I was having a fascinating conversation with a very articulate 9 year-old yesterday about learning and what it meant to him and he came out with the statement I've quoted above. My heart sank a little but I knew that, in the past few years with the focus we've had in Aotearoa/New Zealand on the National Standards, that this had become the reality for many of our students. This is not what teachers want for their learners and hopefully, there will now be a shift in practice with the Bill introduced yesterday by the Labour Government to remove National Standards.
Teachers are professionals. They know on a minute-by-minute basis how their students are achieving. They are making these assessments against their knowledge of their learners and the National Curriculum and the background knowledge they have of the criteria of the formal tools constantly. They don't stop.
He writes about the importance of learning as a 'process not a product' and I couldn't agree more! Have we become forced to be so focused on the end result of the assessment that we've lost sight of that? I hope not and there are great Principals and teachers out there that continue to fight incredibly hard to keep that process to the forefront of learning. I wonder if the students see this though. Have we made it explicit enough to and for them?
Do they understand it as clearly as we do and what can we do to make it clearer to them?
We, (and our students), need assessment to know the next learning steps for our students but is learning 'driven by assessment' as Steve Wheeler suggests? I think, to a certain extent, it has been... particularly when you read the quote from a very wise 9 year-old. I'd love your thoughts.
The author, third from right, following certification two years after graduation.
I began teaching in 1999. It was a later career choice in my early 30s and I was beyond excited to be able to make a career change to something I was so passionate about. At that stage we had a series of curriculum documents which guided our practice and a wide range of assessment tools which we used to ascertain exactly where our students were achieving in relation to the curriculum levels and what their next learning steps needed to be. I planned alongside my students and they, and I, could tell you exactly where they were in their learning and what their next steps were. We did this for each child and reported accordingly to their parents. Sounds a lot like what the National Government said we weren't doing and why they brought in National Standards... Yes, there needed to be changes in some areas of reporting, particularly in the way we reported to parents. It needed to be clearer but there were many schools who were already doing a fantastic job of this and could have been sharing their practice with others.
2007 saw the Revised National Curriculum introduced. This was incredibly exciting and heralded a new era in learning and teaching in this country. It was a curriculum that was held up as a world leader and there was so much promise around it. This one document replaced the 8 other separate documents and allowed schools greater flexibility in catering for diverse learning needs within their schools and for tailoring their curriculum to meet the learning needs and interests of their own communities. It provided relevancy. There were also clear indicators of what a student was expected to be achieving at each level before progressing to the next. From this it was easy to create the Learning Intentions and Success Criteria alongside the students to meet their individual learning needs and to show progress.
Southland Principals and Senior Leaders were particularly vocal in our opposition to National Standards and were often accused of therefore being a range of things from being opposed to assessment, (completely bonkers and I'll address this shortly) through to lefty unionists who were going to be opposed to this 'great initiative' just because it came from the National Government. Please, give us more credit than that as professionals. Our biggest concerns were around the speed of the introduction of the standards, the lack of an effective trial period and the fact that they were actually neither national, nor standard in the first place. They were too open to individual judgment and the amount of professional learning and support needed to develop consistency to achieve any 'standardisation' was just not there no matter how many hundreds of hours went into trying to achieve this.
Of course, this was a really serious situation that the media ran with and, unfortunately had the ultimate impact on the public that teachers weren't interested in knowing where their students were academically and weren't interested in using these 'amazing new tools' to help them do so. Hmmm, just what were we doing before National Standards then, when New Zealand was seen to be a world leader in education?
Since their introduction in 2010, National Standards have given parents a false sense of security. Parents / caregivers and whanau are under the belief that the standards provided an accurate and consistent picture of achievement across the country when this is not the case and has been backed up by research by the previous government itself. The standards never focused on progress of the individual student. This was one of the biggest mistakes in my opinion. They could have been more successful had they done this. Parents, caregivers and whanau can be reassured that you will know where your child is achieving in relation to the National Curriculum levels and what they need to do to keep progressing.
The stress and anxiety placed on students from an incredibly young age to achieve to a certain level rather than on progress is of huge concern. I can remember when we used to have to work really hard because our Intermediate-aged students would start to become stressed and switch off school due to the number of assessments. We were now starting to see this at a much younger age because of all the constant testing. Do we really want this for our children? Does it make them more successful learners? Recent data around National Standards suggested it didn't and helped to speed up their demise. National Standards have not improved learning and achievement. Another interesting area for me in particular, as my PhD is around Gifted and Talented Education, is that we were required to report our National Standards results to the Government each year in the following areas: Students who were Well Below, Below, At and Above. Notice anything missing? Where are those who are 'Well Above'? Do we not worry about them? I've always been curious about that.
Now that National Standards have been removed, we can now hopefully get back to putting the passion back into learning and teaching for all involved - students, teachers, Principals and caregivers and whanau. We can now get back to utilising a curriculum which gives scope for schools to really engage with their students and communities and get learning and teaching back on track. As for assessment? We have such a huge range of amazing tools with which to gauge progress and identify the next learning steps for each student. Just as we did before National Standards were put in place and put unnecessary stress and pressure on all involved.
We've had to battle for a long time against the irony from the 'powers that be' that we must be personalising the learning for our students but then assess with tests which were very much standardised, or tried to be. The data that was recorded wasn't designed to show progress, just a score. It was demoralising for all concerned. Finally, we can get on with what we do best...learning and teaching, rather than constant testing and formal assessment.
History and Reflection On November 6 2007, the New Zealand launched the New Zealand Curriculum (Revised). Reading back over the press release a few days ago brought back memories of the excitement and, yes, reservations, we had about yet another change in education. Afterall, some of us had not long graduated and got used to using the rather large seven documents to plan the learning for and with our students. We didn't yet realise what freedom and creativity - and ownership this new curriculum would offer our schools and communities.
The National Government introduced the idea of National Standards in 2008 when they came to power and implemented them in 2010. Basically, schools did not have the chance to be able to fully implement one major change - the first major curriculum change in many years - before another major change was enforced.
There have been posts written on the Key Competencies in the past, particularly around the difficulties in implementing them and the confusion that can arise. See for example - NZCER - Shifting Thinking. Reading this post in particular, it's easy to see how they became a checklist. Some schools went the way of checklists and others looked at ways of developing progressions around the KCs. There are many incredible resources around the KCs but I don't think we've ever had the time to properly explore them as was intended before the next initiative arrived. I know as part of the leadership team in a school we were under incredible pressure to try and get everything going while feeling somewhat blindsided by the intent of National Standards.
Key Competencies and the Original Intentions and Purposes "The New Zealand Curriculum...Puts the key competencies at the heart of the curriculum."
The original intent of the revised curriculum turned seven documents into one and placed a strong emphasis on the Key Competencies which were designed to be at the heart of the learning.
Unfortunately, in many cases, they've often become a checklist often on the back of a report issued to parents twice a year. For many they are not living and breathing competencies that are embedded across the learning areas. Is this the fault of this schools, the teachers? No, I don't believe that at all. There is so much emphasis placed on reaching the 'National Standards' that this has been to the detriment to the Key Competencies and the other gems that are in the first part of the NZC.
The New Zealand Curriculum was due to be implemented in our schools by 2010. Unfortunately, that same year National Standards were introduced. As everyone knows there was enormous opposition to these. The main issue being that they were not national and they were not standard. The fear around national testing, to name just one issue was palpable and justified. The end result, due to the sheer volume of information and requirements that headed the way of schools and teachers was that the revised curriculum never stood a chance to be fully developed and celebrated for the unique opportunities and the unique and valuable document that it is.
Sir Ken Robinson has spoken for many years about the state of education globally and the dangerous path we're heading down. One of the saddest things about what he says is that everything he speaks about in terms of what could be possible is what we actually have in our national curriculum - as long as we don everything we can to preserve and protect it.
Read through the first part of the curriculum again and then watch Sir Ken's presentations in relation to the curriculum. If you're like me, you'll have more than a few 'aha' moments. We can't let this gem slip through our fingers.
Sir Ken Robinson - Schools Kill Creativity.
What should we be doing? What can we do? What are our options? We know that we need to follow government policy but not to the detriment of our passion for learning and teaching and that of our students passion for learning and teaching.
We know all the arguments about the school models that are phenomenally successful - and the ones that aren't. The ones that we seem to be following, and the ones that we should be following. While we need to be fighting against these I think we need to be careful that we use our energy positively to also fight to retain what we have now.
So many schools are doing incredible things for the teachers, their students and their communities, but there are also schools who are struggling. We can't ignore this - we hear and read the conversations all the time. We need to maintain our positivity and fight tooth and nail to keep the amazing educators we have the absolutely outstanding system we have.
The New Zealand Curriculum, if allowed to flourish in the way it was intended to in 2007 WILL meet the needs of ALL learners. It's just that it was NEVER GIVEN A CHANCE when the government changed. Was this deliberate? I don't know...
So What Are We Doing About It? Where to From Here?
Let's do something about it!
We're really interested in creating conversation around the New Zealand Curriculum and returning the focus to what was intended back in 2007. We want to find ways to support teachers in their schools to remain passionate about what they do so they don't feel swamped and stressed by a profession that they were so excited to become a part of at the beginning of their career.
Please help us start the conversation by completing our short survey. We'd love to start a Twitter chat - at this stage it looks like it will be once a fortnight on a Wednesday from 7.30 - 8.30pm. If you've never participated in a Twitter chat before, that's not a problem. Check out the links below to find out more. Lurking is encourage until you feel confident too. It's a great place to discuss ideas and get support, and also to create a strong community to encourage change.
New to Twitter? Try these resources to get started... EdchatNZ - can't go past our go-to site for help and support. Getting Started - Why use Twitter for powerful professional learning? How to get started, etc.
One last word from Sir Ken Robinson... (Not necessarily a new model - let's just value the one that hasn't had a chance to shine...YET...)
There are many issues and trends in education today and many are not unique to New Zealand. This post looks at two of the local and global issues that stand out for me at the moment and that have an impact on my practice.
Globally, education is facing some challenges particularly in the areas of the way we teach and how we assess, what we value in the assessment. With a greater focus on high stakes testing to the detriment of creating a passion for learning, some very prominent educators including Sir Ken Robinson are sounding a warning which we fail to heed at our peril. His books are highly recommended and valuable reading for everyone. Sharing his ideas, videos with our school communities is also recommended.
Sir Ken Robinson - How to escape education's death valley
Recently Bryan Bruce presented a documentary on the issues in the New Zealand Education system. He presents some interesting points to ponder:
Since the advent of Tomorrow's Schools, trust between schools and the Ministry has decreased
Closures and mergers of schools (restructuring) came about due to a Treasure recommendation based on financial gains rather than educational ones
Education became a commodity rather than a right
Unhealthy competition between schools and greater bureaucracy to 'control' the self-managing schools
Test results are what parents are judging the 'best' schools on so our children aren't going to the local school - the decile system hasn't helped this. Equity and fairness cannot be achieved through competition
Our system has become competitive rather than collaborative
Latest research is showing that small schools can cater better for student learning needs, particularly in low socio-economic areas. Treasury continues to ignore these facts as does the Minister
Equity and fairness are huge issues
Lack of consultation with the profession raises issues of trust
The system is geared towards compliance rather than creativity
There are huge dangers in relying on world rankings and the PISA testing
Standardised tests don't foster critical, creative and innovative thinking
Inquiry learning is powerful and a fantastic way of shifting the focus to student-centred learning
National Standards aren't (They're not national and they're not standard which we've been saying since their inception)
Social skills must be emphasised from an early age. We need to support Early Childhood Education, Parents As First Teachers, Paid Parental Leave, etc Sadly, many of these initiatives are being restructured or their funding cut
Social skills are key (Sir Peter Gluckman, our Chief Scientist) speaks on this in the report).
Good things are happening in New Zealand schools in spite of the administration not because of it
The system needs to be more cooperative and should have a high level of trust and less testing if we want a 'vibrant and creative economy'.
Bryan Bruce, 2016
For me, one of the main issues in education in this country is one of equality for ALL students. I worry that, in our need to quite rightly raise the achievement of the so-called tail of underachievers, we are watering down our rich education structure that is supported by the New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2007). I'm concerned that our Gifted and Talented students and those who have the potential to achieve so much more but are disengaged from the current system, and who are often seen as 'behaviour problems' are missing out. I blogged on this recently - Are we failing our gifted and talented learners - and teachers?
On reading the 2012 Education Review Office (ERO) Report regarding the three most important issues for education in this country, it should seem 'simple' to be able to address the needs of ALL learners. The three priorities or issues are:
One: shifting the focus to student-centred learning;
Two: the implementation of a 'responsive and rich' curriculum and;
Three: Using assessment information to effectively plan learning and teaching.
ERO Report, 2012
The report was written in 2012 and we are now in 2016. How much has changed and how far are we along the continuum towards best and most effective practice to meet ALL students' learning needs? I'm wondering if, in the need to meet the government's focus on 'the tail of underachievement' and meeting the National Standards, that some of our learners are now missing out. In my own practice I've always tried to personalise the learning for each individual student and to emphasise learner agency in everything I do. It's meant incredibly long hours which works some of the time as I don't have young children to consider. I often wonder how teachers with young families manage to meet the needs of their students as well as they do. Surely something has to give. That is another post for another time.
GLOBAL ISSUES AND TRENDS IN EDUCATION
The one I've chosen to focus on for this post is STEAM learning and teaching. Both locally and globally we are seeing a greater emphasis on the need for in-depth learning in the sciences and mathematics. The term STEM, or the one I prefer - STEAM, as it includes and values the Arts, is becoming a catch-cry for improvement. Like anything in education, however, there are issues and concerns.
In my own practice and through discussion with my students, we knew we wanted more of an emphasis on STEAM in our learning so we worked together to learn what the best way of creating this environment would be. We had an unused classroom in our school so a plan began to hatch. We focused on the Nature of Science, a current emphasis for our professional learning within the school, and researched a great deal as part of an inquiry which began in 2015. Our journey and what has been achieved to date is documented in a blog that the students curate. The writing is largely their own thoughts and ideas and record of what we created together. Unfortunately, I am not at the school anymore but the knowledge base of the students is strong and they will lead the future development of the space and the thinking behind it. (Please click the link below to the students' blog - The Creator Ops STEAM).
Bramwell, C. (2016, May 20). Funds cut from parents-as-teachers scheme. Retrieved from http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/304311/funds-cut-from-parents-as-teachers-scheme Bruce, B. (2016, May 24). World class? Inside New Zealand education - a special report. Retrieved from http://www.3now.co.nz/shows/world-class-inside-new-zealand-education---a-special-report/127248
CORE Education (2016) Trend 1: Learner agency. Retrieved from http://www.core-ed.org/thought-leadership/ten-trends/ten-trends-2014/learning-agency
Delaney, M. (2014, April 2). Schools shift from STEM to STEAM. Retrieved from http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2014/04/schools-shift-stem-steam
Education Review Office (2012).The three most pressing issues for New Zealand’s education system, revealed in latest ERO report - Education Review Office. Retrieved 14 June 2016, from http://www.ero.govt.nz/About-Us/News-Media-Release...
Maeda, J. (2012, October 2). STEM to STEAM: Art in K-12 is key to building a strong ecomomy. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/stem-to-steam-strengthens-economy-john-maeda
Ministry of Education. (nd). Ministry funding deciles. Retrieved from http://parents.education.govt.nz/primary-school/schooling-in-nz/ministry-funding-deciles/ Ministry of Education. (2007). New Zealand Curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media Ministry of Education. (nd). Science online. Retrieved from http://scienceonline.tki.org.nz/Nature-of-science O'Callaghan, J. (2012, December 4). Tomorrow's schools 'lost a decade'. Retrieved from http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/8030433/Tomorrows-Schools-lost-a-decade Radio New Zealand. (2016). Government vetoes paid parental leave bill. Retrieved from http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/306549/govt-vetoes-paid-parental-leave-bill Robins, A. (2015, June 3). National standards aren't. Retrieved from http://thestandard.org.nz/national-standards-arent-2/ Robinson, K. (2013, May 10). How to escape education's death valley. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX78iKhInsc Robinson, K. (2010, October 14). Changing education paradigms. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U Valentine, K. (nd). Parents as first teachers. Retrieved from http://www.kiwifamilies.co.nz/articles/parents-as-first-teachers-2/
