PROJECT OVERVIEW Currituck County’s Curriculum Mapping Project

Where are you in your knowledge? 4 Corners Activity

4 Corners Elementary Level: I know about curriculum mapping, but have not had direct involvement in its planning or process development. Middle Level: I have some knowledge of curriculum mapping and have had some involvement in its plan and execution. High Level: I have applied knowledge of curriculum mapping and have experience in developing the process. Graduation Level: I have knowledge, application experience, and can teach or share with others a way to plan and execute curriculum mapping.

Moving to the Next Level In your group, discuss what is needed to enable you and others to move from your present level of understanding to the next level. Chart a bulleted list Share with the group

Why are we doing this? State Influence Initiative—Essential Standards/Common Core Standards Adoption  : Current SCOS taught and assessed  : Current SCOS taught and assessed  : Common Core/Essential Standards taught and assessed

Why are we doing this? Local Influences: Focus on Developing Professional Learning Communities  Research by Rick DuFour and Robert Eaker  Practice embedded in School Reform Models  Practice embedded in NC Teacher and Principal Standards and Evaluation Research on Best Practices

Professional Learning Communities Essential/Guiding Questions for our PLCs What do students NEED TO LEARN? What evidence will we gather to monitor student learning—how will we know WHEN THEY HAVE LEARNED IT? What will we do if/when students EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY IN THEIR LEARNING? What will we do to ENRICH THE LEARNING OF THOSE WHO DEMONSTRATE PROFICIENCY? How can we use our SMART goals and evidence of student learning to INFORM and IMPROVE OUR PRACTICE?

PLC ESSENTIALS COMMON Curriculum Goals (Aligned with SCOS) COMMON Assessments COMMON Planning and Collaboration Common Goals + Common Assessments = Team Approach to teaching and learning

WHY DISTRICT MAPS and ASSESSMENTS? How can we use our SMART goals and evidence of student learning to inform and improve our practice? This critical question has implications for grade level improvement, school level improvement, and DISTRICT LEVEL IMPROVEMENT….

DESIRED OUTCOMES Create DRAFT District Curriculum Pacing Guides for Core Subjects K-12 Create DRAFT Unit Plan Frameworks Create DRAFT Common Assessments for Benchmarking Student Attainment of Goals Begin the process for Continuous Improvement of Teaching and Learning

How Will We Get There? Know the Target Plan and Deliver Assess Along the Way Provide Descriptive Feedback and Assistance

WHO will or should HELP? Selection and Invitation of Key Staff Members  Strong teachers in the content area being mapped  Evidence based on principal recommendation  Evidenced in data—student learning/growth results Challenges  Summer vacations/availability  Continuity from one subject area to the next  Funding for stipends

WHEN? 3-4 days Subject specific weeks designated Order of subject development was important  Science  Social Studies  Language Arts  Math

What Process and Research Will Guide our Work? Heidi Hayes Jacobs’ Work Rubicon Atlas (online mapping tool) “Understanding by Design” by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe

K-W-L: Understanding by Design KNOWWANT TO KNOWLEARNED

IN A NUTSHELL UBD-IN-A-NUTSHELL/ Understanding by Design

K-W-L: Understanding by Design KNOWWANT TO KNOWLEARNED

Understanding by Design Beginning with the END in mind…

Stages of Designing Effective Units L T OE R U K Q CS Stage 1Stage 2Stage 3 Understandings Questions Content Standards Knowledge & Skill Task(s) Rubric(s) Other Evidence Learning Plan

The “big ideas” of each stage: Assessment Evidence LearningActivities Understandings Essential Questions s t a g e 2 s t a g e 3 Standard(s): s t a g e 1 PerformanceTask(s):Other Evidence: Unpack the content standards and ‘content’, focus on big ideas Analyze multiple sources of evidence, aligned with Stage 1 Derive the implied learning from Stages 1 & 2 What are the big ideas? What’s the evidence? How will we get there?

Subject: Grade Level: Unit Title: Timeframe Needed for Completion: Grading Period: Big Idea/Theme: Understandings: Curriculum Goals/Objectives:Essential Questions: Essential Skills/Vocabulary:Assessment Tasks: Integration Opportunities:

IDENTIFYING: THE BIG IDEAS/THEMES Stage 1

Big Ideas Broad and abstract Conceptual lens Represented by one or two words Universal in application Timeless—carries through the ages Represented by different examples that share common attributes

Finding the Big Ideas in CC/ES Organization of Common Core/Essential Standards lends itself to these “Big Ideas” Strands or Clusters HELP to determine focus Within Strands or Clusters there are “Big Ideas” and “Themes” that can be unified for the unit framework

Big Ideas in Science: Examples  Natural Phenomena  Causal Explanations  Systems, Order, Organization  Change, Constancy, Measurement  Form and Function  Equilibrium/Balance  Systems and Interactions  Models

Some questions for identifying truly “big ideas”  Does it have many layers and nuances, not obvious to the naïve or inexperienced person?  Can it yield great depth and breadth of insight into the subject? Can it be used throughout K- 12?  Do you have to dig deep to really understand its subtle meanings and implications even if anyone can have a surface grasp of it?  Is it (therefore) prone to misunderstanding as well as disagreement?  Are you likely to change your mind about its meaning and importance over a lifetime?

Ways to find Big Ideas Review the standards’ text and Circle recurring nouns to identify ideas (underline verbs for tasks) Compare with list of transferable concepts Ask questions about a topic/standard (Why study..? What’s transferrable about…? How would…be applied in the real world?) Generate ideas related to suggestive pairs (light & shadow; matter & energy; sum & difference)

Affinity Activity Read Essential Standards for the grade/course at your table Use sticky notes to record “concepts” or “skills” reflected in the standards. Use one sticky note per concept/idea Work as a team to organize the concepts into similar groupings (sticking on chart paper) Name the groupings with a Title

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS ESSENTIAL UNDERSTANDINGS (LEARNING TARGETS) Stage I

Essential Questions In the words of Grant Wiggins… os/eq.html

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS GREAT THOUGHT PROVOKING OPENERS GUIDES the UNIT DELIVERY OPEN ENDED ASSESSMENT TOOL

Essential Questions used in teaching Role of Essential Questions:  Asked to be argued  Designed to “uncover” new ideas, views, lines of argument  Set up inquiry, heading to new understandings  Deepens understanding  Leads to more questions  Helps to organize material

Sample Essential Questions: What makes wounds heal in different ways? Why is asthma so prevalent in poor urban communities? What keeps things from rusting, and why? How do chemicals benefit society? Are animals essential for man’s survival? How do scientists find out about objects, living things, events and phenomena? What does it mean to be living? How do living things adapt to the environment?

Sample Essential Questions:  What makes a great story?  Why is communication/reading important?  How do authors use words to create images?  Does a good read differ from a ‘great book’? Why are some books fads, and others classics?  What does an independent reader look like?  What do good readers do?  How can the way a story is structured help me to read with understanding?

Sample Essential Questions Science How do chemicals benefit society? Are animals essential for man’s survival? Explain. What must a scientist do in order to research something? How do scientists find out about objects, living things, events and phenomena? What does it mean to be living? How do the parts of living things help them survive? How does studying cycles help us to understand natural processes? How do living things adapt to the environment? How can we safeguard our environment?

Central to Teaching and Understanding Our goal in designing district units and pacing guides is to provide a guide and minimum standard for curriculum delivery. ALL students should be taught at the higher level of Bloom’s. Bloom’s Taxonomy is a key tool to assist in understanding Essential Questions, Essential Skills, and Assessment Tasks.

Creating Evaluating Analyzing Applying Understanding Remembering BLOOM’S REVISED TAXONOMY Creating Generating new ideas, products, or ways of viewing things Designing, constructing, planning, producing, inventing. Evaluating Justifying a decision or course of action Checking, hypothesising, critiquing, experimenting, judging Analyzing Breaking information into parts to explore understandings and relationships Comparing, organizing, deconstructing, interrogating, finding Applying Using information in another familiar situation Implementing, carrying out, using, executing Understanding Explaining ideas or concepts Interpreting, summarizing, paraphrasing, classifying, explaining Remembering Recalling information Recognizing, listing, describing, retrieving, naming, finding

Enduring Understandings In the words of Grant Wiggins… os/eq.html

Understandings, defined: They are...  specific generalizations about the “big ideas.” They summarize the key meanings, inferences, and importance of the ‘content’  can be framed as a full sentence “moral of the story” – “Students will understand THAT …”  Require “uncoverage” because they are not “facts” to the novice, but unobvious inferences drawn from facts; easily misunderstood

6 Facets of Understanding Explanation (justification) Interpretation (tell meaningful stories/translations) Application (use and adapt to new) Perspective (see from a different point of view) Empathy (walk in another’s shoes) Self-Knowledge (reflection)

From Big Ideas to Understandings An understanding is a “moral of the story” about the big ideas  What specific insights will students take away about the the meaning of ‘content’ via big ideas?  Understandings summarize the desired insights we want students to realize

Examples of Enduring/Essential Understandings Systems change over time as they adapt to different inputs. Change is one part of a system that can cause a different outcome. Each part of a system has a defined role and function. The scientific method and technology allow us to gather data, analyze results, draw conclusions to solve problems. The universe is made of matter and energy, which is continually being changed and transferred throughout the Earth and Universe.

Activity (part I) Look at the clarifying objectives related to one cluster from your Affinity Diagram  Record the Title for the “cluster”  Develop a question or two that illustrates the “Big Idea” and could get to the heart of what we want students to discover or uncover during their learning.  Record on chart paper

Part II Exercise: Understandings From the “Big Idea” and Essential Question in one cluster from your diagram: Determine the UNDERSTANDINGS students should uncover throughout and by the end of the unit. (Learning Targets)

VIEW THE ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS POSED (ARE THEY BROAD AND THOUGHT PROVOKING?) VIEW THE ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS (ARE THEY ENDURING AND TRANSFERRABLE?) COMMENT OR POST QUESTIONS Gallery Walk

Subject: Grade Level: Unit Title: Timeframe Needed for Completion: Grading Period: Big Idea/Theme: Understandings (Learning Targets): Essential Questions:Curriculum Goals/Objectives: Essential Skills/Vocabulary:Assessment Tasks: Integration Opportunities:

Working on the Work…. For each Theme/Big Idea created in the first activity:  Create Essential Questions  Determine the Essential Understandings  List the Curriculum Standards/Clarifying Goals associated with the Theme/Big Idea  Identify Essential Skills and Vocabulary

Subject: Grade Level: Unit Title: Timeframe Needed for Completion: Grading Period: Big Idea/Theme: Understandings: Curriculum Goals/Objectives:Essential Questions: Essential Skills/Vocabulary:Assessment Tasks: Integration Opportunities:

THANKS FOR COMING BACK! Day 2

What HowWhoTime Day 1 Reflections/3-2-1 Reveals Present Group Sharing Sandy Team Members 15 minutes Review of Content  Big Ideas  Understandings  Essential Questions Present Sandy Pam 15 minutes Review Feedback/Revise and Complete Stage 1 on Units from Day 1 Review Grade Level Group Work Sandy Pam 30.minutes 10 Minute BREAK Stage 2:  Assessment Tasks Present Generate Sandy Team Members 30 minutes Working on the Units Review Grade Level Group Work Team Members90 minutes 11:30ish LUNCH (45 minutes) Working on the Units (continued) Grade Level Group WorkTeam Members2 hours Sequencing the Units/ At a glance Pacing Chart Present Grade Level Group Work Sandy Team Members 30 minutes Debrief Day 2 DiscussTeam Members10 minutes Evaluation+/∆Team5 minutes

Positives Things to Reconsider ∆ Time to Collaborate/Teamwork It was a good pace! Teacher helping out having participated last week Easy integration and collaboration Working with someone I know High time on task Ease of understanding expectations Something to use this year/product work Being part of the big picture BREAKFAST!/Healthy food choices Temperature was good Smooth day Have an understanding of what needs to be done Professionally treated Working on the computer Need more time Could have used last year’s materials Chilly room! More frequent breaks Sat for a while this morning Accountability for all? Technology—when not working Getting started Less introductions—let’s get busy! Confused at first as to how it would all come together Lacked some resources Break down middle group better Day 1 Reflections

Pleasant Surprises Points to Clarify Great people to work with! Accomplished a lot! Cooperation (across the board) Lunch Positive climate (mood and temp) Seeing/hearing others ideas Fun/Relaxed environment Questions answered/assistance Template provided/Word Good instruction Review of Blooms’ Getting a head start Time flew Assessment changes? Will this be mandated for all? What if our timeline for Science and SS doesn’t match the reading guide? Making common assessments? Are they expected to be complete for all by the end of the week? How detailed do “Understandings” need to be? How is this being posted/shared? Will we do the same for Social Studies? Why weren’t last year’s materials used? Will someone go over our work and make changes? Am I doing this right? How will results of district assessments affect instruction? Is Early College using same maps? Reveals

Stages of Designing Effective Units L T OE R U K Q CS Stage 1Stage 2Stage 3 Understandings Questions Content Standards Knowledge & Skill Task(s) Rubric(s) Other Evidence Learning Plan

The big idea for Stage 2 The evidence should be credible & helpful. The assessments should –  Be grounded in real-world applications, supplemented as needed by more traditional school evidence  Provide useful feedback to the learner, be transparent, and minimize secrecy  Be valid, reliable - aligned with the desired results of Stage 1 (and fair)

6 Facets of Understanding Explanation (justification) Interpretation (tell meaningful stories/translations) Application (use and adapt to new) Perspective (see from a different point of view) Empathy (walk in another’s shoes) Self-Knowledge (reflection)

Assessment of Understanding via the 6 facets You really understand when you can:  explain, connect, systematize, predict  show its meaning, importance  apply or adapt it to novel situations  see it as one plausible perspective among others, question its assumptions  see it as its author/speaker saw it  avoid and point out common misconceptions, biases, or simplistic views

For Reliability & Sufficiency: Use a Variety of Assessments Varied types, over time:  authentic tasks and projects  academic exam questions, prompts, and problems  quizzes and test items  informal checks for understanding  student self-assessments

Reliability: Snapshot vs. Photo Album We need patterns that overcome inherent measurement error  Sound assessment (particularly of State Standards) requires multiple evidence over time - a photo album vs. a single snapshot

Formative Assessment A process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning, which helps student improve their achievement of intended outcomes.  Questioning  Discussing  Learning Activities/Projects  Conferences  Interviews  Student Reflections

Formative Assessments Are assessments found at the classroom level and happens in short intervals/cycles. Formative Assessments: Not graded or used in accountability systems Feedback is DISCRIPTIVE in nature so the student knows what exactly is needed for improvement.

Scenarios for Authentic Tasks Build assessments anchored in authentic tasks using GRASPS:  What is the G oal in the scenario?  What is the R ole?  Who is the A udience?  What is your S ituation (context)?  What is the P erformance challenge?  By what S tandards will work be judged in the scenario? S P S G R A

Summative Assessments Summative assessments are found at the classroom, district, and state level and can be graded and used in accountability systems. Summative assessments are: Used to evaluate Used to categorize students in comparison to others

Summative Assessments Summative Assessments provide evidence of student competence or program effectiveness. Selected Response Items (T/F, MC, Matching) Short Answers (Fill in/ 1-2 sentence response) Extended written response Performance Assessments

Formative vs. Summative ONE is NOT BETTER THAN THE OTHER Both are essential to student learning when the information gathered is used to inform students, teachers, and parents of progress. It is ALL about the TIMING and the USE of the assessment. Check-up vs. Autopsy

WHERE DO BENCHMARK ASSESSMENTS FALL? ARE THEY FORMATIVE? ARE THEY SUMMATIVE? So….

OUR DEFINITION: “QUARTERLY” WRITING OR MULTIPLE CHOICE ASSESSMENTS BASED ON PREVIOUSLY TAUGHT SKILLS OR OBJECTIVES USED FOR INFORMING INSTRUCTION AND FOR PROGRAM EVALUATION Benchmark Assessments

Sample Assessments Write to explain how your body moves (bones and muscles working together). Using voice thread, explain why your skin protects your body Create a fictitious animal using your knowledge of the classifications. Provide appropriate habitat and at least 3 adaptations that enable your animal to survive in that environment; include a food chain Research a threatened/endangered animal from North Carolina Create a zoo habitat appropriate for a new animal of your choice

More Samples… “25 Quick Formative Assessments for a Differentiated classroom” Write Abouts Quick Writes Summarizer Fact Storming Noting What I’ve Learned Unit Collage Foldable Interactive Notebook Vocabulary Quizzes

Subject: Grade Level: Unit Title: Timeframe Needed for Completion: Grading Period: Big Idea/Theme: Understandings: Curriculum Goals/Objectives:Essential Questions: Essential Skills/Vocabulary:Assessment Tasks: Opportunities for Integration:

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS INTEGRATION OPPORTUNITIES RESOURCES AT A GLANCE PACING GUIDES Day 3

Positives Things would be better if… Accomplished established goals for the day Learning a lot! Very productive Feedback from peers and written feedback was helpful Lots of time to tweak what needed fixing (PtP—good) Great session Change of agenda to allow more time to work Time to work Finished! New websites from others Glad to be moving onto assessments Feeling really good about this process! Thanks for time to complete frameworks Not sure about assessments Soft music would be nice Afternoon snack Challenging process—noticed things in SCOS that I’ve seen and noted that I’ve added things that are not there None—you made the change to work in the afternoon instead of moving on to assessments How can we get new passwords for ClassScape? Day 2 Reflections

Agenda Day 3 Start ups– Ground Rules; Agenda Reflect on Day 2 Review Assessments: Formative vs. Summative Pass the Paper—Peer Feedback WOW— complete frameworks for each “Big Idea” Lunch WOW Debrief Day 3 +/

Pass the Paper Feedback Working as partners/teams, examine some of the units designed during yesterday and today’s sessions. Provide feedback through questioning— Does this understanding match the goal? Is/Are the essential question(s) broad/deep enough to spark inquiry? Will the timeframe be sufficient? Pass the paper to the next team.

COMPLETE AND/OR REVISE: BIG IDEAS/THEME CURRICULUM GOAL/OBJECTIVE ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS ESSENTIAL SKILLS/VOCABULARY FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT SUGGESTIONS INTEGRATION OPPORTUNITIES Work on the Work

Pacing Guide “At a Glance” Once unit frameworks have been devised, organizing them in a progressive sequence and assigning a time frame is easy If sequence or time allotted to the unit frame needs to be adjusted, it can be through the feedback process

COMPLETE AND/OR REVISE: FRAMEWORK COMPONENTS FOR EACH UNIT CREATE “AT A GLANCE” PACING GUIDE DEVELOP COMMON BENCHMARKS Work on the Work

Debrief Day 3 Where are you in the process? What do we need to adjust to tomorrow’s agenda? What worked for you today? What needs to be considered for improvement?

FINAL DAY! Day 4

AGENDA Review Feedback from Day 3 WHEN should assessments be given? Work on the Work (Assessment Generation/Refining Units) LUNCH Work on the Work (Assessment Generation) Evaluation and Next Steps (2:30)

When should they be given? Looking at the school calendar for next year, when would you propose that the assessments be given in order to provide feedback to teachers and students? Should there be one designated day? Or should there be a window? What other options should be considered?

Benchmark Assessment Tools Benchmarks for all Core Areas  ClassScape for “EOG/EOC tested” subjects  EdTech “Build My Test” solution for all others

COMPLETE BENCHMARK ASSESSMENTS Work on the Work

Using the Frameworks L T OE R U K Q CS Stage 1Stage 2Stage 3 Understandings Questions Content Standards Knowledge & Skill Task(s) Rubric(s) Other Evidence Learning Plan

How Will We Get There? Know the Target Plan and Deliver Assess Along the Way Provide Descriptive Feedback and Assistance

Stage 3 big idea: EFFECTIVEEFFECTIVE and ENGAGINGENGAGING

Stage 3 – Plan Learning Experiences & Instruction A focus on engaging and effective learning, “designed in”  What learning experiences and instruction will promote the desired understanding, knowledge and skill of Stage 1?  How will the design ensure that all students are maximally engaged and effective at meeting the goals? L

Think of your obligations via W. H. E. R. E. T. O. “ Where are we headed?” (the student’s Q!) How will the student be ‘hooked’? What opportunities will there be to be equipped, and to experience and explore key ideas? What will provide opportunities to rethink, rehearse, refine and revise? How will students evaluate their work? How will the work be tailored to individual needs, interests, styles? How will the work be organized for maximal engagement and effectiveness? W H E E R L T O

Next Steps– Planning Daily Lessons BOY Workdays… Meeting with GL/Department PLCs Develop Lesson Plans Provide Feedback on pacing/unit guides Meet again as group (Summer Revisions)

Continuous Improvement Process presented to administrative team Agreed upon expectations and roles Shared information through Convocation Conference and Grade Level/Department meetings Postings to our website Updates through monthly C & I meetings PLC work to collect feedback throughout the year Collection of feedback and used following summer to revise pacing and frameworks

Turn and Talk What will you take away from today’s session that will help you in your district? What questions do you still have?

Feedback: What worked for you today? What would have made it better?