[English] VELS and progression points

Wed Jun 20 01:37:33 EST 2007

Hello all,

The following email exchange took place on the edulist
IT Applications mailing list, and is publically available on
the web in the list archives for this list.  Hence one may
copy it with no copyright problems.   It discusses VELS
and hence may be of some interest & help for teachers
on this list. Hope you find it so. Good luck with reports :-)

At 11:37 PM 19/06/2007, Charmaine wrote:

>My college has just completed the reporting process and my observation is that:
>a. all our teachers now know what VELS is (they've been putting it off)
>b. all our teachers now recognise that we must teach process, especially thinking and communicating
>c. all our teachers now recognise that we must teach interpersonal skills ie emotional intelligence, and personal learning
>We probably have not assessed the VELS well, as we are still learning about it but I bet that by the end of the year our next reports will more accurately reflect students' levels as we will incorporate more of the VELS into our teaching for semester two.
>
>On the progression points, some of my colleagues and I found them to be unhelpful in particular subjects so we ignored them and used the Standards. We will develop our own progression points that suit our curriculum so I am pleased Paula recommended that. It's always nice to know that VCAA agress with us.
>
>Hope you're all having as much fun with VELS as we are,
>
>Charmaine Taylor
>Sunbury Downs College
>
>Stephen Digby wrote:
>>The Situation
>> 
>>- Curriculum standards MUST determine the curriculum content if they are to have any meaning.  VELs DOES this but with complex multilayered repetition (level summaries, level descriptions in detail, unit descriptions, progression points with enormous repetition) - very reminiscent of the same unhelpful structure in the VCE curriculum documentation.
>> 
>>- Curriculum standards do not have to have any bearing on timing (what aged child gets what content).  VELs DOES chose to determine timing by indicating that levels are "expected" to be reached by a certain school year (access to which is controlled by parents who nearly rarely interested in educational readiness, but rather age specific relationships)
>> 
>>- Curriculum standards do not have to have any bearing on content sequence (what comes first) or grouping (what content will we put in a course).  Indeed VELs has been deliberately structured as a multi-DIMENSIONAL matrix which provides no guidance on these issues.  
>>The consequence of this is likely to be that it is ignored when it comes to curriculum design (as were the various versions of "Frameworks"). 
>>It will then only be relevant at reporting time when teachers will construct various artificial mechanisms to attribute performance in the real curriculum with performance against the VELs standards (e.g. AIM Online is an excellent tool to do this in a limited range of areas and levels.  Teachers have a growing  number of "VELs" tests.  Commercial publishers will soon be producing in this area).
>>In many schools (some very prominent), a second set of "real" (or "old") assessment is remaining, or being redeveloped alongside the new assessment - further reducing the influence of VELs.
>>The sad thing will be that something that set out to influence curriculum will end up merely influencing tokenistic assessment. 
>> 
>>The crux of the problem is the failed strategy, exemplified in the excerpt from Paula's email below......
>> 
>>"Schools are encouraged to develop their own examples of student progress for each progression point, to match their courses of study. The standards are the benchmarks, however, schools have the flexibility to determine how students will progress from one level to another. It is therefore important that schools determine the specific evidence or characteristics that must be demonstrated in student work at each progression point and at each level."
>> 
>>How many times do we have to repeat the mistake of expecting that all teachers are capable of high quality curriculum development - even IF they had the time or the energy !   "School based curriculum development" was an unmitigated disaster in the 70's that we are just recovering from !
>> 
>>To date, all that has been offered is a few snippets or "exemplars" and the expectation that teachers will fill in the enormous blanks themselves.  ANYONE can create isolated one-dimensional views of paradise.  Try actually creating something that fits together over 7-10 as a coherent program - in say one subject, or 2 dimensions, or the lot !  It is a totally different ball game !!!
>> 
>>I have always agreed with Charles Lovitt who maintains that a completely incoherent collection of excellent learning activities will deliver better learning outcomes than the current focus on ticking all the boxes.
>> 
>>To actually make a difference, someone (why not DET & VCAA in partnership with a credible commercial publisher ?) has to develop at least one fully documented complete course of study with accompanying curriculum and assessment materials that EMBODIES THE NEW IDEA. 
>> 
>>Just printing our reports now.......
>> 
>>====================================================
>>Stephen Digby, Learning Technology Manager
>>mailto: admin at cheltsec.vic.edu.au 
>>Cheltenham Secondary College <http://www.cheltsec.vic.edu.au/>www.cheltsec.vic.edu.au
>>Ph: 613 955 55 955  Fx: 9555 8617 Mb: 0431-701-028
>>====================================================
>>Farnsdick's Corollary: After things have gone from bad to worse, the cycle will repeat itself. 
>>
>>
>>----------
>>From: <mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au>itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Christophersen, Paula P
>>Sent: Monday, 18 June 2007 6:16 PM
>>To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
>>Subject: RE: [Year 12 IT Apps] VELS and progression points
>>
>>Hi Robert
>> 
>>VCAA has not been a silent bystander in this debate. We are in regular discussion with the DoE over the relationship between curriculum, assessment and reporting. I will, however, convey the opinions raised in this current discussion to the relevant VCAA personnel, who in turn can air these views in their meetings with DoE.
>> 
>>Regards
>>Paula
>>
>>
>>----------
>>From: <mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au>itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Timmer-Arends
>>Sent: Mon 18/06/2007 6:03 PM
>>To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
>>Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] VELS and progression points
>>
>>Hello Paula
>> 
>>As you say 'The VELS clearly encourages schools to determine the most appropriate ways of delivering the standards', however its intent is being distorted, at least at secondary (esp I suspect upper secondary) by the reporting process. I know VCAA doesn't have anthing to do with this but judging by the tone of the docs from the people that do, they don't seem to want to know (in fact they appear to argue that it is our programs that are distorting the reports!). It seems to me that if VCAA wants to see certain educational principles upheld then it ought to get involved in the debate.
>> 
>>Regards
>>Robert T-A
>>----- Original Message ----- 
>>From: <mailto:christophersen.paula.p at edumail.vic.gov.au>Christophersen, Paula P 
>>To: <mailto:itapps at edulists.com.au>Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List ; <mailto:yr7-10it at edulists.com.au>Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List 
>>Sent: Monday, June 18, 2007 3:51 PM
>>Subject: [Year 12 IT Apps] VELS and progression points
>>
>>Dear colleagues
>>
>>Apologies for crossing into the IT apps territory, but this has been the venue for some VELS discussion. I’m a little late in joining in on this discussion, but I would like to clarify some points that have been made.
>>
>>Progression points represent markers of student progress at several points towards the standards. VCAA has published examples that accompany each progression point and the purpose of these examples is to:
>>
>>·         Support teachers to determine if a student is achieving as expected at a particular time of schooling
>>
>>·         Assist teachers to make on-balance judgments about progress towards the standards for the purpose of reporting to parents.
>>
>> The examples at each progression point are illustrative of student progress rather than prescriptive, and they have not been written for every element of a standard. This is deliberate because it means they cannot be used as a syllabus. The VELS clearly encourages schools to determine the most appropriate ways of delivering the standards. The VCAA examples for each progression point should not determine how schools design their curriculum. As from the discussion, some schools run intense semester-based programs; others run totally integrated programs over a 2-year period to coincide with a VELS level; and the options between are plenty.
>> 
>>Schools are encouraged to develop their own examples of student progress for each progression point, to match their courses of study. The standards are the benchmarks, however, schools have the flexibility to determine how students will progress from one level to another. It is therefore important that schools determine the specific evidence or characteristics that must be demonstrated in student work at each progression point and at each level.
>>
>> I would strongly urge schools to use the VCAA progression point examples as a starting point for discussion – on what basis is student progress being measured? Breadth/depth of coverage? Level of precision? Level of cognition? Etc It is important that your school identifies the evidence or characteristics expected to be seen in student work during a reporting period so that you can make an on-balance judgment as to whether the student is progressing as expected. Documenting this evidence in examples of progress is an effective way of establishing the stepping stones between each standard.
>>
>> For further reading visit <http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/whatsnew.html#1>http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/whatsnew.html#1 and download the PowerPoint file.
>>
>> VCAA is not responsible for the reporting side of things, so if you have any queries, I suggest you contact Denise Jacobsson (<mailto:jacobsson.denise.k at edumail.vic.gov.au>jacobsson.denise.k at edumail.vic.gov.au) or Maurie Sheehan (<mailto:sheehan.maurice.j at edumail.vic.gov.au>sheehan.maurice.j at edumail.vic.gov.au) for expert answers.
>>
>>Regards
>>
>>Paula
>>
>>Paula Christophersen
>>ICT Curriculum Manager
>>Victorian Curriculum and Assessment
>>Authority
>>
>>41 St Andrews Place
>>EAST MELBOURNE 3002
>>Phone: 03 9651 4378
>>Fax: 03 9651 4324
>>
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Regards, people
Stephen Loosley
Victoria, Australia 