ReimaginED20

Pre-conference Workshop:

Moving Beyond ATAR

ReimaginED20 explored the Australian context for the education of 15-19-year-olds and the opportunities for improving their educational pathways. In particular, it examined the traditional barriers to innovation in this phase of education and the emerging possibilities for a move beyond ATAR, as well as the implications of this change for the secondary and tertiary sectors.

Of special interest was a consideration of the development of a Graduate Learner Profile that could more authentically capture and represent the full range of student learning and attainment.

This report shares the process, outcomes and implications from the workshop, and is designed to support ongoing, cross-sector dialogue to nurture systemic change in senior secondary education.

Due to the impact of COVID19 upon the community, ReimaginED20 was a one-day event.

Panel discussion

A highlight of the event was the panel discussion featuring Professor Jim Tognolini, Professor Sandra Milligan, Patrick O’Reilly, and Adam Heath. The group examined the unique characteristics of the education of 15-19-year-olds as a distinct phase of learning, as well as the challenges being faced by young people in Australia as they make their way through secondary school and into tertiary study and the workplace. Panel members explored the strengths and the weaknesses of the current model for senior secondary education, along with the possibilities that exist for improving the outcomes for all young people through the development of a more holistic and equitable approach. The discussion also included a consideration of how further research into alternative assessment models and practices could help drive innovation, including the prospects for future collaboration between the assessment centers at the University of Melbourne and the University of Sydney on this work.

One critical insight to emerge from the panel discussion related to the importance of cross-sector engagement and collaboration in pursuit of improved outcomes for students in this phase of learning. In particular, it was recognised that the success of a significant change in the model for senior secondary education in the country would be reliant on the development of a shared understanding of the value, benefits and practical implications for an alternate approach. Importantly, there was a common understanding that such change would require sustained, cross-sector collaboration involving schools, universities, businesses, government, community groups, students and families in order to be effective. The key insights and ideas from the panel helped form the foundation for the afternoon session at the workshop, where the focus shifted to exploring the personal, collective and organisational capacity building that would be required to support such transformative change.

Introducing the Mastery Transcript Consortium

A highlight of the pre-conference workshop was the session introducing participants to the work of the Mastery Transcript Consortium (MTC). The MTC is a growing global network of schools who are collaborating on the development and introduction of a digital secondary school transcript that reflects the unique skills, strengths and interests of each learner. This session was facilitated by Ben Rein, the Senior Manager of Partnerships at MTC. Ben provided information about how and why the consortium was first formed, as well as insights into its current work with schools, universities and colleges in the United States and around the world.

A key focus for the session was the opportunity to explore the Mastery Transcript developed by MTC. In place of a traditional, two-dimensional graduate record, the MTC transcript offers a digital, interactive document. It is layered and searchable, and provides a holistic overview of a student’s achievements at school, along with easy access to additional information for readers who wish to dive deeper into a learner’s individual accomplishments. The Mastery Transcript is currently being used to support student entry into universities and colleges in the United States, as part of an initial pilot, with planning underway to scale up the model next year. The opportunity to examine the concrete example provided by the Mastery Transcript helped inform later collaboration during the workshop, as participants explored how a Learner Profile could be designed in Australia to provide some common, trusted ways of representing the diverse range of student attainment in their learning, both within and beyond school.

Towards a graduate learner profile

The afternoon session at the pre-conference workshop examined the possibilities for the development of a Learner Profile in the Australian context. Participants explored the potential benefits and challenges for this innovation, as well as the immediate and broader implications for change in secondary and tertiary education.

Of particular interest was a consideration of the design for a locally recognised Learner Profile that would provide a common, trusted way of representing the diverse range of student attainment. The emergent outcomes from this collaboration were analysed and can be summarized into three major themes.

A broader measure of student success

A key insight to emerge from the afternoon was the potential for a Learner Profile to capture more of what students know and can do, including a stronger focus on learning beyond knowledge. With the current narrow measure of success in senior secondary education defined by the metrics of the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR), many students may feel that the purpose of their final two years of secondary education is to achieve a high score, rather than the pursuit of a depth of learning in their areas of passion and interest, alongside a broader agenda of personal and social development.

By contrast, participants felt that the introduction of a Learner Profile offered a chance to change the current narrative, with a greater emphasis on the development of a wider range of capabilities in areas such as collaboration, creativity and problem solving. Importantly, the dialogue extended beyond engagement with the false dichotomy of a choice between knowledge or skills to explore the potential of a Learner Profile to capture the authentic learning that happens both within and beyond school.