ACE COLLABORATIVE FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE An Overview

Catholic Schools… Hope for the Future Community… Gospel Values… Exemplary Education… “National Treasures” - Margaret Spellings, former Secretary of Education

ACE Collaborative: A Brief History  2005 United States Bishop’s Pastoral Letter  2006 Notre Dame Task Force on Catholic Education  Fall 2008: Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment Initiative piloted in the Dioceses of Memphis and Pensacola-Tallahassee  Summer 2010: Name change & expansion to three new (arch)dioceses  Summer 2011: Expansion to one new diocese  Summer 2012: Expansion to four new dioceses

WHAT IS THE ACE COLLABORATIVE FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE?

ACE Collaborative: An Overview A sustained professional development approach that seeks to strengthen curriculum, instruction & assessment by: Promoting collaboration among teachers (professional learning communities) Providing a common language & structure Fostering a culture of continuous improvement

ACE Collaborative: An Overview Accomplished through Two annual workshops for Teachers & Principals In-person and electronic collaboration within and among school faculties throughout academic year A general timeline Year 1 Workshop: Curriculum—What We Teach Year 2 Workshop: Assessment—What Did Students Learn? Both Workshops: Instruction—How We Teach Ongoing: Curriculum Development Process

“Working together with other teachers under the ACE leadership team enhanced knowledge, attitudes towards unit approach to teaching, and broadening the repertoire of assessment strategies.” – Tucson Teacher ACE Collaborative: According to Participants… “The first day, I thought I knew it all after 46 years, and I was happily delighted. This is the boost that professionally I needed to guide teachers forward.” - Pensacola-Tallahassee Principal “I absolutely love the scope and sequence of our curriculum. It has made the entire year more fluid, and more of a “story” instead of segmented units.” - Fort Wayne-South Bend Teacher

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS TO THIS APPROACH? Builds on Catholic Schools’ Strengths

ACE Collaborative: Builds on Catholic Schools’ Strengths Parent- Community Ties Student- Centered Learning Climate Professional Capacity Instructional Core Local Leadership and Governance Catalyst For Change Key Outcomes Enhanced Student Engagement Expanded Academic Learning A Theory of Essential Supports (2009)

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS TO THIS APPROACH? Builds on Catholic Schools’ Strengths Addresses Accreditation Standards

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS TO THIS APPROACH? Builds on Catholic Schools’ Strengths Addresses Accreditation Standards Consistent with Current Research “Curriculum – what we actually teach - may be the single largest school factor that affects learning, intellectual development, and college and career readiness. If we are serious about improving schools, this is the place to start. Until we have built a clear, coherent curriculum for every course, we’ll only have a superficial impact on learning or achievement” - Mike Schmoker

WHAT DOES THIS APPROACH ENTAIL?

ACE Collaborative: 2-Year Workshop Roadmap Year 1: Focus on Curriculum Team/Dept. Outcomes Course Outcomes Unit Concepts Unit Goals Unit Structure PAs & Rubrics Year 2: Focus on Assessment Assessments and Grading Data-Based Decision Making Instructional Strategies in the Unit Structure framework Shared Instructional Leadership Curriculum Development Process

ACE Collaborative: Program Components 2 Summer Workshops with teachers and principals (Year 1 focused on Curriculum, Year 2 focused on Instruction and Assessment). Four semester visits from the ACE Collaborative staff focused on timely issues. Continued collaboration among teachers both in person and electronically throughout the school year aimed at target dates for draft diocesan curriculum. Expansion each year to new content areas led by trained diocesan team.

Provide common language & structure Disseminate resources Makes implementation decisions Allocates in- service time Allocate PD & faculty collaboration time Uphold relevant school norms, including DBDM Implement Collaborative Facilitate local school discussions ACE Collaborative: Key Stakeholders and their Responsibilities TeachersPrincipals Diocesan Admini- strator ACE/Notre Dame

Summer workshop for Teachers & Principals to learn common curricular language and structure, plus assessment part I 1. Team/Department Outcomes 2. Course Outcomes 3. Unit Concepts & Course Narrative 4. Unit Goals 5. Performance Assessments 6. Unit Structure (an introduction) Teachers & Principals then train other faculty in language & structure All teachers work in teams/departments throughout Year One to develop diocesan, language arts curriculum at levels 1-4 ACE Collaborative: Basic Components—Year 1

ACE Collaborative: Basic Components—Year 2 Teachers are trained in developing instruction and assessment plans with: Unit Cover Pages that state Lesson Plan Objectives, which build toward the Unit Goal A Unit Structure that supports struggling students and challenges succeeding students Lesson Plans that engage different learning styles and apply other best practices Formative and Traditional Test Assessments based on critical thinking skills, and whose results are used to strengthen instruction (data-based decision making)  Conceptually & practically integrate curriculum, instruction & assessment into a whole

ACE Collaborative: Basic Components—Year 2 & Beyond Work in teams/departments throughout Year Two to develop social studies, science, language arts, math, or foreign language curriculum Work on other subjects in subsequent years

ACE Collaborative: Basic Components—Principals In a breakout session during each summer workshop, discuss ideas for how to integrate ACE Collaborative with role as instructional leader

THE WEEK AHEAD

The Week Ahead: An Overview This week you will learn new language and structures in order to… 1. Work with colleagues to articulate a K-12 diocesan curriculum (curriculum development process) 2. Generate holistic Performance Assessments and Rubrics 3. Design units that support struggling students while challenging succeeding students

The Curriculum Development Process: Prioritizing Standards Catherine Storms—Diocese of Memphis Team/Department Outcomes -Course Outcomes -Unit Goals - Lesson Plan Objectives Curriculum Standards Prioritized Standards

Prioritizing the Standards -standards (trending now) - Resources (related links) - Indiana’s CC English/LA -Toolboxes will be at the bottom -OR englishlanguage-arts-and-literacy We begin by becoming familiar with the standards and resources available.

Work Time