Curriculum & Instruction Idaho Falls District # 91

Spectacular achievement is always preceded by unspectacular preparation. Roger Staubach

Factors Associated with High Achieving Schools 1.Focus on clear standards and goals. 2.Daily presence of visible principal. 3.A faculty of teachers ensuring that all are taught and learn the standards. Gordon Cawelti – Education Research Service

Factors Associated with High Achieving Schools Cont. 4.Teachers working collaboratively to focus on student learning. 5.Concentration over a period of time on the changes needed to improve learning. Gordon Cawelti – Education Research Service

Curricular Chaos Written Reported Tested Taught

District 91 Curriculum Unity Model Taught Written Tested Reported

Traditional Report Card Taught Written Tested Reported

Without guaranteed & viable curriculum, four variables predict student achievement… 1.Type of community 2.Poverty rate 3.The education of their parents 4.Number of parents in home

Idaho Content Standards Webpage…

Talking the Talk Coordination : Geometry is geometry is geometry Articulation : Avoiding gaps or unnecessary overlaps over a students entire school career Alignment : The match between taught curriculum and tested curriculum.

Three Levels of Alignment The test Teaching Test Teaching Test Teaching No Alignment Surface Alignment Deep Alignment

Four Lenses of Learning

The Achievement Lens How are we doing compared to everyone else? Other Districts? Other Buildings? Other Classrooms? Other Students?

The Proficiency Lens How are we doing against the state selected cut score? What percentage of our students is proficient? Ex: If the cut score for mathematics at 10 th grade is 242, what percentage of our students has reached or exceeded that score??

The Growth Lens How much growth did our students make this year from fall to spring? Ex: Whether students have reached a cut score or not, how much growth did they make in our district in one year? Six months worth? Two years worth?

The Instructional Lens Using the data available from state, district, and classroom assessments, what do principals, teachers, etc. need to change or do to make sure that all students are learning the curriculum?

Do Tests Improve Learning? No. Learning only improves if we change what we are doing based on what we learn from the test results. Allan Olson, NWEA

Tests, by themselves, do not improve learning, any more than a thermometer reduces fever. (Hubert, 2000)

The main factor in improving achievement is a knowledgeable, skillful teacher. (Breaux & Wong, 2003)

Percentile Entering Percentile Leaving Highly Ineffective School/50 th 3 rd Highly Ineffective Teacher Average School/50 th 50 th Average Teacher Highly Effective School/50 th 37 th Highly Ineffective Teacher Highly Ineffective School/50 th 63 rd Highly Effective Teacher Highly Effective School/50 th 78 th Average Teacher Highly Effective School/50 th 96 th Highly Effective Teacher

Teacher Effectiveness (Randall, 2001) In a study, researchers determined that students assigned to three effective teachers in a row grew from the 59th to 76th percentile in three years. A different group, assigned to three ineffective teachers for three years dropped from the 60th to the 42nd percentile in the same time period.

A Little History Practically, if not idealistically, poor education for many students was not a social problem when plenty of low-skilled jobs offering good wages were to be had. It is a problem today when most jobs demand much greater competence. Linda Darling-Hammond, Teacher and Professor

A Look at the Future In 1950 there were sixteen workers for every person on social security; by 2010, there will be only three (SSA, 1996). If not all of these potential workers are productive, our nations social compact will crumble. Linda Darling-Hammond

A Look at the Future High school dropouts now have less than one chance in three of finding work, and if they do find a job, they typically earn less than half as much as they would have twenty years ago. William T. Grant Foundation, 1988

Two things U.S. schools have never before been called upon to do: To teach for understanding. That is, to teach all students, not just a few, to understand ideas deeply and perform proficiently To teach for diversity. That is, to teach in ways that help different kinds of learners find productive paths to knowledge as needed.

Critical Questions Process Discuss Critical Questions in small groups List all questions, concerns, and ideas Rank each listing: –1 – Total Agreement/Key Point –2 – Important Point/Save for later –3 – Save for later Report all 1s from each group to large group

Critical Question 1 What interventions can be provided to students in order for the district to improve in the identified areas of AYP?

ISAT Graduation Cut Scores 2007 Graduation Proficient 2008 Graduation Proficient Reading Math Language Usage219222

ISAT AYP Percent Proficient Targets Approved by State Board of Education Aug Read- ing 66%72%78%84%92%100% Math51%60%70%80%90%100% Lang- uage Usage 66%72%78%84%92%100%

What happens when AYP is not met… YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3YEAR 4YEAR 5YEAR 6YEAR 7 Year 1Year 2Year 1 School Improvement Year 2 School Improvement Year 3 School Improvement Corrective Action Year 4 School Improvement Plan Restructure Year 5 School Improvement Restructuring Status AYP not met Notify parents Offer school choice Provide transportation assistance Revise and implement School Improvement Plan (SIP) Provide professional development Notify parents Offer school choice Provide transportation assistance Offer Supplemental Educational Services (SES) Revise and implement School Improvement Plan (SIP) Provide professional development In addition to the school improvement steps, the district must take at least one of the following corrective actions: Replace some school staff Institute new curricula Decrease management authority of school Appoint outside expert Extend school day/year Restructure school Prepare a restructuring plan to implement at least one of the following: Replace all or most of school staff Contract with an outside entity to operate the school as a public school Re-open the school as a public charter school Restructure the school's governance Turn over to state Implement the restructuring plan

Critical Question 1 Discussion and Ranking What interventions can be provided to students in order for the district to improve in the identified areas of AYP?

Critical Question 2 Are we committed to reporting the written curriculum K-12? If so, what are the barriers to implementation?

Traditional Report Card Taught Written Tested Reported

Standards Based Report Card Taught Written Tested Reported

Critical Question 2 Discussion and Ranking Are we committed to reporting the written curriculum K-12? If so, what are the barriers to implementation?

As an educator, it is impossible to go through a school day without impacting someones life….

…for better or for worse.

What a great responsibility.

What an even greater opportunity.