Opotiki College Curriculum

Really pleased with this document which is the guiding document for Opotiki Collleg's curriculum. In brackets are links to the material and information on our network, but only works on our intranet.

This is groundbreaking stuff!


Opotiki College Curriculum Document

What do we know about our students on entry to Opotiki College?

A profile of each entry cohort is developed from the following sources:

• Primary school information (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/CurriculumDoc/2009Yr8Info)

• AsTTle Reading and Maths (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/CurriculumDoc/Yr9CurriculumLevels10)

• MidYis (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/CurriculumDoc/MidYis/MidYis07to09)

Commentary

Consistently, 55-65% of our cohort arrive in the bottom quartile (MidYis/AsTTle) so literacy and numeracy needs are high.

What do we know about our students’ presence, engagement and achievement?
A Data Plan was created in 2007 so that we could track behaviour, attendance and achievement.



• This material is collated annually (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/EngagementData/OngoingData)

• The Teacher Observation process has included, from the start of 2010, has included recording student voice on what they are learning, why they are learning, how their teacher helps them to learn and how they learn best. (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/StudentVoice)

• The Teacher Observation process collects comments on the levels of engagement in all teachers’ classes and forms part of the Appraisal discussion. (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/ManagementDocumentation/2010/

Handbooks/Teaching as Inquiry)

• ERO Report (2007) focused on Student Engagement (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/ERO/ERO2007)

Commentary

There are high levels of student achievement and engagement. Attendance is an ongoing challenge, especially in relation to intermittent attendance.

What is our vision for the learners at Opotiki College and what values do we believe are important for our learners?

Our Charter is updated annually with the Mission Statement, Vision, Values and Strategic Goals revisited once every 5-6 years.



• Opotiki College Charter (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/CurriculumDoc/Charter)
Commentary

The College is driven by a vision centred around respect, equity, high expectations and strong relationships.

How do we encourage and monitor the Key Competencies?

Opotiki College’s Scheme and Unit Outline documentation have been reformatted so that the Key Competencies and Effective Pedagogies as identified in the New Zealand Curriculum are central.



• Scheme (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/CurriculumDoc/SchemeOutline)

• Unit Outline (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/CurriculumDoc/CurriculumPlan)

Commentary

All Schemes will be in the new format from Term II 2010 and all units will be in the Curriculum Plan format by the end of 2011.

What are our beliefs about quality teaching and learning?
The elements of effective pedagogy as outlined in the New Zealand Curriculum, especially Teaching as Inquiry, underpin our beliefs about quality teaching and learning. How this is present in our practice is described in the following documents:



• Unit Outline (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/CurriculumDoc/CurriculumPlan)

• Personal Teaching Inquiry (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/ManagementDocumentation/2010/

Handbooks/Teaching as Inquiry)

• Learning Team Inquiry (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/ManagementDocumentation/2010/

Handbooks/ Teaching as Inquiry)

• Learning Target Setting (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/ManagementDocumentation/2010/

Handbooks/Teaching as Inquiry)

Commentary
These processes are a work in progress which were put in place from the start of 2010 after developing them within our Aspiring Leaders Group and Professional Learning Groups in 2009. The essence of inquiry is central to our development of Opotiki College as A Thinking and Asking Place.

What are the big picture learning goals for Opotiki College?
The targets we have set in our Annual Planning documentation have included raising literacy levels, increasing leaver qualifications, reducing incidence of serious misbehaviour and improving retention of Maori students.



• Our current targets are included in our most recent Charter (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/CurriculumDoc/Charter)
Commentary
Our major focus continues to be on students leaving with national qualifications. A target we have every year is to ensure that all leavers after four years secondary education leave with at least NCEA Level 1. We are now annually analysing the percentage of those who leave with at least NCEA Level 2.

How do we know that teacher practices are consistent with our vision, principles, Key Competencies and values?

An integrated set of processes ensures consistency of teacher practice. These processes include the following:



• Teacher Observation (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/ManagementDocumentation/2010/

Handbooks/Teaching as Inquiry)

• Personal Teaching Inquiry (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/ManagementDocumentation/2010/

Handbooks/Teaching as Inquiry)

• Learning Team Inquiry (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/ManagementDocumentation/2010/

Handbooks/Teaching as Inquiry)

• Learning Target Setting (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/ManagementDocumentation/2010/

Handbooks/Teaching as Inquiry)

• Staff Performance Management Personal Teaching Inquiry (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/ManagementDocumentation/2010/

Handbooks/StaffPerformanceManagement)

• Curriculum Quality Assurance (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/ManagementDocumentation/2010/

Handbooks/HODQAManual)

Commentary

The Thinking and Asking Handbook links the above processes together.

How will we monitor the impact of the curriculum?

A rigorous process of review ensures that we are monitoring progress across all areas of engagement and achievement. These include:



• Departmental Achievement Statement (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/ManagementDocumentation/2010/

Handbooks/HODQAManual)

• Departmental Review (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/ManagementDocumentation/2010/

Handbooks/HODQAManual)

• Data Plan (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/EngagementData/OngoingData)

• Teacher Observation and Appraisal (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/ManagementDocumentation/2010/

Handbooks/Teaching as Inquiry)

• Personal Teaching Inquiry (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/ManagementDocumentation/2010/

Handbooks/Teaching as Inquiry)

• Learning Team Inquiry (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/ManagementDocumentation/2010/

Handbooks/Teaching as Inquiry)

• Learning Target Setting (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/ManagementDocumentation/2010/

Handbooks/Teaching as Inquiry)

• MidYis Value Added (TDrive/StaffResources/AllStaff/CurriculumDoc/MidYis/MidYisAV)

Learning Matters

If we accept that age old saying that it takes a whole village to raise a child it makes sense that schools and families have to forge a close relationship if we wish all of our young people to realise their potential.




The Ministry of Education requires schools to develop close relationships with whanau and when ERO visits a school it meets with community members to assess how strong that relationship is.



Traditionally parents have quite a strong and regular relationship when their child is at primary school, but for a range of reasons this relationship weakens and becomes much less regular at secondary school. This may be because a secondary school is a much larger institution so may not seem as welcoming or even that parents themselves didn’t enjoy their secondary school experience so feel a little daunted.



In many secondary schools the relationship concentrates on supporting the school with fund raising. At Opotiki College we do very little school-wide fundraising and prefer to have our parents form a relationship with us in other ways.



As with most schools we have a number of parent teacher report evenings at which we get between 25-35% of our families present. We do, however, run Bilingual whanau hui every term which are well-attended and other evening sessions to explain subject choices, enrolment and qualifications. The attendance at these is still at about the 25-35% level.



Our parents have other opportunities by attending sports events and kapa haka practices and noho.



It is important that parents and whanau find a way to make a link with their local school. Last week we tried something different at Opotiki College. We had a mix and mingle evening for the parents of our Year 9 students. It was quite informal with a shared supper and introductions followed by parents meeting and chatting with the teachers from their child’s class. 50% of our families were present and there was a neat buzz as teachers and parents got to know each other.



I explained to the parents that it was not important if they could not assist their child with some of their homework but that it was important that they were active in taking an interest in their child at school and being present for them wherever possible. Those parents who turned up last week had taken the very first important step in being present for their child and showing their strong interest.



We now expect stronger turnouts from these parents at future report evenings as we have broken the ice with them.



One interesting question asked at the evening was about decile rankings and what it meant for schools. The Ministry of Education assesses each school’s community as to its socio-economic status and then groups the schools into ten (decile) groups with decile 1 being in the lowest 10% socio economic group and decile 10 in the highest. It doesn’t mean the decile 1 schools are in poorer condition, or get less money or get poorer teachers.



Many schools are burdened by such a label and as a result have lower expectations and settle for less. Consequently lower decile schools tend to have lower achievement levels. Opotiki College refuses to be limited by such a label and operates under a belief that our students can and will do as well as students anywhere in the country. We prove this with our results year after year.



Students, schools and communities cannot be limited by labels such as decile rankings. The way forward is by learning and learning matters.

Latest Learning Matters

Right now there is a large debate going on in education circles, especially in the primary sector, around the National Government’s policy of introducing national standards at each year level up to and including Year 8.

There is a huge amount of overseas experience, notably in the US and the UK, which shows such a policy has a negative rather than positive impact on student achievement so it is being treated with caution and, in some cases, hostility in the primary sector.

The Minister of Education claims that what is being introduced in New Zealand is quite different and has been developed fully aware of the faults in overseas models. She may well be right as New Zealand has a record of leading the way in educational practice.

Primary teachers are worried that they will be forced to ‘teach to the test’ and that the inevitable publication of league tables will show some schools, typically those in lower decile areas, are falling quite short of the national standard.

Good or bad; welcome to the world of the secondary sector. We have been operating in such an environment for ever with the national standard determined by School Certificate and now by NCEA and the publication every year of league tables.

One of the arguments against pay equity between the primary and secondary sectors is the lack of any external accountability for student achievement in the primary sector, something which secondary schools are faced with and fall or stand against every single year.

I don’t think I like the new policy but I will wait and see.

My advice to colleagues in low decile area primary schools in New Zealand is to take the opportunity to throw off the yoke of low decileness and show the Minister and your community that this does not limit achievement opportunities for your children. There are plenty of places where this happens.

Once again, decile 1 Opotiki College students have done impressively well in NCEA from 2009. With 83% of non-Maori gaining Level 1, 75% gaining Level 2 and 77% gaining Level 3 and with 62% of Maori gaining Level 1, 83% gaining Level 2 and 68% gaining Level 3 our students have done our school and community proud. In all but one of the groups above this puts us at or above the average level of achievement for deciles 8-10 schools (the highest grouping) and in the other we are above the average for decile 4-7 schools.

These figures are not a figment of my imagination and will soon be available to the public on the NZQA website.

The primary schools in Opotiki are doing a great job and despite their best efforts our Year 9 students do arrive well below the national average for their age group. This is normally the case in a low-decile community.

A combination of innovative programmes, committed staff, supportive parents, great resources and a ‘never give up’ attitude help our students to achieve these great results. The most important thing, however, is that we have learned to ignore our decile ranking and to operate in a way that shows we expect all of our kids will achieve national qualifications. This is the learning that matters.

Update on 2009 NCEA Results

The table below shows how tremendously well we have done with NCEA. The first column shows our % achievement of NCEA at each level, the second column shows what the national average % was and then the next three columns show the national averages for low, mid and high decile schools. Opotiki College is a decile 1 school but, as you can see, our figures put us in either the mid or, in many cases, high decile groupings. The achievement of Maori students in particular is well above the national levels.

The table didn't copy too well, but you shoukd be able to make sense of it.

ALL STUDENTS


Opotiki College National Deciles 1-3 Deciles 4-7 Deciles 8-10

Level 1 68 71 55 69 80

Level 2 81 75 60 73 83

Level 3 71 68 52 66 76


MAORI STUDENTS

Opotiki College National Deciles 1-3 Deciles 4-7 Deciles 8-10

Level 1 62 55 52 53 66

Level 2 83 62 59 61 72

Level 3 68 52 52 50 60


NON MAORI STUDENTS

Opotiki College National Deciles 1-3 Deciles 4-7 Deciles 8-10

Level 1 83 79 68 75 84

Level 2 75 81 69 78 86

Level 3 77 74 60 71 78

2009 NCEA Results

Once again we have punched well above our weight for a decile 1 school. With 66% of our Year 11s gaining NCEA Level 1, 81% of our Year 12s gaining Level 2 (with all but 4 of the rest gaining Level 1) and 64% of our Year 13s(!) gaining Level 3 (with all of the rest gaining Level 2) we have done wonderfully well.

The keys, I am certain, are strong leadership across the whole school, an emphasis on strong and positive relationships with our students, and a 'dog-with-a-bone' belief that everyone of our students can succeed.

When you consider that 60-67% of our students arrive at the start of Year 9 in the bottom quartile of nationally-normed literacy and numeracy tests I don't believe there would be many, if any, schools in New Zealand which 'add value' as much as we do.

Let's see what ERO's view is when they arrive in Term II!

Mentor Training

I have just spent 2 days in Auckland being part of First Time Principal Mentoring training. Once again I was a bit peeved at having to use the time, but once again I found it hugely useful.

The stuff really gets to the core of school leadership with a big focus on strategic thinking, open-to-learning conversations (which I find fascinating and valuable) and with face to face access with world-leading thinkers such as Viviane Robinson and video access to Graeme Aitken and John Hattie.

I certainly have a lot of resources and ideas to use with my FTP Principals, but, just as importantly, I can use them for the development of our Senior Leadership Team and staff in general.

The big problem I have is that these resources and ideas need aa lot of thinking through and developing for our context and once school gets underway, which is from now on, I have little time for this type of reflection.

I have tried to schedule a half day each Thursday to go off site and get things done, but these tasks are generally administrative such as newsletter, BOT report, Charter, milestone reports etc. I can't afford any more time off site but I have to find a way of making time at school. If I could spend most of my time on teacher observation and feedback and the strategic stuff described above I am sure I would be a better principal.

Perhaps I could schedule a 90 minute slot once per week with no phone or walk-in interruptions (other than outright emergencies) where I could focus on mentoring and strategic reflection. I'm tempted to try and see how it works in reality.

I'm currently planning my two hour session for our start of year Teacher Only Day on Friday. This has largely moved from an administrative time to a focus on the year's curriculum and pedagogy direction.

Our focus this year is to develop Opotiki College as a Thinking and Asking Place. We want inquiry to be the focus of our work and we want to promote higher levels of thinking for teachers and students.

Amongst this we want the staff to concentrate on three key words: Collaboration, Consistency and High Expectations.

And of course, ERO arrives at the start of Term II.

2010 Plans - Themes and Data Driven Targets

Introduce Thematic Approach at Year 9

• 4 Learning Teams (3 mainstream and 1 Bilingual class) made up of their core teachers and relevant option teachers.

• Aim to set it up so that very few staff teach more than 1 Year 9 class.

• Learning Teams meet once per fortnight.

• Teachers plan programmes around the theme, discuss teaching and learning strategies, ensure coverage of key competencies, share and track student progress supported by achievement data, discuss relationship issues and share learning targets and progress towards them as driven by Part B of the plan.

• One of the meetings per term will serve as a Te Kotahitanga co-construction hui if the class is one of the target classes.

• Introduce across Years 9 and 10 in 2011.

Pre-testing, Setting Targets and Professional Development

• Pre-testing method agreed for each subject by end of 2009.

• Pre-test administered for all Year 9 and 10 classes by end of February.

• Learning Targets set for each class during March.

• TOD to be held in March

o Agenda for TOD will be determined by asking staff, “What questions do you have about evidence gathering and interpreting data?”

o Structure of TOD likely to be ½ day facilitated by an expert and ½ day working in Departments to apply the new learning.

• Departments work collaboratively to support each junior class teacher to devise strategies to move towards the targets and to apply assessment tools.

• Once per term Departments are to discuss the progress of each class towards the targets.

• An end-of-year report for each class compiled and forwarded to Principal which includes the original data on levels, a description of strategies used, and progress and end-of-year data which supports an evaluation of target achievement.



Linking Between Part A and Part B

The collaborative planning around the common theme will be informed by clear learning targets and relevant assessment data for each class.