Commission on School Reform 13th April 2016

OECD - some positives  Above average levels in PISA science and reading  Around average in PISA maths  Achievement levels spread relatively equally  Schools are highly inclusive  Upward trends in attainment and positive destinations  Positive attitudes among students  Risk behaviours are reducing  Above average levels in PISA science and reading  Around average in PISA maths  Achievement levels spread relatively equally  Schools are highly inclusive  Upward trends in attainment and positive destinations  Positive attitudes among students  Risk behaviours are reducing

Much to be pleased about  Well qualified profession  Comprehensive strategy for professional development  Focus on outcomes  Commitment to equity  Forward looking curriculum  Clear improvement agenda  Political consensus  Well qualified profession  Comprehensive strategy for professional development  Focus on outcomes  Commitment to equity  Forward looking curriculum  Clear improvement agenda  Political consensus

National Improvement Framework Key priorities  Improvement in attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy  Closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged children  Improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing  Improvement in employability skills and sustained, positive school leaver destinations for all young people All in the context of Curriculum for Excellence  Improvement in attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy  Closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged children  Improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing  Improvement in employability skills and sustained, positive school leaver destinations for all young people All in the context of Curriculum for Excellence

Some students learn at high levels All students learn at high levels Student inclusion Routine cognitive skills for lifetime jobs Learning to learn, complex ways of thinking, ways of working Curriculum, instruction and assessment Taught to teach established content High-level professional knowledge workers Teacher quality ‘Tayloristic’, hierarchical Flat, collegial, differentiated and diverse careers Work organisation Primarily to authorities Also to peers and stakeholders Teacher evaluation and accountability Teacher policies The pastThe most effective systems

OECD - some concerns  Declining absolute and relative performance in international surveys  Growing proportion of low achievers and shrinking proportion of high achievers in mathematics  Decline in reading and numeracy in SSLN  Sizeable minority of schools at or below ‘satisfactory’ in HMI reports  Declining absolute and relative performance in international surveys  Growing proportion of low achievers and shrinking proportion of high achievers in mathematics  Decline in reading and numeracy in SSLN  Sizeable minority of schools at or below ‘satisfactory’ in HMI reports

Scotland’s performance in PISA Maths Reading Science

Scotland is not short of good ideas… but it has a poor record in realising the benefits from them… because governments lack an understanding of how to bring about change in complex systems Scotland is not short of good ideas… but it has a poor record in realising the benefits from them… because governments lack an understanding of how to bring about change in complex systems

Implementing Curriculum for Excellence The emphasis has been on:  Detail rather than principles  Mechanisms rather than big ideas  Experiences and Outcomes  Assessment  New qualifications and examinations The emphasis has been on:  Detail rather than principles  Mechanisms rather than big ideas  Experiences and Outcomes  Assessment  New qualifications and examinations

…. But what is important?  A long-term direction of travel  Focus on outcomes  Emphasis on skills  Constructivist pedagogy  Valuing of learning outwith school  Balance of disciplines and IDL  Personalisation  Active learner engagement  Continuity 3-18  Flexibility in the senior phase  A long-term direction of travel  Focus on outcomes  Emphasis on skills  Constructivist pedagogy  Valuing of learning outwith school  Balance of disciplines and IDL  Personalisation  Active learner engagement  Continuity 3-18  Flexibility in the senior phase

Down the plughole Why do good ideas often yield mediocre results? Lack of courage Parental caution Media hostility Fear of change Poor management Lack of support Failure to sell ideas Lack of resources Fear of inspection Ideology

Prerequisites of effective change  Strategic clarity  Improved research and data  Responsiveness to classroom needs  Empowerment at school level  Containment of workload  Effective use of early adopters  Ambition  Courage  Strategic clarity  Improved research and data  Responsiveness to classroom needs  Empowerment at school level  Containment of workload  Effective use of early adopters  Ambition  Courage

Evidence-based policy?  No independent evaluation of CfE  Withdrawal from PIRLS and TIMSS  Equivocal attitude to research  Data poor compared with other countries including England  A culture that prefers: - consensus to evidence - monitoring to explanation  No independent evaluation of CfE  Withdrawal from PIRLS and TIMSS  Equivocal attitude to research  Data poor compared with other countries including England  A culture that prefers: - consensus to evidence - monitoring to explanation

Accountability and responsibility Teachers are accountable to people to whom they have no strong feelings of responsibility… …but they have strong feelings of responsibility to parents, communities, fellow professionals and, above all, children to whom they are not accountable. Teachers are accountable to people to whom they have no strong feelings of responsibility… …but they have strong feelings of responsibility to parents, communities, fellow professionals and, above all, children to whom they are not accountable.

An emerging agenda Transformational change requires effective processes and also….  Trust in teachers  Collaboration and networking  An effective supportive ‘middle’  Positive accountabilities Transformational change requires effective processes and also….  Trust in teachers  Collaboration and networking  An effective supportive ‘middle’  Positive accountabilities

Transformational change A transformed education service would be -  Intellectually ambitious and culturally rich  Capable of tackling socio-economic disadvantage  Able to relate knowledge, understanding and skill  Focused on intrinsic motivation  Informed by a strong learner/customer focus  Organisationally and technologically sophisticated  Eclectic in its delivery methods A transformed education service would be -  Intellectually ambitious and culturally rich  Capable of tackling socio-economic disadvantage  Able to relate knowledge, understanding and skill  Focused on intrinsic motivation  Informed by a strong learner/customer focus  Organisationally and technologically sophisticated  Eclectic in its delivery methods