A Complete Plan for Learning School Reinvention Symposium Grades 6 – 12 October 27 - 29, 2006...

A Complete Plan for Learning

School Reinvention Symposium Grades 6 – 12 October 27 - 29, 2006

Kaplan K-12 Learning ServicesBernards Township Public SchoolsGlens Falls City School District

Scaffolding Learning Across Grades 6 - 12

Think Different

• Here is to the Crazy Ones!

• Ones who see things differently

• They Change Things

A “guaranteed and viable curriculum is the #1 school-level factor impacting on student achievement.”

Robert Marzano, What Works in Schools

How Can We Ensure That These Things Happen?

Guaranteed?

Will every student receive the same

information?

Do these textbook pages teach to

these standards, the way the

standards demand that these things be

taught?

Did students learn necessary

prerequisite skills and content in earlier grades?

==??

Viable?A comparison of two 10th Grade writing assignments from two different teachers at the same school.

Write a composition of at least 4 paragraphs on Martin Luther King’s most important contribution to this society. Illustrate your work with a neat cover page. Neatness counts.

A frequent theme in literature is the conflict between the individual and society. From literature you have read, select a character who struggled with society. In a well-developed essay, identify the character and explain why this character’s conflict with society is important.

Information provided by the Education Trust

Is it accurate to say that, “what you learn depends on

who you get”?

Is it all right to say that?

Is it accurate to say that, “what you learn depends on

who you get”?

Is it all right to say that?

Grade 9

ELA

Grade 10

ELA

Grade 11

ELA

Grade 12

ELA

Grade 9

Math

Grade 9

Science

Grade 9

Social Studies

Grade 10

Math

Grade 10

Science

Grade 10

Social Studies

Grade 11

Math

Grade 11

Science Grade 11

Social Studies

Grade 12

Math

Grade 12

Science Grade 12

Social Studies

Curriculum Alignment: The Reality

Grade 9 ELA Math ScienceSocial

Studies


Studies


Studies


Studies

Curriculum Alignment: The Goal

How can curriculum design help us reach this goal?

Hint: Just making new pacing plans won’t do it!

OrganizingPrincipleOrganizing

Principle

How Learning Works

Experts and Understanding

• The hallmark of the “expert” is the ability not only to take in new information efficiently, but also to assess each new piece of information in light of what she already knows—to evaluate not only the new information, but also, in some cases, her original understandings.

• True learning is not simply the adding-up of information, but a constant process of discovery, assessment, and re-evaluation of

what we think we know.

Teaching to the Concept

Early American settlers

migrated West

Settlers were looking

for new opportunities

Some settlers

were looking for land

Some settlers

were looking for freedom

FACTS

Westward Movement TOPICS

MigrationOpportunity Freedom Needs BIG IDEAS

People migrate to meet a variety of needs.

KEY CONCEPTSMigration may lead to new

opportunities and greater freedom.

Adapted from H. Lynn Erickson, Concept-Based Curriculum

Teaching to

People migrate to meet a variety of needs.

Migration may lead to new

opportunities and greater freedom.

EnglishPuritans

Early 20th

CenturyImmigration

South American

Immigration

African AmericanMovement

North

the ConceptTransfer

Competition, Migration, and

Adaptation (Biology)

The Grapes of Wrath

(ELA)

Global Marketplace(Economics)

Backwards Planning

If you start with a picture of where you want to end up, it’s easier to figure out how to get there.

Backwards Planning

GoalState Standards

Pathway to UnderstandingEssential Questions

Keys to Understanding Knowledge and Skills

Desired UnderstandingBig Ideas & Key Concepts

Plan for UnderstandingLessons and Activities

Based on Wiggins and McTighe, Understanding by Design

Unpacking Standards

What big ideas are stated or implied in the nouns and adjectives used in the standards?

• How is a “big idea” different from a fact?

• Are big ideas relevant to only one grade level?

Science

6IE7.E Recognize whether evidence is consistent with a proposed explanation.

Math

Grade 7

Number Sense 1.7

Solve problems that involve discounts, markups, commissions, and profit and compute simple and compound interest.

Language Arts

Structural Features of Informational Materials

2.1 Analyze the structure and format of functional workplace documents, including the graphics and headers, and explain how authors use the features to achieve their purposes.

Unpacking Standards

What key concepts underlie these big ideas?

• How is a “concept” different from a big idea?

• Are key concepts appropriate for only one grade level?

Driving It Across: Content

What does it mean to What does it mean to “prove” something?“prove” something?What does it mean to What does it mean to “prove” something?“prove” something?

Formal geometric proofs

Scientific method and lab experiments

Primary sources and historical events

Persuasive essays and supporting

arguments

Driving It Across: Expectations

Thesis/Support in explanation of solution

Thesis/support in lab experiment reports

Thesis/Support in debate preparation

Support main ideas with supporting

arguments

Seventh Grade:Seventh Grade:

End of Marking Period 2End of Marking Period 2


End of Marking Period 2End of Marking Period 2


Marking Period 3Marking Period 3


Marking Period 3Marking Period 3

Tracking Rigor and Relevance

A: Acquisition

C: Assimilation

B: Application

D: Adaptation

1 2 3 4 5

6

5

4

3

2

1

APPLICATION

KNOWLEDGE

Willard Daggett, International Center for Leadership in Education

A laundry-list approach to standards can make this level seem acceptable

Analysis and reaching beyond the classroom are

demanded here

Aim high and far…but make sure you build scaffolds to

help students get there

Managing Complex Change

Vision

Skills+

Incentive+

Resources

+

Action Plan+

?

Vision

Skills+

Incentive+

Resources

+

Action Plan+

CHANGE


Vision

Skills+

Incentive+

Resources

+

Action Plan+

Confusion


Vision

Skills+

Incentive+

Resources

+

Action Plan+

Anxiety


Vision

Skills+

Incentive+

Resources

+

Action Plan+

RESISTANCE


Vision

Skills+

Incentive+

Resources

+

Action Plan+

FRUSTRATION


Vision

Skills+

Incentive+

Resources

+

Action Plan+

TREADMILL


“You have to change quickly enough so that gravity cannot drag you back.”

~ Theodore Sizer

Horizontal Articulation

A Successful Practices Network Best Practice fromRidge High School

Bernard Township Public Schools

Where are the Connections?

• A Little History Lesson• How We Began• Stakeholder Involvement• Let the work begin!• Communication and Follow Through• Current Status

A Little History Lesson

• June 2004: ICLE Model Schools Conference*• Fall 2004: New Jersey High School Summit for Change• December 2004: Inventing New Jersey’s High Schools• June 2005: ICLE Model Schools Conference• October 2005: ICLE High School Symposium• 2005-2006: ICLE Successful Practices Network• June 2006: ICLE Model Schools Conference

*Newly appointed as Director of Curriculum and Instruction

How We Began

• When all else fails- make a plan!

Key components of great schools• Visionary leadership• Emphasis on Rigor and Relevance• Real world use of technology• Interdisciplinary Instruction• Literacy Across the Curriculum• Transition Pieces (9th and 12th grade)

Stakeholder Involvement

• “Good to Great” Steering Committee

Subcommittees for each of the key components, chaired by a teacher member of the steering committee

Teacher volunteers for sub-committeesCurriculum supervisors as consultants to sub-

committees Sub-committees met 2004-2005 submitted

recommendations to Steering Committee

Let the Work Begin!

Summer 2005Summer curriculum writing to map 9th grade curriculum

School Year 2005-2006

Formation of 9th grade “core teams”

Summer 2006Continued curriculum development

School Year 2006-2007

Interdisciplinary meetings at faculty meetings 9th –12th grade

Communication and Follow-through

• Interdisciplinary Instruction and Literacy Across the Curriculum sub-committee– Representative from each “discipline”– Liaison to department– Communication conduit from department to

committee and from committee to department

• Steering Committee Monthly Meetings• Release Time (Honor the work)

Current Status

• 9th grade Interdisciplinary Connections– See handout provided

• Interdisciplinary Summer Reading– The tale of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the

Night-time

• Common rubric for writing assessment– A success story!

From Boardroom to Classroom:

Changing School Culture Through Sustained Staff Development and

Professional Learning Communities

Steve Danna, Director of Secondary Education

Glens Falls City School DistrictGlens Falls City School District

Essential Questions

1. How can long range planning produce improved student achievement?

2. Why is understanding your district’s curriculum so important to student achievement?

3. How can sustained, systematic staff development lead to improved student achievement and staff morale?

4. What role does supervision and accountability play in improving school success?

““We are now at a point where we must We are now at a point where we must educate our children in what no one educate our children in what no one

knew yesterday, and prepare our knew yesterday, and prepare our schools for what no one knows yet”schools for what no one knows yet”

- Margaret Mead

State Regulations

Regents Action Plan-1983

Compact for Learning-1991

Shared Decision Making

Site Based TeamsMission

Statement-1996

Commencement Objectives

Frameworks-1996

Standards-1997

Core Curricula

State Assessments & Grad. Requirements- 1999

Project SAVE- 2000

All Regents Curriculum

District Report Card

AIS- 2000

Prof. Devt. Plan-2000

APPR-2000

District Safety Plan

Character Ed.

Curriculum Review

Subject Area Blueprint

Curriculum Mapping

Alignment

Goals

Instruction

Goals

Board of Education

Building

Department

Grade Level

Curriculum Mapping

Revise Blueprint

Understanding By Design

Curriculum Integration

Differentiating Instruction

Effective Teaching Model

State Assessments

Local Assessments

Quarterly Meetings

Department/Grade Level Team

District Portfolio-2001

Data Analysis

Attendance Policy- 2000

Child Abuse Reporting- 2000

Violence Incident Reporting- 2002

Glens Falls City School Glens Falls City School DistrictDistrict

NCLB - 2002

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)

School Choice

Supplemental Education Services (SES)

Highly Qualified Teachers

Scientifically Based Programs

“Begin with the end in mind.”

Stephen Covey

Stage 1Develop District’s Goals

• BOE retreats and collaborative sessions with administrators led to:

– A review of district efforts in prior years– Recognition of the BOE’s role in student performance

through clearly defined goals– A process for measuring success

GOAL GOAL DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT

PROCESSPROCESS

focused on focused on student student

achievementachievement

BRAINSTORMED BRAINSTORMED AREAS FOR GOALSAREAS FOR GOALS

DEFINED DEFINED GOALSGOALS

REFINED REFINED GOALSGOALS

““Arriving at one goal Arriving at one goal is the starting point is the starting point to another”to another”

- John Dewey

Goal A Goal A - Student achievement on all state assessments will be greater than regional and similar schools

Goal B Goal B - Student achievement on all state assessments will be greater than the average scores of students from the previous three years

Goal C Goal C - Student achievement on Terra Nova assessments will result in 100% of students gaining at least one year’s growth in reading and math

Goal D Goal D - By 2003-2004, 80% of students will score at or above level three on state tests at the 4th and 8th grade level, and at 85% or better on regents exams

Stage 2Goal Implementation, Analysis and Reflection

• Plan for implementation of goals• Write action plan• Share with staff and parents

By 2003-2004, 80% of students will score at or above By 2003-2004, 80% of students will score at or above level three(3) on state tests at the 4level three(3) on state tests at the 4thth and 8 and 8thth grade grade level, and at 85% or better on regents examslevel, and at 85% or better on regents exams

Objectives: (1) After administering and scoring state assessments in ELA, Math, Social Studies and Science the staff will analyze results

(2) After administering and scoring state assessments, the staff will disaggregate the assessment for concepts and skills

(3) Subject Area Blueprint/Curriculum Maps will be analyzed for strengths and weaknesses in content

(4) After analyzing the results of assessments, the staff will decide areas of need in staff development

(5) K-5 writing program will be reviewed. 6-12 writing program will be developed

(6) Instruction will change to meet the diverse needs of students

(7) Given appropriate staff support, teachers will effectively manage student behavior

Action Steps:

Staff will review and compare data, and make changes to curriculum and instruction

Staff will read assessments, disaggregate them for concepts and skills, and analyze for standards and performance indicators that are covered

During quarterly meetings, staff will compare results of assessments with curriculum maps and make changes where appropriate. They will also analyze forms of assessments used in the classroom and make adjustments to align them more closely with state assessments

Exemplars and anchor papers will be developed

Academic Intervention Services will be adusted to meet the needs of the students

Staff will prepare a prioritized list of areas of staff development based on analysis of assessment results

Analytical writing rubrics will be developed for the writing program. Exemplars will be developed

Character Education Program will be developed K-12

More classroom visitations will occur by district administrators

““We must not, in trying to think We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, differences we can make which, over time, add up to big over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot differences that we often cannot foresee”foresee”

- Marian Wright Edelman

All materials copyrighted by GFCSD

The following is essential in effective goal development:The following is essential in effective goal development:

Goals should align with district mission statement

Existing data must be reviewed for the district

Goals should be based on student achievement

Goals should be measurable and assessed regularly

Plans should be established for celebrating successes

“The tragedy in life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goals. The tragedy lies in

having no goals to reach”

- Benjamin Mays

Evolution of Goal Setting to Support Student Achievement• 1995-97 Teachers and administrators are asked to write three goals.

• 1997-99 Teachers and administrators are asked to write three performance based goals.

• 1999-2001 Teachers and administrators are asked to write three performance based goals and one has to be about raising student achievement.

• 2000-2002 Grade levels and departments write performance based goals together that are focused on raising student achievement.

• 2002-present Goals are building-based and focus on student achievement. All staff contribute toward their development.

Stage 3Developing a Culture for Learning through Sustained, Staff Development

• Begin sustained, systematic staff development

1999-2001: Subject Area Blueprint

1. The staff is convinced through shared-decision making that the district’s curriculum must be written down and aligned with the state’s standards.

2. Each grade and department take two professional days to write down what they currently teach and reach consensus throughout the grade level and department.

3. When blueprint is completed vertical teams of teachers (k-3, 3-6, 6-8, 8-12) meet to align the curriculum vertically and with the state standards.

4. The subject area blueprint was used for two years.

2001: Understanding by Design

Two professional days were used to train entire staff on Wiggins and McTighes’ “Understanding by Design” model. UbD is now the only unit design model used in the district.

• Elements of UbD• Backwards design model• Stage 1 Identify desired results• Stage 2 Determine acceptable evidence• Stage 3 Plan and preparation

2002: Curriculum Mapping1. After UbD training and using the blueprint for two years it became necessary for the

curriculum to be reviewed again. Quarterly meetings had been established. During those meetings the teachers expanded the blueprint to a curriculum map by adding essential questions, assessments, and by separating skills and content into two columns.

2. Significant changes were made to the blueprint during the process. The teachers had to analyze the content when writing the essential questions and adding assessments.

3. The curriculum maps were completed in 2004 and are utilized daily.

4. Teachers are responsible for reporting their progress in teaching the curriculum to their principals. Changes to the maps are made when necessary.

5. The maps have serve as an excellent tool to guide the rewriting of the math curriculum to meet the new state standards.

“Nothing New for 2002”: Best Practices and Student Work

Elementary Level - writing samples were analyzed to assess the effectiveness of our writing rubrics

Secondary Level - teachers analyzed through peer review UbD units and student work

To celebrate teachers and create a legacy, staff shared best practices with each member of the department or grade

“Nothing New”(con’t…)

Drop-ins - the secondary coordinator used drop-in observations to discuss instructional strategies with teachers. He used a specific format that included essential questions, information from our “How the Brain Learns” course, differentiated learning and the Effective Teaching Model. Some drop-ins were written up and the anecdotal records were shared with teachers.

Team Meetings - the secondary coordinator has two MS team meetings a month for discussion about data analysis, best practices, how the brain learns, and book talks.

2002: Data Analysis

• Fall quarterly meetings - departments and grade levels were trained to analyze multiple assessment data

• Staff learned to identify strengths and weaknesses through item analysis and error coding

• Strategies to address weaknesses were brainstormed and reports were written and distributed to staff and administration

2004-2005 How the Brain Learns

After spending four years on curriculum development and data analysis we were ready for instructional strategies.

We wanted the staff to understand the development and nuances of learning. We knew we did not want to provide them with isolated strategies that would probably not get used. We needed to give it purpose.

The ETM trainer, secondary coordinator and asst. superintendent wrote a 12 hour course on how the brain learns. The essential questions for the course are:

1. What do we know about the brain and are all brains equal?2. How does the brain learn?3. What factors influence learning and memory and what are the implications

for the teacher?4. What is memory and how do we maximize retention

2003-2004 Instructional Technology

• Blackboard.com - communication with teachers, students, and parents

• Integrated units using Understanding by Design• Classroom Connect• Dibels and Scantron - used for data collection and analysis• Smart Boards - instructional strategies• Palm Pilots - Classroom Wizard• Portable laptops• In-service courses in email, word processing, Excel, unit

development

Grants: Its more than just the money

• GE grant - Science STC Kits• Teacher Leadership Quality program - Math• Carol M. White PEP Grant - Phys. Ed.• Enhancing Education Through Technology- Palm pilots, Classroom

Wizard, Bb• Learning Technology Grant - Staff development room

More than money (con’t…)

• Women’s Sports Foundation Grant - After school elementary field hockey

• Two Target Grants - MS science - Outdoor garden, HS projectors

• 21st Century Grant - After school programs for grades 4-8• Greater Capital Region Teacher Center Grant - MS Science• Boston Scientific Foundation Grant - HS Chemistry

Accountability

Superintendent meets with each building principal to review building goals

Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent meet with building principals to review curriculum maps for each subject in every grade level and department. Consistency in curriculum delivery is the goal.

Board of Education reviews all probationary teachers with the principals annually until tenure is granted or denied

Board of Education reviews each curriculum area every four years

Accountability (con’t…)

Building principals present assessment data to the BOE each year with explanations for increases or decreases in achievement

Every formative observation and Annual Professional Performance Review is read by the asst. superintendent and the superintendent.

Data analysis is an annual event during the professional days

Unannounced drop-ins conducted by Secondary Curriculum director

NYS Assessment Results8th Grade ELA and Math

ELA Total Population

SASS

1999

154

2000

147

2001

139

2002

147

2003

147

2004

150

2005

153

Math Total Population

SASS

1999

127

2000

145

2001

136

2002

146

2003

133

2004

169

2005

181

“Problems are Opportunities” Michael Fullan

• How to spoil a really good conference

Plan of attack

Assuming responsibility…staff and administration

Holding teachers and administrators feet to the fire

Change or else

Steps we took

• Pulled staff in during summer• Analyzed data to look for clues• Shift in philosophy about textbook based teaching and effective

instruction• Created a math-specific teaching rubric grounded in Horizon

research study• 10-15 unannounced drop-in observations with formal reports

submitted to teacher and administration

Reflections

• Supportive BOE with vision and a willingness to hold administration and staff accountable

• Systematic, sustained staff development driven by BOE goals

• Created a risk-free culture of professional learning and dialog

• Student achievement is #1 priority

Final Reflection

In what ways has this session confirmed what you already thought about curriculum?

In what ways has this session made you think differently about curriculum?

What, if anything, needs to change in your school or your district?

1587 Route 146

Rexford, NY 12148

Phone (518) 399-2776

Fax (518) 399-7607

E-mail - [email protected]

www.LeaderEd.com

International Center for Leadership in Education, Inc.

A Complete Plan for Learning School Reinvention Symposium Grades 6 – 12 October 27 - 29, 2006...

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Transcript of A Complete Plan for Learning School Reinvention Symposium Grades 6 – 12 October 27 - 29, 2006...