The School Context

The School ContextLyndale Secondary College is in North

Dandenong.The student population is approximately 1200.48% of students speak a language other than

English at homeLyndale has a SFO of 0.6602 High proportion of EMA (40%).Around 30% of students were born overseasOver 57 different countries are represented.Dramatic increase in the number of refugees

over the last five years, particularly from central and south Africa and Afghanistan.

The ChallengesGenerational poverty.Few pathways.Complex language backgrounds. Orally literate.Reading comprehension and written literacy -

struggleESL and Refugee Learners – interrupted or

no schooling.Creating and using flexible learning spaces

and pedagogy.Increasing the use of data to inform teaching

practice.

College PracticesWe have appointed Leading Teachers to address our

Literacy and Numeracy concerns.Additional staff for ESL, Language Support, Maths

Recovery, Literacy and Numeracy Support. Year 7 Literacy program run in Integrated Studies.Year 7 Maths program (‘Boot Camp’).Streaming ESL students since 2007 so they are

taught by specialist ESL teachers in Integrated Studies and English.

PAT testing data available for all students.PAT testing data used to inform Year 7 Literacy and

Numeracy support programs.Flexile Learning space - slowing converting our

old gym into a flexible learning space - Learning Centre

We needed to to investigateTeam

MemberFocus The Details

Wayne O’Brien

Data [email protected]

Kathy Bannan

Pedagogy •Literacy pedagogy. •Team teaching [email protected]

Raffaela Dell’Aquila

ESL •Investigation of ESL best practice.•Resources for Maths/Science teachers.dellaquila.raffaela.r@edumail,vic.gov.au

Preeti Maharaj

Data •Data Analysis Year 8.•Resources for Maths/Science teachers.•School visits to feeder [email protected]

Team Objectives

Increasing staff awareness of literacy and numeracy data to inform teaching and learning practices.

Developing support for the ESL program.

Developing teacher capacity to deliver literacy beyond the Year 7 literacy program.

Why use data in the classroom?

“Despite the evidence, and the fact that almost everyother profession conducts most of its training in real-life settings (doctors and nurses in hospitals…lawyersin courtrooms, consultants with clients) very littleteacher training takes place in the teacher’s ownclassrooms, the place in which it would be precise andrelevant enough to be the most effective.”

“How the worlds’ best-performing school systems comeout on top”, McKinsey & Company, September, 2007

Why use data in the classroom?the quality of an education system cannot

exceed the quality of its teachers,the only way to improve outcomes is to

improve instruction,

and

achieving universally high outcomes is only possible by putting in place mechanisms to ensure that schools deliver high-quality instruction to every child.

Why use data in the classroom?Using data can assist and complement what

we already do.

Using data can help confirm what we already know.

• Using data allows us to measure and track future directions.

What data is not…It is NOT an assessment tool - helps inform

judgements and teaching practice within the classroom, it should never be used to determine students’ marks.

It is NOT an indicator of intelligence.

It is NOT absolute.

What kinds of data?PAT testing – Numeracy

PAT testing – Literacy along with other specialised diagnostic testing

NAPLAN – Literacy and Numeracy

On-Demand testing – for both Maths and English. Can be linear or adaptive.

DATAWayne O’Brien/Preeti Maharaj

Objectives:

• Using NAPLAN/PAT testing literacy and numeracy data together.

• Creating class profiles based on two snapshots of literacy and numeracy data.

• Researching and finding resources literacy and numeracy resources for Maths/Science teachers.

DATAWayne O’Brien/Preeti MaharajTwo snapshots of data provides a more

accurate overview of where a student is at because:

the student may not have been having a good day when a particular test was conducted,

andhelps highlight inconsistencies orconfirm trends.

DATAWayne O’Brien/Preeti Maharaj

Presenting literacy and Numeracy data together

Literacy and numeracy need to appear in the one spreadsheet provided to teachers as one will have an impact on another.

All teachers are literacy and numeracy teachers!

Data needs to be colour coded for easy reading.

To investigate: Flexible learning spaces and team teachingFound:Best learning environments with flexible spaces:• individual learning,• effective pedagogy to engage learners, • work stations, • whole group activities, • celebration of learning-students to present

their• knowledge

Pedagogy – School VisitsKathy Bannan

Pedagogy – School VisitsKathy Bannan

• Carwartha P-12, • Cheltenham Secondary College• Bentleigh Secondary College• Mordialloc Secondary College • Elsternwick Primary School • Silverton Primary School• St. Michaels Grammar School

Pedagogy – School VisitsKathy BannanRecommendations:

Start team teaching and see it as another way of engaging students and providing them with a meaning full curriculum

Perhaps reorganise timetables and provide time for team planning.

Support staff to take risks as this is quite a different approach to conventional teaching.

Greater use of Learning Centre.

Pedagogy – School VisitsKathy BannanNeed to trial:

Open and flexible learning spacesLiteracy and numeracy embedded across KLAsBroad integrated learning experiencesTeam Teaching/Culture changeLearner directed experiencesFlexible learning groupsResource rich owned environmentsDigital portfolios and student led conferencesWhole child - VELS curriculum

ESLInvestigation of ESL best practiceResources for Maths/Science teachersRaffaela Dell’Aquila

“How can ESL kids be put into mainstream scienceclasses when the language is so dense and complex that they are bound to fail?” James Angos - Assistant Principal

Survey

We surveyed our teachers and found out that Maths/Science teachers

were having the greatest difficulty supporting ESL students (based on

percentage of staff in a KLA).


School Visits :

• Noble Park Language Centre• Debney Park Secondary College• Westall Secondary• Silverton Primary School • LMERC


Outcomes:

ESL diagnostic testing – we could not find any, so we are going to rely on Percentile ranking to determine whether a student has improved rather than Stanine ranking in the PAT tests.

Qualified ESL teachers have expressed their interest in becoming ESL support staff for Maths/Science subjects and the College is currently investigating whether this can be made possible for 2010


Outcomes:

• Language schools - greater contact with local Language schools and sharing of resources.

• Resources - Staff members teaching Year 7 and 8 will be given a copy of the CD containing ESL support materials for Maths, Science and English teachers.

Bigger Picture• Social justice – value adding is not enough,

we have to move students up to state and national benchmarks.

• Feeder primary schools to learn about best practice and share ideas.

• Links to accessing suitable programs for students/wellbeing/student management.

• Sharing of resources/ESL

Future DirectionsIncreasing numeracy support in Year 8 and 9Developing closer links and maintain ongoing

discussions with our biggest feeder schools.Developing literacy and numeracy practices that

are cost effective and sustainable.Continue to access external funding through

grants and professional development opportunities.

Focus should not only be on value adding but on pushing for literacy and numeracy outcomes reaching national and state mean.

Addditional Information

Detailed information on our TPL and our ongoing

work can be found on our Wiki page:

http://sustainableliteracyandnumeracypractices.wikispaces.com/

Pedagogy Learning Centre 2007-2008

PedagogyLearning Centre – 2007-2008

Learning Centre 2009

Learning Centre 2009

Documents

The School Context