1 Presented by: Marla Holbrook Cheryl Holder Access to the General Curriculum: Standards- Based Classrooms Alabama State Department of Education

2 Purposes Provide an overview of standards-based instruction Provide resources for getting started with standards-based instruction Demonstrate that equity and access are enhanced through standards-based instruction

3 No Child Left Behind State Requirements Academic achievement must be standards-based Each state must establish a unique set of standards for reading, math, and science Teachers must be highly qualified in the subject areas of reading, math, and science State assessments must be aligned to state content standards (reading, math, science) All students must have opportunities to learn and be assessed on state content standards

4 Standards-Based Instruction Federal and state legislation address equity and access for all students through standards-based instruction:  Accountability Assessment  Measure student academic progress Adequate Yearly Progress  Data are disaggregated into subgroups  Subgroups must make progress toward proficiency  Aligned system of curriculum and assessments Standards  Common core of challenging standards Assessments based on standards  Students are tested on standards at each grade level  Highly qualified teachers to deliver effective instruction Collaboration among school personnel  Teachers working together to meet the needs of all students Differentiated Instruction  Targeting individual skill (data-based) levels in a diverse classroom  Research-proven practices

5 Concept Map: Standards-Based Instruction AlignmentHighly Qualified NCLB Accountability Assessment AYP Standards Assessment Collaboration Differentiated Instruction Standards-Based Instruction Equity & Access

6 Accountability - State Assessments Stanford 10 – norm-referenced Alabama Reading and Math Test (ARMT) – augmented criterion-referenced (standards-based) DIBELS – criterion referenced Alabama Writing Assessment – criterion referenced Alabama High School Graduation Exam – criterion referenced (standards-based) Alabama Alternate Assessment – criterion referenced

7 Alabama’s Achievement Levels Level IV Advanced Level III Proficient Level II Partially Proficient Above the content standard Aligned to the grade level content standard Below grade level content standard Level I Basic Limited use of Level II skills

8 Accountability – Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) 2004 assessment results began baseline for school/system/state  ARMT grades 4, 6, 8 ( grades 3-8)  AHSGE grade 11  AAA All students, including special education students, must be taught academic content standards in order to make adequate yearly progress

9 Adequate Yearly Progress Toward Proficiency

10 Standards/Assessment Alignment Revision of State Courses of Study: Reading Addendum (reading standards from the English Language Arts Course of Study) Math Course of Study Social Studies Science (in progress) The ARMT and AHSGE are aligned to the state academic content standards

11 Highly Qualified Provisions Lead to Consultation and Collaboration Consultation  Expert Model Collaboration  Co-plan  Co-teach

12 Collaborative Teaching Leads to Differentiated Instruction To differentiate instruction is to recognize that students vary in:  background knowledge  readiness  language  preferences learning interests

13 Standards Vocabulary Standards-Based Instruction Academic Standards  Content  Achievement Curriculum Access to General Curriculum Data-Based Decision Making Curriculum Guides

14 Standards-Based Instruction Standards-based instruction is the process of teaching and assessing the core content prescribed by the state courses of study.

15 Academic Standards Content Standards:  Are what students should know and be able to do.  Define the content and skills that students should learn in explicit detail.  Are grounded in the content of the subject area to lead to a common core curriculum. Achievement Standards:  Are concrete examples and explicit definitions to demonstrate proficiency in the skills and knowledge framed by the content standards.

16 Content Standards vs. Curriculum Content standards: what students need to know and be able to do.  Standards signal the destination of grade- level learning. Curriculum: what teachers need to teach in order for students to know and do the standards.  Curriculum is the route the standards.  Teachers are the drivers.

17 Standards and Data-Based Decision Making Standards and Data-Based Decision Making Effective teachers:  analyze student performance through assessments,  identify gaps in skills and knowledge,  develop instruction to address those gaps, and  continue to analyze student performance over time and adjust instruction as needed 2. Identify Gaps 3. Develop Instruction 4. Adjust as Needed 1. Analyze performance Standards

18 Standards and Access IDEA 97 states that students with disabilities must have access to the general education curriculum (content standards). Access occurs when students with disabilities are actively engaged in learning the content and skills that define the general education curriculum (Access Center, 2003). Access can occur through differentiated instruction.

19 Differentiate Instruction to Access the Curriculum/Standards Effective teachers differentiate by: providing instruction based on  review of state and classroom assessment data  progress toward standards using research-proven practices and materials support and scaffolding Standards Technology Graphic Organizers Big Ideas Proven Practices Flexible Groupings Assessment Data Focus on Individual Student Learning through Differentiated Instruction

20 Differentiated Instruction, Standards, and Curriculum Guides Curriculum guides have been developed for math and reading standards.  Provide foundational skills leading to the standards  Provide a tool for differentiated instruction leading toward the standards  Designed for students who are not performing at grade level standards

21 Development of State Curriculum Guides State curriculum guides were developed because many students are functioning below grade-level standards and need a bridge to the standards. With the curriculum guides serving as the bridge to the standards, students can work toward grade- level standards. Teachers can use the curriculum guides to meet the requirement of NCLB that all students must work toward state standards.

22 Purposes of the Curriculum Guides Serves as a companion to the courses of study (standards) Lists prerequisites to the courses of study (standards) Provides information for planning instruction Helps close the achievement gap Allows students to work at individual instructional levels

23 Uses of the Curriculum Guides Lesson planning BBSST considerations Collaboration and co-planning Tutorial instruction Planning for instructional groupings Parent information and conferences Development of progress monitoring Preparation for state assessments

24 Examples of Uses of the Curriculum Guides Guided/independent practice Homework practice Individualized content instruction/practice in cooperative group settings

25 Standards Vocabulary Curriculum Guides to Standards  Content Standards  Instructional Objectives  Examples  Bullets/Additional content to be taught Curricular Alignment Standards Curricular Plan Process

26 Organizational Components of the Curriculum Guides Content standards Instructional objectives Examples Bullets Additional content to be taught

27 Organizational Components of the Curriculum Guides Content standards are statements that define what all students should know and be able to do at the conclusion of a grade level or course. Content standards contain minimum required content and complete the phrase “Students will ….”

28 Characteristics of Content Standards Minimum required content to be taught Clearly written Reasonable Measurable Developmentally appropriate

29 Organizational Components of the Curriculum Guides Instructional objectives are small, instructional units that serve as foundational skills for the standards. Utilization of instructional objectives facilitates having all students working toward grade level standards while also working at individual instructional levels.

30 Organizational Components of the Curriculum Guides Examples clarify certain content standards, instructional objectives and bullets. They are illustrative but not exhaustive. Bullets denote additional related content required for instruction.

31 Organizational Components of the Curriculum Guides The bulleted additional content to be taught may or may not be tested on state assessments

32 Reading Content Standard with Instructional Objectives from the Reading Curriculum Guide 1.5 (First grade, fifth standard) Read with fluency simple passages containing simple sentences. Objective Establish letter-naming fluency at rate of 40- plus letters per minute Objective Recognize 100 percent of the Dolch sight word list for first grade. Objective Read words of connected, decodable text per minute with 100 percent accuracy. Additional content to be taught: Reading words per minute Recognizing first-grade high frequency words by sight  Example: lists provided with basals Attending to end punctuation in phrasing

33 Organizational Components of the Math Curriculum Guide Strands Instructional objectives Examples Bullets, denoting additional content to be taught

34 Components of the Math Curriculum Guides The organizational strands follow the math strands listed in the in the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Course of Study model. Content standards, examples, and bullets are defined in the same manner as in the Reading Curriculum Guide.

35 Math Curriculum Guides The Math Curriculum Guide (grades 1-8) is designed for use with students functioning below grade level standards.  Provides instructional sequences for prerequisites skills leading to the readiness for learning grade level standards  May be used by both general education and special education teachers

36 Sample Math Content Standard with Instructional Objectives from the Math Curriculum Guide (Six grade, fifth standard - Geometry) Plot coordinates on grids, graphs, and maps. Objective Identify components of the Cartesian plane, including the x-axis, y-axis, origin, and quadrants. Objective Identify numbers less than zero by extending the number line. Objective Find locations on a map or grid using ordered pairs. Additional content to be taught: Identifying the coordinates of a point on the Cartesian plane Comparing parallel and perpendicular lines

37 Example of Skills Continuum in Math Curriculum Guide Strand – Data Analysis and Probability Standard - Interpret information from bar graphs, line graphs, and circle graphs. (6 th grade, standard 10, page 32) Objective , page 32 is also 5 th grade standard 14, page 27 Objective , page 32 is also 4 th grade standard 17, page 23 Objective , page 32 is also 4 th grade standard 15, page 22.

38 Math Curriculum Guides The Math Curriculum Guide Prerequisites to Algebra I (grades 9-12).  May be used by students functioning below grade-level standards  Provides instructional sequence for prerequisites skills for entry into Algebra I

39 Organizational Components of the Math Curriculum Guide - Prerequisites to Algebra I The Math Curriculum Guide is divided into four levels: 1. Essential Mathematics I 2. Essential Mathematics II 3. Algebraic Exploration I 4. Algebraic Exploration II

40 Explanation of Math Curriculum Guide Levels 1. Essential Mathematics I – Basic operations with whole numbers, decimals, and fractions 2. Essential Mathematics II – Consumer-related skills including reconciling bank statements and computing pay rates, graphing, and some basic geometry skills

41 Explanation of Math Curriculum Guide Levels 3. Algebraic Exploration I - Basic operations involving integers and numerical expressions, consumer-related skills including taxes, geometry skills including angles and the measurement of circles and surface area of rectangular skills 4. Algebraic Exploration II - Basic algebraic concepts such as graphing and analyzing linear equations, solving problems such as the Pythagorean Theorem, and relationships including congruence and similarity.

42 Sample Math Content Standard with Instructional Objectives from the Math Curriculum Guide 9-12 Benchmark 6: Plot coordinates on grids, graphs, and maps  Identify components of the Cartesian plan including the x-axis, y-axis, origin, and quadrants

43 Changes in the Process of Instructional Planning Traditional Practice  Selects a topic from the curriculum  Designs instructional activities  Designs and gives an assessment  Gives grade or feedback  Moves on to new topic Standards-Based Practice  Selects content standards to plan instruction  Designs and gives an assessment (pretest) through which students demonstrate the knowledge and skills to meet the standards  Decides what learning opportunities students will need to learn  Plans instruction to assure that each student has adequate opportunities to learn  Uses data from assessment to give feedback, re-teach, or move to next level

44 Changes in the Process of Instructional Planning In standards-based instruction, the teacher must plan backwards from the required content standards to the assessments then to the lessons that will be needed for students to achieve at that level.

45 Steps in Text/Material Alignment with Standards: Using curriculum guides, identify grade-level standards. Separate standards into their component skills (components are generally separated by commas within the standard). List each component skill under the standard. List objectives from curriculum guide. List additional content to be taught. Select textbooks/materials and determine if component skills and/or objectives are present. List page numbers where component skills/objectives are present. If component skill/objective is not present, locate or develop additional materials/resources that cover the component skill/objective.

46 Sample Textbook Alignment with Standards and Instructional Objectives

47 Process for Curricular Alignment with Alabama Standards Conduct alignment of teaching materials (textbooks, supplemental materials, unit and lesson plans) with standards (see sample textbook alignment form). Meet by grade levels or disciplines to pinpoint gaps in articulation of the curriculum K-12 (horizontal alignment). Meet by overlapping grade levels or disciplines to pinpoint gaps in articulation of the curriculum K-12 (vertical alignment). Align standards to supplemental/alternate courses or individual programs

48 Steps in Getting Started with Standards-Based Instruction 1. Become familiar with Alabama’s content standards and state curriculum guides. 2. Examine teaching materials and align with academic content standards and objectives. 3. Meet by grade levels or content areas to pinpoint gaps in articulation of standards K-12 (horizontal and vertical alignment). 4. Plan instruction based on standards. 5. Utilize ALEX state website aligned to the Alabama standards as a resource for lesson plans. 6. Utilize resources to learn more about standards- based instruction.

49 Alabama Websites for Standards For Courses of Study, go to: Home Page of the SDE website orwww.alsde.edu  Classroom Improvement  Publications  Scroll down to document For Curriculum Guides, go to:  Sections  Special Education  Standards For aligned lesson plans, go to:

50 Additional Resources

51 Accessing the General Education Curriculum Begin with the end in mind.