CurriculumWhat is it like?A path or course to run in small steps.

What is the Purpose? To focus and connect the work of teachers in their classroom to the standards, assessments, and classroom practices in order to raise student achievement.What isnt it?Curriculum is NOT the textbook or program you purchased from a publisher.Curriculum can no longer be what weve been doing for the past 15 years unless it is demonstrated to be in line with the standards, assessments and student learning styles!Any document or plan that defines: the work of teachersthe content to be learned by the students the methods to be used in the process.

Why Prioritize the Curriculum?The prioritizing curriculum process provides the means to deal with this abundance of standards and limited time.Every states curriculum has far too many standards to be learned in the time available.

Why Prioritize the Curriculum?

All teachers that teach a common grade now will emphasize the same learning and understanding.Prioritizing the curriculum does not eliminate the curriculum, but rather codes the curriculum.

Identifies what needs to be learned across individual grade levels as well as a vertical sequence from grade level to grade level.

Prevents redundancies in instruction.

Guards against gaps in student learning. Why Vertical Planning?

Prioritizing the CurriculumNot all content is equal!Standards contain a range of performance objectives and standard statements.Some performance objectives are more important than others in helping students succeed!

How do we do it? STEP 1Prioritize the Standards into Essential, Important and Compact categories. Essential = 4-6 questions in the CST(Requires 70% of the Instructional Time) Important = 4-6 questions in the CST (Requires 25% of the Instructional Time)Compact 1 question in the CST (Requires 5% of the Instructional Time)

Prioritizing the Standards E essential

I important

I important I E essential

CALIFORNIA CONTENT STANDARDS: WRITING# of Items%1.0WRITTEN AND ORAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS: Students write and speak with a command of standard English conventions appropriate to this grade level.1621%1.1Sentence Structure: use simple, compound, and compound-complex sentences; use effective coordination and subordination of ideas to express complete thoughts41.2Grammar: identify and properly use indefinite pronouns and present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect verb tenses; ensure that verbs agree with compound subjects31.3Punctuation: use colons after the salutation in business letters, semi-colons to connect independent clauses, and commas when linking two clauses with a conjunction in compound sentences31.4Capitalization: use correct capitalization21.5Spelling: spell frequently misspelled words correctly (e.g., their, theyre, there)4

STEP 2: Vertical PlanningEach teacher shares with team the prioritized standards for his/her grade level.Look for redundancies and gaps between grade level. Discuss what students need know, understand, and be able to do upon entering each grade level.

STEP 3: Vertical MappingCluster those Standards in the three categories (Essential, Important, and Compact).

Identify the CONCEPTS/SKILLS that need to be mastered by the end of each grade level.

For EVERY standard in EACH grade level, list the vocabulary, Approaches to Learning (ATL), and resources needed to enhance learning.

SCIENCE7 STANDARD AND 2BRIEF DESCRIPTIONSAMPLE EXIT SKILL QUESTION/ PROBLEMTERM/SSAMPLE STUDENT

ENGAGEMENT/ CLASSROOM

ROUTINE/ NOTETAKING/

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIESWHITEBOARDS

TXBK P.28

Step 4: THE VERTICAL MAPEach group posts their maps.

Have a gallery walk to view all the different teams map.

Based on all the teams outputs, create a final map for next school year.GRADE 6GRADE 8GRADE 7

Curriculum Maps: Why are they so important?Use as communication deviceConceptualize a unitEnable consistent curriculum pacing and planningHighlight important vocabulary Shows" students knowledge gained over time.

Step 5: Curriculum MapEstimate how much time should be spent on each topic and arrange them sequentially on your roadmap.The goal of the roadmap is to assure that all the content is taught before it is tested!!!!Revisions are expected to be made to the content maps and to the course maps as ALL teachers experience them.

Where do we go from here?

The traditional model of teaching has created students with an understanding similar to the jigsaw puzzles on the right. The CCS are designed to create a complete picture of understanding. Our goal in having vertical planning if for teachers from different grade levels work together to develop a continuum of knowledge and skills that build from grade 6 to 8. It is hoped that this collaboration will lead to a greater understanding of what is taught each year, which will help us organize strategies, plan introduction of concepts, and reduce repetition of content. As a result, student achievement and success is enhanced. *This slide explains what curriculum should be, as well as what it isnt. Lets revisit the definition of curriculum before we approach the need for and the process of prioritizing the states standards.

**How we manage and plan the curriculum significantly impacts achievement.

Fenwick English (1992) found that school districts that more fully concentrated time and resources on what he called essential elements of the curriculum had much higher achievement.

*We do not have the luxury to repeat what has already been taught & learned. There is too much content to be learned and understood. We also can not afford to create gaps that cause our students to experience failure and fall behind their peers. Quality curriculum guides us as we focus on student success.*We need to determine where we need to place an emphasis because we dont have enough time to teach all the standards with the same intensity!

*Form small vertical groups (ex. one gr. 8, one gr. 7 and two gr 6 teachers). Pass out the Blueprints. Teachers identify the category for each standard in his/her respective grade level. Show sample see next slide.***Show sample in next slide.*As a team, teachers complete the form per GL, per category. Encourage teachers to go as detailed as possible in identifying the level of difficulty by giving sample questions/problems or student outputs. Name classroom practices/strategies/ routines (ATL) that should be taught in each grade level. At least one per unit (but used frequently) is highly recommended. *Remind teachers that this is not a lock step expectation of what is taught when. The really important piece of this map is how time might be distributed to assure that ALL the content is taught and what vocabulary words and strategies have already been taught and what still need to be introduced. Ask a volunteer to write the final vertical roadmap based on the conversation that will transpire after viewing all the roadmaps.*Be sure to stress the importance of the content maps: Communication devices The roadmap can be used with students, parents and support teachers. Just think how parents will feel to know in advance what their students will be learning and how they can support this learning. Teachers in the same grade level will know what concepts & vocabulary they need to stress and the level of difficulty in which a standard need to be addressed with students before classroom instruction. When we use these maps with our students it eliminates mystery learning. Expectations are clear! Conceptualize - keeps us focused on what needs to be taught and allows us to prepare teaching strategies in advance. Pacing & planning - assures that all the prioritized content is taught and learned. Highlights Vocabulary - we can raise student achievement 33% points by focusing on vocabulary instruction on key vocabulary Gives us a whole picture of where the student is heading and what we can do to make him/her succeed.*Ask teachers to revise their roadmap from last year based from the results of the departments prioritizing the standards and vertical planning.**