Social Studies and Alignment Making the Pieces Fit October 25, 2010 Robert Sox Wake County Public School System Senior Administrator Title I

What is an EXPERT? Pronounced: “ex-spurt” Ex: Former Spurt: A drip under pressure

Our level of depth for this topic is: Water SkiingDeep Diving Not

What helped this tree get this TALL?

The Big Five Beginning with the class of 2010 students must pass five End of Course Tests Algebra I Biology English I Civics & Economics U.S. History

Tiny Acorn : Mighty Oak Elaborate on the cycle of economic boom and bust in the 1920’s and 1930’s Analyze the extent of prosperity for different segments of society during this period Examine the impact of technological innovations on American Life Kindergarten: Distinguish between wants and needs Third Grade: Define and identify examples of scarcity Third Grade: Explain the impact of scarcity on the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services

The Elementary Connection GradeObjectivesIn C&E% C&EIn US Hist% US Hist K29 100% %3086% % %2793% %2983% %3479% Percentages determined by groups of teachers from each given grade level

The State of Elementary Social Studies North Carolina elementary teachers teach social studies about 30 minutes a week Burroughs et al.,2005 Teachers stated the main barrier to teaching social studies was loss of instructional time to the tested subjects Heafner, Lipscomb, & Rock, 2006

Even Greater Loss While high stakes testing has reduced the portion of time dedicated to social studies for all students, some students have even less access to social studies content –ESL –Special Education –Academically Gifted

Simple Facts Social Studies accounts for 40% of this new “Graduation Gateway” While there is NO test for elementary social studies –Elementary teachers must plant the “seeds” early enough. –Elementary teachers must protect “seedlings” from harsh weather

This Majestic tree is the legacy of ALL who contributed to its presence (Even those who weren't around the day the picture was snapped)

What is Curriculum? Individually consider your personal definition of the term curriculum What words do you think of when you hear the term curriculum?

Look at Your List Please work independently

Lets Take a Test Please work independently

How Did You Do? Why Were Some More Successful Than Others?

If We Believe All Kids Can Learn… What is it we expect them to learn? How will we know when they have learned it? How will we respond when they don’t learn it? How will we respond when they already know it?

How Hard Can it Be? it –just two letters –a single syllable –a simple word

The Definition of “it” it: pronoun, nominative it, possessive its or (Obsolete or Dialect ) it, objective it; plural nominative they, possessive their or theirs, objective them; noun –pronoun 1.(used to represent an inanimate thing understood, previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context): It has whitewall tires and red upholstery. You can't tell a book by its cover. 2.(used to represent a person or animal understood, previously mentioned, or about to be mentioned whose gender is unknown or disregarded): It was the largest ever caught off the Florida coast. Who was it? It was John. The horse had its saddle on. 3.(used to represent a group understood or previously mentioned): The judge told the jury it must decide two issues. 4.(used to represent a concept or abstract idea understood or previously stated): It all started with Adam and Eve. He has been taught to believe it all his life. 5.(used to represent an action or activity understood, previously mentioned, or about to be mentioned): Since you don't like it, you don't have to go skiing. 6.(used as the impersonal subject of the verb to be, esp. to refer to time, distance, or the weather): It is six o'clock. It is five miles to town. It was foggy. 7.(used in statements expressing an action, condition, fact, circumstance, or situation without reference to an agent): If it weren't for Edna, I wouldn't go. 8.(used in referring to something as the origin or cause of pain, pleasure, etc.): Where does it hurt? It looks bad for the candidate. 9.(used in referring to a source not specifically named or described): It is said that love is blind. 10.(used in referring to the general state of affairs; circumstances, fate, or life in general): How's it going with you? 11.(used as an anticipatory subject or object to make a sentence more eloquent or suspenseful or to shift emphasis): It is necessary that you do your duty. It was a gun that he was carrying. 12.Informal. (used instead of the pronoun its before a gerund): It having rained for only one hour didn't help the crops. –noun 13.(in children's games) the player called upon to perform some task, as, in tag, the one who must catch the other players. 14.Slang. a.sex appeal. b.sexual intercourse. — Idioms 15.get with it, Slang. to become active or interested: He was warned to get with it or resign. 16.have it, Informal. a.to love someone: She really has it bad for him. b.to possess the requisite abilities for something; be talented, adept, or proficient: In this business youeither have it or you don't. 17.with it, Slang. a.aware of the latest fads, fashions, etc.; up-to-date. b.attentive or alert: I'm just not with it early in the morning. c.understanding or appreciative of something, as jazz. d.Carnival Slang. being a member of the carnival. Source:

it We know what to say When someone asks: “What is it you expect them to learn?” We typically reply: “The North Carolina Standard Course of Study”

(Curriculum) …Much more than a single simple word

Three Dimensions of Curriculum Intended (DPI, LEA) –Identifies Critical Expectations Implemented (Teachers) –Defines Essential Outcomes –Presents Relevant Information –Develops Understanding Achieved (Students) –Assess Students’ Skills Formative Summative

Three Dimensions of Curriculum Curriculum –Identifies Critical Expectations Instruction –Defines Essential Outcomes –Presents Relevant Information –Develops Understanding Assessment –Assess Students’ Skills Formative Summative

Learning occurs best when there is: A purposeful process that aligns: –Curriculum –Instruction –Assessment Complete alignment: –External –Internal

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)

To significantly improve our core business of Teaching & Learning Curriculum learning tasks need to be clearly stated (More specifically than the DPI SCoS) There needs to be a plan to assess all areas taught (Even those the state doesn’t test) We need to close achievement gaps (At the current rate we’ll NEVER meet our goals) We need to instruct toward a higher level of thinking (Bloom/Marzano)

In Other Words Collaboratively we must seek the most effective means to systematically –Define It (Curriculum learning tasks need to be clearly stated) –Measure It (There needs to be a plan to assess all areas taught) –Scaffold It (We need to close achievement gaps) –Extend It (We need to instruct toward a higher level of thinking)

Professional Learning Communities Put Teachers on the Right Track Curriculum learning tasks need to be clearly stated There needs to be a plan to assess all areas taught We need to close achievement gaps We need to instruct toward a higher level of thinking What is it we expect them to learn? How will we know when they have learned it? How will we respond when they don’t learn it? How will we respond when they already know it?

The Focus of Collaboration Collaborative cultures, which by definition have close relationships, are indeed powerful, but unless they are focusing on the right things they may end up being powerfully wrong.

We Must Start at the Right Place AND Know Where We Are Headed Instructional Planning

External Alignment “Does the teacher teach and test the topics listed in the curriculum?”

To clearly identify the most critical content (essential learning) To ensure that teachers clearly understand the cognitive tasks implicit in the standard. To prepare for designing lessons –Prerequisite skills –Vocabulary –Enrichment and intervention –Assessment Unwrapping the Standards

Let’s Start With Something We All Understand Chocolate!

Why Unwrap?

The GOOD STUFF is INSIDE What’s Really in the Bag?

Each Bag is a Unique Collection

This is Half

How Can I Reduce AND Maintain the Integrity of the Collection?

Organizing What You Have

Did We Maintain the Integrity?

How much more can we reduce?

To significantly improve our core business of Teaching & Learning Curriculum learning tasks need to be clearly stated (More specifically than the DPI SCoS) There needs to be a plan to assess all areas taught (Even those the state doesn’t test) We need to close achievement gaps (At the current rate we’ll NEVER meet our goals) We need to instruct toward a higher level of thinking (Bloom/Marzano)

Internal Alignment “Do the students get to work and think at the level the curriculum prescribes?”

The key to mastery of a standard is the teacher’s clear understanding of the level of cognition required and how to support students in reaching that level. Teaching for Higher Order Thinking

Providing Context This story is set back in a time when there wasn’t any plumbing and life was more simplistic. It shares the childhood memories of a little girl living with her grandparents in the mountains.

Consider this Standard The learner will evaluate how the lives of individuals and families of the past are different from what they are today 1.Describe the life of the mountain girl’s family. 2.How was the life of the mountain girl’s family different from your family? Would these questions get to it?

Verbs: Evaluate You Find It in the Nouns and the Verbs Nouns: Lives Individuals (past & present) Families (past & present) Standard The learner will evaluate how the lives of individuals and families of the past are different from what they are today

Determining the Cognitive Demands of the Standards The Knowledge Dimension (nouns) The Cognitive Process Dimension (verbs) 1. Remember 2. Understand 3. Apply 4. Analyze 5. Evaluate 6. Create A. Factual X Individual B. Conceptual X Family Life C. Procedural D. Meta- Cognitive The learner will evaluate how the lives of individuals and families of the past are different from what they are today

Describe the life of the mountain girl’s family. The Knowledge Dimension The Cognitive Process Dimension 1. Remember 2. Understand 3. Apply 4. Analyze 5. Evaluate 6. Create A. Factual X Individual B. Conceptual X Family Life C. Procedural D. Meta- Cognitive X

How was the life of the mountain girl’s family different from your family? The Knowledge Dimension The Cognitive Process Dimension 1. Remember 2. Understand 3. Apply 4. Analyze 5. Evaluate 6. Create A. Factual X Individual B. Conceptual X Family Life C. Procedural D. Meta- Cognitive X

Sometimes We Miss the Mark If the teaching sequence is designed to support student learning at the knowledge level, but the standard is actually at the analysis level, we have taught to the wrong target.

How might we get closer to the target? The Knowledge Dimension The Cognitive Process Dimension 1. Remember 2. Understand 3. Apply 4. Analyze 5. Evaluate 6. Create A. Factual B. Conceptual C. Procedural D. Meta- Cognitive

Craft a question closer to the target: The learner will evaluate how the lives of individuals and families of the past are different from what they are today Evaluating allows one to: assess, choose, decide, judge, justify, prioritize, rank, rate, select This is a Kindergarten objective, so how do we say it in terms a five year old can understand?

Evidence of Higher Order Thinking SubjectKnowledge and Comprehension ApplicationAnalysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation Language Arts 73%10%17% Math 84%11%6% Science 79%7%14% * Social Studies 80%3%17% * NOTE: Social Studies represents grades 5-11, as there were no Social Studies artifacts collected K-4 15% 85%

To clearly identify the most critical concepts (essential learning) To ensure that teachers clearly understand the cognitive tasks implicit in the standard. To prepare for designing lessons –Prerequisite skills –Vocabulary –Enrichment and intervention –Assessment Standards Must be Unwrapped

Competency Goal 3: The learner will recognize and understand the concept of change in various settings. Objectives 3.01 Observe and describe how individuals and families grow and change Evaluate how the lives of individuals and families of the past are different from what they are today Observe and summarize changes within communities Recognize changes in the classroom and school environments.

Verbs = Cognitive Skills Observe Recognize Describe Summarize Evaluate Understand (change in individual, family, school, and community) Unwrapping Change Nouns = Critical Concepts Change/Growth in various human contexts Individuals Families Classroom School Environment Community

Skills to teach Observe Recognize Describe Summarize Evaluate Understand Skills to evaluate Describe Evaluate Assessment/Evaluation Change in individual, family, school, and community

Verbs = Cognitive Skills Observe Recognize Describe Summarize Evaluate Understand (change in individual, family, school, and community) Unwrapping Change Nouns = Critical Concepts Change/Growth in various human contexts Individuals Families Classroom School Environment Community

Government and Active Citizenship What pieces do you own? Skills (Verbs) Concepts (Nouns)

Lets Look Vertically What do you notice? What is the advantage of knowing? How can this guide your work? What can you do, now that you’ve noticed? What would you do first?

Well Worth Repeating! 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)

If We Believe All Kids Can Learn… What is it we expect them to learn? How will we know when they have learned it? How will we respond when they don’t learn it? How will we respond when they already know it?

“All of our students belong to each of us… … each of our students belongs to all of us” Collaboration helps Everyone Succeed

What do we REMEMBER?

What Stuck? What made it last?

What Are You Thinking Now?