The rationale for junior cycle development is based in part on the concerns

Transcription

1 Notes for Junior Cycle presentation: August 2012 Slide 1 Rationale The rationale for junior cycle development is based in part on the concerns raised by the Minister and the DES in the original request to the NCCA for advice. That request asked the NCCA to advise on How the space for deeper learning in class and innovation in schools could be found? How greater continuity with the experience of primary education could be achieved? What role key skills should play in junior cycle education? The forms of assessment that would be most appropriate to this stage of education? In addition, in looking at junior cycle, the NCCA used the substantial evidence base provided by the ESRI research on the experience of junior cycle. That study confirmed what many had already believed about the experience of junior cycle for students that it has three distinct phases a first year about settling in, a third year dominated by the exams, and a second year where students either become more, or less, connected to school. The research also showed that the quality of engagement with the schools, with teachers and 1

2 with learning is central to this phase of education. Disengagement with any of these in junior cycle is not a phase, or a glitch, but a process that can deepen in senior cycle and have consequences well beyond schooling, and that disengagement tends to be concentrated disproportionately among disadvantaged students. Overall, the theme of engagement was a constant in the wider responses to the NCCA consultation a concern that while students were present in class, their creative energies were often lacking with teachers increasingly feeling that they were the ones doing all the hard work in schools! 2

3 Slide 2 PISA Recently, of course, we got more evidence about the quality of that engagement, when the PISA results for Irish 15 year olds were published. While you might contest the scale of the deterioration, it seems unavoidable to conclude that across those three phases of junior cycle, significant numbers of students are not developing the skills they need to learn, to live and to work. From an NCCA perspective, the intention is that the new Framework for Junior Cycle is part of the development that needs to take place so that those next generations are equipped for the challenges ahead. 3

4 Slides 3 & 4 - Framework on the web The ideas for the reform of junior cycle are set out in Towards a Framework for Junior Cycle. This is available online and for download on the NCCA website in a section devoted to the junior cycle developments. The website enables you to look at particular parts of the proposals, access information for parents and students and also look at the most frequently asked questions about the developments, what they involve and when they will happen. 4

5 Slide 5 What s the difference? All This presentation is structured around the main differences between the new junior cycle and the one we re all used to. There are seven main differences identified and they lead us into the detail of how junior cycle will look and be different in the future. 5

6 Slide 6 What s the difference 1? The first big difference is that the introduction of the Framework will mean that junior cycle is no longer based on a series of rules and requirements it s based on a Framework that a school s junior cycle must work within! The Framework is intended is to create the conditions where schools, in planning and organising their junior cycles, have greater autonomy and more flexibility than they do now to focus on the learning taking place in classrooms. The key idea is for students to connect with learning, to engage positively with learning because we know that it s the learning connection and the interaction and relationships with teachers in the classroom that matters most. The Framework will encourage innovation in schooling and teaching, and creative learning in the classroom. At the same time, it will also contribute to ensuring that literacy, numeracy and key skills are embedded in the learning. 6

7 Slide 7 What s the difference 2? Because the main focus of the junior cycle developments is on learning, the Framework states very clearly what that learning is. It names the learning and says what should be learnt. And that learning is the new CORE of junior cycle it is the most important, the main requirement of the new junior cycle! In the current junior cycle we tend to see subjects and examinations as the CORE now it s the learning. 7

8 Slide 8 Learning The learning at the CORE of the new junior cycle is described in statements of learning that the junior cycle programme of the school must cater for. Another big feature of junior cycle learning is the emphasis placed on skills the skills of literacy and numeracy as well as other key skills that are embedded in all areas and subjects of the curriculum. 8

9 Slide 9 Statements of Learning There are 24 statements of learning. In junior cycle, what learners will know, understand and be able to do as a result of their time in junior cycle is described concisely in these 24 statements of learning. The statements do not set out everything the student can learn in junior cycle. But they are an important guide for students and their parents to what they should expect from junior cycle. They also provide the basis on which schools will plan and evaluate their junior cycle programme. At the moment, the statements are set out in a very brief form (one or two lines). But work is taking place to elaborate on each statement of learning and this greater level of detail will be available to schools in autumn

10 Slide 10 Statements of Learning Some statements of learning are closely related to subjects, e.g. Number 5 which states that the student recognises the potential uses of mathematical knowledge, skills and understanding in all areas of learning and is clearly related to mathematics. That is not to say that students can t develop this knowledge and skill in other subjects when they learn to research and interpret quantitative data and/or to engage in problem solving for example in science and geography. But many others, like number 7 - that the student improves their observation, inquiry and critical-thinking skills - are more general in nature and could come within the domain of several subjects, e.g. art, music, business studies and history. So statements of learning don t necessarily relate to particular subjects different subjects can contribute in different ways to the learning set out in the statements. 10

11 Slide 11 Key Skills The skills of literacy and numeracy and these six other key skills should also be emphasised in the junior cycle programmes of schools. They ve been named and explained in language students can access. There s more detail available on each in the Framework document. The six key skills are Managing information and thinking, Working with others, Managing myself, Communicating, Staying well, Being creative. In other words, the kinds of skills that have been identified in most countries as important skills for 21 st century learning and living skills that support students in understanding and getting to grips with learning and that contribute to preparing them well for senior cycle and life after school. Key skills will be embedded in the learning outcomes of every junior cycle subject and short course they won t be taught separately as such! 11

12 Slide 12 and 13 Key skills continued. Each key skill is broken down into a number of elements to clarify what that skill involves. So, the skill of Working with Others involves these elements. A further level of detail is provided too! This takes the form of I can statements about each of the elements. Overall, this level of detail gives teachers a very clear picture of what a student who has developed the key skill will be able to do. 12

13 Slide 14 What s the difference 3? So, learning is at the heart of the new junior cycle, but how will schools organise the curriculum in this context? When it comes to curriculum, the main difference is that the curriculum components will be more varied and, for the first time at junior cycle, schools will be involved, to a certain extent, in developing their own curriculum. 13

14 Slide 15 Curriculum Subjects will continue! And subjects will continue to play an important role. At this point, the plan is that all of the existing subjects will continue to be available. The school s job will be to decide how to use the range of subjects to meet the statements of learning and the skills of junior cycle. But there will also be short courses! Some of these will be developed by the NCCA and taken off the shelf by schools choosing to include them in their junior cycle programme. But schools can also develop their own short courses locally to a template and guidelines set down by the NCCA. To create the space and flexibility to do this the specifications (syllabuses) for subjects and short courses will be smaller, less detailed, with less extensive outcomes than at present. Most subjects will be designed to be taught in 200 hours, short courses in 100. The subjects English, Irish and Mathematics will continue to be allocated at least 240 hours. Overall, the reduction in time allocation will give schools more time to ensure deeper learning, to focus on key skills and to track the learning progress of students. 14

15 Slide 16 Curriculum components You ll immediately recognise the subjects on this slide. They re all fairly familiar. A list of potential NCCA off-the-shelf short courses is also provided. Some of these short courses are familiar courses or subjects in schools at the moment, like CSPE, SPHE and PE. In the new junior cycle these will be viewed as short courses that can be part of the certification/qualification gained at the end of junior cycle. But there are other kinds of potential short courses too. Some are in areas of learning with many potential applications like Digital Media OR Artistic Performance. Others could introduce new areas of learning to the curriculum, like Chinese. Or new areas of competence, like Programming/Coding. Work is commencing on the short courses that will be available off-the-shelf in And remember, this list doesn t include the short course/s a school might decide to develop itself! 15

16 Slide 17 Specification Subjects and short courses will be specified in a different way. The specifications (what we previously called syllabuses) will be shorter and stated in terms of learning outcomes. They will include examples of student work (to support teacher judgement in assessment) and will also contain resources and guidelines for learning and teaching. To allow for the greatest possible level of flexibility and access to more substantial learning and teaching material, the specifications will be accessed online. This slide sets out the different parts of the specification. 16

17 Slide 18 What s the difference 4? So a range of possibilities in the area of short courses! The critical point to keep emphasising here is that the attention given to statements of learning, basic and key skills, and the choice of subjects and short courses presents possibilities for every school to take a fresh look, in a relaxed timeframe, at developing their junior cycle programme. A real opportunity for schools to focus on the programme as well as the exam! 17

18 Slide 19 A new junior cycle The main job a school has over the coming years is to look at how it wants to use subjects and short courses and other junior cycle learning experiences to underpin the focus on skills at junior cycle and to meet the statements of learning. Schools will be given the space to do this by curriculum specifications being more streamlined and shorter, and by the qualification being seen as a supporting element rather than the sole purpose of junior cycle education. 18

19 Slide 20 - What s the difference 5? Assessment The greatest change in the new junior cycle is in the area of assessment. From an NCCA perspective, the focus here is on restoring the natural connection between learning and its assessment, on bringing assessment closer to learning, and on bringing teachers into closer relationship with assessment. Why? Because the feedback from consultation on junior cycle development was clear. If assessment practice doesn t change, learning and teaching won t change either. 19

20 Slide 21 Assessment in junior cycle Assessment in the new junior cycle will be seen as inextricably linked, on an everyday basis, to the learning taking place. Students should be more involved in, and more responsible for, gathering and presenting evidence of that learning. In general terms, the teacher s role lies in giving feedback on and reporting on, evidence of learning. And some of the results of assessment activity in schools should also be used for certification purposes and the qualification being pursued by the student. 20

21 Slide 22 - Assessment for certification/qualifications Assessment for certification/qualifications will combine external assessment and school-based assessment. The detail of these assessment arrangements are being finalised at the moment by the DES, SEC and NCCA and will be available shortly. In general terms, there will continue to be an exam (worth 60% of the marks). There will also be a schoolwork component (worth 40% of the marks). It will include a small number of specified pieces of school work worked on during second and third year. These will be assessed by the school. The assessment of short courses will also be school based. To support teachers to engage with assessment in all its dimensions, clear assessment specifications and requirements for subjects and short courses will be provided, along with examples of student work showing the standard expected. Teachers will also receive professional development and support when the new arrangements are being introduced. Schools will be supported in administering assessment results. Clear information on assessment arrangements will be available for parents and students. The intention is that the arrangements will be manageable and administration-light. 21

22 Assessment change has the potential to be an important lever of overall change in the experience of junior cycle students. The last time junior cycle was reformed the structure of the curriculum changed, but the examination was left largely unchanged. The consequence of this was that very little changed in classrooms. This time around, the thinking is that change in assessment will be the lever of all other change. 22

23 Slide 23 What s the difference 6? The new junior cycle will feature Improved feedback to students on their learning through the changed assessment arrangements And improved reporting to parents through the use by schools of new report card templates (examples of which will be available in 2013). But there will also be new certification/qualifications at junior cycle. 23

24 Slide 24 - Qualifications In looking afresh at certification/qualifications, the aim was to ensure that the qualifications should serve the learning and shouldn t dominate the organisation of schooling and the experience of junior cycle for students in the way that the Junior Certificate does at present. So, the new qualifications will be smaller than at present. That means that students should take assessments and exams in a smaller number of subjects/short courses. Students will take eight subjects OR seven subjects and two short courses OR six subjects and four short courses for their certification/qualification at the end of junior cycle. This reduced number of subjects/short courses gives schools more space and time to spend on other aspects of their junior cycle and reduces the amount of examination and assessment pressure that the student has to deal with at the end of third year. There are two qualifications proposed, one a replacement for the current Junior Certificate (like JC aligned to Level 3 of the National Framework of Qualifications) and the other designed for students with particular special educational needs who currently can t access the Junior Certificate. This qualification will be aligned to Level 2 of the National Framework of Qualifications. 24

25 Slides 25 and 26 Level 2 Learning Programmes and Qualification A little bit more detail on the Level 2 Learning Programmes and qualification. This is targeted at a very specific group of students who have general learning disabilities in the higher functioning moderate and low functioning mild categories. They are small in number (one or two in a typical school or special school), all have IEPs, and currently cannot access the Junior Certificate because it is pitched at too high a level for them. It follows that the Learning Programmes for this group of students are built around Priority Learning Units that focus on developing the basic, social and pre-vocational skills of the students involved. Each of the PLUs Communications and literacy, Numeracy, Personal care, Living in a community and Preparing for work is described in detail in elements and learning outcomes that comprise a learning menu from which the teacher and student select to build their programme. The assessment of the programme is school based. The L2LPs and the related certification/qualification have been developed with schools already working with this target group of students and the NCCA has drawn on this experience to produce a Toolkit on L2LPs for Teachers including getting started guidelines, an online planning tool for developing 25

26 and assessing a programme, and video examples of how the programmes can operate in junior cycle subject classrooms. The Level 2 Learning Programmes are due to be introduced in 2014 but may be available for use on a trial basis before then. 26

27 Slide 27 - Frequently Asked Questions NCCA has been working on and will continue to work on developing information and clarifications on the Framework and related developments. We currently have Frequently Asked Questions available in the categories listed here on the FAQ section of our junior cycle website. 27

28 Slide 28 Junior Cycle developments In the coming months work on the junior cycle developments will involve; Providing more information and details on a number of aspects of the Framework, such as assessment This detail will arise out of the work of the NCCA and ongoing discussions with DES and SEC on areas like assessment and qualifications Providing a template and guidelines for short courses (and developing initial drafts of NCCA short courses) Commencing work on the new specification for JC English Starting to produce report card templates that will be available for optional use in schools in 2013 Publishing examples of junior cycle programmes developed in the context of the Framework. These samples will offer some insights into the planning opportunities and challenges that the new junior cycle presents. 28