EngageNY.org

Building a Staircase of Complexity

Who We Are

2

Expeditionary Learning (EL) is a non-profit network of practitioners, with 165 schools in 30 states, 4,000 teachers, and 40,000 students.

We have been working with schools and teachers for 20 years to create rigorous classrooms in which develop strong literacy, numeracy, and critical thinking skills.

We have a proud history of working in New York State and have engaged teams of teachers from high-performing classrooms throughout the state to help develop our curriculum modules.

In the elementary grades, the average percentage point difference between an EL mentor school and its local district was 16 percentage points in

Reading/English Language Arts.

High Expectations Lead to Achievement

Schools fully implementing the EL model outperform district averages in reading/ELA.

We have always viewed every teacher - regardless of subject area, grade or specialization - as a teacher of readers, writers, and content. This was a natural connection for us.Via intensive collaboration with Student Achievement Partners (SAP) and with the input of teachers from across the country, we have created a curriculum that engages students and supports teachers in building students’ capacity to read, think, talk, and write about complex texts.

A Deep Partnership

EngageNY.org 5

Norms & Introductions• Please Read The Norms for Collaboration

Think about which of these norms is really important to you – which do you most need to be in effect for you to feel “safe” as a learner and collaborator? – Pick your top 2.

• Think about which you personally struggle to uphold.

Why is that? Would that be a good personal goal for the next

two days?

Introductions• Please Introduce Yourselves

Your name Your role and work location Your top 2 norms that feel really important Your personal “norm” goal for the next 2 days

EngageNY.org 6

One Additional Norm• A word about technology…

EngageNY.org 7

Learning Targets• I can reflect upon my growth as a professional and

share insights with colleagues.

• I can analyze how the ELA modules increase with complexity over time (within a grade level band and across a grade level band)

EngageNY.org 8

Please Locate• Written Conversation Protocol

• Written Conversation Note Catcher

EngageNY.org 9

Discussion Prompt• We could tell educators who are new to

implementing the modules ______, but they have to actually experience implementing the modules in order to truly understand______.

EngageNY.org 10

Please locate the curriculum map for your

grade level band• Add graphic of document here

EngageNY.org 11

4 A’s ProtocolAchieve (5 min)•Look at STANDARDS •What do you notice about which standards are met when during the year? •What “bundles” of standards do you notice (e.g. which reading standards are bundled together in a module; which reading standards are bundled with which writing standards in a module)? •What can you infer about the logic in that yearlong design?

EngageNY.org 12

Assess (5 min)•Look at ASSESSMENTS•What do you notice about assessments across one grade level/year? •Over the course of last year, what information did you capture about your students’ learning?  

EngageNY.org 13

Aspire (5 min)•Look at TEXTS •What do you notice about central texts across the year? •What design logic do you see (balance of fiction/informational texts, increase in complexity, etc.)

EngageNY.org 14

Adjustment (5 min)•Consider the map overall.•What changes to instruction did this yearlong map most push you on last year? •How and why?

EngageNY.org 15

Please locate

• Case Study of a Standard Task Card

• Please select a Facilitator Timekeeper

• Facilitators: please review the protocol with your group, then begin.

EngageNY.org 16

Synthesis Consider this statement:

“The standard is not the standard. The assessment is the standard.”

What does this mean? Do you agree? Why or why not?

EngageNY.org 17

Discussion Prompt

Given your role, what are the implications for your work next year in regard to module

implementation?

EngageNY.org 18

Please use your Reflection Form to capture your new learning and thinking on the session.

THANK YOU!

EngageNY.org 19