Curriculum Compacting A solution for your “green” group

Curriculum Compacting for Gifted Students Jessica Cate Thomas University of Alabama October 2010 A Teacher Training Presentation

Introduction: As teachers, it is our duty to leave no child behind. Emphasis: No child. That doesn’t mean just the children who learn more slowly than others. It means all students. Neglecting a student’s needs is to leave them behind. Our brightest students are losing their love of school because their needs aren’t being met.

Differentiation: We’ve all heard the term, but what does it really mean?

Differentiation Is: “Diagnosing the readiness level of each student and customizing instruction so every individual experiences continuous learning.” (Bertie Kingore) “A teacher’s response to a learner’s needs.” (Carol Ann Tomlinson)

Differentiation Is: Teachers at work refining the art of teaching. Complex and demanding. Never finished! (Bertie Kingore, 2007)

Differentiation is not…  Giving more of the same kind of work to kids who have shown mastery.  Giving busy work to kids who have shown mastery.  Tediously planning each aspect of every learning activity for each student at all times.  Placing students in inflexible ability groups.  Expecting kids who are “gifted” to excel in every subject area.

Differentiating Instruction is Easy as 1,2,3! Teachers can differentiate 1.Content 2.Process 3.Product According to a student’s 1.Readiness 2.Interests 3.Learning Styles

Can you answer YES to any of the following about your students? Do you have any students who___?  Have consistently high performance in one or more academic areas  Tests scores consistently excellent  Ask questions that indicate advanced familiarity with material  are sought after by other students for Assistance  Use vocabulary and verbal expression advance of grade level  Express interest in pursuing alternate or advanced topics.

Can you answer YES to any of the following about your students? Do you have any students who___?  Consistently finishes tasks quickly  Finishes reading assignments first  Appear bored during instruction time  Bring in outside reading material  Create own puzzles, games, or diversions in class  Consistently daydream

Consider this:

Assesses what a student knows and what the student still needs to master Eliminates content that is already known Plans time to be spent in enriched or accelerated study

Benefits of Compacting The needs of high ability students are often not met in classrooms The pace of instruction and practice time can be modified. Compacting guarantees educational accountability

Where do I start? Preassess the student to see where their ability level for the topic lies.

Compacting Process: Decide on the type of compacting you would like to do. (Appropriate for their ability level and needs.)

Content Compacting Social studies, science, and literature –Students may already know the objectives or may be able to read the material and master the objectives in a fraction of the time.  More flexible–students can absorb the material at their own speed.  Evaluation may be less formal– essays, interviews, or open ended tasks

Basic Skills Compacting Eliminates specific skills that students have already acquired. Spelling, mathematics, or grammar. Pre-testing is easier to accomplish. Mastery can be documented more easily objectively.

Preassessment The easiest way to preassess is to give a pretest on the material you are about to be teaching. A student who already scores at mastery level (80% or higher) can be compacted out and allowed to work on something more appropriate for their ability level.

Other options for preassessment performance based pretests Students could write and submit a persuasive essay which teacher would read and analyze for content. Use student portfolios and work samples which show mastery of the learning objectives. Observe students taking notes, tracing thought patterns, and posing open ended questions. Lake View: Use new century as pretest! So convenient!!!

Compact the students Use a compactor like the next slide to help you determine which skills the students will compact out of. I can give you a blank one if you would like.

Next Step… I know what goes in the first column. (The objectives they mastered already). What do they do while I am teaching those concepts? (The second column)

Acceleration How you choose to accelerate material in your classroom is up to you and your student/parent team. A good idea: Always consult the parent before you stray from the mainstream. Acceleration is allowing a student to work ahead of his/her peers based on ability level. Usually this is independent or small group work.

Acceleration Some students may be excused from certain class sessions to work on other material or they may be allowed to skip certain chapters and topics and allowed to work on more appropriate content. One way could be to allow them to work further ahead in the math pacing guide. Take an extra 10 minutes to locate more advanced practice sheets or websites for the content. If you have two or more students who have compacted out of the same objective, have them pair up as a team to work together to learn the new concepts.

New Century In my own classroom, I have used the New Century program with my more advanced students. During reading when most of them have already mastered the comprehension skills after day one, I allow them to take turns working New Century lessons that are designed for their current ability and needs.

Learning Contract When you decide to compact curriculum, it is a good idea to sign a contract with that student and their parent that clearly states what the child is and isn’t responsible for during regular instruction time. This also serves for a behavior reference. Example: They are bound to work quietly without disturbing others who are working hard. If they can’t, then they have to return to whole group.

Alternatives to Acceleration For whatever reason, you don’t want to move the student ahead… Instead let’s just enrich the topic so that there is more meaningful learning going on for your gifted student. Type III Enrichment: Independent research projects ( see S.E.M. presentation) Interest centers Mini- courses and webquests Self-directed units Learning and logic games

Yes, it sounds good, but… How can I do it and still reach the needs of my Tier III students?

Yes, it sounds good, but… Start small, offer extra books on certain topics of interest Pull in more advanced, not extra, practice Meet with your group of compacting students during their small group time and discuss the arrangement. They are your high achievers. They will catch on if you set the example. Then you have one less group to worry about during intervention and you’re still meeting the needs of all learners.

Your most convenient resource: Your brain! You know what is best for your students. This is a strategy to help you help them. These students need the challenge and will most willingly, and excitedly accept it!

Questions? Ask me! Jessica Cate Thomas Room 405