Innovative Solution for
Curriculum Design
Kathy Tirey,
Director
Nancy Struewing,
Curriculum and Professional Development Coordinator
Karen Heyob
Education Coordinator
Hamilton County ESC Head Start
Session Objectives
Examine an innovative solution to the multi-faceted
challenges facing Head Start programs
Learn successful ways to support both new and
experienced teachers around curriculum design
Learn new strategies to enhance your instruction and
assessment practices
Explore the use of technology to enrich curriculum
implementation
Our Core Beliefs and Rational
State and Federal Requirements
Assurance that all of our classrooms were meeting or
exceeding the Head Start, and SUTQ requirements.
Equity for all children
We wanted to make certain that the
learning experiences for all children
were as equitable as possible
Our Core Beliefs and Rational
General Curriculum
We believe that by providing teachers with a general
curriculum, their focus can be on individualizing for students
Provides continuity across the program, consistency
Support for Teachers
We believe that this process provides structure and support
to all teachers but particularly for first year teachers
Turn-over rate to districts
Our Core Beliefs and Rational
Key teaching strategies
Provides the foundation and scaffolding for the
implementation of key teaching strategies to be
integrated into every classroom
New Ideas
We wanted a systematic approach to introduce new
teaching ideas into the classrooms.
Our Core Beliefs and Rational
Assessment
We wanted to ensure that embedded assessment was
part of every lesson plans and create a structure for
teachers to effectively assess children
Roadmap
We wanted the lesson plans to create
a “roadmap” for teaching the standards
and assessment objectives.
Our Core Beliefs and Rational
Support for supervisors
brings continuity to the supervision of teaching
staff
Support for special service staff
Clear vision of environmental design and key
teaching strategies for all staff working in the
classrooms
Core Beliefs Regarding Assessment:
Accurate data assessment system informs curriculum planning and
evaluation of educational goals for children.
Builds positive, productive assessment partnerships with families and
colleagues.
Targeted objectives specific to lessons plan provide teachers with
opportunities to individualize based on assessments.
Timely assessment data entry informs classroom practices.
Having common assessment practices throughout our agency promotes
collegial learning and sharing.
Accurate assessment data is essential in order to determine
appropriate agency goals/outcomes.
Key Elements of the Assessment Design:
Supervisors review/approve individualization on the lesson plans
to assure alignment with assessment data and to plan/modify
environments, curriculum, teaching.
Supervisors routinely model instruction/assessment data routines
in the classrooms.
Individual student reports are generated for monthly meetings as
supportive documentation of student progress, as needed.
Assessment data is collected 3 times for Head Start (4 EHS) and
utilized to determine progress of agency outcome goals, to
determine classroom strengths/areas for instructional
improvement, develop parent conference forms, and reports to
use for student/Kindergarten transition.
Key Elements of the Assessment Design:
Teaching Strategies GOLD online system is used to connect our
large geographic area and provide a common language.
Teachers work as a team to enter data on a regular basis into the
online system. Data recording sheets are provided with the
lesson plans to assist with this process.
Assessment reports are generated every two weeks to assist
teachers with data entry/timelines.
Teachers view student progress online throughout the year to
determine individualization on lesson plans.
Key Elements of the Curriculum Design:
General Curriculum
Provide a “General” curriculum that is content rich
Built on the foundation of Creative Curriculum
Explores a topic over an extended period of time and across all domains (typically 3 weeks)
Topic-related concepts and language integrated throughout the classroom and throughout the day
Expands children’s knowledge about their world
Reflects deeper conceptual knowledge and understanding rather than random mastery of skills
Includes strategic implementation for support of the social and emotional needs of children
Key Element:
Embedded Teaching Strategies
Use of visuals to support learning
IMIL
Handwriting Without Tears
Repeated Readings
Demonstrated Writing
Positive Behavior Supports
Key Element:
Focus on Individualization
We asked ourselves: Best use of teacher time?
Creating lesson plans from scratch each week
vs.
Using a content rich designed lesson plan and individualizing for the
developmental needs of their group of children
Teachers are required to add individualization and any other appropriate
modifications
All individualizations and any modifications are approved by supervisors
Key Element:
Assessment
Embedded assessment/alignment to standards
Assessment opportunities are written into each
lesson plan in a systematic way with recording sheets
included
All planned activities are aligned to the assessment
system objectives ( TS GOLD) and the state content
standards (correlation to School Readiness goals,
Head Start Framework)
Key Element:
Classroom Materials
Core Materials
Each classroom receives a set of core materials
needed to implement the activities on each lesson
plans (Boxes are assembles and distributed every 3 weeks)
Books
Color copies
Other materials
Supplemental information sheet with pictures and
visuals for the materials
Large Resource room with materials for check out
Key Element:
Podcasts
Each lesson plan has a corresponding podcast
On website for teachers to access
Explains and models activities and strategies
for implementation
Suggested ideas for individualizing or
making modifications of activities
Allows teachers to re-visit ideas as needed
Key Element:
Study Groups
Best way to support change in teaching practice
Approved professional development training hours
Teachers better understand and learn to articulate
curriculum and assessment
Build collaborative partnerships between teachers to
share ideas and support each other
Built on research and best practices (NCQTL)
All of these key elements not only
provides us the means to address the
individual needs of children but also
addresses the multiple learning styles
and identified needs of our teaching
staff.
Lesson Plan Format
Unit:
Teacher:_____________________________ Center:______________________Dates: _________________________
General unit information
BIG IDEAS for the unit: What will this unit be about; highlights of learning activities
Read-Aloud:
Each unit typically runs for 3 weeks with one focus book per week
Week 1:
Week 2:
Week 3:
Key Vocabulary:
This includes both “concept” vocabulary and basic “word card”
vocabulary
Family/
Community
Involvement:
Additions to classroom newsletter
What can families do to help support the concepts covered in this unit
Any additional family information pertaining to this topic
Highlighted goals for this unit
TS Gold OELDS
List the key objectives (4-5) that will be embedded into multiple
activities in the lesson plan and are documentation point for this
unit.
Correlation to the Ohio standards
Approved:__________________
_
Classroom Centers: Materials to Enhance Children’s Play Writing Dramatic Play Toys and Games
Paper, pencils/markers, blank books,
children’s name cards
(KEEP any materials from the previous week that
the children were particularly engaged in)
Key obj: Key obj: Key obj:
Ind: Ind: Ind:
Art Library Discovery/Science
Paper, scissors, glue, crayons, markers, yarn,
collage materials
Easel:
A collection of fiction and non-fiction books
related to the topic
Key obj: Key obj: Key obj:
Ind: Ind: Ind:
Sand and Water Table Blocks Math table
Week1:
Week 2:
Week 3:
Large unit blocks
Key obj.: Key obj: Key obj:
Ind: Ind: Ind:
Outdoors/Gross Motor Playdough/Trays Music/Movement
Key obj: Key obj: Key obj:
Ind: Ind: Ind:
Week 1
1st Group: Daily Routines TS GOLD OELDS Individualization
Welcome song
Review schedule and classroom rules
Classroom helpers/jobs- attendance, weather, etc.
Activity
Transition to next activity
Monday
1st Group Activity:
Small Group: TS GOLD OELDS Individualization
Group 1
Group 2
2nd Group TS Gold OELDS Individualization
Read Aloud:
Music and Movement Activity:
How the Work Gets Done!
Director
Education Coordinator
Curriculum and PD Coordinator
Curriculum and PD Specialist
Curriculum Support Assistant
Educational Field Supervisors
Technology Specialist
Fiscal Coordinator
Questions?
