1 / 39

Alabama Course of Study: Science

Alabama Course of Study: Science. Alabama Department of Education 2005 Summer Workshops Regional Inservice Centers MEGA Conference. Major Messages. Minimum Required Content Process and Application Skills Awareness of Vertical Alignment

raechel
Download Presentation

Alabama Course of Study: Science

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Alabama Course of Study: Science Alabama Department of Education 2005 Summer Workshops Regional Inservice Centers MEGAConference

  2. Major Messages • Minimum Required Content • Process and Application Skills • Awareness of Vertical Alignment • Impact and Influence of Defined Position Statements • Impact of Curriculum Planning • Attainment of Goal: Scientific Literacy for All Alabama Students

  3. Ground Rules • Work cooperatively. • Have an open mind. •  Adhere to time constraints. •  Share with the entire group. •  Silence cell phones and pagers.

  4. Questions of the Day? • Do you want to understand and be familiar with the new Alabama Course of Study: Science? • Have you ever wondered how to interpret and implement the academic standards in the Alabama Course of Study: Science? • Is it important for you to be a part of improving scientific literacy in Alabama?

  5. Course of Study Word Splash SCIENTIFIC LITERACY CONTENT STANDARD ALIGNMENT SCIENCE DOMAINS INQUIRY Code of Alabama 1975, 16-6B-2(f) 5-E INSTRUCTIONAL MODEL

  6. Scientific Literacy for All Alabama Students • Enhances Students’ Ability to: • Observe Perceptively • Reflect Thoughtfully upon Ideas and Observations • Make Informed Decisions • Comprehend and Analyze Offered Explanations and Alternate Views • Deal Intelligently with Local and Global Problems

  7. Yes! Science for Every Student in Every Grade Every Day?

  8. What is the Alabama Course of Study: Science? • A Curriculum Document: • Containing the Minimum Required Content of a Subject Area for All Alabama Public Schools • Specifying What Students Should Know and be Able to Do in a Particular Subject Area by the End of Each Course and Grade Level (K-12)

  9. Governing Laws and Regulations • The State Board of Education … shall prescribe the minimum contents of courses • of study for all public, elementary, and high schools in the state… (Code of Alabama, 1975, §16-35-4 and §16-6b-2f) • … the county (city) superintendent of education shall prescribe courses of study for • schools of the county (city) and submit for approval and adoption by the county (city) board of education…Printed copies shall be supplied to every teacher and interested citizen. (Code of Alabama, 1975, §16-9-21and §16-12-9)

  10. No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 • § 200.1 State responsibilities for developing challenging academic standards. • Academic standards in general.A State must develop challenging academic content and student academic achievement standards that will be used by the State, its local educational agencies (LEAs), and its schools… • § 200.2 State responsibilities for assessment. • Assessments must“... be aligned with the State’s challenging academic content and student academic achievement standards…” Federal Register/Volume 67, No. 129/Friday, July 5, 2002/Rules and Regulations

  11. Influence of No Child Left Behind on Alabama's Science Academic Content Standards • Standards apply to all students. • Standards are not repeated. • Standards are clear and measurable at the state level. • Mastery is expected at each grade level. • Content standards are fewer in number. • Bullets are related content that must be taught.

  12. Characteristics of Science Academic Content Standards A Content Standard: ● Is Foundational ● Defines Content ● Is Developmentally Appropriate ● Is Reasonable ● Is Clearly Written ● Is Measurable

  13. Who Developed the Alabama Course of Study: Science? • A Course of Study Committee Selected as Follows: • 1 Elementary Teacher (K-6) and 1 Secondary Teacher (7-12) from each of the Seven Congressional Districts • 4 Members from the State At-Large in a Supervisory or Administrative Capacity • 3 Members Who are Employees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and Specialists in the Course of Study Areas to be Revised • 7 Additional Members Appointed by the Governor (One From Each of the Seven Congressional Districts; Not Employed in the Field of Education)

  14. Implementation Cycle 2004-2005 ALABAMA COURSE OF STUDY: SCIENCE REVISIONS AND ADOPTION 2005 STATE TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE MEETS 2005-2006 LOCAL TEXTBOOK ADOPTION COMMITTEES MEET FALL 2006 FULL IMPLEMENTATION 2005-2006 LOCAL SYSTEMS DESIGN CURRICULA FALL 2005-OPTIONAL IMPLEMENTATION

  15. Significant Changes 2001 2005

  16. Process and Application Skills

  17. Interpreting the Content Standards Content standards: • Define what students should know and be able to do at the conclusion of a course or grade • Identify minimum required content Bullets: • Contain additional related and required content Examples: • Clarify certain components of content standards or bullets • Are illustrative but not exhaustive

  18. Content Standard Example Bullet Sample Content Standard Describe ways energy from the sun is used. Examples: plant growth, light, heat ● Identifying fossil fuels as a source of energy (Grade 3, Standard 3)

  19. General Outline of the Science Course of Study • Preface • Acknowledgments • Introduction to the Document • Conceptual Framework • Position Statements • Minimum Required Content • Appendices

  20. Resources • Benchmarks for Science Literacy • National Science Education Standards • Science for All Americans • Third International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) • Documents From Other States • The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 • Alabama Course of Study: Science, Bulletin 2001,No. 20 • Public and Professional Input • State and National Assessments

  21. Conceptual Framework

  22. Position Statements • Classroom Environment • Laboratory Emphasis • Scientific Writing • Safety • Connections • Integration of Technology • 5-E Instructional Model • Assessment • Cultural Diversity in Science • Scientific Process and Application Skills

  23. Scientific Writing • Scientific Journals • Science Notebooks • Charts • Open-Ended Essays

  24. Safety • Alabama’s Safety CD • Alabama’s Eye Protection Law (Code of Alabama, 1975, §16-1-7) • A Written Science Safety Plan

  25. State Programs That Facilitate Use of Technology

  26. Instructional Model

  27. Content Organization • Grades K-2 • Grades 3-5 • Grades 6-8 • Grades 9-12

  28. Content Standards—Grades K-2

  29. Content Standards—Grades 3-5

  30. Content Standards—Grades 6-8

  31. Content Standards—Grades 9-12

  32. Content Alignment Sample

  33. Performance Descriptors/ Academic Achievement Standards • What They DO • Describe Students’ Overall Performance on All Science Standards in a Grade • Define Several Distinct Levels of Performance

  34. Performance Levels Level4 – ExceedsStandards Above the Content Standard Aligned to the Content Standard Level 3 - Meets Standards Level 2 - Partially Meets Standards Below the Content Standard Below Partially Meets Standards Level 1 - Does Not Meet Standards

  35. Example Level III (Proficient) Third-grade students performing at Level III can classify substances as soluble or insoluble. These students can identify physical and chemical changes of matter. They can describe ways energy from the sun is used. Level III students can define force and motion. These students can identify the relationship of simple machines to compound machines. They can identify the structures and functions of the muscular and skeletal systems of the human body. Level III students can describe the life cycle of plants, including seed, seed germination, growth, and reproduction. They can identify how organisms are classified in the Animalia and Plantae kingdoms. These students can describe how fossils provide evidence of prehistoric plant life. Level III students can determine habitat conditions that support plant growth and survival. They can describe the layers of Earth, including the inner and outer cores, mantle, and crust. These students can identify the conditions that result in specific weather phenomena, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes. Level III students can describe ways to sustain natural resources, including recycling, reusing, conserving, and protecting the environment. They can describe the position of Earth, the moon, and the sun during the course of a day or month.

  36. Local Implementation • Content standards and related content included in bullets in this document are minimum and required. • Examples are fundamental and specific but not exhaustive. • In developing local curriculum, school systems may include: • Additional Content Standards to Reflect Local Philosophies • Implementation Guidelines • Resources • Activities • Pacing Guides

More Related