1. Differentiating for AIG Learners: Curriculum Compacting Session #4
AIG Booster Shots
Differentiating for AIG Learners: Curriculum Compacting Session #4

2. 3-Minute Reflection
What should teachers know about tiered assignments?
Create a list of 5 things that all teachers should know about tiered assignments.

3. Tiered Assignments: A review
Response to varying readiness levels
Teacher assigned…not student selected
Focus on the same objective at all tiers
Critical to ensuring appropriate challenge for AIGs

4. Rationale for Curriculum Compacting
Some students have already mastered much of the regular curriculum.
Many elementary students can earn above 90% on subject area pretests.
High stakes testing has promoted focus on struggling learners.
Though more rigorous, our new standards still provide room for acceleration, enrichment, and extension for AIGs.

5. Rationale for Curriculum Compacting
Compacting “buys” time for able students to participate in more challenging activities, bypassing material that they already know.

6. Signs that a student may benefit from compacting:
Boredom
Finishing work early and accurately
Looked to for help by other students
High tests scores but relatively poor class work

7. 3-Minute Reflection
Brainstorm students who you now teach who may benefit from compacting.
In which subject areas?
How do you know?

8. Curriculum Compacting: The 3 Goals
Identify standards, objectives, goals
Assess students to determine mastery
Offer more challenging options

9. Curriculum Compacting: The 2 Categories
Skills: math, ELA (spelling, grammar)
Content: science, social studies (particular topics)

10. Curriculum Compacting: The 8 Steps
Identify standards/objectives (goals) for a unit
Find or create a pre-assessment aligned with goals
Identify students to pre-assess
Administer pre-assessment

11. 3-Minute Reflection
How can you find out what your students already know about what you’re about to teach?
Brainstorm a variety of types of pre-assessments.

12. Pre-assessment: Sample 3-2-1
3 important understandings from today’s lesson
2 things I’m still confused about
1 thing I already know about our next topic/lesson

13. Curriculum Compacting: The 8 Steps (continued)
Eliminate unnecessary practice and instruction
Based on analysis of the pre-assessment, which students do not need some or all of the planned instruction and practice?

14. A note on mastery levels…
Consider the type of content being assessed: How concrete and basic is it?
More important: What types of items are students missing?

15. Curriculum Compacting: The 8 Steps (continued)
Streamline needed instruction and practice (“mini-lessons”)
Substitute more appropriate and challenging activities

16. Alternate activities:
Consider acceleration, enrichment, and extension
Independent/small group studies
Centers
Internships
Mentorships

17. Curriculum Compacting: The 8 Steps (continued)
Keep records
How can we ensure that our decisions about Curriculum Compacting are clear and defensible?

18. Student interest is key!
What would a student want to explore deeply if he or she had the time to do it?
What topics and activities would provide a real and interesting challenge?

19. 4-Minute Reflection
Where in your curriculum will Curriculum Compacting be most useful?
Which topics and skills tend to come easily to some of your students?

20. Upcoming AIG Booster Shots
Projects, independent studies, small-group investigations
Seminars
Concept-based teaching
Concept Development