Target audience

The audience for this resource is school principals, executive teams and school staff. Directors, Educational Leadership (DELs) and Principals, School Leadership (PSLs) can also use it to guide schools with their IPM development.

When and how to use

Curriculum implementation is core and ongoing business in schools and effective curriculum implementation drives student growth and attainment, and school improvement.

New syllabuses provide schools with a unique opportunity to re-focus and place curriculum at the heart of school planning. This resource can be used by schools to align IPM activities, resources and evaluation plans in strategic direction initiatives to the essential work of curriculum implementation.

A range of activities have been included as examples to highlight actions schools may undertake during the Engage phase of curriculum implementation.

Evaluation samples are also included to support the iterative nature of the Question, Data, Analysis, Implications (QDAI) process. There should be a logical connection between evaluation questions, the data that is collected to answer those questions, the analysis of the data, the implications determined from the analysis, and the next activity.

Research base

This resource was developed by Curriculum and Reform. The research base used was NESA’s NSW Curriculum and the department’s What works best in practice.

Staff meetings

• Entry slip survey with understanding and confidence ratings. Executive team make staff aware of the syllabus and evidence underpinning it, and outline support resources, timeline and plans for curriculum implementation.
• Identify key staff who will lead implementation.
• Brainstorm activity – Lessons learned from previous curriculum implementation processes – identify barriers and enablers to inform implementation planning.
• Staff (in stages or faculties) collaboratively develop an implementation plan to prepare for new syllabuses. Exit slip survey with understanding and confidence ratings.

Executive team

Analyse entry and exit slip survey data to identify staff professional learning needs and review and refine the implementation plan which includes sustainable strategies for engaging and leading staff through change.

Evaluation

Question – To what extent did the collaborative sessions develop staff understanding of the new syllabus to inform implementation planning?

Data – Entry and exit slip staff survey data; barriers and enablers brainstorm; draft implementation plan

Analysis:

• X% of staff contributed feedback via entry slips and X% completed exit slips. Pre-post comparison showed an increase in understanding of syllabus and support documents (majority moved from ‘limited’ understanding to ‘neutral’ understanding). Confidence in implementing the new curriculum increased for X% of staff, with X% rating themselves as having ‘high’ confidence in applying the new syllabus.
• Brainstorm activity identified previous inconsistencies between stages or faculties in curriculum implementation. Teachers identified a lack of regular syllabus discussions at stage meetings.
• Draft implementation plan incorporates ongoing professional learning and strategies to support staff through change.

Implications – No adjustments to current plan – focus on high-impact professional learning for curriculum implementation and review confidence data at end of next term.

Staff meetings

• Executive team works with key staff to support familiarisation with NESA or department support and resources.
• Conduct team sessions using the research toolkits, syllabus information and Engage phase curriculum implementation journey resources.

Executive team

• Meeting focused on – Data collection and analysis to inform teaching practice
• Identify resourcing support (human and financial) necessary for effective implementation.
• Review data collection and analysis practices and develop survey to send to staff for feedback.

Staff meetings

• Executive team leads professional learning on data collection and analysis to inform teaching practice
• Staff completes professional learning from NESA or the department about curriculum reform. Exit slip survey.
• Executive team conducts focus group(s) with teachers across a range of stages, KLAs or experience levels on understanding of curriculum reform and implementation.

Executive team

Review professional learning exit slips, key themes from focus group(s), and stage meeting minutes. Adjust the implementation plan to ensure syllabus connection and regular reflection is included to effectively manage curriculum reform change.

Evaluation

Question – To what extent has the professional learning identified support structures to manage the change associated with curriculum reform?

Data – Exit slip survey data, focus group qualitative data, data collection survey data, stage or faculty meeting minutes.

Analysis:

• Exit slip survey and focus group data indicates an improved understanding of new syllabuses and curriculum implementation (X% of staff indicate ‘high’ understanding). Key themes from focus group data include the need for embedded professional learning to build skills and understanding, and coaching and mentoring opportunities to support less experienced staff.
• Data collection survey provides baseline level of skills in data collection.
• Stage or faculty meeting minutes show curriculum reform and implementation is not a regular item for all stages and faculties. Some stages and faculties alternate stage or faculty meetings with student data meetings, but this is not consistent across the school.

Implications – Curriculum implementation plan and professional learning will include increased supports to build the capability of staff to collect, analyse and use data to inform teaching and learning.

Staff meetings

• Staff engage in professional learning on data literacy, including data analysis and usage for improving the delivery of the curriculum.
• Develop a strategy for further action and ongoing use of student learning data to inform teaching. Exit slip.
• Staff complete ‘Curriculum planning for every student in every classroom’ microlearning.

Executive team

• Prepare for staff meeting after collation of stage or faculty professional learning exit slips to identify target groups or staff requiring additional support.
• Analyse Check-in assessment data and NAPLAN trend data to identify and confirm areas for improvement.

Staff meetings

• Executive team raise staff awareness of department scope and sequences and curriculum resources.
• Collaboratively develop an assessment plan (including formative and summative assessment) for the new curriculum, informed by student data.

Executive team

Review formative and summative assessment strategies and embed processes for evaluating and monitoring student data into stage or faculty meetings, including program checklist and review process.

Evaluation

Question – How effectively is student data being used to identify the resources required to meet programming, assessment and reporting requirements aligned to student needs?

Data – Exit slip data, Check-in assessment data, NAPLAN data, assessment plans.

Analysis:

• Exit slip data indicates most staff feel their data analysis skills have improved. Staff requiring further support were identified. X% of staff indicated they regularly use student data to inform next steps in teaching and learning.
• All stages or faculties have identified a strategy for the ongoing, regular use of student learning data to inform teaching.
• Analysis of Check-in assessment data and NAPLAN trend data identified strengths and confirmed ongoing areas for improvement.
• Assessment plans show evidence-based approaches are being used to differentiate teaching practice to meet student learning needs.

Implications – Process for evaluating and monitoring student data will be embedded into stage or faculty meetings moving forward. Staff identified as requiring further support with data literacy, analysis or use will be mentored by executives or school data team. Student data will inform planning and programming for the new syllabuses.

Staff meetings

• Staff use evidence-based approaches to conduct collaborative planning and programming to align the new curriculum to the syllabus. Include resource gap analysis to identify resourcing requirements for curriculum implementation.
• Implement resources from the ‘Curriculum planning for every student in every classroom’ microlearning.
• Staff (in stages or faculties) plan approach to student assessment, measurement of student progress and reporting to parents.
• Use student data (Check-in assessment, NAPLAN, PLAN2 data) to identify strengths and areas for growth in relation to new content.

P&C or community meeting

Parent and carer information session on syllabus changes and the school’s curriculum implementation plan.

Executive team

• Assess staff readiness to implement the new curriculum (survey).
• Conduct document analysis of scope and sequences and programs for the new syllabuses.
• Complete annual reflection, analysis of all relevant data and progress of implementation plan to create a scaffold for IPM activities in the following year.

Evaluation

Question – To what extent are the scope and sequences and programs for the new curriculum aligned to student needs?

Data – Collated check-in assessment, NAPLAN data, PLAN2 data, document analysis of scope and sequences and programming for the new curriculum, survey data.

Analysis:

• PLAN2 data was analysed to identify strengths and areas for growth in relation to new content.
• Document analysis of scope and sequences and programs developed for the new curriculum shows strong evidence of differentiation to support diverse learning needs to optimise student potential. Most programs reflect the key messages from ‘Curriculum planning for every student in every classroom’. Programming for new content reflects strengths and areas for improvement identified in student data.
• Staff survey showed improved understanding of syllabus changes and X% of staff rated themselves as ‘high’ confidence in implementing the new curriculum. X% of staff could articulate their plan for measuring student progress and reporting to parents.

Implications – Proceed to Enact phase of curriculum implementation with ongoing professional learning and support to ensure staff are effectively teaching, assessing, reporting and evaluating curriculum changes aligned to the new syllabus.