"The single most important factor in predicting whether or not a teacher will be effective is whether the curriculum that is delivered to students in their classrooms is linked logically or empirically to the outcomes that are desired." ¹ 

The heart of the proposition presented above is a concern with what is sometimes called curriculum alignment, the congruence of the curriculum with the outcome, the overlap of the curriculum with outcomes, or as it is most commonly called, opportunity to learn. (Carroll, 1963; Cooley and Leinhardt, 1980).

Project Goals

• Develop agreement on essential standards for all subjects and grades
• Develop agreement on proficiency levels for each subject area, K-12, to align with the state definition of “proficient”
• Develop agreement t on district standards-based assessments to evaluate student progress toward proficiency
• Development of a scope and sequence for each subject and grade level to ensure alignment with essential standards
• Development of standards-based lesson planning using multiple measures to adapt lessons to student needs
• Develop agreement on the pacing and performance levels of essential standards in an instructional calendar
• Develop agreement on common formative assessments to place students in intervention classes

Minimum Guaranteed Curriculum (August 3, 2009)

Participants will review existing state indicators as determined by the school district for a “minimum guaranteed curriculum” for each grade level in reading and math.  Essential standards will also be determined for science and social studies grades 7 through 12.  State indicators will be added or deleted as necessary through grade level vertical discussions. 

• See: Minimum Guaranteed Curriculum

Building a Blueprint for Benchmark Assessment s (August 4, 2009)

Participants will learn how to define the uses of the assessment data based on the meaningfulness of the data to teachers. With the uses of the data in mind, participants will build a blueprint for the benchmark assessment that has reliability, validity, and is meaningful.  Participants will also develop performance cut scores for each proficiency level to drive the intervention process. 

• See: Building a Blueprint for Benchmark Assessment's

Breaking Down Indicators into Component Parts (August. 5, 2009)

This training is for classroom teachers and administrators to learn more about the concepts and skills described in state content indicators.  They will learn to break down the indicators into component parts: concepts, skills, knowledge process, and cognitive process. After understanding the components of the standard, the teachers will develop the overarching “Big Idea” for the standard to help students develop an understanding of the concepts and skills that will endure beyond the classroom.  Finally, the teachers will develop “Essential Questions” to help the student understand how the knowledge of the standard will be applied in everyday life.  Participants will unpack 1^st quarter state indicators as determined by the committee.

• See: Breaking Down Indicators into Component Parts

Building Curriculum Maps (Grades 5-12: January 19, 2010) (Grades PK - 4: May 27, 2010)

Participants will learn how to organize the implementation of the essen­tial standards so that students have the opportunity to master the stan­dards with immediate, specific feedback to improve their performance. The teachers put the start date and end date for mastery lessons on a spe­cific standard on the calendar. They agree on the end date to give the students a common formative assessment to evaluate the student perfor­mance.  The teachers share the results of this assessment with the team. They schedule immediate reteach and enrichment lessons on the standard over the next few days in strategic intervention classes.  In addition, the teachers learn how to keep a journal of the implementation of the instruction of the standards by making a curriculum map throughout the year.

They keep a journal of the time spent on classroom instruction for each standard and the student performance on the assignments from the lessons related to the standard.  The notes are shared at the grade level or subject team meeting to compare the experience of all teachers teaching the same curriculum using the same instructional calendar.  The teachers consider the common formative assessment results compared to the time spent teaching the standard when they adjust the instructional calendar for the following school year. Instructional calendars will be developed for the first quarter standards.

• See: Curriculum Mapping

Organizing Essential Standards (Grades 5-12: January 20, 2010) (Grades PK-4: May 27, 2010) 

Participants will learn how to organize the implementation of the essential standards so that students have the opportunity to master the standards with immediate, specific feedback to improve their performance. The teachers put the start date and end date for mastery lessons on a specific standard on the calendar. They agree on the end date to give the students a common formative assessment to evaluate the student performance.  The teachers share the results of this assessment with the team. They schedule immediate reteach and enrichment lessons on the standard over the next few days in strategic intervention classes. 

In addition, the teachers learn how to keep a journal of the implement-tation of the instruction of the standards by making a curriculum map throughout the year. They keep a journal of the time spent on classroom instruction for each standard and the student performance on the assignments from the lessons related to the standard.  The notes are shared at the grade level or subject team meeting to compare the experience of all teachers teaching the same curriculum using the same instructional calendar.  The teachers consider the common formative assessment results compared to the time spent teaching the standard when they adjust the instructional calendar for the following school year. Instructional calendars will be developed for the first quarter standards.

Malcom Gladwell