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Running Header: Ongoing Curriculum Alignment Innovation 1
Ongoing Curriculum Alignment Innovation
William Rodick
George Mason University
EDUC 615
Dr. Shanon Hardy
April 2013
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Abstract
To address the additional work that occurs each time our school goes
through various processes
PYP visitation, MYP visitation, AdvancED
accreditation that are actually very similar in nature, and require similar
processes from faculty and staff, I wished to create a curriculum review process
that ensures the preparation for visitations from reviewing agencies works to
our benefit. I also wish for such a process to ensure continual progress on a
continuum of development, so that the processes are not simply for achieving
certain scores, but are purposeful in school improvement. The aspects of the
curriculum review process will ensure improvement in areas that need
addressing, such as finding greater consistency, establishing greater
communication, improving accountability, and increasing the involvement of all
stakeholders.
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Problem Identification
During the fall semester, the school improvement coordinator guided
other administrators through a process of self-evaluation. This process had
administrators examine standards developed by AdvancED, our accreditation
agency, which will visit the campus in 2014. During this self-evaluation,
administrators considered the programs and policies in place, and in some ways,
considered changes in programs and policies that could be made. Months later,
chairpersons led self-evaluation teams designated by standard, and each of these
teams were made up of parents, students, teachers, staff, and administrators. I
was asked to participate in the group that focused on standard 3, which deals
with curriculum. In this meeting, I became concerned about substandard 3.2:
Curriculum, instruction, and assessment are monitored and adjusted
systematically in response to data from multiple assessments of student learning
and an examination of professional practice. As a group, we determined that
this is an area that needs great consideration. We discussed the MAP test, which
being new, was given to students for the first time in December 2012. However,
we have not received training in the use of data from this test. I then looked at
other documentation regarding AdvancED and their recommendations from the
past visitation of 2009. That year, they dictated required action necessary for our
reaccreditation (the past level achieved was Accredited on Advisement):
Required Action: Develop and implement a systemic and systematic
process for gathering, analyzing, and using data to improve teaching and
learning.
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Evidence: While efforts have been made to administer standardized and
national tests, interviews reveal that such efforts generate little
meaningful information used to improve teaching or students learning.
Rationale: School quality is directly related to the degree to which all
members of the school community are able to make decisions, both on a
day to day and on a long term basis, guided by performance measures,
including student learning data.
In 2011, AdvancED responded to updates inserted into their system by the
director: Information included in the APR indicate[s] the school has taken
significant steps to meet this required action. The school must further develop
and implement a comprehensive assessment that uses student achievement data
to inform instruction and curriculum development.
During the 2009 visit and the 2011 interim update, the school had been
using the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) as a method for testing and gathering
information about student growth. The ITBS also provides a detailed data report
for each student, and teachers generally receive this report to examine during
the in-service period that begins each school year. The ITBS does have its faults.
Since it is only used once per year, it may not be a valid indicator of a students
strengths and weaknesses. Since it is given in the spring and the report isnt
made available to teachers until the fall, the information is too distanced from
the learning levels indicated through that assessment.
The Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) was introduced to the school,
and it was decided that this test would replace the ITBS. The MAP can be given
multiple times during the year, data on student performance is available quickly,
and the test is adaptive the difficulty level of questions adjusts based on each
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Ongoing Curriculum Alignment Innovation 5
correct or incorrect response so that it more accurately identifies a students
strengths and weaknesses. However, although the test was given in December,
and data was given to teachers at the start of the spring semester, teachers still
have not been trained on how to use the data to inform instruction.
It seemed evident to me that the school needs more than the
improvements that the MAP test offers. Curriculum is still pulled in many
directions at the school although standards have been adopted, many teachers
are not using standards to inform instruction; the International Baccalaureate
(IB) frameworks of the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and the Middle Years
Programme (MYP) inform grades 1-10, but the Brazilian program, EAL, specials
classes, and courses delivered to students in 11th and 12th grades seem distant
from the instructional practices, planning requirements, and the assessment
formats of those programs.
I recalled the AERO Conference, which I attended in the summer of 2011.
During one of the sessions, Gail Seay, the curriculum coordinator of the American
School of Doha, shared with us her process for curriculum alignment (Seay
Appendix A). The process is interesting, because unlike many others, the method
is not solely standard-focused and guided by discipline, but it is whole school
focused and ongoing. The process begins with a revisit to the large aims of the
school the mission, vision, and values. Each department then aligns their own
mission, vision, and values, creating essential agreements that advance those
foundational beliefs of departments under the umbrella of school-wide beliefs.
Working from a larger perspective ensures commonality, and from there
departments align learning goals and assessments, units of study,
transdisciplinary skills, scope and sequence documents, and resources. When I
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first looked at this model, I found it fascinating, but almost impossible to
implement at our school. Back in 2011, the school did not have standards,
shallowly understood the IB, and had a faculty that was just too small to
overburden with additional duties. Two years can change a great deal. The
school now has standards, teachers are far more open to learning about and
following IB philosophy, and although faculty is still small, there are more
opportunities now for collaboration. Also, I realized there is no need to split
teachers into subject referent departments this work can be done through the
department designations already in place: IB PYP, IB MYP, high school, and
Brazilian program.
I shared the American School of Doha framework with other
administrators in a curriculum meeting, which involved the PYP coordinator, the
MYP coordinator, and the director. The conversation was positive, especially
since it seems that so many of the regular processes that the school undergoes
seemingly begin from scratch every few years or so. It is time to work smarter.
A curriculum alignment process can ensure a commitment to the
processes that AdvancED requires. If the curriculum alignment process includes
planned action for testing students, analyzing those testing results, and including
those testing results within other methods for evaluating and analyzing
instruction and assessment, then that process will be a sufficient response to
demands imposed upon the school in 2009: Develop and implement a systemic
and systematic process for gathering, analyzing, and using data to improve
teaching and learning. Additionally, a curriculum alignment process helps align
all the wandering parts of the curricular system. Finally, it can force wheels to be
put in motion that can make the curriculum more effective. If the process is well
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known, and all stakeholders are familiar with expectations, then there is greater
accountability of all members for following those expectations.
Literature Review
American School of Doha: Strategically Speaking. (n.d.).American School of Doha.
Retrieved April 15, 2013, fromhttp://www.asd.edu.qa/page.cfm?p=943
This resource is a collection of materials that guide and explain the
curriculum alignment process at the American School of Doha (ASD). Gail Seay,
the curriculum coordinator of ASD, made these documents available to me and
other school leaders at the AERO Leadership Conference workshop in June 2011.
The documents were created by Gail Seay and her faculty at ASD, and are all
protected by the Creative Commons License, but Gail gave us permission to reuse
these in our schools, so long as we provide credit to the American School of Doha.
The collection is an overview of the ongoing curriculum alignment
process in place at ASD, along with documents about norms for professional
collaboration and foundational documents to which the review process connects.
The ongoing curriculum alignment process, is most easily discerned from this
graphic:
http://www.asd.edu.qa/page.cfm?p=943http://www.asd.edu.qa/page.cfm?p=943http://www.asd.edu.qa/page.cfm?p=943http://www.asd.edu.qa/page.cfm?p=9437/30/2019 Innovation Study
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The process is cyclical and ongoing, centering at the end and beginning of each
cycle upon big picture ideas foundational elements of the school and student
learning. This ensures broad scopes through which to view the process,
providing a link to all aspects of the review process. Rather than viewing
curriculum as standards, this process ensures that all aspects of teaching,
learning, and assessing are intertwined and understood.
Britton, M., Letassy, N., Medina, M., & Er, N. (2008). A Curriculum Review and
Mapping Process Supported by an Electronic Database System.American Journal
of Pharmaceutical Education, 72(5), 1-6.
Although this study is of a curriculum review process at a college of
pharmacy, and their work was successful with the aid of curriculum mapping
technology, the lessons here about the purposes for a curriculum alignment
process and what such a process should focus upon are relevant to my own
study. Similar to the purposes for such a process in my school, the curriculum
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review for this study aims to increase common understanding of the curriculum,
to make that curriculum more transparent for all stakeholders, and to ensure
linkage of the curriculum throughout different courses. A major element of this
studys process for meeting their objectives was to define the specific learning
outcomes of courses, which were then cross-referenced to ensure connectivity.
Fortunately for my school, this can begin with established learning outcomes, via
IB PYP scope and sequence and MYP objectives along with school standards, that
simply require understanding and buy-in. Through the process, faculty involved
in this study had to present evidence of what students actually learned in the
courses as opposed to assumptions of what could have been learned based on
delivered content. This is something to pay attention to for my process; since we
are beginning with standards and objectives in place, the major task will be to
create a curriculum alignment process that helps instructors become aware that
standards and objectives are for ensuring student progress, and not just for
ensuring teaching coverage.
Carpenter, D., & Carpenter, M. (2009). All Aboard!. Learning & Leading with
Technology, January, 18-23.
This study is an overview of the curriculum review process at an
international school in Hong Kong. This school relied on a curriculum mapping
tool, which would not work for my institution, because this was previously
denied in my budget proposals. However, there are other aspects of their process
that I should consider. The process of curriculum review in this study was highly
organized: school administrators put teachers at the center of the curriculum-
development process. Ensuring that teachers, and other stakeholders, are
consistently involved in the process is crucial to ensure buy-in and consistency.
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While the process in this study focused on using data and reflection on the
effectiveness of the attainment of objectives and the understanding of essential
questions, they also zeroed in on specific subjects. This would be difficult at my
school, because some subjects are entirely taught by one or two teachers, and
even if many teachers focused on one subject at a time to assist those teachers, a
discipline-focused process may create distance from foundational beliefs,
shifting the very perspective that would unite all subjects into broken
perspectives that might not unite any subject.
Curriculum and Instruction - Curriculum & Instruction Documents. (n.d.).
Academy School District 20. Retrieved April 15, 2013, from
http://asd20.org/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetaili
d=12492&&PHPSESSID=ca4cf6eaf449f351525db37ca465ac6d
This document outlines the curriculum review process of Academy
District Twenty. This process cycles through subject areas like Science and
Career & Tech Ed, reviewing standards, evaluating vertical articulation, selecting
materials, reviewing evidence of learning outcomes and assessments, selecting
materials and resources, and determining professional development from the
process. The process is cyclical, involves many stakeholders, and is centered on
student growth, but the focus on student growth seems loosely connected and
implicit, whereas I would like for this to be an explicit focus of our process. Prior
to examining this document, I had not considered the importance of using this
process to determine professional development needs, but this seems like a
logical addition to the process, and would address another standard of the
AdvancED review process.
http://asd20.org/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=12492&&PHPSESSID=ca4cf6eaf449f351525db37ca465ac6dhttp://asd20.org/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=12492&&PHPSESSID=ca4cf6eaf449f351525db37ca465ac6dhttp://asd20.org/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=12492&&PHPSESSID=ca4cf6eaf449f351525db37ca465ac6dhttp://asd20.org/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=12492&&PHPSESSID=ca4cf6eaf449f351525db37ca465ac6dhttp://asd20.org/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=12492&&PHPSESSID=ca4cf6eaf449f351525db37ca465ac6d7/30/2019 Innovation Study
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Dolence, M. (2004). The Curriculum-Centered Strategic Planning Model.
Educause Center for Applied Research Research Bulletin,2004(10), 1-11.
The Curriculum-Centered Strategic Planning Model is a framework for
systemic strategic planning in higher education, but follows processes that could
work on any academic level. The process follows five interlocking planning
activities: identifying Key Performance Indicators, detailing a Learner-Centered
Curriculum Framework, conducting an external environmental scan, conducting
continuous self-study, and developing an action plan process and
implementation. The authors consider Key Performance Indicators to be any
measures of performance that can guide the curricular process. For my school,
this could relate to standards and objectives, but can also be suitable reference to
focusing on institutional level goals, like our foundational documents mission,
vision, etc. The Learner-Centered Curriculum Framework takes into
consideration learning populations, learning objectives, learning providers,
learning theory and methods, curriculum architecture, and curriculum
configuration. The element that immediately seems suitable to the aims of a
process at this school that I had not previously considered is the inclusion of
learning population analysis. Due to the size of the school, learning populations
within a grade level may vary wildly, or may be inconsistent with expectations
for that grade level. An evaluation of these levels could lead to a greater
connection to resources that help us achieve our curricular aims through this
process. The final three stages of the process are actually somewhat vaguely
described in this document or already integrated in a draft of the process that I
have created.
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Innovation
The primary purpose for this curriculum alignment process was to
address AdvancED requirements for reaccreditation: Develop and implement a
systemic and systematic process for gathering, analyzing, and using data to
improve teaching and learning. The delivery and collaborative review of the
MAP is an integrated component of the curriculum alignment process, along
with a set process for incorporating professional development related to the use
of data (MAP Testing CycleAppendix B).
As a multi-pronged method for maintaining alignment between the
curriculum and core beliefs of the school, the curriculum alignment process will
also assist in improving other aspects of curriculum development and school
improvement. Britton, Letassy, Medina, & Er (2008) make it evident through
their process that curriculum alignment can increase common understanding of
the curriculum, can ensure linkage of the curriculum across disciplines, and can
ensure that standards for learning are used to measure progress rather than
dictate teacher coverage. This innovation increases common understanding by
establishing all review under the umbrella of school-wide foundational elements
(Two-Year Review CycleAppendix C). Furthermore, the understanding of the
curriculum comes from transparency that results from having all stakeholders
take part in program and school-wide evaluation processes (External Evaluation
ProcessAppendix D). Linkage of curriculum extends beyond foundational
documents through collaborative review of learning targets and unit plans.
Finally, the MAP results should make it clear to trained teachers that learning
gaps are areas for directing instruction, and that not all students will equally
obtain achievement of each years learning objectives at the same rate.
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Carpenter & Carpenter (2009) point out how important it is that teachers and
other stakeholders are at the center of the process. For this reason, committees created
for each External Evaluation Process consist of stakeholders from all areas of the
school, and are led by teacher chairpersons. By including all stakeholders, the entire
process is more transparent to the community. Furthermore, this Ongoing Curriculum
Alignment Process will also be made transparent to the community, so that they are
aware when certain processes will occur (Ongoing Curriculum Alignment Process
OverviewAppendix E).
As is directly understood by Academy District 20 (Curriculum and Instruction,
2013), professional development need evaluation runs synchronistical with
curriculum development. The very process reveals need. As a result, professional
development need is examined along with resource need as one of the six integral
tasks of the process. These needs are also examined within each of the External
Evaluation Processes (Ongoing Curriculum Alignment Process ModelAppendix F).
Dolence (2004) notes the importance of considering school improvement
plans and analyzing learning populations. Although each of the External
Evaluation Processes require the creation of school improvement goals, these
processes have never considered how these goals might be repeated when other
plans have not been considered. Built into this curriculum alignment process is
the expectation that External Evaluation Process leaders will rely on and extend
the goals created through the other two External Evaluation Processes. As
teachers evaluate data from MAP, they will also grow in their understanding of
how the learning populations of their students are unique, and there will be
students in a classroom that are not reflective of the norm of the class, and the
norm of the class may not be reflective of grade level expectations.
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Outcome
The director has decided that the finalized version of the Ongoing
Curriculum Review Process will be included in the handbook for next school year.
I designed this process so that once it became transparent to the community it
would inherently add a sense of accountability for administration to ensure that
procedures of the process are conducted properly. I am elated that this will be
shared with the community now. I do hope that school leaders are able to live up
to the elements of accountability stated in the process. I am concerned that
eagerness over making the plan available now may be excitement about making
AdvancED is aware of our effort. I hope that eagerness extends to administrative
follow-through of the procedures within this process.
This innovation aligns the External Evaluation Processes that the school
regularly goes through so that the processes inform one another, and so that
administrators in charge of these processes conduct thorough preparations that
involve all stakeholders in evaluating the school regularly. The process directly
addresses at least two standards of AdvancED evaluation, but also ensures
continual progress that can help the school achieve all standards related to
curriculum for AdvancED review and for PYP and MYP reviews. The Two-Year
Review Cycle will ensure continual progress on a continuum of development,
aligning foundational values to all processes of curriculum. The aspects of the
curriculum alignment process will ensure improvement in areas that need
addressing, such as finding greater consistency, establishing greater
communication, improving accountability, and increasing the involvement of all
stakeholders. A defined process for incorporating data in the analysis of
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curriculum need and professional development will guide the school toward a
path of continual improvement.
The process does have the potential to not be followed by administration.
In requests for review of the plan, the MYP coordinator and director provided no
feedback, only saying that the plan seemed great. I expected resistance about
accomplishing all aspects of the Two-Year Review Cycle in only two years, but no
administrator has made any comment about the timing of the processes. It may
be that each administrator is fully on-board, but there is the possibility that they
have not considered how all aspects of the process will impact their routines.
Details about each particular action within the plan, such as a protocol for
how goal statements will be written during the External Evaluation Process, how
each department will review standards, or guidelines for how professional
development need will be assessed are absent. It will be necessary that
administrators develop the protocols for these processes as they conduct them.
This may increase the likelihood that aspects of the process will not see follow-
through.
Despite the excitement of the director about this process, I am hoping to
make it apparent just what this process will entail for the routines of each
administrator, so that if there are any doubts about the ability to remain
accountable for follow-through, adjustments can be made before revealing the
plan to the public.
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References
American School of Doha: Strategically speaking. (n.d.).American School of Doha.
Retrieved April 15, 2013, from http://www.asd.edu.qa/page.cfm?p=943
Britton, M., Letassy, N., Medina, M., & Er, N. (2008). A curriculum review and
mapping process supported by an electronic database system.American
Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 72(5), 1-6.
Carpenter, D., & Carpenter, M. (2009). All aboard!. Learning & leading with
technology, January, 18-23.
Curriculum and Instruction - curriculum & instruction documents. (n.d.).
Academy School District 20. Retrieved April 15, 2013, from
http://asd20.org/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?section
detailid=12492&&PHPSESSID=ca4cf6eaf449f351525db37ca465ac6d
Dolence, M. (2004). The curriculum-centered strategic planning model.
Educause Center for Applied Research Research Bulletin,2004(10), 1-11.
http://asd20.org/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=12492&&PHPSESSID=ca4cf6eaf449f351525db37ca465ac6dhttp://asd20.org/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=12492&&PHPSESSID=ca4cf6eaf449f351525db37ca465ac6dhttp://asd20.org/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=12492&&PHPSESSID=ca4cf6eaf449f351525db37ca465ac6dhttp://asd20.org/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=12492&&PHPSESSID=ca4cf6eaf449f351525db37ca465ac6dhttp://asd20.org/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=12492&&PHPSESSID=ca4cf6eaf449f351525db37ca465ac6d7/30/2019 Innovation Study
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Appendix Table of Contents
A. Seay 18B. MAP Testing Cycle 20C. Two-Year Review Cycle 21D. External Evaluation Process 22E. Ongoing Curriculum Alignment Process Overview 23F. Ongoing Curriculum Alignment Process Model 27
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SeayAppendix A
American School of Doha Ongoing Curriculum Alignment Process
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MAP Testing CycleAppendix B
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Two-Year Review CycleAppendix C
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External Evaluation ProcessAppendix D
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Ongoing Curriculum Alignment Process OverviewAppendix E
Ongoing Curriculum Alignment Process
Background
The Ongoing Curriculum Alignment Process (OCAP) is a multi-pronged methodfor maintaining alignment between the curriculum and core beliefs of the school.
This process is not subject-specific, but dynamic, ongoing, and simultaneous for
all areas of curriculum. Although this follows a designated cycle, the process is
about encompassing all aspects of curriculum to tie back into comprehensive,
student-centered curriculum.
Two-Year Review Cycle
This cycle, a major component of the Ongoing Curriculum Alignment Process,
incorporates six tasks, each of which is informed by the External Evaluation
Processes of the PYP, MYP, and AdvancED (each of which informs the other,
particularly in terms of the basis for continual growth through whole school
improvement and department-level improvement goals). These External
Evaluation Processes are each informed by self-assessment designated by the
evaluation agency. Each of these processes takes into consideration how the
school uses assessment and learning objectives to inform goals and teaching.
Task 1
School-wide Foundational Elements
A core planning team of students, board members, parents, teachers, and schoolleadership refines the school-wide mission, beliefs and values, vision, and
student learning objectives. These agreements underpin all decisions and ensure
that additional components of the Ongoing Curriculum Alignment Process move
the school towards achieving an evolving vision.
Task 2
Departmental Foundational Elements
The departments of the school tailor departmental mission statements, belief
and values statements, vision statements, and student learning objectives that
are considerate of the particular needs of those departments while ensuring the
successful attainment and alignment of school-wide elements created in Task 1;
these departmental foundational elements fit beneath and support the school-
wide foundational elements.
Task 3
Learning Targets
Each department reviews standards, benchmarks, and grade level indicators to
ensure they build to student success of school-wide learning objectives.
Task 4
Units of Study
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All units are designed using the UbD format of backwards design, with each
department using a particular model adapted to its program. Units are reviewed
to ensure the overarching aims of each unit are appropriate vertically,
horizontally, in reference to departmental learning targets, and in reference to
school-wide learning objectives. This task falls in line with department-specific
program of inquiry reviews.
Task 5
Transdisciplinary Skills
The Learner Profile, departmental-specific transdisciplinary skills, and 21st
century skills, are acknowledged in all unit plans. This process of review, which
is an extension of Task 4, examines the suitability of inclusion, horizontally and
vertically, of these skills, and ensures that teaching as laid out in the unit plans is
designed to foster appropriate development.
Task 6
Resources and PD
Teams evaluate resources currently available in each department to account for
overlap and need. These teams also evaluate areas of need for professional
development and training.
External Evaluation Processes
There are three agencies that evaluate aspects of the school. The particular
process for each evaluation agency is unique, but there are also many parallel
elements across the three processes. Each agency sends a team of evaluators
every five years to assess the effectiveness of teaching, learning, assessment, andthe use of data; the management of programs and curriculum; and the allocation
of resources and professional development. Each process follows these broad
steps (along with unique requirements), and is informed by each other, and by
the Two-Year Review Cycle.
Administrative Self-Review
Each process is guided by standards (i.e., sections on philosophy, curriculum, etc.
for PYP and MYP; sections on purpose, government, etc. for AdvancED). The
educational leadership team, programme coordinator, or school improvement
coordinator must establish a timeline for internal review well ahead of any
deadlines for the submission of documentation, and the first step is an internal
review by the administrative team. The results of this process, along with the
whole school review, inform department-level and whole school improvement
plans.
Whole School Self-Review by Committee
The educational leadership team, programme coordinator, or school
improvement coordinator create committees for whole school self-review. The
number of committees is determined by the structure of standards designated by
the evaluation agency. Each committee is headed by a chairperson who selectsother members of her or his committee. The committee must consist of at least
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school improvement plan. This review, update, and creation of new goals must
consider the remaining two improvement plans as well.
Special Committee Review
The special committees created to review, update, and create new goals for the
department-level or whole school improvement plan conduct this processannually until it is once again time for administrative self-review.
NWEA Measures of Academic Progress
The MAP is a computerized, adaptive assessment the school is able to align to
the Common Core State Standards a basis for school adopted standards. Thedetailed, swift feedback is used to inform instruction that can take into
consideration each students academic level and individual strengths.
Delivery
The MAP is given three times per school year (August, February, and May),
providing educators information about growth and validating each individualsareas of strength and weakness.
Professional Development
Test results are collaboratively reviewed three times per school year, and are
always available for teacher review through an online system. The MAP
coordinator determines in advance the type of training that will be necessary to
provide before or after a test is delivered and reviewed. This evaluation of
professional development needs takes into consideration the familiarity of
faculty with the use of test data to instruct and differentiate. It also takes intoconsideration Task 6 of the Two-Year Review Cycle, and recommendations based
on External Evaluation Processes.
Data Use
MAP data is used to inform instruction, scaffolding, differentiation, learning
target evaluation, and units of study evaluation (Tasks 3 and 4 of the Two-Year
Review Cycle). MAP data is one slice of the information that is collected by
teachers and teams that is funneled back into the learning process. For more
information about assessment as an aspect of the learning process, please refer
to department-level assessment policies.
7/30/2019 Innovation Study
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Ongoing Curriculum Alignment Innovation 27
Ongoing Curriculum Alignment Process ModelAppendix F