Growing Graduates in Times of Scarcity : Aligning Curriculum to Maximize Success
Defining & Aligning Local Curriculum
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Transcript of Defining & Aligning Local Curriculum
Defining & AligningLocal Curriculum
What is Curriculum?Individually consider your personal
definition of the term curriculum
What words do you think of when you hear the term curriculum?
Curriculum exists and evolves within the
operating culture of public schools
The North Carolina Professional Teaching
StandardsForm the Foundation
of that Culture
Teachers Are Expected To:
Work collaboratively to
create a professional
learning community in order to plan instruction
appropriate for students.
Teachers Are Expected To:
Understand how students learn and make the
curriculum responsive to
cultural diversity and to individual learning needs.
Teachers Are Expected To:
Engage students in the learning process and
understand that instructional plans
must be constantly
monitored and modified to
enhance learning.
Teachers Are Expected To:
Collaborate with their colleagues
and use a variety of data sources for
short and long range planning based on the
North Carolina Standard Course of
Study.
When NC teachers are asked:
“What is it you expect students to learn?”
Curriculum
They most often reply:
“The North Carolina Standard Course of Study”
This Answer is Only Partially
Correct
If this is the goal….
Mountain
Climbers
Gear
If this is the goal….
Achievement
Mountain
Content Standards
Climbers
Teachers &
Learners
Gear
Local Curricula
Teachers Are Expected To:
Collaborate with their colleagues
and use a variety of data sources for
short and long range planning based on the
North Carolina Standard Course of
Study.
Curriculum is a Complex Combination of
Materials, Resources, and Actions
Curriculum Is:• What teachers teach• What students learn• What the district
mandates• What DPI requires• What is expected by
– Parents– Community– Higher Education
• Curriculum– Identifies Critical Expectations
• Instruction– Defines Essential Outcomes– Presents Relevant Information– Develops Understanding
• Assessment– Reveals Students’ Achieved Skills
• Formative Assessment• Summative Assessment
Dimensions of Curriculum:
three distinct components
• Intended– Identifies Critical Expectations
• Implemented– Defines Essential Outcomes– Presents Relevant Information– Develops Understanding
• Achieved– Reveals Students’ Achieved Skills
• Formative Assessment• Summative Assessment
Dimensions of Curriculum:
three distinct componentsAlso Known As
• Written– Identifies Critical Expectations
• Taught– Defines Essential Outcomes– Presents Relevant Information– Develops Understanding
• Tested– Reveals Students’ Achieved Skills
• Formative Assessment• Summative Assessment
Dimensions of Curriculum:
three distinct componentsAlso Known As
• DPI & District– Identifies Critical Expectations
• Teacher– Defines Essential Outcomes– Presents Relevant Information– Develops Understanding
• Student– Reveals Students’ Achieved Skills
• Formative Assessment• Summative Assessment
Dimensions of Curriculum:
three distinct components
Shared
Responsibility
Curriculum is a Complex Combination of
Materials, Resources, and Actions, for clarity, we will refer to the
components designed and deployed by a district as the
Local Curriculum
• The Department of Public Instruction Deploys STANDARDS
• The District Develops LOCAL CURRICULUM
• The Teachers Design INSTRUCTION
Curriculum is a Shared
Responsibility
STANDARDS• Define the knowledge and skills students
should have within their K-12 education careers to prepare them for higher education or work
• Standards include multiple components: – Common Core Standards– Essential Standards– Major Concepts– Clarifying Objectives– Assessment Prototypes
LOCAL CURRICULUM• Articulates district expectations regarding
scope, sequence, and achievement benchmarks for each content area
• Local Curriculum may have a variety of components: – Clear Learning Objectives– Instructional Calendars and Timeline– Context and Cognitive Type Expectations– Local Assessments and Benchmarking– Local Rubrics and Scoring Guides– Recommended Resources for Instruction
Local Curriculum Sets the Bar and
Identifies for the Community What is Expected of and Provided for
Students in That District
INSTRUCTION• Provides learning experiences, aligned with
local curriculum expectations, to prepare students to meet the standards set by the state
• Instruction includes but is not limited to: – Essential Learning Outcomes– Lesson Timelines– Content Learning Experiences– Opportunities for Practice– Formative Assessment– Corrective instruction where required– Assessment of Student Knowledge and Skills using:
• Teacher Designed Assessments• District Assessments (where available)• DPI Assessment Prototypes (where appropriate)
Teachers Are Expected To:
Work collaboratively to
create a professional
learning community in order to plan instruction
appropriate for students.
Professional Learning Communities are Guided by Four
Essential Questions
1. What is it we expect students to learn?
2. How will we know when they have learned it?
3. How will we respond when they don’t learn it?
4. How will we respond when they already know it?
DuFour Reference
1. What is it we expect students to learn?2. How will we know when they have
learned it?3. How will we respond when they don’t
learn it?4. How will we respond when they already
know it? DuFour Reference
If Students are to be Successful, Teachers
Need a Clear Understanding of
“it”
Guidance Comes From the Standards… But the
Standards Alone are Not Enough
Define it: What is it we expect students to learn?
Measure it: How will we know when they have learned it?
Scaffold it: How will we respond when they don’t learn it?
Extend it: How will we respond when they already know it?
Teachers Need Tools and Resources to
Help Them
In Addition to Standards, Teachers Need the
Local Curriculum
to Clarify District Expectations
LOCAL CURRICULUM• Articulates district expectations regarding
scope, sequence, and achievement benchmarks for each content area
• Local Curriculum may have a variety of components: – Clear Learning Objectives– Instructional Calendars and Timeline– Context and Cognitive Type Expectations– Local Assessments and Benchmarking– Local Rubrics and Scoring Guides– Recommended Resources for Instruction
Importance of Alignment
• Alignment is an even stronger predictor of student achievement on standardized tests than are socioeconomic status, gender, race, and teacher effect.
(Elmore & Rothman, 1999: Mitchell, 1998; Wishnick,1989)
Learning occurs best when there is:
• A purposeful process that aligns:– Curriculum– Instruction– Assessment
• Complete alignment:– Content– Cognitive Type– Context
Content Alignment
“Does the teacher teach and test the
topics listed in the curriculum?”
Lets Take a Test
Please work independently
How Did You Do?
Why Were Some More Successful Than Others?
Cognitive Type Alignment
“Do the students get to work and think at the level the curriculum prescribes?”
Context Alignment
“Are the parameters of the
assessment reasonably similar to the parameters
of the instruction?”
How well could you learn to cook brownies from Rachael Ray?
You have practiced all week!
Are you for the test?How well do you expect to do?
How well would you do?
1. What is it we expect students to learn?2. How will we know when they have
learned it?3. How will we respond when they don’t
learn it?4. How will we respond when they already
know it? DuFour Reference
The Local Curriculum Designs
and Defines the“it”
These Questions Can Provide a Focus for
Developing Local Curriculum
What is it we expect students to learn?
Curriculum learning tasks need to be clearly stated
• What policies and practices, regarding curriculum development, exist in the district?
• What resources are provided to give teachers in the district a common understanding of curricular expectations?
• Scope & Sequence Charts• Pacing Guides• Alignment Documents/Curriculum Maps• Professional Development
How will we know when they have learned it?
There needs to be a plan to assess all areas taught , even those the state does not test
• What policies and practices, regarding assessment, exist in the district?
• What resources are provided to give teachers in the district a common set of tools for assessing student learning?
• Diagnostic Assessments• Formative Assessments• Benchmark Assessments• Content Rubrics• Student Task Scoring Guides
How will we respond when they don’t learn it? Achievement gaps need to be
strategically and methodically addressed
• What policies and practices, regarding student support and intervention, exist in the district?
• What resources are provided to give teachers in the district a common set of tools for addressing achievement gaps
• Instructional Resources• Instructional Strategies• Professional Development
How will we respond when they already know it?
Cognitive complexity and rigor should be expected and supported
• What policies and practices, regarding student
support and enrichment, exist in the district?• What resources are provided to give teachers in
the district a common set of tools for addressing higher order thinking skills
• Instructional Resources• Instructional Strategies• Professional Development
Planning & Design
• Organizing Existing Resources
• Aligning and Developing Resources
• Policies and Practices• Framing Professional Development