1. understanding and addressing the learning needs
of our highest-performing students
Geoff N Masters
Australian Council for Educational Research

2. why the learning needs of the highest- performing students in our schools are often not well addressed...
1. failure to recognise true variability in students’ levels of capability and achievement

3. Reading distributions (NAPLAN)5% 5%
A common strategy for promoting improved employee or organisational performance is to place a strong focus on organisational results. For example, in commercial businesses, it is common to focus on results such as sales volumes, total business revenue, annual company profit or share price. With desired results clearly identified, results metrics are then established to measure existing performance levels, set targets for improvement, monitor improvement over time and hold employees accountable for achieving better results.
The perceived advantage of focusing on results is that it clarifies and concentrates effort on the main game: the key purpose of the organisation’s work. It also provides a basis for evaluating the performances of employees and the organisation as a whole, while giving employees freedom to find and create strategies for achieving improved results.
As part of their drive for improvement, organisations also sometimes attach incentives to results, either in the form of rewards – for example, increased pay for increased sales – or sanctions such as the threat of dismissal, transfer or closure. These forms of extrinsic motivation usually are based on the assumption that the key to improved results is greater employee effort.

4. In each year of school in Australia, the most advanced 10 per cent of students are five to six years ahead of the least advanced 10 per cent of students.

5. what is required
high quality assessments to...
establish the points that individuals have reached in their learning
identify special strengths and talents
assist in meeting unique learning needs

6. why the learning needs of the highest- performing students in our schools are often not well addressed...
2. the delivery of the same year-level curriculum to all students of the same age

7. curricular gap curricular gap year-level curriculum least advanced
students
most advanced
5-6 years of school

8. There is anecdotal evidence that more able students are often not being challenged and extended by set class work.
Perhaps as a result, Australia has many fewer high-achieving students than some other countries...

9. Year 4 mathematics (TIMSS)
percentage achieving ‘Advanced’ level

10. Year 8 mathematics (TIMSS)
percentage achieving ‘Advanced’ level

11. what is required
teaching that is less focused on delivering ‘age-appropriate’ curricula and more focused on meeting individuals at their points of need (ie, more personalised, targeted teaching)

12. why the learning needs of the highest- performing students in our schools are often not well addressed...
3. the equating of high grades with successful learning

13. Many students in our schools are judged to be performing well because they achieve high grades on middling expectations for children of their age.

14. what is required
better indicators of the progress (growth) that students make in their learning, and an expectation that all students will make excellent year-on-year progress, regardless of their starting points

15. Thank you