1. PROJECT OVERVIEW Currituck County’s Curriculum Mapping Project

2. Housekeeping Items Sign-In each day Contracts (sign and return) Restrooms Lunch Introductions  Name, School, Something you’ve done/will do this Summer

3. Why are we doing this? State Influence Initiative—Essential Standards/Common Core Standards Adoption  2010-11: Current SCOS taught and assessed  2011-12: Current SCOS taught and assessed  2012-13: Common Core/Essential Standards taught and assessed

4. Plan to Support and Transition Instructional Toolkits including: o Crosswalks between Old and New o Vertical Learning Progressions o Glossary of Terms o Unpacked Content o Assessment Prototypes o Lesson Plans, Unit Plans o Diagnostic, Formative, and Benchmarking Assessment Tools Tools For All New Standards 4

5. 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 http://www.allthingsplc.info/articles/articles.php

6. 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?

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

8. 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….

9. 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

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

11. What’s the GOAL? With a partner or others at your table, discuss the question: WHAT IS THE GOAL OF TEACHING? and WHAT DOES THE END PRODUCT LOOK LIKE?

12. Understanding by Design Beginning with the END in mind…

13. 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

14. Why “backward”? The stages are logical but they go against habits  We’re used to jumping to lesson and activity ideas - before clarifying our performance goals for students  By thinking about the essential learning and assessments upfront, we ensure greater alignment of our goals and means, and that teaching is focused on desired results

15. 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?

16. 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:

17. IDENTIFYING: THE BIG IDEAS/THEMES KEY UNDERSTANDINGS ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS Stage 1

18. Essential Questions To Guide Our Work What is ESSENTIAL to Understanding? How can the this be organized to maximize understanding? How can we assess them?

19. SCOS GOALS What are the BIG IDEAS or THEMES for this content area K-12? (Consider the CORE STANDARDS as you look at the current SCOS) Activity--  Come up with 5 (or more) themes

20. “Big Ideas” are typically revealed via –  Core concepts  Focusing themes  On-going debates/issues  Insightful perspectives  Illuminating paradox/problem  Organizing theory  Overarching principle  Underlying assumption  Key questions  Insightful inferences from facts

21. 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?  Does it reflect the core ideas as judged by experts?

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

23. Big Ideas in Literacy: Examples  Rational persuasion (vs. manipulation)  audience and purpose in writing  A story, as opposed to merely a list of events linked by “and then…”  reading between the lines  writing as revision  a non-rhyming poem vs. prose  fiction as a window into truth  A critical yet empathetic reader  A writer’s voice

24. SCOS GOALS What are the BIG IDEAS or THEMES for this content area K-12?  Come up with 5 (or more) themes

25. 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.

26. Creating Evaluating Analysing 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 Analysing 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

27. SCOS GOALS What are the BIG IDEAS or THEMES for this content area K-12?  Come up with 5 (or more) themes  For one theme, create a question that addresses each area of Bloom’s as it relates to the theme

28. VIEW THE QUESTIONS POSED FOR EACH LEVEL AND COMMENT OR POST QUESTIONS REGARDING THE ALIGNMENT WITH BLOOM’S. Gallery Walk

29. From Big Ideas to Understandings about them 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

30. 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

31. Exercise: Understandings For the one unit identified: Determine the UNDERSTANDINGS students should uncover throughout and by the end of the unit.

32. GREAT THOUGHT PROVOKING OPENERS GUIDES THE UNIT DELIVERY OPEN ENDED ASSESSMENT TOOL ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

33. 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

34. Essential Questions What questions –  are arguable - and important to argue about?  are at the heart of the subject?  recur - and should recur - in professional work, adult life, as well as in classroom inquiry?  raise more questions – provoking and sustaining engaged inquiry?  often raise important conceptual or philosophical issues?  can provide organizing purpose for meaningful & connected learning?

35. Sample Essential Questions: What makes wounds heal in different ways? Why is asthma so prevalent in poor urban comminutes? 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?

36. 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?

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

38. 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:

39. Debrief Day I 3-2-1 Activity  List 3 things that you were expecting when you came in today  List 2 “pleasant” surprises  Write 1 question that you may have

40. THANKS FOR COMING BACK! Day 2

41. 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 Meeting Pam 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

42. Expecting to break down the SCOS Collaboration Creation of common assessments Share ideas/get ideas from other teachers Hard work Teamwork w/ grade Understanding Essential Questions Initiating development of curriculum map Discussion of essential ideas To be way behind everyone else Learn more about EQ Map out 8 th and Algebra Long day/Time pass slowly Expected to be lost in math jargon A new way of writing lesson plans All subjects to be in attendance To have a better understanding of the sequence of Math SCOS (what should be taught together) Where the curriculum is going Accomplish a timeline for teaching math objectives. Plug in resources and activities The task to be more challenging To be overwhelmed with the amount of work Not to get much done Align standards to make sense to me Easier than last week Didn’t know what to expect To be busy Begin framework for curriculum map Expected difficult program like Rubicon Expected to be lost in math jargon A new way of writing lesson plans All subjects to be in attendance 3-2-1 Reveals: Expectations BEFORE

43. 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 Science? 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? 3-2-1 Reveals

44. You’ve got to go below the surface...

45. to uncover the really ‘big ideas.’

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

47. Understanding, defined: They are...  specific generalizations about the “big ideas.” They summarize the key meanings, inferences, and importance of the ‘content’  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

48. 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

49. Essential Questions What questions –  are arguable - and important to argue about?  are at the heart of the subject?  recur - and should recur - in professional work, adult life, as well as in classroom inquiry?  raise more questions – provoking and sustaining engaged inquiry?  often raise important conceptual or philosophical issues?  can provide organizing purpose for meaningful & connected learning?

50. Sample Essential Questions:  How is math relevant in my life?  How does the position of a digit affect the value of a number?  In what ways can numbers be composed or decomposed?  What is the purpose of data displays and statistical measures?  How can the results of a statistical investigation be used to support an argument?  Why use exponents?  How are roots and powers related?

51. REVISIONS FROM FEEDBACK Essential Question

52. 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)

53. Assessment of Understanding via the 6 facets i.e. You really understand when you can:  explain, connect, systematize, predict it  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

54. 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

55. 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

56. 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: Materials Suggestions:

57. Day 3

58. Agenda Start ups– Ground Rules; Agenda Reflect on Day 2 Assessments: Formative vs. Summative Benchmarks Pass the Paper—Peer Feedback WOW Lunch WOW Debrief Day 3 +/

59. 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

60. 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

61. QUICK WRITE PAIR/SHARE What do you know or think you know about Formative Assessments?

62. 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

63. 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.

64. 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

65. 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

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

67. 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

68. 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

69. OVERVIEW OF THIS ONLINE TOOL NC FALCON

70. Creating Benchmark MATH Assessments Using ClassScape, and your unit plans, design quarterly benchmark assessments that align with your sequence of teaching. Questions are tied to passages—consider the genre/style of writing (and how it might relate to studies “typically” done during each quarter) Benchmarks should be about 20-35 questions—some variations for 3 rd and/or the beginning of the year.  15-20; 20-25; 25-30

71. COMPLETE AND/OR REVISE: BIG IDEAS/THEME CURRICULUM GOAL/OBJECTIVE ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS ESSENTIAL SKILLS/VOCABULARY Work on the Work

72. 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.

73. COMPLETE AND/OR REVISE: BIG IDEAS/THEME CURRICULUM GOAL/OBJECTIVE ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS ESSENTIAL SKILLS/VOCABULARY Work on the Work

74. 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?

75. FINAL DAY! Day 4

76. AGENDA Review Feedback from Day 3 WHEN should assessments be given? Work on the Work (Assessment Generation/Refining Units) Lunch (about 11:45) Work on the Work (Assessment Generation) Evaluation and Next Steps (2:30)

77. 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?

78. COMPLETE BENCHMARK ASSESSMENTS Work on the Work

79. LUNCH

80. COMPLETE BENCHMARK ASSESSMENTS Work on the Work

81. Each element is found behind a menu tab when designing 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

82. Stage 3 big idea: EFFECTIVEEFFECTIVE and ENGAGINGENGAGING

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

84. 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

85. 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

86. 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 (October? November?)

87. Feedback: 3 Day Project and The Day What worked for you today? What would have made it better?

88. for further information... Contact us:  Grant Wiggins, co-author: grant@ubdexchange.org  Jay McTighe, co-author: jmctigh@aol.com