Angelique Austin, Program Specialist for Secondary ELA & AIG

  Timeline Background and Overview In 2004, SBE approved a framework for honors level courses In 2012, SBE began revising the 2004 framework, addressing the new standards In June 2012, the SBE approved the framework, making it mandatory for all teachers of honors courses to create an electronic portfolio

 Timeline for ABSS Fall 2013, the requirements for the Honors Portfolio were announced During the Spring of 2014, all honors teachers should be developing their electronic portfolio Fall 2014 Teachers will submit at the school level Winter 2014 School level will submit to the district level

  Create an Honors Portfolio Committee  Suggestions: Principal, Assistant Principals, Academic Coaches, Guidance Counselors, Department Heads to review portfolios  Academic Coach or Assistant Principal to be in charge of electronic submissions and paperwork  Deadline for submissions at the school level – October 2014  Deadline for submissions from schools to the district level – December 2014  Deadline for submissions at the district level to DPI – March 2015 School Level Needs

 Honors courses must be developed and implemented to:  be more challenging than standard level courses in order to foster growth for advanced learners.  be distinguished by a difference in the depth and scope of work required Definition of Honors Level Courses

 Teachers of honors level courses will:  possess the skills, knowledge, and dispositions to facilitate an honors level course with advanced curriculum content.  have the capacity to develop and implement a differentiated curriculum based on and above the standard curriculum to support the growth of advanced learners.  use a variety of instructional strategies to engage advanced learners.  be aware of current curriculum innovations and research in the subject area in order to develop and implement an honors level course  develop and update an electronic honors portfolio for each honors course taught Teacher’s Role

 To support honors level instruction, principals will:  assign honors level courses to teachers who possess the skills, knowledge and dispositions to facilitate an honors level course with advanced curriculum content.  ensure teachers are using the Honors Level Course Rubric Framework and the Honors Level Course Implementation Guide to define honors level instruction  ensure teachers have developed and continually update their honors portfolio for each course taught School/Administrator’s Role

 To support honors level instruction, the district will:  provide training and professional development opportunities regarding rigor and instructional strategies  conduct audits to ensure teachers are using the Honors Level Course Rubric Framework and the Honors Level Course Implementation Guide to define honors level instruction and are maintaining an Honors Portfolio for each course taught District Level Roles

  The Honors Level Course Rubric and the Honors Implementation Guide will serve as a framework to guide teachers, principals, and Local Education Agencies in developing and locally reviewing honors level courses. The honors level course review process will occur every three years.  Randomly selected Local Education Agencies will be notified at least one semester prior to the review in order for effective collection of documentation and artifacts. The review process is intended to provide comments, feedback, and support to strengthen honors level courses for continuous program improvement. The Review Process

 Honors Implementation Wiki

  This is where you describe your personal pedagogy and explain how you have adapted and differentiated the curriculum content for this course for your advanced learners. This should be an intentional reflection of your teaching philosophy as it applies to this course and teaching at the Honors level. Questions to consider: How is it different than a standard level course? How does it challenge students through accelerated pacing, complexity, challenges and creativity? Identify how your course represents extension, acceleration and enrichment of the NC SCOS and CCSS. Curriculum Content: Rationale

  Explain how you use the Common Core State Standards and extend them beyond the standard level to challenge accelerated learners. Questions to consider: How are students expected to show greater independence and responsibility for their learning? How will your expectations lead to higher quality work, while still in alignment with the standards? What brief examples can you include to prove that this is taking place in your classroom? Curriculum Content: Standards & Objectives

  Identify the evidence you are providing in the form of attachments to this section.  Course Overview  List of texts—informational and literary (can be included in syllabus)  Syllabus  Pacing Guide  Scope and Sequence  Curriculum Map  Other Curriculum Content: Curriculum Plan

  Fill in with rationale and objective for instruction, and how units/lessons are adapted for advanced learners. In your rational, make sure to mention instructional strategies that you will use to manage differentiation, as well as strategies that indicate complexity above the standard level course, which may include, but are not limited to: teacher as a facilitator, coach, and model; student led learning and research; student exchange of ideas; project-based learning, problem-solving learning, and seminar style learning with a concentration of writing across all modalities; integration of other content areas with connections to real-world skills and context; and use of higher level critical thinking skills and creativity for advanced learners. Further, make sure your rationale includes key criteria for text selection, questions and tasks, academic vocabulary, writing to sources and research, and additional key criteria for student reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Instructional Materials & Methods: Rationale

  Fill in with instructional materials you will use to differentiate the Honors course and resources, equipment, and technology needed for unit/lesson plan, such as: multiple texts and supplementary materials, use of computer programs, etc. Instructional Materials & Methods

  Identify the evidence you are providing in the form of attachments to this section  Unit Plans  Lesson Plans  Assignments Instructional Materials & Methods: Evidence of Instruction

  Identify the evidence you are providing the form of attachments to this section.  Student Portfolios  Individual Assignments  Group Work  Student Work in Real World Settings  Videos  Projects  Websites  Other: Instructional Materials & Methods: Student Work Samples

  Fill in with rationale for assessment practices. In your rationale, describe what type of assessment you used and how it was adapted for advanced learners. Provide some details about the format of the assessment and how it measured student growth and understanding. Be sure to explain grading practices, including how rubrics and scoring guides are used, as well as the specific skills that you assess throughout the course (for example: comprehension, citing evidence, analyzing text, applying knowledge, structural analysis, etc.) Assessment: Rationale

  Fill in with the types of assessment you utilize throughout the course (pre-assessment, formative, summative) and how your assessment practices are based on the honors level blueprint provided in your Standards and Objectives section. Questions to consider: how do your assessment practices provide ongoing feedback to the advanced learner throughout the entire course (with evidence of differentiated instruction based on feedback); how/why are your scoring guides and rubrics at the appropriate level; how do your assessments provide real world and industry standard feedback to advanced leaners? Assessment: Practices

  Identify the evidence you are providing in the form of attachments to this section.  Reflective Questions (ticket out the door)  Class Discussion/Debate  Observation  Rubrics  Scoring Guides  Quizzes  Tests/Exams  Other: Assessment: Samples

  Samples of student work for each of the artifacts listed above are included as attachments in this section. Assessment: Work Samples

 Examples of Differentiation for Advanced Learners Use of multiple texts and supplementary materials Use of computer programs Interest centers Learning contracts Compacting Product criteria negotiated jointly by student and teacher Tiered sense-making activities and tiered products Tasks and products designed with a multiple intelligence orientation Independent learning contracts Complex instruction Group investigation

 Diversity of Teaching Strategies Indicating Complexity Above the Standard Level  Teacher as a facilitator, coach, and model  Student led learning and research  Student exchange of ideas  Use of higher level critical thinking skills and creativity for advanced learners  Project-based learning & problem-solving learning  Seminar style learning with a concentration of writing across all modalities  Integration of other content areas with connections to real- world skills and context

  How will we submit student work electronically?  Scan student work into a PDF document  Will this supplement our evaluations?  Definitely can serve as artifacts  Standard Three – Teachers know the content they teach  Standard Four – Teachers facilitate learning for students  Standard Five – Teachers reflect on their practice  Standard Six – Teachers contribute to the academic success of all students FAQs

  Will there be any consequences for not completing the portfolio?  It is an expectation from NC DPI. If requested portfolios are not submitted for state review, principals will be notified and will be encouraged to consider this in their evaluations; DPI has the option to disallow honors weight for future semesters  Who completes the portfolio?  Individual teachers – not the LEA  Can teachers work together?  Yes, collaboration is suggested and expected; however each teacher’s portfolio will be unique in their use of strategies, materials, and/or assessments, as well as student work samples. FAQs continued…