Curriculum and Education Update May 2014

Framework for Curriculum Review ReviewDevelopImplementMonitor

Asking the Right Questions (2009) Dr. Edie Holcomb Where are we now? Where do we want to go? How will we get there? How will we know we are getting there? How can we keep it going?

ReviewDevelopImplementMonitor 1. Where are we now? 2. Where do we want to go? 3. How will we get there? 4. How will we know we are getting there? 5. How can we keep it going?

Vertical Team Review Science Vertical Team: DEVELOPMENT English/Language Arts: REVIEW Technology/Computer Science: REVIEW Gifted: REVIEW & DEVELOPMENT Math: MONITOR

Science Vertical Team In Development: Align K-12 content and practices with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Elementary science: Content area reading and writing Improved resources and supports for Biology Integrate engineering practices from NGSS Enrichment strands for advanced and highly interested students

ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS SUBGROUPS: K-12 Writing Writing Across the Curriculum Reading Comprehension: Elementary Reading Comprehension: Secondary Diversity of Literature Research Skills

ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS APPRECIATIVE INQUIRYAPPRECIATIVE INQUIRY – What is working? A method for studying and changing social systems that advocates collective inquiry into the best of what is in order to imagine what could be. (David Cooperrider ) DATA ANALYSISDATA ANALYSIS – Where are our gaps? SURVEY DEVELOPMENTSURVEY DEVELOPMENT – How do we know? SURVEY RESULTSSURVEY RESULTS…coming May 30, 2014

ELA VT Critical “Now” Steps Training in and implementation of Teacher’s College Reading Workshop in 3 rd – 5 th grade Preparation for adopting TCRW into 6 th grade Language Arts – Fall 2014

Elementary Reading Continued training and transition to 3-5 Reading Workshop approach Increased student engagement, higher level thinking and speaking about texts across genres Well-positioned for demands of the new standards in reading Strong support from WSSD Education Foundation

Technology/Computer Science Vertical Team Defining the RoadmapDefining the Roadmap Technology Education vs. Educational Technology Engineering Computer Science K-12 High School:High School: Electives (better course alignment to 21 st century skills) & New Technology Middle School:Middle School: Sequencing Skills & Robotics Team Elementary School:Elementary School: Developing a scope & sequence ( )

MATH Implementation: Elementary Level Year One Implementation of Math in Focus Unified district approach and expectations across schools and groupings Strong positive response to increased rigor of new standards

Math Vertical Team Middle School Math:Pathways Accelerated Enriched Grade-Level Transitions

Summer Packet & Placement Test Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 Accelerated Math 6/7 Accelerated Math 7/8 Adv. Alg. 1 (H)/ Inferential Statistics Geometry (H) Enriched Math 6 Enriched Math 7 Enriched Math 8 Adv. Alg. 1 (H) Math 6 Math 7 Math 8 Adv. Alg. 1 Transitions Math 6 Transitions Math 7 Transitions Math 8 Foundations of Algebra 5 th Grade Math

ACHIEVEMENT- CENTERED Focused on student learning and benchmarks for progress ENGAGING Student- centered, active, and experiential RIGOROUS Appropriately challenging for all students

RIGOROUS Appropriately challenging for all students November & February In-service Program Over 36 sessions offered K-12 by teachers and administrators Socratic Seminars GRIT Differentiation for the Gifted Population Mindfulness in Education “Appy Hour” Real World Inquiry Higher Order Questioning Teaching Research Debate in the Classroom PA Core Standards Rigorous Writing

A process to document a measure of educator effectiveness based on student achievement of content standards.