1. Using the QSA P–10 Literacy and Numeracy Indicators

2. QSA online resources for literacy and numeracy
Information statement
Literacy and Numeracy Indicators:
Preparatory year to Year 2
Year 3 to Year 6
Year 7 to Year 10
Short assessment instruments
These resources can be found at:
QSA resources for literacy and numeracy
The following resources can be found on the QSA website:
Information Statement: A useful resource to use with colleagues to discuss the indicators and their use
Literacy and Numeracy Indicators: Documents that identify the literacy and numeracy learnings for each year level from P–10
Example short assessments: Used to assess literacy and numeracy across different learning areas

3. Information Statement
The Information Statement explains:
the organising elements of literacy and numeracy
the structure and organisation of the indicators
suggested ways to use the indicators
catering for diversity by making adjustments
example short assessments in literacy and numeracy.

4. What is literacy?
Literacy involves students in composing and comprehending spoken language, print, visual and digital texts, and using and modifying language for a variety of purposes and audiences in a range of contexts.
Australian Curriculum — General capabilities 2012
The indicators use the concept of literacy from the Australian Curriculum v3 General Capability conceptual statement, January The Literacy general capability is connected to — but different from — the literacy strand of English in the Australian Curriculum.
Students become literate as they develop the knowledge and skills to learn and communicate confidently at school and to contribute to a literate society.
The Literacy Indicators identify the literacy knowledge, understanding and skills students use to access, understand, analyse and evaluate the content of each learning area, participate in learning processes, represent information and present ideas and opinions.

5. Elements of Literacy Australian Curriculum — General capabilities 2012
This diagram, which also appears in the Information statement, P–10 Literacy and Numeracy, shows the organising elements for literacy in the Australian Curriculum. Literacy has an extra layer: comprehending texts and composing texts that you won’t see when we look at the Numeracy Indicators.
The Literacy Indicators use these organising elements. The QSA Literacy Indicators P–10 are organised under the modes of Listening and Speaking, Viewing and Reading, and Writing and Creating.
Australian Curriculum — General capabilities 2012

6. What is numeracy?
Numeracy is recognising and understanding the role of mathematics in the world and having the dispositions and capacities to use mathematical knowledge and skills purposefully.
Australian Curriculum — General capabilities 2012
The indicators use the concept of numeracy from the Australian Curriculum v3, General capability conceptual statement, January The Numeracy General capability is connected to — but different from — Mathematics in the Australian Curriculum.
The Numeracy Indicators identify the numeracy knowledge, understanding and skills students need to recognise, interpret and use mathematics to solve problems in each learning area.

7. Elements of Numeracy Australian Curriculum — General capabilities 2012
This diagram, which also appears in the Information statement, shows the organising elements for numeracy in the Australian Curriculum.
The Numeracy Indicators use these organising elements.
Australian Curriculum — General capabilities 2012

8. What do the indicators look like?
Build on previous learning and increase in complexity
Organising elements
The QSA Literacy and Numeracy Indicators are presented in the Australian Curriculum phases of learning: Years Prep to 2, Years 3 to 6, Years 7 to 10.
The indicators:
increase in complexity from Prep to Year 10
build on previous learning.
The coding system for the indicators uses roman numerals so that there is no conflict with other resources. The coding system makes it easier to reference the indicators when planning and recording data about students’ learning.

9. How could the indicators be used?
To support planning for:
teaching and learning of literacy and numeracy
assessment
future teaching and learning.
The indicators are published in draft. Please provide feedback or ask questions about the indicators via
The Literacy and Numeracy Indicators provide a common language for professional discussions about literacy and numeracy at each year of learning. They provide a focus on literacy and numeracy across the learning areas, giving students multiple opportunities to learn.
The indicators can be used to identify gaps to inform teaching and learning, and allow for differentiation. If a student does not demonstrate the expected indicators for their year level, use the indicators from prior year levels to structure and develop learning. For students already demonstrating the expected indicators, use the indicators from the next year to extend their learning.
Teachers make a Yes or No judgment about the demonstration of each indicator.

10. Using the indicators in a unit of work
Select the Literacy and Numeracy Indicators to support learning in the unit.
Provide teaching and learning opportunities for the indicators.
Plan a short assessment using the indicators.
Make a Yes or No judgment about the indicators.
Refer to the indicators to focus feedback.
The literacy and numeracy expectations of a unit of work should be explicit and integral to each of the five elements of effective planning shown in this diagram.
Consider embedding Literacy and Numeracy Indicators into teaching and learning across the learning areas to:
provide more opportunities for literacy and numeracy learning
make connections to allow students to transfer their literacy and numeracy skills across learning areas
help students to see the literacy and numeracy opportunities and demands of everyday life
develop the confidence to try to solve problems in the world.

11. Example short assessments
Example short assessments on the QSA website support the monitoring of literacy and numeracy,
These assessments demonstrate:
• ways to gather evidence of literacy and numeracy capabilities that are specific to each learning area
• techniques that teachers could use to assess and monitor students’ literacy and numeracy.

12. Understanding the indicators
Future directions
Using data
Whole school
Curriculum leaders
Teachers
Students
Use data from national (NAPLAN), state (QCATs), sector and school to identify whole school priorities and literacy and numeracy learning trends
Use data from national (NAPLAN), state (QCATs), sector and school to identify literacy and numeracy learning needs:
across year levels
within and across learning areas
Use data from national (NAPLAN), state (QCATs), sector and school to identify literacy and numeracy learning needs for:
class
individuals
Use data to identify own literacy and numeracy learning needs
Planning
Develop a whole school literacy and numeracy plan to strengthen and support teaching, assessment and moderation of literacy and numeracy learning
Plan across class and year levels to strengthen and support teaching, assessment and moderation of literacy and numeracy learning
Plan and implement literacy and numeracy assessment opportunities across learning areas, including adjustments as required
Set individual goals to strengthen literacy and numeracy skills across learning areas
Understanding the indicators
Consider professional development opportunities to improve teaching, learning and assessment of literacy and numeracy
Use QSA professional development resources for literacy and numeracy in:
staff meetings
year level meetings
Target teaching of literacy and numeracy learning in response to students’ specific needs
Monitor own progress in literacy and numeracy learning
Sharing data
Communicate with the school community about literacy and numeracy teaching, learning, assessment and monitoring
Liaise with teachers to monitor and support explicit teaching of literacy and numeracy
Share literacy and numeracy data with class teachers to support students’ literacy and numeracy learning from one year to the next
Share literacy and numeracy learning goals and learning with peers
Teachers can use the indicators to:
identify the literacy and numeracy learning needs for individual students and the whole class
plan and implement literacy and numeracy teaching and assessment across learning areas
make adjustments for individual students
share literacy and numeracy data to support students’ transition from one year to the next.
Curriculum leaders can use the indicators to:
support teachers to improve students’ literacy and numeracy learning.
At a whole school level, the indicators can be used to:
create a focus on literacy and numeracy learning and achievement based on data from internal and external assessment
focus on continuous improvement of literacy and numeracy learning across year levels.