Western Australian Curriculum and Assessment in the Primary Years (P–6)

© 2015 School Curriculum and Standards Authority

The ActSchool Curriculum and Standards Authority Act, 1997The objects of the Act are:

(a) to provide for standards of student achievement and for the assessment and certification of student achievement according to those standards

(b) to provide for the development of an outline of curriculum and assessment in schools that, taking account of the needs of students, sets out the knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes that students are expected to acquire and guidelines for the assessment of student achievement; and to provide for the development and accreditation of courses for schooling

(c) to provide for the maintenance of a database of information relating to —

(i) the participation by students during their school years in education, training or employment as provided for by the School Education Act

(ii) the achievements of students during those years

(iii) records of assessment in respect of students.

The OutlineThe Western Australian Curriculum and Assessment Outline: • sets out the knowledge, understanding, skills, values and

attitudes that students are expected to acquire, and guidelines for the assessment of student achievement

• is mandated for all Western Australian students• provides comprehensive information that schools can use to

plan student learning programs, assess student progress and report to parents.

The Australian Curriculum is being developed in phases. Some learning areas have been implemented from the Australian Curriculum, others are described in the Curriculum Framework.

Welcome to the new-look Outline

Learning areas and subjectsPhase 1 Phase 2 and Phase 3

• English• History (a component of

Humanities and Social Sciences)• Mathematics• Science

• Health and Physical Education• Humanities and Social Sciences• Languages• Technologies • The Arts

P–10 Curriculum implementation timeline2015 Full implementation for English, Mathematics, Science and History

2016 Health and Physical Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Technologies and The Arts Curriculum available to schools for familiarisation at the start of Semester 1The Languages Curriculum available to schools for familiarisation at the start of Semester 2Assessment Snapshots, Assessment Activities, Judging Standards and Annotated Work Samples for Health and Physical Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Languages, Technologies and The Arts

2017 Full implementation for Health and Physical Education andHumanities and Social Sciences

2018 Full implementation for The Arts, Technologies and Languages

Delivering the P–10 curriculum• Teachers should be using the Western Australian Curriculum

and Assessment Outline for Phase 1.• Some schools are engaging with ACARA Phase 2 and Phase 3

learning areas and subjects.• Western Australian syllabuses for Phase 2 and Phase 3 will

be released in 2016 with: – core content that must be taught to all students– achievement standards (A–E) based on the core content

against which students will be assessed.

Review of the Australian Curriculum• The Ministerial Council endorsed ACARA’s responses to the

review's recommendations.• ACARA will be addressing issues such as:

– reducing the content– improving clarity– making the curriculum more parent friendly.

• The Authority will continue with its process of adopting and adapting the curriculum and consider ACARA’s amendments.

Reporting P–10• Report on student achievement against the year level

achievement standards – for English, Maths, Science and History (or HASS) for Semester 1

this year.• Students need to engage with the year level syllabus content

and be assessed against the year level achievement standards.• Students should receive an A if they demonstrate the year

level standard for an A. • Students do not have to be ‘two years ahead’ to receive an A.

Reporting P–10 requirementsAll schools in Western Australia are required to report in Semester 1 and Semester 2 2015 on:• English and Mathematics for Pre-primary (and strongly

encouraged in Science) – not with grade A-E • English, Mathematics and Science for Years 1 to 10 • either History or the Humanities and Social Sciences, as

determined by the school, for Years 1 to 10. Schools must use the achievement standards, outlined in the School Curriculum and Standards Authority’s Reporting Policy: Pre-primary to Year 10. Years 1–2 grade is optional; Year 3 and beyond grades required.

Reporting P–10 2015 and 2016• English, Mathematics and Science adopted ‘as is’ from

ACARA – teachers must use the Western Australian

achievement standards for determining grades.• History for 2015 and 2016 adopted ‘as is’ from ACARA

– teachers must use the Western Australian achievement standards for determining grades

OR– teachers can determine a grade based on a

combination of Humanities and Social Sciences subjects.

Support for reporting P–10The assessment pointers and the annotated works samples in Western Australia’s Judging Standards resources: • describe the quality of learning at each grade A–E• exemplify the achievement standards at A–D.The Australian Curriculum achievement standard is a general year level statement. • It describes ‘satisfactory’ performance at a C grade level

– the ‘expected’ standard.

Reporting P–10 – modified curriculumStudents working with a modified Curriculum need a documented individual education plan (IEP) or differentiated learning plan (DLP). These plans need to incorporate appropriate reporting that has been negotiated with the student and their parents/carers. These students are outside the A-E reporting requirement and reports should be against their individual or differentiated plan.

Adopting and adapting the curriculum

Curriculum differences – Phases 2 and 3The Australian Curriculum The Western Australian Curriculum

The Australian Curriculum written in bands for Health and Physical Education, Technologies and The Arts.

Year level syllabuses have been developed for Health and Physical Education, Technologies and The Arts.

History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship and Economics and Business written as separate disciplines across Phases 1, 2 and 3 of the Australian Curriculum.

The aggregation of the Humanities and Social Sciences into a coherent learning area with a generic set of skills and overview documentation.

Content descriptions are supported by elaborations.

Content descriptions stand alone and reflect the core content in each learning area/subject. Elaborations have been embedded in the content where necessary for exemplification.

Year level syllabuses – HPE 1–2 ACARA content description Year 1 and 2• Describe their own strengths and achievements and those

of others, and identify how these contribute to personal identities (ACPPS015)

Western Australian Year level syllabuses:• Year 1

– Personal strengths and how these change over time (ACPPS015)

• Year 2– Personal strengths and achievements and how they

contribute to personal identities (ACPPS015)

P–10 Syllabus structure – the overviewEach learning area has an overview section which sets out:Rationale Student diversityAims General capabilitiesOrganisation Cross-curriculum prioritiesWays of teaching GlossaryWays of assessing Scope and sequence

P–10 Syllabus structure – the contentEach year level syllabus contains:• a year level description – signals a focus for the content, the

progression and the pitch of the content • content descriptions – specifies what teachers are expected

to teach• an achievement standard – describes the characteristics of

student achievement.

Pre-primary The Arts: DanceYEAR LEVEL DESCRIPTIONIn Pre-primary, learning in dance builds on the dispositions developed in the early years.Students engage with purposeful play in structured activities, to explore how the body moves through space. They develop fundamental movement skills and learn about safe dance practices.Students experience performing dance and, as an audience they learn how to focus their attention on the performance. They make simple evaluations of the dances they view and make, exploring what they like.As students make and respond to dance, they explore ideas and the elements of dance (Body and Space). They have the opportunity to explore different places and occasions where people dance.

Year 2 DanceContent descriptionsResponding• Audience behaviour (being attentive, responding appropriately)

when students view different dance styles (ACADAR004)• Reasons why people dance (ACADAR004)• Personal responses to the elements of body, space and time in

dances they view and make (ACADAR004)

Generic skills for HASS

HASS skills – Questioning and Researching

HASS skills – Analysing

HASS skills – Evaluating

HASS skills – Communicating and Reflecting

Ways of teaching and Ways of assessingThe Ways of teaching aim to support teachers with planning for curriculum delivery across the years of school, with the teaching in each year extending learning in previous years.

The Ways of assessing complement Ways of teaching and aim to support teachers in developing effective assessment practice.

These complement the principles of teaching, learning and assessment in the Western Australian Curriculum and Assessment Outline (http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/).

Ways of assessing – Technologies examplesAssessment strategies Sources of evidence

Observations The observations of student understandings and process and production skills through the use of anecdotal notes, checklists, photographs, videos or recordings.

Group activities Collaborating and managing is one of the production and processes skills, this needs to be actively programmed for and assessed in accordance with the relevant year’s content description. During group work, teachers should stop at key points to check individual student understanding.

Fieldwork and practical (authentic) evidence

The demonstration of learning through activities such as virtual and actual fieldwork, to inform the creation of digital and designed solution.

Judging Standards resources – Phases 2 and 3

These resources are for making on-balance judgements about student achievement over a period of time and a range of work.Will comprise, as for Phase 1:• grade and/or achievement descriptions (e.g. A or Excellent)

with assessment pointers which are concise, ordered descriptions of what achievement looks like, depending on the tasks selected by the teacher

• annotated work samples that illustrate achievement.

Using the Judging Standards resources• The Judging Standards resources are not a checklist of what

students should be doing. • The assessment pointers provide evidence-based descriptions

of qualities students exhibit, depending on the task. The assessment pointers describe an end-of-year achievement standard.

• The Judging Standards resources are used for reporting student achievement at the end of the semester or year, not for assessing individual pieces of student work.

• Ranked lists and numerical cut points require reference to the assessment pointers.

• Assign grades in relation to the achievement standard.

Judging Standards evidence base• Based on evidence (student work samples)

– Rely on pairwise processes to develop achievement scales in each subject/learning area and year

– Teacher judgements about ‘quality’ of student performance determine the achievement scale.

• Term 4, 2014– 247 teachers at 139 schools, completed 236 assessment tasks

in 16 Phase 2 and 3 subjects, from Pre-primary to Year 10 produced 15,172 assessment work samples.

• This is about 60% of the evidence (work samples) we need.• Further tasks are being delivered in 2015.

Judging Standards – Phase 1 more to come English • Provide assessment pointers and annotated work samples

for – Reading and viewing– Speaking and listening.

Mathematics• Provide a greater range of annotated student work samples. Science• Provide more annotated work samples, particularly for Years

7–10.

ModerationUnder the School Curriculum and Standards Authority Act 1997, one of the functions of the Authority is

to the extent determined by the Authority, to provide for the comparability of assessments of student achievement in the compulsory education period that are made, caused to be made or recognised by the Authority. (Section 9(n))

There are well-established procedures in national and international jurisdictions for checking on the comparability of assessments. These procedures are generally known as moderation.

Aims of moderation for P–10Moderation for Years P–10 in Western Australia will focus on:• developing shared understandings of the syllabus content

and the achievement standards • developing accuracy and reliability in making judgements in

relation to achievement standards• providing opportunities for teachers to compare and, if

necessary, adjust judgements• strengthening the value of teachers’ judgements• informing the design of well-targeted teaching programs

based on shared understandings of syllabus content and achievement standards.

Languages update – reportIn 2014 the Authority’s Board requested an overview of the current provision of languages in Western Australia, both in and out of school settings, be prepared. The State of Play: Languages Education In Western Australia, October 2014:• provides the Board with a sound basis on which to make

informed decisions about the future development and provision of language education policy and curriculum in Western Australia

• identifies some challenges that the Authority is exploring through consultation with key stakeholders.

ABLES and ABLEWAAbilities Based Learning Education Support • curriculum, assessment and pedagogical resources to

support the teaching and learning of students with disabilities and additional needs.

Abilities Based Learning Education, Western Australia • to ensure an inclusive P–10 curriculum for all Western

Australian students.

Key features of ABLESEnables a teacher to:• assess a student’s readiness to learn • develop appropriate learning goals for various curriculum

areas in consultation with the student, parents/carers, teacher and other support personnel

• develop an appropriate Individual Learning Plan that can be linked to teaching and learning strategies that have been found to work

• monitor learning progress • better support a student through the teaching, learning and

assessment cycle.

ABLEWA• Semester 1, 2015 – ABLEWA Validation Trial Group

– 16 cross-sectoral schools• Semester 2, 2015 – Expressions of Interest will be called for

a Semester 2 ABLEWA Trial Group. ABLEWA accessible for all Western Australian schools within the Outline from 2016.Contact Maureen Lorimer, Principal Consultant for more information maureen.lorimer@scsa.wa.edu.au

Key points for Pre-primary–Year 6 2015Phase 1 English, Mathematics, Science and History (part of HASS)

Phase 2 and Phase 3Health and Physical Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Technologies, The Arts and Languages

Schools are implementing Phase 1 learning areas and subjects

The Authority is adapting Phase 2 and Phase 3 learning areas and subjects

The Authority is augmenting Judging Standards material – and will be asking for more work samples in Term 4

The Authority is developing Judging Standards material – with school contributing work samples and teachers involved in pair wise analysis

Reporting to parents in Semester 1 and semester 2 against the achievement standards in the Western Australian Curriculum and Assessment Outline

Schools should be using what they have used in the past to assist in developing reports for any subjects in the Phase 2 and 3 Learning Areas until the Judging Standards resources are made available

Kto10 Circular• The Kto10 Circular provides monthly updates on the

Kindergarten to Year 10 curriculum.• It is essential that staff are informed of any

communication regarding courses and examinations.• School leaders and teachers are encouraged to register

to receive the Kto10 Circular.

New in schools in 2015