UWCSEA Annual Report 2014/2015

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OTHER ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS During 2014/2015, teams of teachers and educational leaders, with the support of the articulation project team, worked collaboratively to develop standards, essential understandings and benchmarks for individual subjects so that learning goals build logically in each grade from K1 to IB Diploma. The teams also devoted time to identifying where the UWCSEA profile (qualities and skills that should be developed in students) can be explicitly planned for through the academic curriculum and other elements of the learning programme. Finally, there was a strong focus on developing the online IT system to underpin planning, teaching, assessing, recording and reporting to parents. This system also supports teachers in collaboratively building units of study for students, and in finding meaningful connections between all 5 elements of the programme in an intentional way. The articulation project has 3 distinct phases, outlined below

PHASE 1

PHASE 2

PHASE 3

During Phase 1, under the leadership of the Articulation Team Leader and with the support of Articulation Team, the rationale, standards, strands, essential understandings, benchmarks and elaborations are developed. Decisions within this phase are led by the Articulation Team Leader with the support of school leaders and teachers from both campuses. By the end of this phase, school leaders and the Articulation Team agree that the curriculum is ready to be piloted. AÂ timeline for the collection of feedback during Phase 2 is established.

During Phase 2, under the leadership of the Curriculum Director on each campus, school leaders manage processes for piloting and collecting feedback on the written curriculum from their teaching teams. The Articulation Team Leader manages the process of analysing the feedback and reaching College consensus on amendments to the written curriculum with the support of and the Articulation Team. By the end of Phase 2, the written curriculum has been piloted on both campuses, amended, and there is consensus that no significant changes are required at this time.

During Phase 3, under the leadership of the Curriculum Director on each campus, school leaders oversee the full implementation of the written curriculum. School leaders continue to oversee the collection of feedback through the unit reflection process to inform future review.

Teacher professional development included a continued focus on integrating technology to improve student learning; assessment; leadership training, particularly for middle leaders; cognitive coaching; and differentiation in the classroom (ensuring all students are being challenged and supported appropriately).

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