Curriculum Renewal in Saskatchewan: Introduction of Outcomesbased Curricula

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Curriculum Renewal in SaskatchewanIntroduction
of Outcomes-based Curricula

• Ministry of Education
• April 2009

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Once upon a time

• 1981 C I Review Committee
• 1984 Directions
• 1987 Core Curriculum (and policies)
• First Nations and Métis Education
• Resource-based Learning
• Gender Equity
• Multicultural Education

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Once upon a time (continued)

• 1988 Common Essential Learnings
• 1990 Evaluation handbook
• 1991 Instructional Approaches handbook
• 1992 Adaptive Dimension
• 1992 WNCP
• 1994 High School Review
• 1999 Actualization of Core Curriculum

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Purpose for Renewal

• Sustain and strengthen
• Concise and coherent curriculum
• Clarify expectations for students
• Ensure relevance and consistency for students
• Provide ease of access and use for teachers

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Impetus for Renewal

• Provincial curriculum evaluations
• Provincial and national student assessments
• Timely review

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Vision for Renewal

• In-between space (Gadamer, 1975)
• Research
• Five strategies

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Foundation for Renewal

• Curriculum Framework
• First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Content,
  Perspectives, and Ways of Knowing
• Learning Resources
• Professional Learning
• Partners and Stakeholders

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Curriculum Framework

• Intent Develop a curriculum framework that is
  concise, persuasive, and educative
• Practical Application Outcomes-based curriculum
• Higher level outcomes for each grade
• What students will know and do at the end of a
  grade
• Coherence and rigour within and across areas of
  study

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Outcomes

• Represent thinking or behaving like a subject
  discipline expert within the subject discipline
• Are considered a high priority learning outcome
  by most experts in the discipline
• Require creation using a combination of factual,
  conceptual, procedural and metacognitive
  knowledge (i.e., addresses competency and not
  just content coverage)

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Outcomes(expert, priority, creation)

• Grade 6 Arts Education
• Compare traditional and contemporary arts
  expressions from a diverse range of cultures, and
  analyze how cultural identity is reflected in the
  work

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Inquiry Space

• In a genuine inquiry, the topic itself matters
  far less than the attitude kids and teachers take
  toward it. If they are moved to ask why, to
  wonder who thinks otherwise, to explore what
  other strange things just might be connected to
  this one little problem, then they are in an
  inquiry space.
• (Refer to Testing the Waters Three Elements of
  Classroom Inquiry, 2008, Clifford Marinucci, in
  Harvard Educational Review)

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Outcomes(Supporting Inquiry)

• Grade 8 Mathematics
• Demonstrate understanding of the Pythagorean
  Theorem concretely or pictorially and
  symbolically and by solving problems
• What is it I want students to learn? (i.e.,
  Factual? Conceptual? Procedural? Metacognitive?)
• How will I know when they have learned it? (i.e.,
  Evidence of student achievement?)
• How will I support student questioning, learning,
  and understanding?
• (Refer to Never Work Harder than your Students
  and Other Principles of Great Teaching,
  2009,Jackson)

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First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Content,
Perspectives, and Ways of Knowing

• Intent Ensure First Nations, Métis, and Inuit
  (FNMI) Content, Perspectives, and Ways of Knowing
• Practical Application Explicit reflection in
  foundational aspects of learning program
• Broad educational aims and curriculum framework
  (e.g., cross-curricular competencies)
• Subject area outcomes and foundational processes
  (e.g., inquiry)
• Instructional methods (place-based learning) and
  resources (e.g., Elders)

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Supporting FNM Learners
all

• Students construct understanding and knowledge
  within contexts
• Valuing and honouring of alternatives
• Seeking supports from within the community and
  through students
• Making connections
• Keep sight of the big picture

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Outcomes

• Are expansive enough to embrace First Nations and
  Métis content such as Treaty education.
• Embrace diverse global perspectives and value the
  perspectives of local communities including First
  Nations and Métis communities
• Are expansive enough to encourage and require
  First Nations and Métis ways of knowing as well
  as other ways of knowing

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Outcomes(explicit)

• Grade 2 Arts Education Describe key features of
  traditional arts expressions of Saskatchewan
  First Nations and Métis artists
• Grade 7 Science Examine and explain First
  Nations and Métis lifestyles and worldviews as
  they relate to ecosystems
• Grade 8 Social Studies Describe the influence of
  the treaty relationships on Canadian identity

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Outcomes(directive)

• Grade 7 Arts Education Create dance expressions
  that express ideas about the importance of place
  (e.g., relationships to the land)
• Grade 8 Social Studies Investigate the meaning
  of culture and the origins of Canadian cultural
  diversity
• Analyze shared characteristics among First
  Nations, Inuit, and Métis cultures in Canada
  (indicator)
• Investigate why First Nations, Inuit, and Métis
  communities strive to preserve and revitalize
  their languages and determine the consequences of
  the disappearance of cultures and languages
  (indicator)

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K-12 Discipline Goals(explicit)

• English Language Arts
• (1 of 3 goals)
• Comprehend and Respond Students will extend
  their abilities to view, listen to, read,
  comprehend, and respond to a range of
  contemporary and traditional grade-level texts
  from First Nations, Métis, and other cultures in
  a variety of forms (oral, print, and other texts)
  for a variety of purposes including for learning,
  interest, and enjoyment.

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K-12 Discipline Goals(directive)

• Physical Education
• (2 of 3 goals)
• Active living Enjoy and engage in healthy levels
  of participation in movement activities to
  support lifelong active living in the context of
  self, family, and community
• Relationships Balance self through safe and
  respectful personal, social, cultural, and
  environmental interactions in a wide variety of
  movement activities

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K-12 Disciplinary Foundational Process(directive)

• Health Education
• Shifting
• Linear decision-making model
• to
• Circular, iterative inquiry approach to making
  decisions

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K-12 Disciplinary Foundational Process(directive)

• Learning Contexts in Science Education

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Learning Resources

• Intent Introduce a renewed vision and policy for
  the role of learning resources in education
• Practical Application
• New School Library Policy
• Listings of Core and Additional Resources
• Resource Customization

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Resource Customization

• K-12 Mathematics
• K, 1, 4, 7 (2007-08)
• Grades 2, 5, 8 (2008-09)
• Grades 3, 6, 9 (2009-2010)
• Grade 10 (2010-2011)
• Grades 6-8 Science
• Saskatchewan examples including Ask an Elder
• Grades 6-9 Career Education
• Saskatchewan examples including Aboriginal role
  models

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Professional Learning

• Intent Develop a comprehensive plan to
  strengthen teaching and improve student learning
• Practical Application
• Developing framework for Ministry
• Exploring various professional learning models
  (i.e., moving from strategies to principles)
• Supporting reflective practice

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Reflective Practice

• Transition Year Analyze instructional lessons/
  units/practice in relation to curriculum outcomes
• Personal-Professional Growth Plan Focus on
  personal, classroom, or collegial (ad)ventures in
  relation to curriculum outcomes
• Curriculum Reflection, Curriculum Inquiry, or
  Curriculum Networking Engage in practices that
  deepen understanding related to supporting
  student achievement of curriculum outcomes

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Partners and Stakeholders

• Intent Work with partners and stakeholders to
  achieve our vision
• Practical application
• Regular provincial meetings
• Provincial reference committees and other
  processes/events
• Research and critical friends

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Vision in Action

• All curricula will identify opportunities to
  integrate with other areas of study
• All curricula will have materials developed and
  available online
• All curricula will focus on teaching for deeper
  understanding
• All curricula will have a greater emphasis on
  centralizing FNMI content, perspectives, and ways
  of knowing

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Vision in Action (continued)

• Defining some Broad Areas of Learning that
  reflect the provincial Goals of Education
• Identifying Cross-curricular Competencies
  required for 21st century citizens
• The Cross-curricular Competencies and the Broad
  Areas of Learning connect the specificity of the
  areas of study and students daily experiences
  with the broader philosophy of Core Curriculum
  and the Goals of Education for Saskatchewan

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Saskatchewans Goals of Education (1985)

• Basic Skills
• Lifelong Learning
• Self Concept Development
• Positive Lifestyle
• Understanding and Relating to Others
• Spiritual Development
• Career and Consumer Decisions
• Membership in Society
• Growing with Change

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Broad Areas of Learning

• Lifelong Learners
• Sense of Self and Community
• Engaged Citizens

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How Broad Areas of Learning relate to Goals of
Education

• Lifelong Learners relates to Basic Skills,
  Lifelong Learning, Self Concept Development,
  Positive Lifestyle
• Sense of Self and Community relates to
  Understanding Relating to Others, Self Concept
  Development, Positive Lifestyle, Spiritual
  Development
• Engaged Citizens relates to Understanding and
  Relating to Others, Positive Lifestyle,
  Membership in Society, Career and Consumer
  Decisions, Growing with Change

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Common Essential Learnings

• Communication
• Numeracy
• Critical and Creative Thinking
• Technological Literacy
• Personal and Social Values and Skills
• Independent Learning

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Cross-curricular Competencies

• Thinking
• Identity and Interdependence
• Literacies
• Social Responsibility

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How the Cross-curricular Competencies relate to
the CELs

• Thinking
• relates to CCT
• Identity and Interdependence
• relates to PSD TL
• Literacies
• relates to C, N, TL, IL
• Social Responsibility
• relates to C, CCT, PSD
• (Refer to Renewed Objectives for CCT and PSD)

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Social Studies
Health Education
Arts Education
Identity and Interdependence
Thinking
Mathematics
Lifelong Learners
Self and Community
Language Arts
Engaged Citizens
Literacies
Social Responsibility
Practical and Applied Arts
Physical Education
Goal 1 for Physical Education
Goal 2 for Physical Education
Science
Goal 3 for Physical Education
Learning Outcomes
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Vision in Action (continued)

• Goals of Education (1985) (under review)
• ? ?
• Broad
  Areas of Learning
• Core Curriculum
• ? K-12
  goals
• Required Areas of Study ? Grade level outcomes
  for each goal
• 
  Indicators for each outcome
• Common Essential Learnings ? Cross-curricular
  Competencies
• Adaptive Dimension K-12
  goals for each competency
• Locally-determined Options 10
  descriptors for each goal

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Transition Year

• 2008-09
• Introduce curricula for Grades 2, 5, 8
  mathematics
• Introduce Grades 6-9 curricula for other Required
  Areas of Study
• Introduce kindergarten resource
• Support curriculum reflection, curriculum
  inquiry, and curriculum networking (Refer to
  Classroom Curriculum Connections A Teachers
  Handbook for Personal-Professional Growth, 2001)

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Design Phase

• 2008 09
• Develop curricula for Grades 3, 6, 9 mathematics
• Develop Grades 1-5 curricula for other Required
  Areas of Study
• Determine Secondary Level program options and
  develop Grades 10-12 outcomes to guide Secondary
  Level curriculum development

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Future Plans

• 2009 10
• Introduce curricula for Grades 3, 6, 9
  mathematics (Transition Year)
• Introduce Grades 1-5 curricula for other Required
  Areas of Study (Transition Year)
• Develop Secondary Level curricula (e.g., Grade 10
  Mathematics curricula) (Design Phase)
• Five-year plan (2007-08 to 2011-12)

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Summary