under Science in the Domain-based resources list

Understanding the structure - History
2 Strands (dimensions): Historical Knowledge and Understanding Historical Skills Achievement standards for each level Reporting Begins at level 3 You can begin reporting before level 3 if you want to. Level scores to be given for each strand and then there is a averaged score presented on the student report Historical Knowledge and Understanding This strand includes personal, family, local, state or territory, national, regional and world history. There is an emphasis on Australian history in its world history context at Foundation to Level 10 and a focus on world history in the senior secondary levels. The strand includes a study of societies, events, movements and developments that have shaped world history from the time of the earliest human communities to the present day. This strand explores key concepts for developing historical understanding, such as: evidence, continuity and change, cause and effect, significance, perspectives, empathy and contestability. These concepts may be investigated within a particular historical context to facilitate an understanding of the past and to provide a focus for historical inquiries. Historical Skills This strand promotes skills used in the process of historical inquiry: chronology, terms and concepts; historical questions and research; the analysis and use of sources; perspectives and interpretations; explanation and communication. Within this strand there is an increasing emphasis on historical interpretation and the use of evidence. Relationship between the strands The two strands are integrated in the development of a teaching and learning program. The Historical Knowledge and Understanding strand provides the contexts through which particular skills are to be developed. Historical Skills have been described in bands of schooling (over three levels at Foundation to Level 2 and at two-level intervals in subsequent levels). The sequencing and description of the Historical Skills strand, in bands of schooling will assist in multi-age programming by providing a common focus for the teaching and learning of content in the Historical Knowledge and Understanding strand. Inquiry questions Each level from Foundation to Level 10 includes key inquiry questions that provide a framework for developing students’ historical knowledge, understanding and skills. Overviews Historical Knowledge and Understanding includes an overview of the historical period to be covered in each level 7–10. The overview is not intended to be taught in depth; it will constitute approximately 10% of the total teaching time for the level. The overview content identifies important features of the historical period at the relevant level and provides an expansive chronology that helps students understand broad patterns of historical change. Depth studies In addition to the overview, Historical Knowledge and Understanding includes three depth-studies for the historical period at each level 7–10. For each depth study, there are up to three electives that focus on a particular society, event, movement or development. It is expected that ONE elective is studied in detail, which will constitute approximately 30% of the total teaching time for the level. The content in each elective is designed to allow detailed study of specific aspects of the historical period. The order and detail in which content is taught is a programming decision. Content may be integrated in ways appropriate to the specific local context; and it may be integrated with the content of other depth-study electives. Relationship between overviews and depth studies As part of a teaching and learning program, the depth-study content at each level 7-10 may be integrated with the overview content. The overview provides the broader context for the teaching of depth-study content. This means that the overview content can provide students with an introduction to the historical period; it can make the links to and between the depth studies, and it can consolidate understanding through a review of the period. Concepts for developing historical understanding The Australian Curriculum: History includes concepts for developing historical understanding, such as: evidence, continuity and change, cause and effect, perspectives, empathy, significance and contestability. In Foundation to Level 2, there is a particular emphasis on the concepts of continuity and change, cause and effect, and significance within the context of personal, family and local history. These concepts continue to be a focus of study in Levels 3-6 with the inclusion of content related to perspectives challenging the notion that the past is a given and is unproblematic. In Levels 7-10 the concepts of evidence and contestability are introduced to further develop student's understanding of the nature of historical interpretation and argument. Level descriptions Level descriptions provide an overview of the content that is being studied at that level. They also emphasise the interrelated nature of the two strands and the expectation that planning will involve integration of content from across the strands. Content descriptions The Australian Curriculum: History includes content descriptions at each level. These set out the knowledge, understanding and skills that teachers are expected to teach and students are expected to learn. However they do not prescribe approaches to teaching. The content descriptions have been written to ensure that learning is appropriately ordered and that unnecessary repetition is avoided. However, a concept or skill introduced at one level may be revisited, strengthened and extended at later levels as needed. Content elaborations Content elaborations are provided for Foundation to Level 10 to illustrate and exemplify content and to assist teachers in developing a common understanding of the content descriptions. They are not intended to be comprehensive content points that all students need to be taught. Glossary A glossary is provided to support a common understanding of key terms and concepts in the content descriptions (from

Historical Knowledge and Understanding
The content provides opportunities to develop historical understanding through key concepts including sources, continuity and change, cause and effect, perspectives, empathy and significance. These concepts may be investigated within a particular historical context to facilitate an understanding of the past and to provide a focus for historical inquiries. See also

Historical Knowledge and Understanding
Levels Historical Knowledge and Understanding F Personal and family histories Level 1 Present and past family life Level 2 The past in the present Level 3 Community and remembrance Level 4 First contacts Level 5 The Australian Colonies Level 6 Australia as a nation Level 7 Earliest human communities – ancient period Investigating the ancient past, The Mediterranean world, The Asian world Level 8 The ancient period – modern period The Western and Islamic world, The Asian Pacific world, Expanding contacts Level 9 The making of the modern world (1750 – 1918) Making a better world, Australia and Asia, World War I Level 10 The modern world and Australia World War II, Rights and Freedoms, the globalising world See also

Chronology, terms and concepts Historical questions and research
Historical skills Chronology, terms and concepts Historical questions and research Analysis and use of sources Perspectives and interpretations Explanation and communication See also

Also supplied with Inquiry questions – screen shot AusVELS History level 3

History – Achievement standards
Similarities between achievement standards (screen shots AusVELS History level 3 and 4

Scope and sequence Scope and sequence chart for AusVELS History – published on the VCAA website, AusVELS Support and Resources, under History in the Domain-based resources list

Navigating AusVELS 2013 Mapping the AusVELS curriculum

Implementation and curriculum planning

Curriculum Planning What is the first word that comes into your head when you think of curriculum planning? Ask for a response to the first question. Explore the notion of whether this is seen as more positive or negative feelings being expressed. Promote the notion of the AusVELS being an opportunity How does the school currently plan curriculum? To focus the discussion on current design option/s the following questions could be explored: Benefits for student learning – How do our design options support student learning? School community views – How does the school community view these design options? Strengths – How do these design options suit our school – the students, teachers and the community? Limitations – How do these design options limit student learning? Implementation issues – What makes these design options easy to implement? What are our challenges?

Curriculum is … It is within this broad ranging set of aspirations that the curriculum attempts to clarify what will be taught and what and how well students will learn. In doing so it claims to provide for ‘rigorous, in-depth study, preferring depth to breadth wherever a choice needs to be made…’ (ACARA 2012:10) As defined by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA)

Curriculum is …. The curriculum is the defined and mandated set of knowledge and skills that schools are required to teach and assess. A democratic entitlement rather than individual determination of what is required for effective, participatory citizenship. AusVELS, the formal curriculum, should occupy approximately 80% of teaching and learning time. Schools determine the focus/content of the remaining 20%.

Background Effective curriculum planning and documentation has a significant impact on schools improvement… A guaranteed and viable curriculum is the school level factor that has the most impact on student achievement. It is not enough for a curriculum to be implicit, it must be explicit and it must be coherent (Marzano 2003) The implementation of AusVELS offers an opportunity to review planning approaches and identify additional resources and support that are needed The case for the impact of effective curriculum planning…

Implications for curriculum planning
Research by Nuthall shows half (and perhaps more) of all material taught in any class is already known by the students… Nuthall, (2005), The cultural myths and realities of classroom teaching and learning: a personal journey? in Teachers College Record, 107 (5), Dealing with the crowded curriculum Notion of personalised learning Dealing with a progression of learning Transitions between years and planning from the students perspective The role of formative assessment

What does this look like?
Curriculum Planning Places the learner at the centre of curriculum planning – reflects shared values, beliefs and understandings and supports progression Reflects the ‘big ideas’ that we want our students to engage in deeply Is documented and clearly links curriculum content (standards), pedagogy, assessment and reporting processes Who are we planning for? Table discussions: The questions come in on the mouse click For additional resources on curriculum planning, see Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design Marzano, R.J. (2003). What works in schools: translating research into action Hattie, J. (2005). What is the nature of evidence that makes a difference to learning? Munro, J. (2008). School leaders need to be knowledge savvy but what do they need to know? Munro, J. (2011). Successful school improvement needs powerful professional learning How are we planning? What does this look like?

Classroom assessment “ .. the fundamental purpose of assessment is to establish where learners are in their learning at the time of assessment.” (Masters, 2013) Purpose of assessment according to Masters

Assessment Guided by and address the relevant learning domain
Methods selected for their ability to provide useful information about where students are in their learning within the domain Responses to, or performances on, assessment tasks should be recorded using one or more task ‘rubrics’ Available assessment evidence should be used to draw a conclusion about where learners are in their progress within the learning domain Feedback and reports of assessments should show where learners are in their learning at the time of assessment and, ideally, what progress they have made over time

Are you looking for evolution or revolution ?
Curriculum Planning Are you looking for evolution or revolution ? Every school has a different starting place – may want to start small and work up or you may see this as the opportunity to start again.

Where to get advice VCAA websites AusVELS Unit
Curriculum website: Resources and implementation support website: AusVELS Unit AusVELS contact details

Introducing AusVELS Sharon Foster Craig Smith Peter Fisher

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Introducing AusVELS Sharon Foster Craig Smith Peter Fisher

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