State and territory authorities and sectors continue to implement the English curriculum with an increasing number of teachers using the National Literacy progression in conjunction with the curriculum. The English work sample portfolio has been reviewed for coverage of the achievement standards and the currency of some of the samples. ACARA will commence work on collection of new work samples for all year levels (F-10) of the English curriculum to provide a more current and expansive representation of the curriculum. ACARA acknowledges the contribution South Australian Independent schools have already made to this process.
State and territory authorities continue to be supported in their implementation of the Australian Curriculum: HPE. This year Natalie Jonas joined ACARA as the new Curriculum Specialist HPE, based in SA. ACARA’s relationship with The Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER) continues to grow. We are currently exploring possibilities about how we can collaborate further to enhance the wellbeing and physical health of young Australians and provide advice and support for teachers on the implementation of the Australian Curriculum: HPE.
State and territory authorities and sectors continue to be supported in their implementation of the Australian Curriculum: HASS in F-6/7 and the 7-10 Australian Curriculum in History, Geography, Economics and Business, and Civics and Citizenship. Collection, development and annotation of work samples in 7-10 Economics and Business and in F-6/7 HASS has continued, with publication scheduled for the second half of this year, and the existing work sample portfolios in History and Geography are under review. Particular support has been given to stakeholders in the ACT in embedding the general capabilities into HASS programming and units of work.
ACARA has developed 95 new elaborations for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority in the Australian Curriculum: Science (F-10). Over coming months, in collaboration with state and territory colleagues, information sessions will be held in various locations across the country. These sessions will include representatives from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island community groups as well as government, independent and catholic education sectors, universities and other organisations with a focus on science education. Following the information sessions ACARA will publish the new elaborations in Science later in the year, along with teacher information material.
ACARA’s Digital Technologies in focus curriculum officers are now working in 160 schools across Australia. We welcomed schools from the ACT into the project and now have all states and territories represented. Action research projects are progressing, and project focus clusters are starting to meet to discuss common interests. Four professional learning workshops have been accredited with NESA in NSW and are being implemented with project schools and with schools in the local area of project schools. Professional learning events are advertised on the Digital Technologies Hub.
ACARA’s Curriculum Specialists for Technologies and the General Capabilities, and members of the Assessment and Reporting team hosted a 2-day forum with state, territory and jurisdictional representatives and tertiary stakeholders to explore directions for the NAP ICT-Literacy assessment in 2020. Thinking from the forum will inform the development of the 2020 assessment framework.
This year Helen Champion joined ACARA as the new Curriculum Specialist The Arts, based in Melbourne. Since starting in May, Helen has connected with a number of Arts educators and advocates in relation to development of 7-10 Arts support material, to be published as part of the National Literacy and Numeracy Progressions resource and is looking to further the relationships with Arts organisations and educators.
State and territory educational authorities continue to be supported in their implementation of this key dimension of the Australian Curriculum. Throughout 2018 ACARA has provided support through collaborative workshops and presentations across jurisdictions in South Australia, the ACT and New South Wales.
The quarterly newsletter, Primary Matters, has provided examples of the different approaches schools are taking to embedding the General Capabilities into practice in a primary setting. The next issue of Primary Matters will have a focus on Science and the General Capabilities. Through collaboration with the Australian Science Teachers Association (ASTA) and states and territories, schools have been invited to share innovative practices embedding science inquiry skills with the general capabilities in primary years F-6/7.
Work samples and illustrations of practice are being developed for the Critical and Creative Thinking and Personal and Social capabilities. These provide examples of approaches that embed the general capabilities into the learning experiences of students within the context of the content and skills of each learning area. These are due for publication in the latter part of 2018.
In the second half of 2018 ACARA will also be developing illustrations of practice highlighting the connections between the General Capabilities and Careers Education in both primary and secondary settings to provide support for schools as they develop and implement their own approaches to Careers Education.
ACARA is building on the eight Illustrations of Practice (IOP) that were developed in 2017. The IOPs focus on exemplar programs which build Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into a variety of learning areas in primary and secondary schools across the country. The 2018 IoPs are planned to exemplify programs in remote areas. Filming has been undertaken in Leonora (WA) and will follow in Wiluna (WA), Areyonga (NT) and Mt Leipig (NT). AC: Science content and elaborations will feature prominently in these IOPs which will have strong connections to language and digital technologies, as well as general capabilities.
The National Literacy and Numeracy Progressions were published in mid-January on the ACARA curriculum website https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/resources/national-literacy-and-numeracy-learning-progressions/ as a resource that states, territories and schools can use to identify and support the literacy and numeracy development of all students. Advice for secondary teachers in identifying and supporting the literacy and numeracy demands of learning areas is also available. Additional support material for the Arts subjects (Dance, Drama, Media Arts, Music and Visual Arts) for Years 7-10 will be published in coming months, following consultation with stakeholders. ACARA is also developing a guide for parents.
