Curriculum and Standards Framework
Encyclopedia
The Curriculum and Standards Framework (CSF) was developed for teachers Victoria, Australia. It was introduced in Victorian schools in 1995 and republished in 2000 as the CSF II. It was superseded by the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) program in 2006.
The CSF described what students in Victorian schools should know and be able to do in eight key areas of learning at regular intervals from the primary
and secondary
levels of education — specifically, from year Prep ('Preparatory') to Year 10. It provided sufficient detail for schools and the community to be clear about the major elements of the curriculum
and the standards expected of successful learners.
The eight key learning areas were the Arts
, English
, Health and Physical Education, Languages Other Than English
(LOTE), Mathematics
, Science
, Studies of Society and Environment (SOSE) and Technology
. A document, the ESL Companion to the English CSF was also part of the project - it describes stages of English as a second language development. This latter document was an important part of the csf, acknowledging the teaching and assessment needs of the many students learning English as a second or additional language.
The CSF described what students in Victorian schools should know and be able to do in eight key areas of learning at regular intervals from the primary
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
and secondary
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
levels of education — specifically, from year Prep ('Preparatory') to Year 10. It provided sufficient detail for schools and the community to be clear about the major elements of the curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
and the standards expected of successful learners.
The eight key learning areas were the Arts
The arts
The arts are a vast subdivision of culture, composed of many creative endeavors and disciplines. It is a broader term than "art", which as a description of a field usually means only the visual arts. The arts encompass visual arts, literary arts and the performing arts – music, theatre, dance and...
, English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
, Health and Physical Education, Languages Other Than English
Languages Other Than English
LOTE or Languages Other Than English is the name given to language subjects at Australian schools, and New York schools. LOTEs have often historically been related to the policy of multiculturalism, and tend to reflect the predominant non-English languages spoken in a school's local area, the idea...
(LOTE), Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, Science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, Studies of Society and Environment (SOSE) and Technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
. A document, the ESL Companion to the English CSF was also part of the project - it describes stages of English as a second language development. This latter document was an important part of the csf, acknowledging the teaching and assessment needs of the many students learning English as a second or additional language.