Carey Baptist Grammar School has played a pivotal role in the University of Melbourne’s New Metrics research partnership since its inception in 2021, contributing significantly to the exploration and development of a comprehensive set of metrics aimed at providing a more holistic understanding of learners.
Through the New Metrics project, school-based education and credentialing of students for use in post-school endeavours are being re-imagined through rigorous research and consultation with Carey and other schools, as well as universities around Australia. This has given rise to a collection of seven ‘Complex Competencies’, interchangeably known as 21st Century Skills, General Capabilities or transferrable skills. Despite the varying terminology, these skills encapsulate similar skills, attitudes and values crucial for learners to prosper both in their academic journeys and the future.
The seven competencies
The seven Complex Competencies are teachable, learnable, assessable and observable, enabling educators and students across all disciplines the opportunity to engage and implement them. The Complex Competencies are:
- Acting Ethically: acting in a way that is guided by moral principles (what we ought to do) in any situation.
- Active Citizenship: contributing to the wellbeing of a community.
- Agency in Learning: the capacity to produce learning of value to self or community.
- Communication: transmitting, receiving and interpreting information, ideas, arguments, feelings and beliefs.
- Collaboration: working with others to achieve a common goal.
- Quality Thinking: thinking things through to achieve better outcomes for yourself or your group.
- Personal Development: living by the attitudes and behaviours that your communities value.
We are excited to have these Complex Competencies integrated into our curriculum from 2025 to measure our students’ personal development within and outside the classroom and to enhance our students’ abilities to achieve success during and beyond school.
Complex Competency assessments and learner profiles
These competencies form next-generation assessments, allowing us to capture more than just academic performance. With competency-based assessments, every student will eventually build an official learner profile that provides an in-depth view of their strengths, capabilities and competencies. These profiles will be accessible not only to students and educators, but also to tertiary institutions, allowing a well-rounded picture of each learner’s journey both during and after their time at Carey.
What’s next?
The shift to Complex Competencies extends beyond a curriculum update – it represents a holistic approach to assessing students. By participating in the New Metrics project and measuring students’ growth and abilities in this way, Carey is leading the charge towards what we call ATAR+ – a more nuanced understanding of our students that supports their post-school choices and pathways. While the ATAR serves as the conventional measure that indicates a learner’s tertiary entrance rank through an academic lens, the evolving educational landscape, particularly in the context of an AI-driven world, demands a broader demonstration of skills.
This transformation signals Carey’s commitment to ensuring our students are equipped with the skills and understanding to thrive in an increasingly complex world.
Visit www.carey.com.au to watch a video and read more about this exciting project.
