Willetton SHS – A NALSSP good story from WA

1. Willetton SHS – A NALSSP good story from WA Nathan Harvey Head of Languages July 2013

2. The National Statement and Plan for Languages Education in Australian Schools 2005-2012 “All languages are equally valid and Learners gain similar social, cognitive, linguistic and cultural benefits regardless of the language studied”. • The Department is committed to supporting all key languages in Western Australian Public Schools • These are: Chinese, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese and Aboriginal Languages

3. NALSSP Goal By 2020 at least 12% of students will graduate from Year 12 with fluency in one of the designated Asian languages, Chinese (Mandarin), Indonesian and Japanese • The Asian Language Hubs Strategy - the Department’s key strategy to meet the objectives of the NALSSP.

4. Languages Education in Australian Schools 2010 • Steady decline in senior secondary numbers • National direction to increase access to Asian Languages and Studies of Asia programs • Need to provide pathways to cater for the diversity of language learner backgrounds

5. Languages Education 2010 cont • Lack of quality language teachers • A need to articulate standards of achievement • A need to be realistic about the level that can be achieved considering time spent on languages • A need to provide engaging programs • A need to provide maintenance and revival

6. Western Australian context • 2009: 47% of Year 9 students studied a language • 2009: 2% of Year 12 students studied a language • 39 students studied Chinese • 102 students studied French • 28 students studied German • 58 students studied Italian • 22 students studied Indonesian • 97 students studied Japanese

8. Focus question • How do we engage these students to graduate from Year 12 with a degree of fluency in a second language?

9. Key strategies for DoE • Resources and responsibilities for language learning provided to schools • Implementation of Language Hubs to develop sustainable pathways and programs • Support provided for the teaching and learning of languages (TDSs)

10. Language Hubs: Intended outcomes • Increase demand for a language program beyond Year 9 • Provide continuous quality language pathways from partner primary schools through to Year 12 • Provide a differentiated curriculum to ensure students are engaged in a challenging, quality language program

11. Intended outcomes (cont’d) • Promote languages across the school community to increase student knowledge and understanding of language communities • Establish leadership opportunities for language teachers • Provide professional learning support for teachers associated with the hubs

12. Differentiated curriculum and pathways Language Hubs to provide: • Challenging and innovative curriculum K-12 • Continuous language learning pathways primary through to Year 12 (and links with pre primary and VET) • Flexible timetabling and use of native speakers • Access to Online learning and teaching resources

13. Key Result Areas • Flexible delivery and pathways: to ensure that innovative and creative approaches to the teaching and learning of languages are promoted • Increased teacher supply and support: to ensure that there is an increased and maintained supply of quality language teachers • Stimulating student demand: to ensure that students are aware of the benefits of studying languages and are engaged in quality programs

14. Reporting Procedures for 2010: Planning for sustainability • Asian Language Hubs: Strategic Plan Operational Plan Hub report end of November 2010 • European Language Hubs Mid Year Review July 2010 Strategic Plan Hub report November 2020

15. An approach for continuous improvement Accountability focus (describe and act) • Strategies used by the hubs • Gathering evidence Planning for Sustainability (reflect) • Reflection on the data • Has the plan/action been successful • Any shocks/ surprises • Where to next? Continuous Improvement (plan) • Document what is happening on the journey to learn from the process • Plan for improvement

16. Context • Lead secondary school- Willetton SHS • Partner Primary Schools – Burrendah, Rostrata, Willetton Primary Schools • Addition of Riverton Primary School

17. Overarching Goals • Increased levels of achievement in Languages • Increased numbers of students studying Japanese to Year 12 (+French +Italian)

18. Here is what the national research and standards tells us…. • Quality Languages programs: • are actively valued in their schools • have appropriate timetabling • are adequately staffed by qualified, permanent teachers • are allocated dedicated space • have adequate budgets and resources • have appropriate class sizes and groupings • focus on progression in language learning… …supporting the development of long term programs

19. AFMLTA Professional Standards • The Program standards are designed to assist us to understand our own professional context and needs for • performance evaluation our own professional capabilities • program development: recognising and articulating needs for effective language teaching both in our own practice and in your school context - advocacy: a statement of values that can be used to achieve program success

20. Program Structure • PSs Year 1/3/5-7 compulsory Italian or German • Competitive Selection Japanese program Yr 6 and 7 • Student self selection at the end of Year 7 for secondary • Compulsory and continuous Year 8 and 9 • Full year elective in Year 10 • Year 11, Year 12 (university entrance level)

21. Main Strategies • Competitive Entry Year 6 and 7 Academic Extension Program in Japanese • Curriculum Differentiation & Extension, Acceleration Program • Links with Murdoch University School of Education • Targeted PL program for teachers (especially in text and task design and GATE) • Celebrate and reward hard work and success

22. Other Strategies • Extension of Native Speaker Program into Years 8 & 9 • Invest further in sister school relationships • Enhanced links with UWA, HPGCC, Dante Alighieri Society & Alliance Francais • Trial Cross Curricular program with Science

23. Other Strategies • Development of Interns Program in collaboration with Kagoshima Immaculate Heart College • Staff development (teachers and assistants)– all staff to be on board and given curriculum leadership responsibilities • Partnership with University of Tasmania to developing online FLOTE materials

24. Understanding by Design • “Backward Design” focus: • Clarify results and evidence of them before designing lessons – standards, resources, support • Teaching for understanding is the goal of teaching and compatible with a standards focus • UbD is a way of thinking more carefully about design, not a program

25. Understanding By Design • Thinking like an assessor, not only an activity designer, is key to effective design. • Overcoming the “twin sins” of “aimless activity” and “superficial coverage”. • The work is only “coverage” or “nice activity” unless focused on questions and big ideas, related to the Standards.

26. 3 Stages of Backward Design • Identify desired results based on achievement standards • Determine acceptable evidence • Plan learning experiences & instruction.

27. 2012 Achievements • 2 Certificates of High Distinction and 2 of Distinction (Year 11); and 5 Certificates of Distinction (Year 10) in the Dante Alighieri Italian Examinations • A Year 12 student won a two month scholarship to Japan through the Southern Cross Cultural Exchange program • 2 Year 10 students won a six months study exchange program to Japan scholarship • 1 year 11 student won a 3 week scholarship to La Reunion Island for French • 1 year 11 student ranked 7th in WA out of over 1000 students for her outstanding achievement in the Alliance Francaise Exams for French • 1 Certificate of High Distinction and 3 Distinction (Year 11) and 8 Certificates of Distinction (Year 10) in the Alliance Francaise Exams • Nominated by SCSA as highest performing schools for Year 12 WACE Stage 3 Japanese • 1st and 3rd Place winner: WA Japanese Language Speech Contest (senior division) • 1st place winner for National Japanese Speech contest • 24 Certificates of High Distinction and 24 Certificates of Distinction for outstanding student achievement in the Australian Council for Educational Research Language Certificate Competition (French, Japanese, Italian) • 1 Highly Commended Entry in the Teacher’s of French Association Competition • Silver and Bronze medal winners for WAATI Italian Examinations

28. 2013 and beyond… • Keep the impetus going and maintain momentum for exemplary curriculum development by working in teams • Exploration of whole school options for studies of Asia- Cross Curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities • Continued targeted PL for teachers • Seriously explore links with other languages hubs

29. 2013 and beyond… • Further formalise links with MUSE and UWA • Sharing of FTE across schools • Formalise plans for sustainability • Further staff training in data analysis for curriculum planning

30. Questions? • Comments? • Feedback? • Suggestions?

31. Further references • Wiggins, Grant & McTighe, Jay. Understanding by Design. New York: Prentice Hall. 2000. • McKenzie, Jamie. Learning to Question, to Wonder, to Learn. New York: Linworth Publishing.2004.