West Virginia Achieves Professional Development Series Volume XII Standards-Based Lessons and Unit Designs

West Virginia Department of Education Mission The West Virginia Department of Education, in conjunction with the Regional Education Service Agencies and the Office of Performance Audits, will create systemic conditions, processes and structures within the West Virginia public school system that result in (1) all students achieving mastery and beyond and (2) closing the achievement gap among sub-groups of the student population.

Robert Hutchins The Conflict in Education in a Democratic Society “Perhaps the greatest idea that America has given the world is education for all. The world is entitled to know whether this idea means that everybody can be educated or simply that everyone must go to school.”

What We Know…  An emerging body of research identifies characteristics of high performing school systems.  These school systems have made significant progress in bringing all students to mastery and in closing the achievement gap.  These systems share characteristics described in The West Virginia Framework for High Performing Schools.

SCHOOL EFFECTIVENESS CULTURE OF COMMON BELIEFS & VALUES Dedicated to “Learning for ALL…Whatever It Takes” HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOL SYSTEM SYSTEMIC CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PROCESS CURRICULLUM MANAGEMENT INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES STUDENT/PARENT SUPPORT

What’s Different About Standards-Based Instruction? 1.Shared responsibility among district, school and teachers 2.Approach focus is on using content standards to… determine curricular priorities and “big ideas”— the standards determine methods of student assessments that provide evidence of learning design lessons that stem from the standards and student assessments

Activity What’s wrong with this picture? Coverage teaching getting through the textbook Activity-oriented teaching with no how or why The content is either too big or too small.

What is Understanding By Design? A unit/lesson design process Created by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe Referred to as “backward design”

Is Understanding by Design really a better way? Two key components of UbD area focus on depth of understanding evidence that students have attained understanding

Jay McTighe’s Basic Beliefs Facts don’t transfer; concepts do. Big ideas provide the conceptual velcro of instruction. Assessments should promote learning, not just measure it. Assess what is valued, not just what is easiest to do.

Just what is “understanding”? How do you know when you’ve “got it”? How do you know when your students have “got it”? What key words have you used to define understanding?

Six Facets: The Foundation of Understanding by Design How do we know when we understand ?

Explanation The how, what, where and why you do what you do … supported by theory What might happen if …? How might we prove …?

Make meaning of text and events, use patterns to develop meaning or significance What are the implications of …? Why does this matter? Interpret

Application Solve a problem … use old information in a new situation to accomplish a purpose How could we use … to overcome …? How and when can we use this knowledge or process?

Perspective To seek understanding from insightful points of view using a variety of vantage points What could be a different point of view about …? What are other possible reactions to …?

Empathy Make sense of unfamiliar information by getting inside another person’s feelings and views How might … feel about …? What would it be like to walk in …’s shoes?

Self-knowledge Wisdom to know the limits of one’s knowledge What are my “blind spots” about …? How are my views shaped by experiences habits and prejudices?

How does Understanding by Design work?

3 Stages of UbD Stage I identify desired results Stage II determine acceptable evidence Stage III plan learning experiences

Design Tip The order of the process is everything.

Stage I – Desired Results Decide what knowledge and skills for each standard look like at the end of instruction.

Stage II – Assessment Evidence Develop assessments that will measure the desired results from Stage I.

Stage III – Learning Plan Sequence instruction from the end of the unit to the beginning. Design instructional activities that will ensure student performance is at mastery and above.

Did that just sound like CSO terminology? Absolutely! Understanding by Design and the West Virginia Content Standards, Objectives and Performance Descriptors work exceptionally well together.

A Closer Look at Stage I— Desired Results The Content Standards are “big ideas”. They are essential to the curriculum. There are other “big ideas,” too. The “big ideas” are the basis for Stage I— Desired Results Let’s look at the next slide to help you decide what is a “big idea.”

UbD Clarifying Content Priorities Worth being familiar with (e.g. nice to know if time permits) Important to know and do (e.g. objectives, skills) Enduring understandings (e.g. standards)

What are “enduring understandings?” What do you want the students to take with them when they leave your class? What are the knowledge and skills you want them to have? Write this as a statement, and it is an “enduring understanding.”

What are “essential questions?” Essential questions are thought-provoking questions that cause students to think about the “desired result” or “big idea”. Rarely will essential questions be answered with a “yes” or “no”.

Stage I Checklist Is it a big idea? Does it reside at the heart of the discipline? Does it require uncoverage? Does it have the potential for engaging students? All of the above can lead you to determine the Desired Results for student learning

This is a good time for an example We’re going to look at the Standard and Objectives for this part. We are just going to concentrate on figuring out the “big idea.” We are going to relate this in terms of what we want students to know and be able to do.

What’s next? Stage II requires us to figure out what type of student assessments to use. What types of assessments, both formal and informal, will give us the evidence that the students understand? What helps you do this part of the task? What is meant by formal and informal?

Let’s talk about formal and informal assessments Formal Assessments—usually standardized, timed, may be norm-referenced or criterion- referenced test –WESTEST –President’s Physical Fitness Test –NAEP –West Virginia Writing Assessment –Woodcock-Johnson Reading Inventory

Let’s talk about formal and informal assessments Informal Assessments—ongoing check for understanding, teacher-made, varied and designed to meet individual student needs –Paper-pencil tests –Portfolios –Daily grades –Student performances and products

What Kind of Assessments Do We Want? Provides variety Provides ongoing assessment Provides a snapshot Creates an album Provides choices along a continuum

Where do I go to find help with determining the “acceptable evidence”? You go back to the CSOs. Only this time, look to the Performance Descriptors. Remember, to focus on Mastery and Above.

Assessment Evidence Tips You want to evaluate……. What is important? What is the alignment to the desired results? What is relevant and valid – not what is easiest to grade? What manner are the needed answers given? What format variety is available that will enable the creation of a photo album?

Stage III—Write the Learning Plan 1.Align the activities to the assessments and desired results. 2.Sequence the plan in a logical fashion. 3.Revise as needed. 4.Structure as Not totally linear.

Let’s review the Understanding by Design planning process.

Design Tip The order of the process is everything.

Stages I. Desired Results—What do you want the students to learn for the “long haul”? II. Assessment Evidence—How will you know that they have “got it”? III. Learning Plan—What types of instruction, learning experiences and student activities will you use?

Standard Template Let’s move on to what is referred to as the Standard Template. Do you see the three stages? What has happened within the three stages?

Stage I—Desired Results Sub-sections Established Goals Understandings Essential questions Students will know ….. Students will be able to do……

Stage II—Assessment Evidence Performance Tasks Key Criteria Other Evidence

Stage III—Learning Plan Multiple formats and media Opportunities to rehearse, revise and refine Inclusion of activities that meet students’ different needs and interests

Don’t Get Nervous! I know what you’re thinking… “I cannot possibly do a plan like this everyday for every subject.” Remember the slide about the order of the process? Where do we go from here?

To Learn More About UbD…. Consider the following resources: Understanding by Design by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe; ISBN Understanding by Design Study Guide by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe; ISBN Understanding by Design Professional Development Workbook by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe; ISBN All are available from