Stage-Based Learning at St Brigid's

Dr Veronica Lawson St Brigid's Catholic Primary School Rosewood, Queensland, Australia

Overview of project

Stage-Based Learning at St Brigid 's aims to target children in their fourth and fifth year of schooling in 2006. This group of students has formed two home groups, comprising the initial nucleus of stage-based education at St Brigid's. We have chosen to introduce Stage-Based Learning to St Brigid's because of the following factors:

• an extremely broad range of ability levels amongst our current year 4 and 5 students;
• concerns raised over the past two years about standards of numeracy (measurement and data), particularly, our current year 5 students;
• challenges faced by being a semi-rural school, in terms of students coming from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with many parents unemployed, in addition to single and blended families (generally, in this community, education is not a priority for many parents and they lack the confidence to actively participate).

Process

As an initial trial, we involved children in their fourth and fifth year of schooling in mid-stage, teachers and the school community. Parent sessions were offered in 2005, and will continue to be offered to educate and inform them, as well as involve them in their child's education, using their expertise and skills where possible.

How did we identify the learning needs of teachers?

• Teaching styles are now different to what already existed prior to the initiation of this project, with a focus on learning styles and real life, practical experiences.
• Teachers were initially inserviced in Stage-Based Learning at the beginning of 2005 - they had limited knowledge of the process and were eager to learn. This was followed up, with Mike Middleton providing inservice, both to teachers and parents. Ongoing inservice for teachers on these teaching/learning styles together with regular review and reflection meetings will be a priority into the future.

Theoretical basis

According to Mike Middleton, Stage-Based Learning is characterised by the creation of teaching teams, where teachers work with children for two or three years. These teaching teams usually represent junior, mid and senior primary, with traditional year levels overlapping. For example, junior stage children would be drawn from children in their first, second and third year of schooling; mid-stage include children from the third, fourth and fifth years of schooling, while senior stage includes children in their fifth, sixth and seventh year of primary education. Students usually spend three years in junior stage and two years each in the mid and senior stages (in Queensland, children spend seven years in primary school). This, however, is quite flexible, and is based on the learning rate of each individual student, as is the placement of third year (in junior or mid-stage) and fifth year (mid or senior stage) students.

Each stage is divided into home groups. Typically, students in each home group are selected from two main year levels. Behavioural and social factors are considered when determining the composition of home groups within and between stages. Integrated Studies (Religion, Science, SOSE (Study of Society and the Environment), HPE (Health and Physical Education), The Arts and Technology) is taught by the home group teacher.

Language and Mathematics however, are taught in journey groups within a stage. These groups are determined through standardised testing, observations and checklists. Journey groups are typically smaller in number when compared to the home group, depending on the teaching personnel available.

All students can learn and succeed, but not on the same day, in the same way. Language and mathematics journey groups within the stage-based framework focus on the premise that each child is on their own individual learning journey. Journey groups in the St Brigid's context are ability-based groupings of approximately 13 children, with additional personnel (the curriculum support teacher and the principal) being involved, as well as the home group teachers. We have been able to focus more intensely on children's literacy and numeracy needs during journey group sessions.

• Literacy and numeracy are the core business of schooling. Stage-based education at St Brigid's incorporates two home groups (multi-age groups of average class size, chosen on sociological factors) where children are involved in Integrated Studies: Science, SOSE, HPE, and so on, for part of the day. However, journey groups for mathematics and language are more focused, and teaching and learning intensive in recognition of the fact that they form the core business of schooling.
• Incorporation of new communication technologies into mathematics journey groups are a given and form a substantial part of the core curriculum.
• Stage-Based Learning is outcomes-based, with a two-year cycle planned, which addresses the required outcomes over that period. A tracking sheet for each child will ensure that all outcomes will be addressed.
• Journey groups are fluid and not chronologically driven - ongoing assessment and regular team review will ensure that children move through the stage as, and when, they are ready.

Rationale

This project challenges the notion of age grading and the lock-step concept, so that teachers and parents begin to think more creatively. What characterises Stage-Based Learning at St Brigid 's is the creation of teaching teams, where teachers work with children for two or three years. Teachers use a two-year cycle to cover outcomes, and use a continuous assessment pattern. Journey groups in language and mathematics are a significant feature and, while these are essentially ability groupings, there is the opportunity to move from the 'early' to the 'late' journey group, while progressing through the stage.

There is strong emphasis on an outcomes-based education. To ensure students are able to demonstrate the outcomes being addressed, teachers have, and will continue to regularly reflect on, the learning taking place in the classroom and make necessary adjustments in their teaching and learning environment. Cooperative planning and review meetings with relevant personnel have, and will continue to, ensure these are identified and put into place. The journey group concept embraces ICT, through programs such as Microsoft Excel, a variety of maths and literacy programs, web quests and think.com, which have, and will continue to be, used concurrently with our two-year cycle to extend students' learning, and provide them with the opportunity to demonstrate practical applications of these skills.

Through our association with Dr Nan Bahr, the Director of Teacher Education, in the School of Education, at the University of Queensland, as a critical friend, we would hope to increase collaboration between the university and our school, through the promotion of an action-based research project.

How will we make it work?

Integral to the improvement in mathematical and language skills is the concept of the journey group. In order to ensure a successful and smooth transition to Stage-Based Learning at St Brigid 's, we have in place:

• sustained and sequentially planned inservice for staff- teaching styles - this will be different to what already exists, with a focus on learning styles and real life, practical experiences. Teachers were initially inserviced in stage based education at the beginning of 2005. This was followed up with Mike Middleton providing inservice both to teachers and parents;
• promotion of a sense of collegiality amongst staff, to share information and knowledge gained during the project. This was initiated by Veronica Lawson (principal) and Christine Donnelly (Curriculum Support teacher) but it is envisaged that this initial momentum will be self perpetuating.
• the provision of planning time and review meetings to ensure the success of the project;
• inservices and regular updates to parents that will keep them informed of the process;
• provision of two teachers for 15 hours per week for 2006 (Veronica Lawson and Christine Donnelly) to enable journey groups to become a reality. Dale O'Connell and Paul McNamara are the home group teachers for this trial.
• additional support with literacy and numeracy journey groups has been provided by Mary Wilkinson (Support Teacher Inclusive Education) and Michelle Young (Brisbane Catholic Education Curriculum Consultant).

After the initial trial of Stage-Based Learning in mid-stage, standardised testing will indicate the success of the project. This success will inform decisions to move to both a senior stage and a junior stage in subsequent years.

It is hoped that testing and other data collection will demonstrate a significant increase in the mathematical and literacy levels of students beyond current levels. Community contributor, quality producer, leader and collaborator, designer and creator, effective communicator, active investigator, reflective self-directed learner are all lifelong learning roles that can be significantly enhanced with Stage-Based Learning.

Parents are beginning to have a better understanding of their child's learning and the education process in general. This has enabled them to be more confident and assist their child more effectively. Teachers have an increased understanding of how each child learns and are more focused in planning and the teaching-learning process. Continual review of teaching practices and follow-up implementation will ensure a higher level of teacher accountability. The impact on the whole school community is significant - our school is a place where each child is on his or her own educational journey, experiencing success in learning.

The project is designed to answer the question: ‘What impact does Stage-Based Learning, incorporating the concept of journey groups, have on the development of mathematics and language in the junior years of schooling?' It is hoped that this innovative grouping of children will facilitate a significant improvement in mathematical and literacy skills in the children. An additional universal goal would be a demonstration that this structure, implemented at St Brigid's, would be transferable to other schools. These proposed significant improvements will be demonstrated through the use of standardised testing (both pre and post), such as Pat Maths and Torch Tests, anecdotal records, observations, checklists, surveys, parental feedback, interviews and peer and self-assessment. There are few published data demonstrating the efficacy of Stage-Based Learning - it is hoped that the data gathered will contribute significantly to educational research in this area.

Although there are no follow-up quantitative data to present at this time, it is evident that qualitative observations support considerable improvement in organisational skills, participation, listening skills, enthusiasm, time on task, cooperation and empathy. It would appear that the home group/journey group concept is substantially responsible for this development.