What is a District Capacity Assessment (DCA)? The DCA is a measure of a district’s capacity to produce educational benefits for students by successfully implementing and sustaining effective innovations. The DCA is a measure of a district’s capacity to produce educational benefits for students by successfully implementing and sustaining effective innovations. Helps align resources with intended outcomes by identifying strengths and weaknesses to help you target specific areas for improving implementation Helps align resources with intended outcomes by identifying strengths and weaknesses to help you target specific areas for improving implementation Today will give us baseline information that will help guide future action planning. Today will give us baseline information that will help guide future action planning. (implementation.fpg.unc.edu; sisep.org)

Roles Administrator: Kim Administrator: Kim Facilitator: Donna Facilitator: Donna Respondents: District Implementation Team Respondents: District Implementation Team

Process for Completing the DCA Each item will be read aloud to the group. Each item will be read aloud to the group. Questions for clarification can be asked and answered, but the item is not discussed at this time. Questions for clarification can be asked and answered, but the item is not discussed at this time. Everyone will vote simultaneously and publicly after the facilitator (Donna) states “ready, set, vote.” Everyone will vote simultaneously and publicly after the facilitator (Donna) states “ready, set, vote.” Hold up 2 fingers to vote “fully in place.” Hold up 2 fingers to vote “fully in place.” 1 finger = “partially in place” 1 finger = “partially in place” Closed hand = “not in place” Closed hand = “not in place” If complete agreement is reached, we will move on to the next question. If not, we can have a brief discussion of the rationales or information considered by respondents. If complete agreement is reached, we will move on to the next question. If not, we can have a brief discussion of the rationales or information considered by respondents. We will then have a second vote to try to reach consensus. Consensus means We will then have a second vote to try to reach consensus. Consensus means the minority votes can live with the majority decision of an item. the minority votes can live with the majority decision of an item. (implementation.fpg.unc.edu; sisep.org)

Results of the DCA You will have access to a report with graphs reflecting the results of the DCA. You will have access to a report with graphs reflecting the results of the DCA. The information gained from the administration process and the results will help guide future action planning for building capacity in your district. The information gained from the administration process and the results will help guide future action planning for building capacity in your district.

Architecture of a Construct Progression

Claims are the foundation. They are organized by domain. Understandings are the major concepts for each topic. Some construct progressions have one Understanding, while others have multiple, related Understandings. Skills are the small steps within each Understanding. Key Parts of a Construct Progression

Problem Solving CLAIM: Students can use content-independent abilities and strategies as well as content-specific skills, processes, and approaches to solve problems and acquire information. This progression is looking specifically at how children approach the problem-solving process when learning content, rather than how they handle their feelings, relate to others, or engage with/pay attention to the content. (NC Construct Progressions and Situations, November 2015)

Each construct progression for the K-3 Formative Assessment Process includes at least one “Understanding.” Each construct progression for the K-3 Formative Assessment Process includes at least one “Understanding.” “Understandings” are the “big ideas,” or major concepts for each topic, and they correlate with the skills on the progressions. “Understandings” are the “big ideas,” or major concepts for each topic, and they correlate with the skills on the progressions. Claims are the foundation. They are organized by domain. Understandings are the major concepts for each topic. Some construct progressions have one Understanding, while others have multiple, related Understandings. Skills are the small steps within each Understanding.

Performance Descriptors Performance Descriptors Underneath each Skill along the construct progression, you will find several Performance Descriptors. Underneath each Skill along the construct progression, you will find several Performance Descriptors. The Performance Descriptors “paint a picture” of what the skills look like in a real classroom by giving examples of what a child may say, do, make, or write to demonstrate understanding at each skill level. They are intended to help teachers determine a student’s placement on a construct progression. The Performance Descriptors “paint a picture” of what the skills look like in a real classroom by giving examples of what a child may say, do, make, or write to demonstrate understanding at each skill level. They are intended to help teachers determine a student’s placement on a construct progression. For the construct progressions designed for the K-3 FAP, the Performance Descriptors are “leveled” examples. The first description is designed to represent what is likely to be seen in a kindergarten or first-grade class, while the second example is likely to be seen in a first- or secon d- grade class. For the construct progressions designed for the K-3 FAP, the Performance Descriptors are “leveled” examples. The first description is designed to represent what is likely to be seen in a kindergarten or first-grade class, while the second example is likely to be seen in a first- or secon d- grade class.

“Leveled” Examples

The construct progressions for the K-3 Formative Assessment Process are designed for ages 3-10, while the progressions for the KEA portion are designed for ages 3-6. The construct progressions for the K-3 Formative Assessment Process are designed for ages 3-10, while the progressions for the KEA portion are designed for ages 3-6. The skill steps along the construct progression are from less sophisticated to more sophisticated. They are fine-grained. The skill steps along the construct progression are from less sophisticated to more sophisticated. They are fine-grained. Remember…

The skill steps along the construct progression help a teacher determine where a child is currently performing. The skill steps along the construct progression help a teacher determine where a child is currently performing. Once a teacher determines where a child is currently performing, the next skill step along the progression can help guide the student’s next learning target. Once a teacher determines where a child is currently performing, the next skill step along the progression can help guide the student’s next learning target. Remember…

Office of Early Learning, NC DPI Adapted from: Heritage, M. (2010 ). Formative assessment: Making it happen in the classroom. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. The skill steps on a progression can help teachers and students select a learning target. Performance Descriptors can help determine what success will look like. Many different opportunities and formats can be used for gathering evidence of learning. A construct progression can be used to interpret the evidence and locate a child’s current skill level. The construct progression can help teachers determine how to plan “next steps” for instruction.

Problem Solving Progression Activity - Understandings

This progression includes multiple “Understandings,” or “big ideas.”  Children understand that there are academic problems and that they can attempt to solve them.  Children understand that in order to solve problems they can use familiar procedures and tools.  Children understand that there are cognitive concepts that connect to problems that need to be solved.  Children understand that cognitive concepts and procedural knowledge are used to solve familiar and novel problems efficiently. (NC Construct Progressions and Situations, November 2015)

Problem Solving Progression Activity - Skills

 Reflections  Planning Ahead