A/ Director of the Literacy & Numeracy Strategy Paul Wood was asked a few questions at our Executive meeting & provided the following information:

Literacy and Numeracy Intervention

Principals were advised via email on 10 November 2017 of their anticipated Literacy and Numeracy Intervention allocations for 2018. Schools who previously held a Reading Recovery allocation will be notified of their staffing entitlement through the published 2018 Enrolment and Entitlement Report. There should be no change from the anticipated allocation. The staffing entitlement will appear as Literacy and Numeracy Intervention.

Both the Literacy and Numeracy (FTE) and Literacy and Numeracy Funds will also appear in the 2018 School Budget Allocation Report due at the end of March. If you require a copy of your anticipated Literacy and Numeracy Intervention allocations please contact gillian.omalley@det.nsw.edu.au 

Literacy and Numeracy update

The National Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions were released by ACARA on 18 January 2018. The learning progressions are a new, national, evidence-based resource. The progressions build on the NSW continuums in a range of ways. They do not simply replace the continuums but represent different ways of thinking about student learning progress. Together with the department's program of professional learning (which will be supported by 50 new dedicated roles), the progressions will provide teachers with a deeper understanding of the literacy and numeracy demands of syllabuses across K-10.

Later this term NESA plans to make the progressions available on their website, along with advice about the relationship of the progressions to the NSW syllabuses. Work has already been undertaken to map the K-6 English and Maths syllabus to the Learning Progressions and can be viewed in PLAN2.

Implementation and support for Early Action for Success schools

Schools involved in Early Action for Success and a group of selected supplementary schools began professional learning in Term 4 and will commence using the learning progressions, PLAN2 and the revised Best Start Kindergarten Assessment from the beginning of 2018. They will be the first group of schools to be supported in using the new progressions.

Implementation and support for all other NSW public schools

All other schools will be able to access professional learning and PLAN2 software from Term 2, 2018. Planned professional learning will be led by 50 new dedicated Literacy and Numeracy positions in School Services and includes:

• One day introductory workshops for school leadership teams on the progressions and PLAN2 (K-12)
• Two day introductory workshop for early years executive on Effective Reading, including a focus on explicit and systematic phonics (K-2)
• Intensive professional learning in writing and numeracy for literacy and numeracy leaders (K-12).
• The professional learning will focus on developing leadership capacity for literacy and numeracy and supporting school decision making around engaging with the learning progressions.

Schools that have not yet undertaken professional learning on the learning progressions are encouraged to view the ACARA release as an opportunity to read and familiarise. It is important that schools carefully consider the process for engaging in the progressions including access to professional learning before teachers engage in programming or designing resources. The learning progressions will have maximum benefit for NSW schools if they are well understood and used in the way they were intended.

All primary schools will commence using the revised Best Start Kindergarten Assessment from 2019 with professional learning in Term 4, 2018. A trial of a Year 7 assessment in reading and Maths will commence in Term 2, 2018.

For more information

For more information about the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy, including an implementation timeline, please visit the link below