4.

Leadership, curriculum evaluation and building school capacity Contents

Foreword

This chapter considers the critical role played by school leadership in planning, implementing and evaluating the curriculum. Introduction

The final section of the chapter considers ways of measuring the impact of interventions or changes in practice in order to make
judgements about progress. 1 Curriculum
planning: An
overview

4.1 Leadership and sustain high-quality outcomes for all students without effective leadership,
2 Designing
the school
curriculum
Schools offering Cambridge International’s programmes and qualifications and so the Cambridge School Leader Standards identify and support the
operate using many different administrative structures. Many are state funded,
while others are independent. Some schools are privately owned and commercial,
challenges of achieving such leadership. They confirm what successful leadership
practice looks like and help leaders to determine areas and priorities for their
3 Approaches to
teaching and
learning
while others are run by school boards and are not-for-profit. No matter what the own professional development.
structure, this chapter aims to highlight leadership principles and practices that
are most likely to support the development of an effective school.
The Standards are divided into eight headings (see Figure 3) and 40 statements
which are detailed and concrete. These enable users to understand how to
4 Leadership,
curriculum
evaluation and
Effective schools are schools that: demonstrate achievement in individual standards. building school
capacity
• successfully progress the learning of all of their students, regardless of
background, beyond their normal expected developmental rate of growth
• make sure the educational experience students actually receive, including the
Figure 3: Cambridge
School Leader Standards
8
Community Leadership
1
5 Cambridge
resources
and support
impact of the school curriculum, teaching approaches, the co-curriculum engagement knowledge and services
and the learning environment, closely aligns to the school vision and understanding
educational aims. References
7 2
Schools will assign different management responsibilities to different individuals Establishing Skills and Annotated
within the senior administration team. All schools need to have an individual in management practices of bibliography
systems leadership
the school, normally the principal or school head, who is the senior educational Cambridge and other
School Leader resources
leader. In some schools, this role is separate from the school business head or
Leading Standards
chief executive, who is responsible for school administration. In other contexts, Leadership values
innovation and and attributes Glossary
the business head is line managed by the principal, who has overall responsibility improvement
for the school. The focus of this chapter is very much on the role of the senior 6 3 Appendices
educational leader.
Leading Professional
The l Cambridge School Leader Standards define the key professional teaching and relationships in
learning leadership
characteristics and practices that leaders should develop to enable effective
teaching and student learning in Cambridge schools. Teachers cannot achieve 5 4

Implementing the curriculum with Cambridge: A guide for school leaders 47

 4. Leadership, curriculum evaluation and building school capacity
Contents

Foreword

Instructional leadership heads of year, teachers and other educators, parents and students – is Introduction
The Cambridge School Leader Standards place a clear emphasis on the role of empowered to play an appropriate leadership role.
the educational leader as an instructional leader.
School administrators (including the principal, heads of department and heads 1 Curriculum
planning: An
overview
Instructional leadership focuses on the quality of instruction and maintaining a of year) are responsible for building school capacity in a way that allows teachers

2
focus on learning. Robinson’s (2007) study of the leadership styles and to realise their full potential. Designing
behaviours that had the greatest impact on student outcomes, concluded that: the school
A number of the school’s senior administrators should be actively involved with curriculum
‘The more leaders focus their professional relationships, their work and their
teachers, observing teaching and learning, and engaging in a professional
learning on the core business of teaching and learning, the greater their influence
on student outcomes.’
discussion with teachers about what is happening in the classroom. This
professional link can become a very powerful motivational force for teaching 3 Approaches to
teaching and
learning
Robinson (2011) goes on to identify five key functions ‘student-centred’ leaders professionals, and critical for senior administrators in developing a deep
engage in: appreciation of what is actually happening in the school.
1. Establishing Goals and Expectations. This includes creating a positive and Administrators need to support teachers so that they can concentrate on 4 Leadership,
curriculum
evaluation and
inclusive school climate focused on a culture of learning. student learning and planning teaching. They are responsible for ensuring that building school
the right structure is in place, and that there are enough appropriately qualified capacity
2. Resourcing Strategically. The focus is on using resources in strategic ways to
staff to deliver the curriculum. Roles and responsibilities need to be well defined
maximum impact to optimise student learning.
3. Ensuring Quality Teaching.
and clearly communicated. Ideally, planning time is built into teachers’ schedules
so that they can work collaboratively in teams (in academic departments or year 5 Cambridge
resources
and support
4. Leading Teacher Learning and Development. Professional learning groups) on developing learning activities. Where possible and practical, teachers services
opportunities are focused on improving instructional impact. should be encouraged to visit each other’s class and provide peer support to
their colleagues. This is particularly important in developing less experienced References
5. Ensuring an Orderly and Safe Environment so that everyone in the school, teachers and a very cost-effective form of professional development.
students and staff, feel safe and supported. Annotated
Teachers also play a leadership role, in that they are involved in creating, bibliography
implementing, monitoring, reviewing and refining practices and systems, and and other
Everyone in the school community – heads of then measuring impact in order to improve student learning. Nurturing and resources
department, heads of year, teachers and other educators, using teacher talent in this way creates a virtuous circle of motivation, desire to
Glossary
parents and students – is empowered to play an appropriate learn more, commitment and enhanced practice. Working collaboratively to
leadership role. resolve collective challenges can also create a shared sense of purpose and a Appendices
powerful instrument of change.
In effective schools, the principal is a strong instructional leader. Moreover, Listening to the learner voice is crucial to understanding their perspective on the
leadership is widely distributed as it is viewed more as a process than a position curriculum and how it is implemented.
of responsibility. Everyone in the school community – heads of department,

Implementing the curriculum with Cambridge: A guide for school leaders 48

 4. Leadership, curriculum evaluation and building school capacity
Contents

Foreword

Leadership and management functions relating to the curriculum include: 4.2 Curriculum planning and evaluation Introduction

1
2
Curriculum planning and evaluation
Teacher recruitment and evaluation
Periodic curriculum evaluation, focused on evidence-based judgement with a
view to improving practice, will help make sure the curriculum is accomplishing 1 Curriculum
planning: An
overview
3 Professional development (PD) its purpose. Evidence-based evaluation processes will help to measure what

2
achievements have been made and to identify what needs more work. Table 9 Designing
4 Development and implementation of quality assurance policies and procedures.
identifies some of the key questions that evaluations should address, although the school
5 Managing change
this is by no means a complete list. curriculum
6 Involvement with the school and local community.
7 Management of the assessment process and relationships with Cambridge
International (exams officer).
Table 9: Some essential questions for curriculum planning and evaluation
3 Approaches to
teaching and
learning
Area for review Examples of questions
8 Timetable (considered in the previous chapter).

4
Curriculum planning Does the school’s curriculum: Leadership,
9 Student admissions, progression through the school and guidance on to higher
• deliver the most appropriate programme of study to curriculum
education.
support the school’s mission and educational aims? evaluation and
10 Measuring impact building school
• deliver a balanced, coherent and consistent programme of
capacity
learning with clear and smooth progression routes designed
for the needs of learners?
• appropriately challenge all ability levels?
• recognise the language background of learners and provide
5 Cambridge
resources
and support
them with the support they need to access the curriculum? services
• provide sufficient opportunity for learner choice?
References
• provide pathways that enable learners to achieve the
entrance or admission requirements for university, higher
Annotated
education courses and employment?
bibliography
Quality assurance • Are your quality assurance policies and practices fit for and other
policies and practices purpose, clear in their intent and easily understood? resources
• How do you know that the school’s quality assurance
policies are being adhered to? Glossary
• What areas need additional quality assurance policies
and practices? Appendices

Continued

Implementing the curriculum with Cambridge: A guide for school leaders 49

 4. Leadership, curriculum evaluation and building school capacity
Contents

Foreword

Introduction
Area for review Examples of questions Area for review Examples of questions
Teacher evaluation
Fulfilling Cambridge
• Are the stated aims of the curriculum being addressed
within the teaching programme?
Resources and
facilities
• Are facilities and administrative resources appropriate to
support teaching programmes? 1 Curriculum
planning: An
overview
(and other • Are teachers teaching to the syllabus correctly, covering all • Do learners and teachers have access to appropriate library/
the prescribed content and skills? media centre and IT resources?
2
qualification) subject Designing
requirements • Is there evidence that teachers are using a variety of • Are appropriate student welfare and learning support the school
appropriate teaching strategies and learning activities? services provided? curriculum
Effective delivery of
• Are the assessment objectives and methodology for • Do you have appropriate facilities for the security of
learning and meeting
learner needs
assessment being respected?
• Are coursework components being correctly implemented Formal examinations
examination material?
• Do you have an exams officer to manage the 3 Approaches to
teaching and
learning
and supported? and qualifications administration of any Cambridge exams you offer?

4
• Is there evidence that teachers are using formative • Is there a process in place to make sure the exams officer Leadership,
assessment appropriately to inform their teaching practice? carries out their duties in line with Cambridge requirements? curriculum
• Is there evidence that teachers are differentiating their • Are the Cambridge (and national) examination evaluation and
practice to the needs of individual learners? requirements and procedures being strictly adhered to? building school
capacity
• Do learning activities provide opportunities for the • Are the mechanisms for checking accuracy in, and
development of the desired skills and learner attributes? completeness of, learner data sufficient?
• How are the views of learners taken into account?
• Is there a process of lesson observation with supportive
• Are the policies regarding authenticity of learners’ work
being followed?
5 Cambridge
resources
and support
feedback to effect improvements in teaching and learning? • Are the systems for entering, storing and exchanging services
• Are lessons supported with sufficient resources, suitable for learner records secure, with appropriate back-up and
the level of study? retrieval safeguards? References
• Do lessons include topics of national relevance by Communication and • How can you improve your evaluation procedures to get
structuring and delivering content in local contexts? evaluation more meaningful or accurate information? Annotated
bibliography
Professional • Are all teachers engaging in suitable professional methodology • How is this information shared or disseminated to other and other
development development activities to ensure successful stakeholders? resources
implementation of the desired curriculum? • How can the school become more effective in making
• Is your professional development programme meeting the use of this information to refine and further develop Glossary
specific needs of teachers and the requirements of the the curriculum?
strategic plan? • Is there effective communication and exchange of Appendices
• Is the balance between internal and external professional information with external agencies, for example, Cambridge
development opportunities appropriate? International, other qualification organisations, ministries
• What evidence do you have that the professional and other governmental agencies?
development programme is positively influencing • Are learner and teacher schedules (timetables) and
classroom practice or learner achievement? calendars of events accurate, clear and informative?

Implementing the curriculum with Cambridge: A guide for school leaders 50

 4. Leadership, curriculum evaluation and building school capacity
Contents

Foreword

Many schools use recognised evaluation/accreditation frameworks to support Figure 4: Cambridge School Evaluation Domains and Standards Introduction
the process of curriculum and whole-school evaluation. These will provide their
own list of questions, processes and criteria. Often these are external, provided
by national authorities or accreditation agencies. What is important is that they
1 Curriculum
planning: An
overview
lead to school improvement and that the whole school community is involved in

2
Domain 5 Domain 1 Designing
relevant evaluation and development activities so that everyone takes
School community The school’s
the school
ownership of the process. curriculum
engagement mission and
Larger scale school-wide evaluations are very time consuming. For this reason educational values
they are conducted only occasionally. It is important that smaller evaluation
cycles are built into the regular operations of the school so that evaluation and
3 Approaches to
teaching and
learning
School
development are seen as an ongoing process.
Evaluation
We offer a school self-evaluation service that can contribute powerful insights
as part of a broader evaluation strategy. The Cambridge instrument investigates
Domain 4
Domains and
Standards
Domain 2 4 Leadership,
curriculum
evaluation and
Resources for School
five domains (see Figure 4). These are centred on research-based indictors of building school
learning management and
effective schools including: capacity
leadership

5
• high academic standards and expectations Cambridge
Domain 3
• a school climate that focuses on achievement resources
Quality of teaching
and support
• instructional leadership and learning
services
• high-performing teachers
References
• students with a strong self-efficacy and confidence as learners
• parents with high aspirations and expectations Annotated
The self-evaluation process provides an opportunity for schools to engage with
• learning resources that are fit for purpose bibliography
their three main stakeholders – students, teachers and parents. It allows them to and other
• excellent school governance that includes responsible financial management. collect data that will help them reflect on their performance, design resources
improvement strategies and track progress over time. See more about our
l School Improvement services. Glossary
We offer a school self-evaluation service that Appendices
can contribute powerful insights as part of a broader 4.3 Teacher recruitment and evaluation
evaluation strategy. As good teaching is such a powerful influence on student learning, nothing is
more important than ensuring teaching is as consistently excellent as it can
possibly be. Schools should recruit teachers who share the school’s vision and,
ideally, display the learner and teacher attributes. The best way to improve

Implementing the curriculum with Cambridge: A guide for school leaders 51

 4. Leadership, curriculum evaluation and building school capacity
Contents

Foreword

teaching practice is to conduct well-designed teacher evaluation and professional • accessing recognised local or international educational expertise to enhance Introduction
development, while building a culture where it is valued and understood. understanding
Teacher evaluation is a very important quality assurance process. Schools will • planning, trialling, evaluating and modifying new practices and resources 1 Curriculum
planning: An
overview
operate different systems, often prescribed by national authorities. While the
• using collaborative support structures and processes, including peer critiquing
summative element of judgement or appraisal is important, the formative
aspect is even more so. The most effective forms of evaluation allow teachers to
self-reflect against elements of clearly defined criteria. These criteria include the
and online services.
2 Designing
the school
curriculum
Figure 5: The reflective cycle
Cambridge Teacher Standards and the learner and teacher attributes, as well as
performance criteria in terms of learner results and value added to student
learning. Reflective practice, one of the key concepts in the learner and teacher
3 Approaches to
teaching and
learning
attributes, is reinforced.

4
Apply new Leadership,
Many schools also involve learners in providing feedback to teachers, whether learning and Question
and examine curriculum
formally or informally. Learner evaluations of their classes, when they are understanding evaluation and
carefully designed and non-threatening, are a powerful practice that provides building school
valuable formative feedback to teachers. capacity

Teacher evaluation needs to relate closely to the school’s professional

development programme. This makes sure professional development supports 5 Cambridge
resources
and support
areas identified for development during the evaluation process. Gain new
Analyse services
knowledge
l Chapter 6 of the Developing your School with Cambridge guide provides and skills and process
information References
more information.

Annotated
4.4 Professional development (PD) Seek out bibliography
Professional development (PD) includes a wide range of activities and practices different and other
perspectives resources
that support ongoing and evidence-based reflective practice (see Figure 5: The
reflective cycle). This involves participants in:
Glossary
• reflecting on current practice through the teacher evaluation process, which
will identify PD priorities PD needs are likely to span the following areas: Appendices

• working with peers to share ideas and to observe, record and give feedback on • subject and resource support, including familiarisation with subject content,
classroom experiences learning activities and skill acquisition and development
• reviewing relevant resources to introduce and become familiar with • enhancing understanding of pedagogic and assessment practices and their
new concepts planning and integration into teaching programmes

Implementing the curriculum with Cambridge: A guide for school leaders 52

 4. Leadership, curriculum evaluation and building school capacity
Contents

Foreword

• building professional capacity through collaboration with other teaching aims. They need to be understood by the school community and enforced Introduction
professionals in the school and through inter-school subject cluster groups through quality assurance practices, including teacher evaluation. These
or networking resources, courses and professional collaborations stimulate participants to
reflect on their experience of working in a school environment and to evaluate
1 Curriculum
planning: An
overview
• opportunities to upgrade professional qualifications, with the potential to
their practice.
become teacher-trainers or examiners, or to contribute in other ways that
advance the introduction of the curriculum and the uptake of the associated
new pedagogy and assessment methodology.
In addition to the teacher evaluation policy, those that relate to the curriculum
usually include:
2 Designing
the school
curriculum

3
PD needs will be situational. Teachers new to the profession and/or to Language policy: Every school will have its own language profile, so it is Approaches to
Cambridge programmes will need close support from experienced colleagues important that this is reflected in a policy that recognises the language needs of teaching and
and to attend appropriately targeted training. Experienced teachers will want to different groups of learners and teachers. It will consider the solution to learning
improve their professional practice by completing advanced PD programmes, questions including: How will English as a second language be supported? How
doing PD qualifications, and by becoming involved in professional communities
of practice. These resources, courses and professional collaborations stimulate
will learners be encouraged to develop their first or best language? What
responsibilities do teachers have to support language learning?
4 Leadership,
curriculum
evaluation and
participants to reflect on their experience of working in a school environment building school
Assessment policy: How often are internal summative grading and reporting capacity
and to evaluate their practice.
conducted? What are the grading procedures and how does this relate to the
In this way, participants reflect on their experience of working within a
school environment through stimulus from resources, courses and professional
criterion system used by Cambridge International and/or other qualifications
taught in the school? How is assessment for learning supported? What can 5 Cambridge
resources
and support
collaboration. Reflective PD encourages individuals to develop action plans learners and parents expect from teachers in terms of reporting and detailed
services
and experiment with new strategies. This experimentation gives them feedback on specific assignments and over specified lengths of time?
additional experiences on which they can reflect, and more opportunities for References
Homework policy: What are the expectations? How is this organised to make
professional growth.
sure classroom learning is supported?
Annotated
PD opportunities should not just be for teachers. The school leadership team
Special Educational Needs and Gifted and Talented policy: What are the bibliography
and teaching support staff will also contribute to the successful implementation and other
expectations for teachers to differentiate so that all learners are appropriately
of the curriculum and will therefore benefit from relevant and constructive resources
challenged? How does the school support learners with specific needs?
professional development.
Co-curricular expectations: What does the school provide for learners beyond Glossary
For more information about our professional development services see Chapter 5
regular classes? How does this fit in with teacher contracts and expectations?
in this guide and l Chapter 7 of the Developing your School with Cambridge guide. Appendices
How does the school work with the local community to support learner
participation in activities that it cannot provide itself, or are better provided
4.5 Developing and implementing quality assurance policies outside the school?
and procedures
Discipline policy: What is the code of conduct for teachers and the code of
Policies and procedures should provide teachers and learners (and where
conduct for learners? How is the code of conduct supported and enforced?
appropriate, parents) with clear direction, guided by the school’s mission and

Implementing the curriculum with Cambridge: A guide for school leaders 53

 4. Leadership, curriculum evaluation and building school capacity
Contents

Foreword

What support does the school provide to learners who display discipline Mentoring and team teaching are excellent strategies to help manage curriculum Introduction
problems? change and development. Experienced teachers can support less experienced
For further information see l Chapter 3 of the Developing your School with
colleagues and can also lead professional development activities within the
school. Team teaching allows teachers to share expertise, provide professional
1 Curriculum
planning: An
overview
Cambridge guide.
support and learn new skills. While the content in different academic disciplines
4.6 Managing change is different, many of the teaching and assessment principles and practices are
often similar, so inter-departmental collaboration can also be very productive.
2 Designing
the school
curriculum
Introducing Cambridge curricula for the first time will present challenges, Finally, we recommend working with another school that has experience of
particularly if teaching staff are not familiar with the programmes or do not
have a background of relevant experience. The high value we place on teachers
becoming creative professionals means that preparation is vital. In other words,
Cambridge programmes to support teachers during a time of change. This can
be very useful in smaller schools where there may only be one subject teacher at 3 Approaches to
teaching and
learning
each school level.
we expect teachers to develop their own schemes of work and apply the syllabus
to the needs of their learners in the context of the school. To a lesser extent, this
is also true for experienced staff who will also need time to plan and refresh Teachers should be supported so that they have enough 4 Leadership,
curriculum
evaluation and
their lesson plans, recognising that every class of learners is unique. time to prepare properly and have access to professional building school
capacity
Teachers new to Cambridge programmes will be involved in: development.
• becoming familiar with subject requirements, including assessments, and
planning how to satisfy those requirements 4.7 Involving the local community and parents 5 Cambridge
resources
and support
• writing or rewriting schemes of work and producing new teaching material It is very useful if parents understand the curriculum, and the choices that services
learners have to make at different stages. Parent information sessions with
• accessing and evaluating subject resources, for example, textbooks, websites question and answer sessions can support school communications. References
and workbooks
Parents should support the development of the Cambridge learner attributes at Annotated
• planning and trialling teaching strategies and assessment practices. home. Schools can encourage this by using the school reporting process to map bibliography
learners’ progress against these broader attributes, explaining their significance. and other
Teachers should be supported so that they have enough time to prepare
resources
properly and have access to professional development. One option is to have a In the same way that it can be beneficial for staff evaluation to include self-
‘pre-implementation year’, to give teachers the opportunity to review, prepare, reflection, learners will also benefit from an element of self-evaluation in Glossary
practise and evaluate the new material and approaches before full reporting. Some schools require students to write their own self-evaluations as
implementation. The opportunity to trial units of work and practise assessment part of the reporting process. Other schools conduct parent/student Appendices
tasks will help to build teachers’ confidence and develop a sense of purpose conferences where the student leads the discussion. For an example of this see
towards the new curriculum. case study 9 on page 43 of the l Cambridge Learner Attributes guide.

Implementing the curriculum with Cambridge: A guide for school leaders 54

 4. Leadership, curriculum evaluation and building school capacity
Contents

Foreword

To understand the wider world, learners must first develop a deep appreciation At A Level, subject choice becomes even more important. In the UK, the Russell Introduction
of their local context and culture. Participating in community activities can Group universities publish a guide called l Informed Choices. This guide gives a
enrich the curriculum, but can also benefit learners by giving them insights into
career options through links with local businesses. Becoming aware of post-
list of what they refer to as ‘facilitating subjects’ as well as guidance on some of
the subjects considered less desirable. Mathematics is regarded highly by all
1 Curriculum
planning: An
overview
school options can help learners choose the subjects they want to study, subject disciplines. The sciences, history and English literature are all regarded as
enabling them to be responsible for their next steps in learning. It can also
increase motivation levels and encourage greater participation in classroom
facilitating subjects. If you wish to study economics, most universities require
A Level Mathematics rather than A Level Economics.
2 Designing
the school
curriculum
activities. Community service can support the development of the learner
We recommend that those staff who are involved in advising students on
attributes and help nurture a sense of social responsibility.
subject choice and on their university/college applications look at the
information available on our website. The l recognition database provides a
3 Approaches to
teaching and
learning
4.8 Administering our assessments (exams officers) tool for students to search by country and qualification to see where their

4
The exams officer is the person appointed by the head of centre to act on behalf qualifications are accepted worldwide and if they are given credit in institutions Leadership,
of the school, with specific responsibility for administering Cambridge exams. in North America. curriculum
We provide detailed support and training for exams officers managing our evaluation and
See our l website for general guidance and resources. building school
assessment processes. For more information please see l our website. capacity
Also see our l website for information on the entry requirements and
4.9 Student admissions, progression through the school and
guidance on to higher education
admissions processes of top destination countries.
5 Cambridge
resources
and support
Transparency is key in student admissions. The school’s policies and selection 4.10 Understanding and measuring impact services
criteria must be clearly published on the school website and in other relevant Measuring impact is critical to evaluation, and thereby to developing practice
documentation. For instance, if potential students must pass an entry test, the and improving student learning. Without measuring impact, how will we know if References
requirements must be freely available for students and parents to understand. curriculum revisions or new approaches to teaching and learning have made a
difference to our learners’ progress and attainment? This section looks at how Annotated
Once a student has been accepted, it is important to provide the appropriate bibliography
leadership in schools can answer these questions by introducing the concept of and other
level of challenge at each stage of their students’ education as described in
effect size and focusing on three areas in particular: resources
Chapters 1 and 2. The choice of subjects at IGCSE/O Level can be vitally
important. If a student decides they wish to study medicine but they did not 1. Improvements in student progress and attainment.
Glossary
take chemistry IGCSE, they would be unable to undertake A Level study in the
2. Changes in teacher self-efficacy.
subject and therefore unable to pursue their chosen pathway. It is recommended Appendices
that students study English, mathematics, at least one science, at least one 3. Impact on student self-efficacy.
humanities subject and one language at IGCSE plus other subjects as Impact focus 1: Improvements in student progress and attainment
appropriate for future career paths. For those wishing to pursue higher education
Measuring effect sizes is one way of helping school leaders and teachers
in science, engineering and medicine, all three science subjects at IGCSE would
understand the impact of changes they have introduced on student progress and
provide good foundations.

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 4. Leadership, curriculum evaluation and building school capacity
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Foreword

teacher and student self-efficacy. If teaching strategies or the curriculum are Introduction
Case study 7 continued
changed in some way, calculating effect sizes helps determine not just if learning
and self-efficacy have improved, but by how much. Effect size is a useful way of
quantifying or measuring the size of any difference between two groups or data
Here is an extract from the teacher’s mark-book:
1 Curriculum
planning: An
overview
Student Sept task Nov task
sets. This helps school leaders and teachers understand the impact of any
changes they have introduced and what has the maximum benefit for learners
and teachers.
Katya
Maria
13
15
15
20
2 Designing
the school
curriculum
An effect size is found by calculating the standardised mean difference between Joao 17 23
two data sets or groups. In essence, this means we are looking for the difference
between two averages, whilst taking into account the spread of values around
David 20 18 3 Approaches to
teaching and
learning
Mushtaq 23 25
those averages at the same time. Case study 7 below illustrates this through

4
providing a worked example: Caio 25 38 Leadership,
Cristina 28 42 curriculum
evaluation and
Case study 7: Tom 30 35 building school
capacity
Hema 32 37
Using effect size to measure improvements in student progress following
an intervention
Ultimately, as school leaders and teachers, we are interested in the impact of
Jennifer 35 40
5 Cambridge
resources
and support
a specific educational intervention or change on student outcomes. We want Before we start analysing this data, we must note the following: services
to know how much progress our learners have made, as well as what they have • The task given in September was at the start of the term – the task in
been able to attain or achieve. References
November was towards the end of the term.
Consider the following scenario: • Both tasks assessed similar skills, knowledge and understanding in the Annotated
Over the course of a term, a teacher has worked hard with her learners on student. The November task needs to be as close as possible to the bibliography
understanding ‘what success looks like’ for any given task or activity. She has and other
September task in assessing the same construct. resources
stressed the importance of everyone being clear about the criteria for success,
before learners embark upon the chosen task and plan their way through it. • The maximum mark for each was 50.
Glossary
She has even got to the point where learners have been co-authors of the • The only variable that has changed over the course of the term is the
assessment rubrics used, so that they have been fully engaged in the intended approach to teaching and learning by the teacher. All other things are equal. Appendices
outcomes throughout and can articulate what is required before they have
even started. The teacher is happy with developments so far, but has it made a With that in mind, looking at the extract above, what conclusions might you
difference to student progress? Has learning increased beyond what we would draw as an external observer?
normally expect for an average student over a term anyway?

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 4. Leadership, curriculum evaluation and building school capacity
Contents

Foreword

Introduction
Case study 7 continued Case study 7 continued

You might be thinking something along the lines of:

Mushtaq and Katya have made some progress, but not very much… Caio and
Inserting our data into a spreadsheet helps us calculate the effect size
as follows:
1 Curriculum
planning: An
overview
Cristina appear to have done particularly well… David, on the other hand, appears A B C
to be going backwards!
What can you say about the class as a whole?
1 Student September task November task 2 Designing
the school
curriculum
2 Katya 13 15
Calculating effect sizes:
What if we were to apply the concept of ‘effect sizes’ to the class results above,
3
4
Maria
Joao
15
17
20
23
3 Approaches to
teaching and
learning
so that we could make some more definitive statements about the impact of
the interventions over the given time period? Remember, we are doing so in 5 David 20 18
order to understand the size of the effect on student progress.
Let us start by understanding how it is calculated. An effect size is found by
6
7
Mushtaq
Caio
23 25
38
4 Leadership,
curriculum
evaluation and
25
building school
calculating the standardised mean difference between two data sets or groups. 8 Cristina 42
28 capacity
In essence, this means we are looking for the difference between two averages,
9 Tom 30 35

5
while taking into account the spread of values (in this case, marks) around Cambridge
those averages at the same time. 10 Hema 32 37 resources
and support
As a formula, and from our scenario above, it looks like the following: 11 Jennifer 35 40
services
12
Effect size = Average class mark after intervention – Average class mark 13 References
Average mark 23.8 =AVERAGE(B2:B11) 29.3 =AVERAGE(C2:C11)
(before intervention) ÷ Spread standard deviation of the class 14 Standard deviation 7.5 =STDEV(B2:B11) 10.11 =STDEV(C2:C11) Annotated
15 bibliography
In words: the average mark achieved by the class before the teacher introduced and other
her intervention strategies is taken away from the average mark achieved by Standard deviation overall resources
16
the class after the intervention strategies. This is then divided by the standard 8.8 =AVERAGE(B14:C14)
Glossary
deviation of the class as a whole. The standard deviation is merely a way of
expressing by how much the members of a group (in this case, student marks in Therefore, the effect size for this class = (29.3-23.8)/8.8 = 0.62
Appendices
the class) differ from the average value (or mark) for the group. But what does this mean?

Implementing the curriculum with Cambridge: A guide for school leaders 57

 4. Leadership, curriculum evaluation and building school capacity
Contents

Foreword

This level of confidence can be found by asking teachers to self-report against Introduction
Case study 7 continued
questions (or items), such as:
Interpreting effect sizes to understand impact
In pure statistical terms, a 0.62 effect size means that the average student
1. How much, in your current practice, do you feel you can gauge/measure 1 Curriculum
planning: An
overview
student understanding of what you have taught?
mark, after the intervention by the teacher, is 0.62 standard deviations above
the average student mark before the intervention.
We can state this in another way: the post-intervention average mark now
2. To what extent, in your current practice, do you feel you can use a variety of
assessment strategies? 2 Designing
the school
curriculum
exceeds 61 per cent of the student marks previously. 3. How well, in your current practice, do you feel you can implement a variety
Going further, we can also say that the average student mark, post
intervention, would have placed a student in the top 4 in the class previously.
of active learning strategies?
4. How much, in your current practice, do you feel you can motivate learners
3 Approaches to
teaching and
learning
You can see this visually in the table above where 29.3 (the class average after who show little or no interest in school work?
the teacher’s interventions) would have been between Cristina’s and Tom’s
marks in the September task.
A teacher’s responses to such questions, before an intervention or change is put
in place, can then be compared with their responses afterwards. Allocating a
4 Leadership,
curriculum
evaluation and
building school
numerical code to the response options, e.g. 0 = No influence; 1 = Some
capacity
influence; 2 = A lot of influence, etc, enables statistical analysis and the
We know from results analyses of the Program for International Student

5
calculation of effect sizes (see above). An exemplar questionnaire, for adaptation Cambridge
Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science
by the school, can be found in the appendices. resources
Study (TIMSS) that, across the world, a year’s schooling on average leads to an and support
effect size of 0.4. John Hattie and his team at the University of Melbourne Impact focus 3: Impact on student self-efficacy services
reached similar conclusions when looking at over 900 meta-analyses of classroom
Linked closely to the above is the idea of student self-efficacy, which refers to a
and whole-school interventions to improve student learning – 240 million References
learner’s level of confidence about their ability to be successful within a given
learners later, the result was an effect size of 0.4 on average for all these strategies.
context (task, subject, etc) – both now and in the future. Learners with strong Annotated
What this means, then, is that any teacher achieving an effect size of greater
self-efficacy are more likely to challenge themselves when faced with difficult bibliography
than 0.4 is doing better than expected (than the average) over the course of a and other
situations or tasks and be intrinsically motivated. They willingly exert a high
year. From the example given in case study 7, not only are the learners making resources
degree of effort in order to be successful, and see failure as a learning
better than expected progress, they are also doing so in just one term.
opportunity or something that is within their control. Such learners tend also to
Glossary
Impact focus 2: Changes in teacher self-efficacy recover quickly from setbacks, and, ultimately, are likely to achieve their
personal goals. One of the main reasons we developed the learner attributes Appendices
Teacher self-efficacy is a term we use to refer to a teacher’s level of confidence
was to support the development of student self-efficacy.
in their ability to guide learners to success. It captures the idea that, both
individually and collectively, teachers believe they can have a highly positive
effect on student learning and attainment, regardless of a student’s socio-
economic background and the level of motivation they bring to the
learning environment.

Implementing the curriculum with Cambridge: A guide for school leaders 58

 4. Leadership, curriculum evaluation and building school capacity
Contents

Foreword

Once more, a student’s responses to such questions, before an intervention or Introduction

change is put in place, can then be compared with their responses afterwards.
Allocating a numerical code to the response options, e.g. 0 = Not like me at all;
1 = A little like me; 2 = Like me; 3 = A lot like me, etc, thereby enables statistical
1 Curriculum
planning: An
overview
analysis and the calculation of effect sizes (see above).
An exemplar questionnaire, for adaptation by the school, can be found in
the appendices.
2 Designing
the school
curriculum

3
Considerations on measuring impact Approaches to
teaching and
In reality, measuring and using effect sizes is not a perfect tool as the
learning
assumptions made about similar tasks and identifying only one variable as
changing are not fully achievable. That said, calculating effect size provides one
set of data to measure impact and needs to be part of a broader discussion
and analysis.
4 Leadership,
curriculum
evaluation and
building school
Much of this analysis will be qualitative, trying to understand why some capacity
The level of a student’s sense of efficacy can be found by asking them to students have done better than others and trying to make sense of patterns in
self-report against questions/descriptors/items, such as the following:
1. I can succeed at anything if I try hard enough.
the data. School leaders and teachers must look at the data carefully and
intelligently in order to understand ‘why’. Why did some learners do better than 5 Cambridge
resources
and support
others? Why did some not make any progress at all? In what areas has student services
2. If I practised every day, I could develop any skill.
attainment or self-efficacy improved, stayed the same or got worse? Its most
3. Once I have decided to accomplish something that is important to me, important function is to support collaborative work and discussion around References
I keep trying, even if it is harder than I originally thought. student learning and progress, helping departments and teachers to work out a
common language, high expectations and a clear focus around improving Annotated
4. When I am struggling and taking longer to complete something difficult, I bibliography
student outcomes.
focus on my learning and change my approach, instead of feeling discouraged. and other
John Hattie’s work (2010 and 2012, see annotated bibliography) provides resources
5. I believe that the brain can be developed, just like a muscle.
insightful guidance to schools about what they should prioritise based on effect
6. I think that, no matter who you are, you can significantly improve your Glossary
sizes from international research. Another valuable study is by the Education
level of capability. Endowment Foundation/Sutton Trust (see annotated bibliography). Appendices

Implementing the curriculum with Cambridge: A guide for school leaders 59