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Inclusive curriculum planning – evidence base

Use these resources to lead professional conversations in your school or professional learning network about inclusive curriculum planning practice.

These resources support the evidence-based strategies explored in ‘Curriculum planning for every student in every classroom’ (AC00180) professional learning.

‘All students need to be challenged and engaged in order to develop their potential fully. A culture of high expectations needs to be supported by strategies that both challenge and support student learning.’ ( CESE, 2020)

How do we ensure every student is engaged and challenged to continue to learn?

Diversity, inclusion and representation – Resourcing the curriculum

Purpose of resource

This resource is part of Curriculum planning for every student – evidence base. It supports teachers and leaders to explore and reflect on research about effective strategies for inclusive and culturally responsive curriculum planning practice.

Target audience

School leadership teams can use this resource to initiate professional dialogue and build a collective understanding of inclusive and culturally responsive pedagogy. Teachers can use this resource for reflection and as a prompt for collegial discussion.

When and how to use

School leadership teams might use this resource to:

  • mentor new and aspiring leaders to develop their curriculum planning practice
  • facilitate discussions on planning equitable student outcomes across school teams, such as Learning and Support team, Curriculum team.

Teachers might use this resource to:

  • reflect on their own practice
  • promote discussion on how best to contextualise curriculum planning practice to optimise learning for the full range of students.

Text-based protocols and core thinking routines can be used with this resource to foster discussion about effective approaches to inclusive, culturally responsive curriculum planning practice.

Research base

The evidence base for this resource is:

Contact

Email questions, comments, and feedback about this resource to contactcurriculumreform@det.nsw.edu.au using the subject line ‘Curriculum planning for every student in every classroom’.

Alignment to system priorities and, or needs:

Alignment to School Excellence Framework:

  • ‘Educational leadership’ element in the Leading domain
  • ’Effective classroom practice’ and ‘Learning and development’ elements in the Teaching domain
  • ‘Learning culture’, ‘Curriculum’ and ‘Assessment’ elements in the Learning domain.

Alignment to NSW Department of Education Strategic Plan (2018-2023) – Equity and Academic Achievement outcomes.

Alignment with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers – 1.1.4, 1.3.4, 1.5.4, 4.1.4, 6.2.4 and 6.3.4

Consulted with:

  • Aboriginal Outcomes and Partnerships Directorate
  • Inclusion and Wellbeing Directorate (including Inclusive Education and Disability Strategy)
  • Educational Standards Directorate (including English as an additional language or dialect)
  • Curriculum and Reform Directorate (including High potential and gifted education)

Reviewed by – Curriculum Early Years and Primary Learners (CEYPL) Director and Curriculum Secondary Learners (CSL) Director

Created/last updated – August 2023

To be reviewed – August 2024

‘The resources teachers share with students speak to who we are and what we value.’ (Toltz 2022:30)

Research overview

Toltz suggests that using ‘texts that mirror the diversity in our student population…gives all students opportunities to see themselves in texts and develop empathy and understanding as they experience the stories of others.’

How can school leaders reinforce a culture where this is their students’ experience?

Key points

The choice of diverse texts when planning teaching and learning experiences ensures students see themselves, and other students from diverse backgrounds, positively represented in resources. Toltz (2022:30) suggests, ‘…the careful selection and use of classroom and library texts can transform our teaching and students’ learning…’ The rich diversity of ideas, skills, perspectives and lived experience each student brings to their learning can benefit every student.

The author provides practical suggestions for teachers on how to audit existing classroom texts and resources and how to assess and select culturally inclusive content. There are also links to resources (including the department's web pages on Culture and diversity and Cultural inclusion) that provide criteria and key questions to guide resource selection by teachers.

Professional discussion and reflection prompts

  1. As a leader, how will you guide conversations about culturally inclusive planning and pedagogical practice as well as create a culturally safe environment to optimise learning for the full range of students? (see resource – Understanding equity in education.)
  2. It is important for teachers to select resources where students see their lived experience, cultural backgrounds, perspectives and interests represented in positive, rather than stereotypical, ways.

(a) What steps could you take to ensure resources and assessment tasks enable students to see themselves and their culture represented in ways that promote a positive sense of identity, belonging and pride in their cultural heritage? (see resource – Cultural context in standardised tests)

(b) How could you support teachers to identify, and scaffold, assumed cultural and linguistic knowledge in teaching and learning resources and assessment tasks?

Cultural context in standardised tests

Purpose of resource

This resource is part of Curriculum planning for every student – evidence base. It supports teachers and leaders to explore and reflect on research about effective strategies for inclusive and culturally responsive curriculum planning practice

Target audience

School leadership teams can use this resource to initiate professional dialogue and build collective understanding of inclusive and culturally responsive pedagogy. Teachers can use this resource for reflection and as a prompt for collegial discussion.

When and how to use

School leadership teams might use this resource to:

  • mentor new and aspiring leaders to develop their curriculum planning practice
  • facilitate discussions on planning equitable student outcomes across school teams, such as Learning and Support team or Curriculum team.

Teachers might use this resource to:

  • reflect on their own practice
  • promote discussion on how best to contextualise curriculum planning practice to optimise learning for the full range of students.

Text-based protocols and core thinking routines can be used with this resource to foster discussion about effective approaches to inclusive, culturally responsive curriculum planning practice.

Research base

The evidence base for this resource is:

Contact

Email questions, comments, and feedback about this resource to contactcurriculumreform@det.nsw.edu.au using the subject line ‘Curriculum planning for every student in every classroom’.

Alignment to system priorities and, or needs:

Alignment to School Excellence Framework:

  • ‘Educational leadership’ element in the Leading domain
  • ’Effective classroom practice’, ‘Data skills and use’ and ‘Learning and development’ elements in the Teaching domain
  • ‘Learning culture’, ‘Curriculum’ and ‘Assessment’ elements in the Learning domain.

Alignment to NSW Department of Education Strategic Plan (2018-2023) – Equity and Academic Achievement outcomes.

Alignment with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers – 1.1.4, 1.3.4, 1.5.4, 4.1.4, 6.2.4 and 6.3.4

Consulted with:

  • Aboriginal Outcomes and Partnerships Directorate
  • Inclusion and Wellbeing Directorate (including Inclusive Education and Disability Strategy)
  • Educational Standards Directorate (including English as an additional language or dialect)
  • Curriculum and Reform Directorate (including High potential and gifted education)

Reviewed by – Curriculum Early Years and Primary Learners (CEYPL) Director and Curriculum Secondary Learners (CSL) Director

Created/last updated – August 2023

To be reviewed – August 2024

‘…the big prize for getting cultural context right is improvement in actual learning outcomes.’ (Dobrescu et al. 2021:3)

Research overview

One of the report’s authors, Adrian Piccoli, stated, 'Students want to see their own lives in the material they study, and in the questions they are asked in tests.' [media release]

How can school leaders reinforce a culture where this is their students’ experience?

Key points – non-technical summary paper (3 pages); working paper (39 pages)

Researchers set out to identify how much of an impact cultural context can have on test performance. This study showed:

  • the difference in performance for Year 6 students on contextualised reading tests. The results on the contextualised test represent 33% of the rural-urban gap and 50% of the Indigenous-non-Indigenous gap
  • no significant difference with contextualised numeracy test items
  • that cultural context may be important for performance on certain types of tests, particularly ones that require a lot of reading.

This research looks at the impact of cultural bias in test questions against Australian school students from rural and remote areas, as well as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students. It considers whether the design and delivery of assessments that are specific to the cultural context of students in remote and regional areas could improve their learning outcomes.

Cultural bias in test questions can lead to the conclusion that students from certain cultural groups are underperforming. The working paper (Dobrescu et al. 2021:2) describes different types of cultural bias that can be present in test questions including:

  • groups who may have had different educational experiences being compared using the same test
  • concepts being tested that are not equally familiar across different cultural groups.

It is important to understand how educational resources and materials, such as textbooks, handouts, and multimedia content may also be culturally biased. Researchers concluded that providing tailored educational materials where students see themselves and their culture represented, such as handouts, textbooks, and multimedia content, could have a positive effect on learning outcomes.

Professional discussion and reflection prompts

  1. As a leader, how will you guide conversations about identifying, and removing, cultural bias in assessment tasks to promote more equitable outcomes for students?
  2. How could you deepen staff understanding about inclusive assessment practice and data-informed decision-making? (see resource – Equity and data-driven decision-making)
  3. It is important for teachers to select resources where students see their lived experience, cultural backgrounds, perspectives and interests represented.

(a) What steps could you take to ensure educational resources are selected that enable students to see themselves and their culture represented?

(b) How could you support teachers to identify assumed cultural and linguistic knowledge in teaching and learning resources and assessment tasks? (see resource – Diversity, inclusion and representation: Resourcing the curriculum)

English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) effective school practices

Purpose of resource

This resource is part of Curriculum planning for every student – evidence base. It supports teachers and leaders to explore and reflect on research about effective strategies for inclusive and culturally responsive curriculum planning practice.

Target audience

School leadership teams can use this resource to initiate professional dialogue and build collective understanding of inclusive and culturally responsive pedagogy. Teachers can use this resource for reflection and as a prompt for collegial discussion.

When and how to use

School leadership teams might use this resource to:

  • mentor new and aspiring leaders to develop their curriculum planning practice
  • facilitate discussions on planning equitable student outcomes across school teams, such as the Learning and Support team, the Curriculum team.

Teachers might use this resource to:

  • reflect on their own practice
  • promote discussion on how best to contextualise curriculum planning practice to optimise learning for the full range of students.

Text-based protocols and core thinking routines can be used with this resource to foster discussion about effective approaches to inclusive, culturally responsive curriculum planning practice.

Research base

The evidence base for this resource is:

Contact

Email questions, comments, and feedback about this resource to contactcurriculumreform@det.nsw.edu.au using the subject line ‘Curriculum planning for every student in every classroom’.

Alignment to system priorities and/or needs:

Alignment to School Excellence Framework:

  • ‘Educational leadership’ element in the Leading domain
  • ’Effective classroom practice’ and ‘Learning and development’ elements in the Teaching domain
  • ‘Learning culture’, ‘Curriculum’ and ‘Assessment’ elements in the Learning domain.

Alignment to NSW Department of Education Strategic Plan (2018-2023) – Equity and Academic Achievement outcomes.

Alignment with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers – 1.1.4, 1.3.4, 1.5.4, 4.1.4, 6.2.4 and 6.3.4

Consulted with:

  • Aboriginal Outcomes and Partnerships Directorate
  • Inclusion and Wellbeing Directorate (including Inclusive Education and Disability Strategy)
  • Educational Standards Directorate (including English as an additional language or dialect)
  • Curriculum and Reform Directorate (including High potential and gifted education)

Reviewed by – Curriculum Early Years and Primary Learners (CEYPL) Director and Curriculum Secondary Learners (CSL) Director

Created/last updated – August 2023

To be reviewed – August 2024

‘Leadership is most effective when it is distributed throughout the organisation and, critically, includes those with EAL/D expertise. EAL/D systems and practices function most efficiently through shared responsibility between the school leadership team, EAL/D coordinators and specialists, and classroom/subject teachers.’ (CESE 2021:51)

Research overview

Almost 25% of NSW students are learning English as an additional language or dialect, including Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students.

How can school leaders optimise learning for EAL/D students?

Key points

The research report, ‘English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) effective school practices’, identifies and describes effective practices that support English language learners to succeed. The study confirmed the critical role of school leaders and the need for them to have a strong understanding of their culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Effective teaching and learning experiences for EAL/D students are designed to amplify, rather than simplify, English language and literacy practices.

The school resource supports schools to implement the findings of the 2021 research report. Five effective practices have been identified for successful EAL/D education in schools:

  • distributed leadership that understands and engages the diverse school community
  • ‘high challenge’ and ‘high support’ EAL/D teaching
  • respectful relationships creating a culture of cooperation, high care and high achievement
  • sustained teacher knowledge-building
  • recognising EAL/D teacher expertise.

Practical strategies are explored for each of these five effective practices. There are reflection questions to facilitate collegial discussions and apply the suggested strategies to individual school contexts.

Professional discussion and reflection prompts

  1. As a leader, how could you use the EAL/D effective school practices – school resource to lead professional conversations and create professional learning opportunities to build staff capability across the 5 effective practices?
  2. Your EAL/D students may also be learners with disability, high potential and gifted, or Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander learners. As a leader, how will you deepen staff understanding of inclusive curriculum planning practice to support equitable outcomes for EAL/D students? (See resources – Understanding equity in education, Strong strides together: Meeting the Educational goals for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students, Revisiting gifted education, Universal Design for Learning.
  3. As a leader, how will you guide conversations about culturally inclusive pedagogical practice to optimise learning for the full range of students in your context?
  4. It is important for teachers to select resources where students see their lived experience, cultural backgrounds, perspectives and interests represented.

(a) What steps could you take to ensure educational resources are selected, and assessment tasks created, that enable students to see themselves and their culture represented?

(b) How could you support teachers to identify assumed cultural and linguistic knowledge in teaching and learning resources and assessment tasks.

Revisiting gifted education

Purpose of resource

This resource is part of Curriculum planning for every student – evidence base. It supports teachers and leaders to explore and reflect on research about effective strategies for inclusive and culturally responsive curriculum planning practice.

Target audience

School leadership teams can use this resource to initiate professional dialogue and build collective understanding of inclusive and culturally responsive pedagogy. Teachers can use this resource for reflection and as a prompt for collegial discussion.

When and how to use

School leadership teams might use this resource to:

  • mentor new and aspiring leaders to develop their curriculum planning practice
  • facilitate discussions on planning equitable student outcomes across school teams, such as the Learning and Support team, the Curriculum team.

Teachers might use this resource to:

  • reflect on their own practice
  • promote discussion on how best to contextualise curriculum planning practice to optimise learning for the full range of students.

Text-based protocols and core thinking routines can be used with this resource to foster discussion about effective approaches to inclusive, culturally responsive curriculum planning practice.

Research base

The evidence base for this resource is:

Contact

Email questions, comments, and feedback about this resource to contactcurriculumreform@det.nsw.edu.au using the subject line ‘Curriculum planning for every student in every classroom’.

Alignment to system priorities and/or needs:

Alignment to School Excellence Framework:

  • ‘Educational leadership’ element in the Leading domain
  • ’Effective classroom practice’ and ‘Learning and development’ elements in the Teaching domain
  • ‘Learning culture’, ‘Curriculum’ and ‘Assessment’ elements in the Learning domain.

Alignment to NSW Department of Education Strategic Plan (2018-2023) – Equity and Academic Achievement outcomes.

Alignment with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers – 1.1.4, 1.3.4, 1.5.4, 4.1.4, 6.2.4 and 6.3.4

Consulted with:

  • Aboriginal Outcomes and Partnerships Directorate
  • Inclusion and Wellbeing Directorate (including Inclusive Education and Disability Strategy)
  • Educational Standards Directorate (including English as an additional language or dialect)
  • Curriculum and Reform Directorate (including High potential and gifted education)

Reviewed by – Curriculum Early Years and Primary Learners (CEYPL) Director and Curriculum Secondary Learners (CSL) Director

Created/last updated – August 2023

To be reviewed – August 2024

Research article – Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (2019) ‘Revisiting Gifted Education’, NSW Department of Education, education.nsw.gov.au/cese, accessed 31 March 2023.

'Much of the excellence gap in achievement can be attributed to fewer opportunities to learn.' (CESE 2017:11)

Research overview

Research and student achievement data shows that many students with high potential are not reaching the full extent of their ability. There are also significant achievement gaps for students from disadvantaged backgrounds when compared with other groups of students.

How can leaders ensure that all learners, regardless of their background, have the greatest opportunity to reach their educational potential?

Key points

  • This literature review summarises the gifted education research base for the intellectual domain. It synthesises the best-quality available research into the learning characteristics of high potential and gifted students. It also provides summaries of the research on effective practices in gifted education for schools and teachers.
  • There are 5 main findings in the literature review. High potential and gifted students:

(a) need to be challenged in their learning

(b) are found in all social groups

(c) may experience social and emotional issues without adequate learning challenge

(d) benefit from explicit teaching and well-structured learning

(e) need specific strategies to help them achieve their best.

Professional discussion and reflection prompts

  1. How could you use ‘Revisiting gifted education’ to lead conversations and create professional learning opportunities that build staff capability to optimise learning for high potential and gifted students?
  2. Your high potential and gifted students may also be learners with disability, learning English as an additional language or dialect, or Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander learners. As a leader, how will you deepen staff understanding of inclusive curriculum planning practice to support equitable outcomes for all high potential and gifted students? (See resources – Understanding equity in education, Strong strides together: Meeting the Educational goals for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students, English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) effective school practices, Universal Design for Learning).
  3. Explore more HPGE research.

Strong strides together – Meeting the educational goals for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students

Purpose of resource

This resource is part of Curriculum planning for every student – evidence base. It supports teachers and leaders to explore and reflect on research about effective strategies for inclusive and culturally responsive curriculum planning practice.

Target audience

School leadership teams can use this resource to initiate professional dialogue and build collective understanding of inclusive and culturally responsive pedagogy. Teachers can use this resource for reflection and as a prompt for collegial discussion.

When and how to use

School leadership teams might use this resource to:

  • mentor new and aspiring leaders to develop their curriculum planning practice
  • facilitate discussions on planning equitable student outcomes across school teams, such as Learning and Support team, Curriculum team.

Teachers might use this resource to:

  • reflect on their own practice
  • promote discussion on how best to contextualise curriculum planning practice to optimise learning for the full range of students.

Text-based protocols and core thinking routines can be used with this resource to foster discussion about effective approaches to inclusive, culturally responsive curriculum planning practice.

Research base

The evidence base for this resource is:

Contact

Email questions, comments, and feedback about this resource to contactcurriculumreform@det.nsw.edu.au using the subject line ‘Curriculum planning for every student in every classroom’.

Alignment to system priorities and/or needs:

Alignment to School Excellence Framework:

  • ‘Educational leadership’ element in the Leading domain
  • ’Effective classroom practice’ and ‘Learning and development’ elements in the Teaching domain
  • ‘Learning culture’, ‘Wellbeing’ and ‘Curriculum’ elements in the Learning domain.

Alignment to NSW Department of Education Strategic Plan (2018-2023) – Equity and Academic Achievement outcomes.

Alignment with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers – 1.1.4, 1.3.4, 1.5.4, 2.4.4, 4.1.4, 6.2.4 and 6.3.4

Consulted with:

  • Aboriginal Outcomes and Partnerships Directorate
  • Inclusion and Wellbeing Directorate (including Inclusive Education and Disability Strategy)
  • Educational Standards Directorate (including English as an additional language or dialect)
  • Curriculum and Reform Directorate (including High potential and gifted education)

Reviewed by – Curriculum Early Years and Primary Learners (CEYPL) Director and Curriculum Secondary Learners (CSL) Director

Created/last updated – August 2023

To be reviewed – August 2024

‘Broad cultural connectedness and positive cultural self-identity have been found to be important considerations for promoting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students’ educational outcomes.’ (CESE 2022:12)

Research overview

‘Schools play a central role in the day-to-day educational experiences of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students.’ (CESE 2022:5)

How can school leaders sustain positive change and improve educational outcomes for their Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students?

Key points

It is important to consider the varying experiences and backgrounds of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students in NSW schools. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples belong to diverse cultural groups with different languages and cultural customs. This paper presents evidence for 4 themes that can support school leaders and teachers create high-quality learning environments and meet the educational goals for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students (Kindergarten to Year 12).

These 4 themes are:

  • culturally safe schools
  • culturally responsive teaching
  • positive relationships
  • personalised learning.

A summary of the evidence for each theme is accompanied by practical pathways that teachers and school leaders can implement in their schools. It is recommended that school leaders implement the practical pathways as part of a whole-school approach.

  • Culturally safe schools make students, and their families feel welcome, supported, and connected to the school.
  • Culturally responsive teaching practice acknowledges and responds to cultural influences to promote student learning.
  • Positive relationships are built on shared trust, respect and understanding and take time to develop.
  • Personalised learning tailors learning based on student strengths, needs, interests and goals.

The pathways within each theme can best support Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students when school leaders and teachers flexibly implement the practices in response to the specific contexts of individual Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students and their school setting.

Professional discussion and reflection prompts

  1. How could you use Strong strides summary discussion guide to lead professional conversations and create professional learning opportunities to build staff capability across the 4 themes?
  2. Your Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students may also be learners with disability, high potential and gifted, or learning English as an additional language or dialect. As a leader, how will you deepen staff understanding of inclusive curriculum planning practice to support equitable outcomes for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students? (See resources – Understanding equity in education, English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) effective school practices, Revisiting gifted education, Universal Design for Learning.

Universal Design for Learning evidence base

Purpose of resource

This resource is part of Curriculum planning for every student – evidence base. It supports teachers and leaders to explore and reflect on research about effective strategies for inclusive and culturally responsive curriculum planning practice.

Target audience

School leadership teams can use this resource to initiate professional dialogue and build collective understanding of inclusive and culturally responsive pedagogy. Teachers can use this resource for reflection and as a prompt for collegial discussion.

When and how to use

School leadership teams might use this resource to:

  • mentor new and aspiring leaders to develop their curriculum planning practice
  • facilitate discussions on planning equitable student outcomes across school teams, such as Learning and Support team, Curriculum team.
  • Teachers might use this resource to:
  • reflect on their own practice
  • promote discussion on how best to contextualise curriculum planning practice to optimise learning for the full range of students.

Text-based protocols and core thinking routines can be used with this resource to foster discussion about effective approaches to inclusive, culturally responsive curriculum planning practice.

Research base

The evidence base for this resource is:

  • Al-Azawei A, Serenelli F and Lundqvist K (2016). Universal Design for Learning (UDL): A content analysis of peer-reviewed journal papers from 2012-2015, Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 16(3):39-56. DOI: 10.14434/josotl.v16i3.19295
  • Barteaux S (2014). Universal Design for Learning, BU Journal of Graduate Studies in Education, 6(2):50-54.
  • Capp MJ (2017). The effectiveness of universal design for learning: a meta-analysis of literature between 2013 and 2016, International Journal of Inclusive Education, 21(8):791-807. DOI: 10.1080/13603116.2017.1325074
  • Capp MJ (2020). Teacher confidence to implement the principles, guidelines, and checkpoints of universal design for learning, International Journal of Inclusive Education, 24(7):706-720, DOI: 10.1080/13603116.2018.1482014
  • CAST (2023). The UDL Guidelines, accessed 26 April 2023.
  • Education Council (2019). Alice Springs (Mparntwe) education declaration, accessed 26 April 2023.
  • Bernard JL and Wade-Woolley L (2005). Education for all: The report of the Expert Panel on Literacy and Numeracy Instruction for Students with Special Education Needs, Kindergarten to Grade 6. Toronto: Ontario Ministry of Education.
  • Leif E, Alfrey L and Grove C (2021). Practical, research-informed strategies to teach more inclusively (teachermagazine.com), accessed 26 April 2023.
  • Levey S (2021). Universal Design for Learning, Journal of Education, 203(2):1-9. Boston University. DOI: 10.1177/00220574211031954
  • NSW Department of Education, (2022). NSW Department of Education Strategic Plan (2018-2023), NSW Department of Education, accessed 26 April 2023.
  • Spencer SA (2011). Universal Design for Learning: Assistance for Teachers in Today’s Inclusive Classrooms. Interdisciplinary Journal of Teaching and Learning, 1(1):10-22.
  • High Impact Professional Learning (HIPL).

Contact

Email questions, comments, and feedback about this resource to contactcurriculumreform@det.nsw.edu.au using the subject line ‘Curriculum planning for every student in every classroom’.

Alignment to system priorities and/or needs:

Alignment to School Excellence Framework:

  • ‘Educational leadership’ element in the Leading domain
  • ’Effective classroom practice’ and ‘Learning and development’ elements in the Teaching domain
  • ‘Learning culture’, ‘Curriculum’ and ‘Assessment’ elements in the Learning domain.

Alignment to NSW Department of Education Strategic Plan (2018-2023) – Equity and Academic Achievement outcomes.

Alignment with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers – 1.1.4, 1.3.4, 1.5.4, 4.1.4, 6.2.4 and 6.3.4

Consulted with:

  • Aboriginal Outcomes and Partnerships Directorate
  • Inclusion and Wellbeing Directorate (including Inclusive Education and Disability Strategy)
  • Educational Standards Directorate (including English as an additional language or dialect)
  • Curriculum and Reform Directorate (including High potential and gifted education)
  • Reviewed by – Curriculum Early Years and Primary Learners (CEYPL) Director and Curriculum Secondary Learners (CSL) Director

Created/last updated – August 2023

To be reviewed – August 2024

About Universal design for learning

‘Universal Design for Learning ‘allows students to achieve success in the classroom through reducing barriers to learning.’ (Levey, 2020:8)

Overview

Universal Design for Learning is a planning framework that supports teachers to enable every student in every classroom to access the curriculum and optimise learning for all students.

How can school leaders optimise learning for students with disability?

Key points

Universal Design for Learning is a planning framework that can be used for inclusive curriculum design. There are 3 guiding principles:

  • engagement
  • representation
  • action and expression.

About Universal Design for Learning summarises key research on the benefits of Universal Design for Learning. More information about the guiding principles can be found at The UDL Guidelines.

Professional discussion and reflection prompts

  1. As a leader, how could you use ‘About Universal Design for Learning’ to lead professional conversations and create professional learning opportunities that build staff capability to optimise learning for the full range of students, particularly students with disability?
  2. Your students with disability may also be learning English as an additional language or dialect, be high potential and gifted students or Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students. As a leader, how will you deepen staff understanding of inclusive curriculum planning practice to support equitable outcomes for students with disability? (See resources – Understanding equity in education, Strong strides together: Meeting the Educational goals for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students, English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) effective school practices, Revisiting gifted education.
  3. How will you build your capability to provide flexible options so that all students can participate in teaching and learning experiences and demonstrate their learning?

Professional learning

Curriculum planning for every student in every classroom (AC00180) in MyPL.

Curriculum planning for every student – advice

Advice for teachers to support curriculum planning for every student in every classroom K–12.

Curriculum planning K–12 professional learning

Overview of professional learning to strengthen teacher capacity for curriculum planning, programming and assessing to optimise learning for all students.

Category:

  • Teaching and learning

Topics:

  • Classroom teachers
  • Curriculum and Reform
  • Kindergarten
  • Principals and school leaders
  • Teaching and learning
  • Web page
  • Year 1
  • Year 10
  • Year 11
  • Year 12
  • Year 2
  • Year 3
  • Year 4
  • Year 5
  • Year 6
  • Year 7
  • Year 8
  • Year 9

Business Unit:

  • Curriculum and Reform
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