Curriculum, Standards, and Testing Julia, Natalie & Sarah

Overview Curriculum Textbooks No Child Left Behind Law and Core Standards Standardized Testing

What is Curriculum Saber Tooth Curriculum Curriculum: the set supposed to be learned at each grade level and in each subject Formal/Explicit: arranging classroom experiences for learning (similar to lesson planning) Implicit/Hidden: learnings that are not always intended but emerge as students are shaped by the school culture Null Curriculum Extra-Curriculum

Who Shapes Curriculum Almost Everyone! Teachers Formally and Informally Parental and Community Groups Advocate for certain courses and ban books Students Curricular relevance Administrators Government (Local, State, and Federal) Requirement of courses Standardized tests Judicial decisions, financial incentives, and legislature

Continued Colleges and Universities Entrance Requirements Businesses and Professional Organizations NEA, AFT, NAEYC, etc. Offer teachers free subscriptions to certain materials Publishers Textbooks Market to consumer demand

The Textbook History 1850s there were no textbooks Had to use whatever materials students and teachers had at home Created a need for standardized resources Today textbooks have become the defacto curriculum

Continued Textbook Adoption States: local schools choose their textbooks from a state approved list Creates a statewide standard curriculum The Problem Texas, North Carolina, California, and Florida What is published in textbooks has become more political than educational Reading Level and Mentioning Phenomenon

continued PROS and Effective Ways to Use Them Well crafted texts can motivate teachers to try new things. Be Picky. Supplement with outside resources. Point out biases and allow students to be critical of their text.

Activity #1 Discuss the fairness/moral right of textbook adoption states to control information? How does play into banning books?

No Child Left Behind Was passed in 2001 Created annual testing in reading, math, and science in grades 3-8th and once in high school States and schools receive public “report cards” Comparing NCLB with the ESSA: http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/siteASCD/policy/ESEA_NCLB_Co mparisonChart_2015.pdf For instance, The new law allows states to adopt Common Core but does not require it. And, the new law leaves accountability goals almost entirely up to the states. Finally, states must still test students in the same grades but will now have flexibility in how and when they administer those tests. For example, a single annual assessment can be broken down into a series of smaller tests. There's also an emphasis on finding different kinds of tests that more accurately measure what students are learning.

Continue Problems Not a sound evaluation Major gap in resources between high and low income schools Money is now funding test corporations and charter schools rather than education Parents, politicians, and educators complained that it was leaving more children behind

Common core state standards Standards based education: Specifies what students should learn, focuses on curriculum and instruction on meeting those standards. Common Core State Standards: The skills and content a student must master at each grade level. They now focus on fewer topics and go into greater depth to get a better understanding. Allows students to slow down and not rush through topics.

Current state map of CC adoption shows a different story- which states have since replaced or rewritten the CC standards?: http://www.edweek.org/ew/section/multimedia/map-states-academic-standards-common-core-or.html And http://www.corestandards.org/standards-in-your-state/

Math standards Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Reason abstractly and quantitatively. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. Use appropriate tools strategically. Look for and make use of reasoning.

English and language arts standards Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts. Develop and strengthen writing Use technology to produce and publish writing and interact and collaborate with others.

Activity #2 Based on what you already know, think of the pros and cons on standardized testing. When you have something in mind, put it on the board!

Problems with Standardized testing Teachers are evaluated by how students do on these tests. One test score does not measure a student's total growth. Students achievement is also influenced by, health, home life, school attendance, wealth or poverty, etc. Poor students are at more of a disadvantage. Lowers graduation rate. Shrinks the curriculum. Causes stress for the teacher.

Alternatives to standardized testing Authentic assessment: the measurement of intellectual accomplishments that are worthwhile and significant, and actually capture the student’s progress and performance Teachers track progress through multiple authentic assessments including… Tests Class participation Portfolios Formal exhibitions Independent student projects Teacher evaluations

Tomorrow’s Curriculum Using and evaluating information Critical thinking skills Financial literacy Physical fitness Civics education Creativity Collaboration and Human Relations education Understanding Yourself Celebrating Others/Diversity Encouraging Individual Talents

Exit slip If you were given the job of developing a standards-based curriculum with assessment tools, what resources would you use to identify standards? What kind of tests would you use? What kind of tests would you avoid? What subjects and skills do you consider crucial?