Models of implementation

Show information and resources for planning and implementation

The following are examples of how different schools might manage the implementation of the new unit standards for NCEA Level 1 Literacy in 2011. Schools may use the models (or a mix of the models) below as a guide to the types of options that are possible. All models offer different possibilities of how schools manage and implement the standards and how they identify students, collect evidence, and moderate assessment.

The decisions a school makes will need to take into account current management systems, the size and nature of the school, potential target group and the level of literacy expertise across the school. 

School A – 800 students: Target group for literacy unit standards - 30-35 students

• School A has a nominated literacy leader and literacy group. (The Literacy Leader has a fixed term unit and a time allowance per week for literacy in the school). This group will be in charge of monitoring the achievement of Level One Literacy in the school.

• From asTTle reading results, school examinations and teacher input, School A identifies the group of students who may require the unit standards pathway for NCEA literacy achievement at level one (30-35 students).

• As School A has a system of streaming at Year 11, they decide to target the “C” stream classes (classes 5 & 6 of 6) for the gathering of evidence in the form of portfolios. Other students (possibly 2-3 students) who were also identified at being at risk, but in A & B stream classes could also be identified as needing to keep a portfolio of evidence for the literacy standards.

• As a start, the English and/or ESOL teacher(s) of these students take the responsibility of managing the portfolios, (overseen by the literacy leader and literacy committee). However, the work will not all be done in the English and/or ESOL classroom. This is for management purposes only. The school will endeavour to broaden the opportunities across the curriculum over the next 2-3 years, but will begin with 1-2 opportunities in 2- 3 curriculum areas. Evidence from outside school will not initially be accepted for management purposes but will be a future goal.

• At the planning stage, all curriculum areas will be able to identify specific opportunities relevant to these standards. The literacy group will make a decision as to what will made available and give departments the appropriate professional development and resources necessary to carry out the tasks. Again, this will broaden out over time.

• The literacy leader and group will do regular audits to make sure that:

a) Students on the “Achievement standards” pathway to NCEA Level One literacy are succeeding. Those not succeeding will need to be identified during the year, and the required evidence for literacy unit standards will need to be collected.

b) Adequate opportunities are being provided for Unit Standard Literacy (curriculum department checks) and the portfolios of work are being maintained.

c) Students achieving NCEA literacy using unit standards, who have achieved the necessary achievement standards, will no longer be required to maintain a portfolio.

School B – Small area school, 150 students: Target group for literacy unit standards - 10 students

• School B decides that the principal’s nominee will oversee Level 1 Literacy. It will be their role to manage the portfolios and perform regular checks on the student’s progress towards achieving Literacy. The principal's nominee will be supported by Year 11 subject teachers.

• Students are identified at the end of Year 10 using reading tests (asTTle), examinations, teacher input, English Language Learning Progressions, Literacy Learning Progressions.

• There is only one class of Year 11 students. The verification of the literacy standards will only need to be completed for the targeted students.

• Despite some students in the class not requiring the evidence to be verified, there is no reason why all students cannot engage in the activity as it is part of their teaching and learning programme anyway, (hence it is naturally occurring evidence). The students do not need to be isolated from the class.

• Students will manage their own portfolios but there should be a designated place in their form room in which to store these. Students will be educated on the importance of collecting and keeping their work and tracking their achievement. (NZC Core Competency - Managing Self).

• Evidence will be collected from across the curriculum. There is also the opportunity to gather evidence from Correspondence School and in the community as many students have part-time jobs and co-curricular interests. Students will have to identify these opportunities so the verification process can be accurately completed.

School C – Multi-cultural school, 2300 students: Target group for literacy unit standards - 250 students; 50 of these students are English Language Learners

• School C decides that three people will oversee the responsibility of Level 1 Literacy – the literacy leader (time allowance), the Principal’s Nominee and the Year 11 Dean. They will be supported by the Academic Mentors at Year 11.

• Students will be identified using: reading tests (asttle); teacher feedback; end of year results (curriculum levels across subjects); entrance tests levelled against the English Language Learning Progressions.

• School C has academic mentors that will be responsible for the management of the portfolios (academic mentors are an extension of the form/group teacher role). They will be overseen/co-coordinated by the literacy leader, principal’s nominee and the Year 11 dean.

• Initially, the majority of evidence will come from the English/ESOL classroom, but be “topped up” by examples from 1 or 2 curriculum areas. Subject teachers (other than English) will not be required to assess work for the first 1-2 years. They will be aware of the standards and remind students regularly when completing work about the possibility of collecting evidence from that subject.  If students perform a relevant task in a curriculum area other than English/ESOL they can use that piece of work as evidence, but it will be assessed by the academic mentor as meeting the standard. However, it will need to be verified by the relevant curriculum teacher as being that student’s work. This evidence will be collected by the students and handed to their academic mentor for filing in the portfolio. Any evidence brought in from areas outside English will be assessed by the academic mentor.

• It is envisaged that many students at School C will complete the literacy unit standards over a two-year period.

• There will be a class of approximately 20 students who are in a “transition/work experience” type class. The co-ordinator of this course (STAR/Gateway or other) will be responsible for their portfolios (rather than an academic mentor). A lot of the evidence is collected from the student’s workplace. The programme co-ordinator will discuss the opportunities for these standards with employers at the beginning of the workplace placement. Employers will be able to use evidence collection checklists and sign an attestation that the student has produced the required evidence.

School D – 1400 students: Target group for the literacy unit standards - 120 students

• School D have decided that in 2011 they will trial the new standards with a small sample of students (5-10), rather than the entire target group. The sample group will include a range of students, including English language learners. Remaining Year 11 students who are at risk of not gaining literacy through completing Achievement Standards will have opportunities to gain Literacy through the expiring unit standards as 2011 is a transition year.

• The trial will be managed by the Literacy Co-ordinator. He/she will meet with the students, explaining the nature of the standards and the idea of gathering evidence across different learning areas.

• The Literacy Co-ordinator will work with different curriculum teachers to identify potential opportunities and support these teachers to offer the opportunities in their classrooms. The aim of the trial would be to have as many different teachers across different curriculum areas take part, so that they understand the standards and how to verify and possibly assess them. This will be formed as part of good literacy professional development for teachers.