Karmel Oration: Excellent progress for all: A function of year-level curriculum or evidenced-based learning progressions?

Excellent progress for all students is an ambitious but necessary goal if we are to improve the life choices of all students. At the moment, we are not serving all our students well despite the best efforts of teachers. We need to look further afield to the curriculum and assessment regimes that drive current practice. Grouping students by ability and offering a watered-down curriculum for some is not the answer. Evidenced-based learning progressions that point to what is important in ensuring all students build a deep, well-connected understanding of mathematics over time is what is needed to support reform at scale Where the evidenced-based tools and resources produced by this type of research are used to identify and respond to student learning needs in relation to what is important, it has been shown to make a significant difference to student outcomes and engagement. Adopting a targeted teaching approach means that not everything has to be differentiated and not everything needs to be considered as often or to the same depth. Time can be spent researching challenging but accessible tasks and developing a culture that supports and reward persistence, effort and a growth mind-set.