+

Is your School's Instructional Program Ready for Common Core?

Reach Institute for School Leadership

+What are some of the big shifts in the Common Core? Learning progressions across grade levels

Depth rather than breadth

Increase reading of informational text

Building content knowledge through reading of content rich text, both primary and secondary sources, in ELA and Content Courses

Close reading of more complex text

Building well defended arguments (in discussion and in writing) by using text-based evidence

Building academic vocabulary (Tier 2 and Tier 3)

Conceptual understanding of mathematics and articulating that understanding

Articulating mathematical problem solving

Using multiple representations

Applying mathematical understanding to real world situations

+What factors will you be considering as you integrate the Common Core into the Instructional Program at your school?

+Defining Instructional Program Coherence

+Problems New adoptions don’t fit the professional culture or teachers’

“schema” (Little, 2006)

Fragmentation between multiple programs – Christmas tree innovation

Lack of articulation between subject/grades

Schools where diverse improvement initiatives have no apparent effect on core achievement lack the sustained attention of the majority of staff

Focus becomes so technical as to lose relational connectedness among staff.

+Distinguish “Curriculum” from “Instructional Program” The curriculum is all of the planned educative

experiences for learners purpose is to achieve broad [learning] goals and related

specific objectives that have been developed within a framework of theory and research.

An instructional program INCLUDES the curriculum, but also elements of instruction, assessment, professional

development, and other school based factors.

Reach Effective Schools Prescription:

Program CoherenceElement

Reach Point of View

Expectations for Student Learning

• Common Core Standards- based skills and content• School-wide Outcomes (i.e. literacy, life skills)

Curriculum

• Aligned with Expectations for Student Learning• Allows for flexible implementation (gradual autonomy for new teachers,

accountable to teacher team for adjustments)• Depth over coverage Ex. Course outlines and UbD units developed and

passed down. Units, texts and/or supplemental readers.

Assessment

• Common assessments (agreed by professional community) provide measurable and diagnostic feedback on expected outcomes• measuring DOK levels, mix of standardized and site based

measures

Instruction• Based on Professional Standards for Teachers (ex. CSTP)• Accountability based on assessment results aligned with Common

Core Standards

Professional Development

• Professional Community: Shared investment in colleagues’ performance• School-wide outcomes/curriculum/assessment based on shared values• Professional Development: Driven by results on common

assessments/observations, includes combination of self/peer/supervisor assessment, individual learning plans, regular feedback/formative assessment, peer collaboration, reflection on practice, specific/differentiated training• PD is ongoing, evidence-driven, and aligned to coaching support

+ Instructional Program Coherence

Expectations for Student Learning (Outcomes)

Instruction

Curriculum & Assessment

PD & Professional Community

+ Instructional Program Coherence

Expectations for Student Learning (Outcomes)

Instruction

Curriculum & Assessment

PD & Professional Community

Operational Definition: Unity of purpose, clear focus, and shared values for

student learning. A common instructional framework guides curriculum,

teaching, assessment, and learning climate. The framework combines specific expectations for

student learning, with specific strategies and materials to guide teaching and assessment.

Staff working conditions support implementation of the framework.

The school allocates resources such as funding, materials, time, staff assignments, and professional development to advance the school’s common instructional framework and to avoid diffuse, scattered improvement efforts.

+Needs Assessment: Where are the system needs?

Using the Reach Instructional Coherence Rubric, reflect on where your school is situated

Why are these elements important in any school or school system?

Why are they the foundation to build upon as you move instructional practices to align with the Common Core?

+Needs Assessment: Where are the instructional needs?

Using the ACOE Needs Assessment: What are strengths already in place at your school?

At all grade levels and departments?

Where are the gaps between your current instructional model and the demands of the Common Core?

+What is the strategic next step for your school?

You can’t do everything at once and do it well.

Looking at the gaps in the two needs assessments: Where are the gaps the largest? The smallest? What makes the most sense for your school? How will you focus your work?

+Action Plan

Needs Assessment

•Analyze data (student data, observational data)

•Prioritize needs

Goals•What is your goal for prioritized needs?

Strategic Action Plan

•What are the high leverage actions that will propel your school to meet your goals?

Expenditures to support

actions

•How do you need to prioritize your budget to support your strategic actions?

Transition to

Common Core

+ v

Common Core Strategic Action: What instructional practices do you want to see in place in

all your classrooms by the end of the year?

Professional Developmen

t

PLCs/Collaboratio

nResourcesCoaching

Allocating budget and personnel to ensure strategic action is well resourced

+Plus/Delta

Plus Delta