1 productivity and participation: a national perspective barry mcgaw chair, national curriculum...
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Productivity and participation:Productivity and participation:a national perspectivea national perspective
Barry McGawBarry McGawChair, National Curriculum BoardChair, National Curriculum Board
Director, University of Melbourne Education Research Institute Director, University of Melbourne Education Research InstituteFormer Director for Education, OECDFormer Director for Education, OECD
C21st Learning: Acting C21st Learning: Acting (Inter)Nationally(Inter)Nationally
Curriculum Corporation Conference 2008Curriculum Corporation Conference 2008Melbourne, 10 November 2008Melbourne, 10 November 2008
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Australian education in a shifting Australian education in a shifting international context.international context.
3Finl
and
Can
ada
New
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Aus
tralia
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ong
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ustri
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ted
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ain
Cze
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epub
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erm
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Liec
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nH
unga
ryPo
land
Gre
ece
Portu
gal
Rus
sian
Fed
erat
ion
Latv
iaIs
rael
Luxe
mbo
urg
Thai
land
Bul
garia
Rom
ania
Mex
ico
Arg
entin
aC
hile
Bra
zil
FYR
Mac
edon
iaIn
done
sia
Alb
ania
Peru
300
350
400
450
500
550
600
Australia tied for 2nd with 8 others
among 42 countries.
Mean reading results (PISA 2000)
OECD (2003), Literacy skills for the world of tomorrow: Further results from PISA 2000, Fig. 2.5, p.76.
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Australia’s ranking in OECD/PISA Reading Reading ranks
PISA 2000: 4th but tied for 2nd
PISA 2003: 4th but tied for 2nd
PISA 2006: 7th but tied for 6th
FinlandKorea
CanadaNZ
Hong Kong
KoreaCanada
NZHong Kong
Finland
PISA 2000 PISA 2003 PISA 2006
Ahead of Australia
Same as Australia
Behind Australia
Finland
KoreaCanada
NZ
Hong Kong
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Trends in reading performance
500
510
520
530
540
550
560
PISA 2000 PISA 2003 PISA 2006
Australia
Finland
Hong KongChina
Canada
New Zealand
KoreaHigher performers in Korea improved.
Lower performers in HK improved.
OECD (2007), PISA 2006: science competencies for tomorrow’s world, Vol. 1 - analysis, Fig. 6.21, p.319.
Changes for Finland, Canada & New Zealand are not significant.
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Trends in Australian reading performances
300
350
400
450
500
550
600
650
700
PISA 2000 PISA 2003 PISA 2006
95th %ile
OECD (2007), PISA 2006: science competencies fortomorrow’s world, Vol. 1 - analysis, Fig. 6.21, p.319.
5th %ile
90th %ile
10th %ile
75th %ile
25th %ile
Mean
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Trends in Australian mathematics performances
350
400
450
500
550
600
650
700
PISA 2003 PISA 2006
95th %ile
OECD (2007), PISA 2006: science competencies for tomorrow’s world, Vol. 1 - analysis, Fig. 6.21, p.319.
5th %ile
90th %ile
10th %ile
75th %ile
25th %ile
Mean
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Percent of age group with upper secondary education
Un
ite
d S
tate
s
Cze
ch
Re
pu
blic
Ge
rma
ny
Sw
itze
rla
nd
De
nm
ark
Ca
na
da
No
rwa
y
Sw
ed
en
Au
str
ia
Slo
va
k R
ep
ub
lic
Ne
w Z
ea
lan
d
Hu
ng
ary
Fin
lan
d
Un
ite
d K
ing
do
m
Ne
the
rla
nd
s
Lu
xe
mb
ou
rg
Fra
nc
e
Au
str
alia
Ice
lan
d
Be
lgiu
m
Po
lan
d
Ire
lan
d
Ko
rea
Gre
ec
e
Ita
ly
Sp
ain
Tu
rke
y
Po
rtu
ga
l
Me
xic
o
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
18th
1st
23rd
6th
10th
1st
10th 4th
19th
3rd
OECD (2007) Education at Glance 2007. Table A1.2a, p.37.
25-34 year olds(1990s)
55-64 year olds(1960s)
9Cze
ch
Re
pu
blic
Au
str
alia
Ire
lan
d
Ge
rma
ny
Au
str
ia
Sw
ed
en
Be
lgiu
m
Un
ite
d K
ing
do
m
Fra
nce
Ne
the
rla
nd
s
Un
ite
d S
tate
s
De
nm
ark
Slo
va
k R
ep
ub
lic
Ca
na
da
Hu
ng
ary
Fin
lan
d
Po
lan
d
Ita
ly
Po
rtu
ga
l
Sp
ain
Gre
ece
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
Labour market disadvantage of low-qualified (2002)
Sweet, R. (2006) Education, training and employment inan international perspective. ([email protected])
Unemployment to population ratio:24 year-olds without upper secondary compared to those with upper secondary
Incidence of unemployment among those young people in Australia who have not completed Year 12 or equivalent is
more than double that of young people who have.
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National Curriculum Board’s view of a National Curriculum Board’s view of a national curriculum.national curriculum.
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Principles and specifications
10 in The Shape of the National Curriculum: A Proposal for Discussion
Including claims that the curriculum should: Make clear what has to be taught and learned Set high standards for all assuming all can learn Build firm foundational skills and basis for expertise Be feasible for teachers:
•In terms of time and resources available
•Written with beginning teachers as primary audience Value teachers’ professional knowledge Reflect local contexts Use a strong evidence base of what works
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View of understanding, knowledge and skills
Expertise is domain specific Foundations in literacy and numeracy are essential Content is important BUT selection of content is crucial
General capabilities are also important They may be C21 Many were defined in C20 Some are overstated
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General capabilities
Key competencies (1992) Employability skills (2002)
Communicate ideas & info Communication
Work with others in teams Teamwork
Solve problems Problem solving
Use technology Technology
Plan & organise activities Planning & organisation
Collect, analyse & organise info
Initiative & enterprise
Self management
Learning
Use maths ideas & techniques
Contained in several of above
Precision Consultancy (2006) Employability skills: from framework to practice, Canberra: DEST.
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NCB’s current view of general capabilities
Foundational Literacy, Numeracy, ICT competence – emphasis on I, C
& T Domain specific (or at least partly so)
Problem solving Creativity (in part) as breaking out of constraints
Genuinely general Working with others Managing own learning
Perspectives Cultural sensitivity Engaged citizenship Commitment to sustainable patterns of living
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Decluttering the curriculum
General need across whole curriculum Need within learning areas
Mathematics•Allocate time according to importance
•Extend with more complex problems on current content not introductory work on more advanced content
Science•Extent of current content promotes memorisation of
content
•Students become disengaged and turn from science History
•Students complain of repetition of (Australian) content
•Organise and sequence but in a world context
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Equity.Equity.
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Equity
Curriculum contribution limited but important Setting high expectations for all Limiting differentiation that excludes students
Other actors have key roles Those allocating funds and staff Schools and teachers
•Particularly in building strong foundational skills
•Continuing to address weaknesses as students progress
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Use of evidence base.Use of evidence base.
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Out with idiosyncracy
Professional not equivalent to idiosyncratic practice A mathematics example
Four key bases for learning subtraction•backwards counting
•modelling situations in which one part of the whole is unknown
•number strategies that are useful for subtraction
•solving subtraction word problems Sequence in learning them not crucial Value
•comprehensive and succinct
•give teachers clear indication of experiences for students
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Assessment.Assessment.
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Assessment National Curriculum Board’s role and view
Achievement standards central to curriculum specification
Curriculum should drive national assessment ACARA’s possibilities
Having curriculum shape NAPLAN framework Examples of changes
•Numeracy testing understanding, fluency, problem solving and reasoning and not predominantly fluency
•Literacy using range of texts and not predominantly narrative
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Being realistic.Being realistic.
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Look to us and but also to others National Curriculum Board
Shape of National Curriculum – on website for comment Framing Papers on English, Mathematics, Science,
History•First advice discussed in Forums in week of 13 October•Revised draft soon on website for comment
National Goals of Education for Young Australians Painting on a broader canvas Associated national action plans
Pedagogy and resource beyond the curriculum Curriculum documents delivered electronically Connected via links to:
•Relevant resources•Ideas for practice
