Outcomes for Today

1. Outcomes for Today To gain clarification and create a shared image of C, A, I in SPSD • Common terms • See how the pieces fit and work together To put our work in perspective with the direction of the State of Maine • Proficiency-based Diplomas • Multiple pathways to show proficiency To define what we need to do next • as a District • as a PLLT

2. Agenda • 8:00 – 8:15 Welcome, agenda & goals for the day  • 8:15 – 8:45 What are the big questions circulating? • 8:45 – 9:30 Read part of Chap. 3 of Becoming a Great High School • 9:30 – 9:45 Break • 9:45 – 10:15 PowerPoint of the “Bigger Picture” • 10:15 – 10:45 Review Questions Raised at the Outset • 10:45 – 11:15 What’s Going on in ME • 11:30 – 12:15 Lunch • 12:15 – 1:30 Time with the some documents • 1:30 – 2:30 Discuss where we go from here

3. Understanding Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment in SPSD 2012-13

4. Confusions • PBL vs backward design • Backward design = B-D units? • STEM is the new thing now? • Relationship between curriculum maps and backward design unit template • Curriculum maps relationship to Guaranteed and Viable curriculum • Common core vs “power standards” vs G&V • Common assessments require teaching same units • 21st century skills vs B-D units • What curriculum (i.e., program or textbook) are we going to use for that

5. Curriculum • What we want students to learn … to know and be able to do • Knowledge, skills, concepts & processes that we want students to have and be able to use • the most Essential Learning • Not a text book or a program … those are materials used to help us instruct NOT to define what is to be learned

6. National & State • Common Core State Standards – E/LA and Math (2010) • Next Generation Science Standards (perhaps 2012) • Maine Learning Results – Parameters of Essential Instructions (2007) • Science (until Next Generation Science Standards) • Social Studies • Health/PE • World Languages • Visual and Performing Arts • Career Preparation/Exploration

7. National and State Standards • 71% longer school year needed (pre-K/K through 21 or 22); Over 200 standards with over 3000 benchmarks for 14 content areas • Not all standards are of equal level of importance and what gets tested by the state may not be the most valuable content for students’ future (Dagget (2007) state tests are the beginning point not the end point of learning) • Written with too many different mental processes all rolled into one statement … requires that the standard be sorted out for instructional purposes • Written in a way that allows too much interpretation within the classroom

8. Guaranteed & Viable Curriculum • Clearly the Common Core and Learning Results propose something that is not VIABLE (do-able) and there we cannot GUARANTEE that all students will learn all of this. • The challenge becomes identifying what we in SPSD feels is the most important, essential, foundational things for students to learn to be successful.

9. Backward Design Process • Backward Design is an approach to organizing the knowledge, skills, concepts & processes we want students to learn so that they are in a meaningful and logical order

10. Backward Design Process Tools/Terms • Curriculum Maps – outlines what students need to learn and in what order • Meant to focus planning with the end in mind • Include • the Essential Learning • In an order that is logical • the methods of assessment that the teacher and students will be working on throughout the year (e.g., major writing assignments, projects, performances) • the major content resources

11. Backward Design Process National and State Standards G&V Curriculum of Essential Learning (a.ka. Curriculum Maps)

12. Rigor/Relevance Framework • When it comes to instruction, South Portland believes that students learn best when the learning of facts, knowledge, skills, concepts, and processes, or what we call Essential Learnings, are integrated and woven together in meaningful ways. • The International Center for Leadership in Education provides a framework that allows us to categorize and define our instruction in terms of student learning of facts, knowledge, skills, concepts, and processes. • This framework is visually represented in 4 quadrants (A, B, C, D).

13. Rigor/Relevance Framework

14. Rigor/Relevance Defined • Rigor refers to learning in which • students demonstrate a thorough, in-depth mastery of challenging tasks to develop cognitive skills through reflective thought, analysis, problem-solving, evaluation (a.k.a. critical thinking) or creativity. • Relevance refers to learning which • has students apply core skills, knowledge, concepts, or processes to solve problems using collaboration and communication as is done in the real-world • is interdisciplinary and contextual • is created through authentic tasks, simulations, service learning, connecting concepts to current issues/interests, and teaching others Authentic tasks defined: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/atrisk/at4lk3.htm Taken from a white paper which uses excerpts from Daggett & Jones (2008). Leading Change in High Schools. International Center for Leadership in Education.

15. Rigorous/Relevant 21st Century Instruction • Instruction that exists in the D quadrant, or is moving the learning to the D quadrant, is inclusive, by the nature of what quadrant D learning is, of 21st century skills and learning. • Communication • Collaboration • Creativity, Innovation & Problem-solving • Critical thinking

16. R/R 21st Century Instruction Communication – Moving from A to B - i.e., applying skills across domains requires communicating either by representation of science concepts through statistical representations or communicating results either in speaking or writing Collaboration – Moving from A to B - i.e., working in real contexts and on real-word problems requires students to interact as the people in those real contexts … teams of engineers, medical diagnosticians, … Critical thinking – Moving from A to C – i.e., analyzing situations, collecting info and data and synthesizing it into creating new understanding about role of women in US society over time or technological innovations and their impact on the economy Creativity, Innovation & Problem-solving – Moving from C to D - i.e., having a new understanding and using it to answer a question in a real context such as how to make styluses for iPads 21st century skills are the vehicle that moves student learning from one quadrant to the next.

17. Rigorous/Relevant Instruction … is integrated instruction and learning integrated content, integrated skills across domains & contexts … meaningful and matters to students real contexts, connects to their interest … achieved through promotion of collaboration, communication, critical thinking & creativity, …

18. Backward Design Process National and State Standards G&V Curriculum of Essential Learning (a.ka. Curriculum Maps) Rigorous/Relevant …. Integrated Instruction

19. Backward Design Process/Tool: Supporting R/R Instruction • Unit Template– just a tool to support planning units of instruction that are Rigorous and Relevant • Well suited to planning from clear expectations of learning as in an articulated G & V curriculum • Includes everything from the Curriculum Map plus • more detailed notes on the formative and summative assessments to be used throughout the unit • the strategies and best practices used to explicitly teach the standards-based essential skills and concepts • a list of the resources and activities that will be used throughout the unit

20. Backward Design Process National and State Standards G&V Curriculum of Essential Learning (a.ka. Curriculum Maps) Backward Design Process Rigorous/Relevant …. Integrated Instruction

21. Instructional Strategies • South Portland embraces a variety of instructional strategies for ensuring that students learn the essential knowledge, skills, concepts & processes in an integrated and meaningful way • The Backward Design process provides a systematic way of preparing for implementation of any of these strategies and other integrated learning strategies. • STEM • PBL • Service Learning • Internships • Interdisciplinary Units • Writing Across the Curriculum • and others …

22. Backward Design Process National and State Standards G&V Curriculum of Essential Learning (a.ka. Curriculum Maps) Writing Across the Curriculum Interdisciplinary Units Backward Design Process STEM Service Learning Rigorous/Relevant …. Integrated Instruction other PBL Internships other

23. Assessment • Assessment allows students to show what they know and can do • Allows us to provide feedback to promote learning • Formative Assessment • Allows us to know when students have the key learning and are ready for the next level in the progression of learning • Formative & Summative Assessment • Allows us to intervene and support • RTI • Allows us to evaluate our choices of materials and teaching approaches • Instructional approaches evaluation

24. Backward Design Process National and State Standards G&V Curriculum of Essential Learning Writing Across the Curriculum Service Learning Backward Design Process Interdisciplinary Units STEM Rigorous/Relevant …. Integrated Instruction other PBL Internships other Classroom Assessments

25. Common Assessment • Common Assessments provide us a way to ensure that regardless of school or classroom students are learning those things that we have identified as the most essential to learn. • Common Assessments are a systematic way to measure and document proficiency. • Common Assessments document and ensure what we at SPSD guarantee for student learning and that which is viable for all students to learn.

26. Backward Design Process National and State Standards G&V Curriculum of Essential Learning Program Evaluation Writing Across the Curriculum Service Learning Backward Design Process Interdisciplinary Units STEM Essential Learning Rigorous/Relevant …. Integrated Instruction Readiness & RTI other PBL Internships other Proficiency Reporting Classroom Assessments Common Assessments

27. So, ideally … • … our curriculum maps document the Essential Learning and have articulated the levels of learning needed to achieve each objective within the year and from year to year • … teachers are fleshing-out units of instruction (perhaps using Backward Design) that are Rigorous/Relevant and implementing their units with one of the many research-based instructional strategies the District supports • … there are common assessments that measure the Essential Learnings and that are processed by teachers to evaluate student needs for intervention and reflection on instructional practice • … we are communicating to students and parents progress toward the Essential Learnings

28. Backward Design Process National and State Standards G&V Curriculum of Essential Learning Program Evaluation Writing Across the Curriculum Service Learning Backward Design Process Interdisciplinary Units STEM Essential Learning Rigorous/Relevant …. Integrated Instruction Readiness & RTI other PBL Internships other Proficiency Reporting Common Assessments

29. But is this happening? • Teachers have expended a lot of time and energy on all of the dynamic parts of the CAI cycle in SPSD • There has been a lot coming at educators in the past 6-8 years (NCLB-AYP; CCSS; Proficiency-based Diplomas; “financial cliff” etc.) • Without a Director it has been difficult to make the work on all of the dynamic parts coherent and aligned to all that is demanded Has the big picture become obscured?

30. • Backward Design Curriculum Map Template • Backward Design Lesson-Unit Template • PBL Template Backward Design Process • Pilot Template (i.e., TenMarks, Being a Writer K-5) National and State Standards G&V Curriculum of Essential Learning Program Evaluation Writing Across the Curriculum Interdisciplinary Units Backward Design Process Framework/Quadrants STEM Service Learning Essential Learning Rigorous/Relevant …. Integrated Instruction Readiness & RTI PBL other Internships other • Common Assessment Discussion Guide Next Navigator Next Navigator Proficiency Reporting Common Assessment Items in red are TOOLS to support teachers’ in the CAI process • Common Assessment Planning Template

31. • Backward Design Curriculum Map Template • Backward Design Lesson-Unit Template • PBL Template Backward Design Process • Pilot Process (i.e., TenMarks, Being a Writer K-5) National and State Standards G&V Curriculum of Essential Learning Program Evaluation Writing Across the Curriculum Interdisciplinary Units PLLT; PLLT Planning Meetings Planning Forms; Note-taking Forms Department Heads Backward Design Process Ray McNulty; Model Schools Conferences Framework/Quadrants STEM Service Learning Rigorous/Relevant …. Integrated Instruction Essential Learning Readiness & RTI PBL other Internships other • Common Assessment Discussion Guide Next Navigator Next Navigator Proficiency Reporting Common Assessment Common Assessment Calendar Form • Common Assessment Planning Template Items in blue support the STRUCTURES we have for CAI

32. • Backward Design Curriculum Map Template • Backward Design Lesson-Unit Template • PBL Template Backward Design Process • Pilot Process (i.e., TenMarks, Being a Writer K-5) National and State Standards G&V Curriculum of Essential Learning Program Evaluation Writing Across the Curriculum Interdisciplinary Units PLLT; PLLT Planning Meetings Planning Forms; Note-taking Forms Department Heads Interdisciplinary Units Backward Design Process Ray McNulty; Model Schools Conferences Framework/Quadrants STEM Service Learning STEM Service Learning Rigorous/Relevant …. Integrated Instruction Essential Learning Readiness & RTI PBL other Internships other • Common Assessment Discussion Guide Next Navigator Next Navigator Proficiency Reporting Common Assessment Common Assessment Calendar Form • Common Assessment Planning Template

33. Backward Design Process National and State Standards G&V Curriculum of Essential Learning Program Evaluation Writing Across the Curriculum Service Learning Backward Design Process Interdisciplinary Units STEM Essential Learning Rigorous/Relevant …. Integrated Instruction Readiness & RTI other PBL Internships other Proficiency Reporting Common Assessments

34. Where are we … • Is what we have in place viable and coherent enough that teachers can focus on instruction? • Do our maps articulate the essential learning and the levels of that learning that are viable? Are they truly essential learning statements? • Where Common Assessments exist, what are they assessing? • the info on the curriculum map? Assessing big understanding or smaller skills? Balance of both? • Where Common Assessments are needed, if there are maps do they clearly outline what should be assessed? • If no map, then what will the assessments be assessing?

35. Backward Design Process National and State Standards G&V Curriculum of Essential Learning Program Evaluation Writing Across the Curriculum Service Learning Backward Design Process Interdisciplinary Units STEM Essential Learning Rigorous/Relevant …. Integrated Instruction Readiness & RTI other PBL Internships other Proficiency Reporting Common Assessments

36. MCCL Cohort Work • Originally 9 districts, now almost 30 • Have spent more than 3 years unpacking the Federal and State standards and creating Essential Learnings at up to 12 levels with clearly articulated foundational skills needed to achieve the larger understanding • Worked with Marzano Lab and there work has gone through 2 reviews at the lab for Math, E/LA, Soc. St. & Science and in review for the other content areas