The Balanced Curriculum 6-8

1. The Balanced Curriculum 6-8 North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Division of Middle Grades Education

2. Workshop Objectives • To provide an overview of the Balanced Curriculum Initiative and Resulting Document for the Middle Grades • To explore the philosophy, resources and issues addressed in the Balanced Curriculum Document in more depth and in relationship to all content areas

3. Background • Need identified through communications from the field • Curriculum committees formed • Elementary document completed in Jan. 2004 • Middle school document completed in Feb. 2006

4. Surveys (Jan-Feb 2005) • Teachers/Instructional Support Staff • 3140 completed • Principals and Assistant Principals • 271 completed

5. Data from the surveys, individual classroom schedules and whole school schedules indicated: Heavy emphasis on tested areas; 44% of administrators reported providing larger amounts of instructional time for tested subject areas; 34% - double blocking ELA; 30% - double blocking MA; 34% teaching SS or SCI 1/2 of year. Where are NC’s Schools Today?

6. Under-emphasis or not teaching those areas which are not tested (including dance, foreign language, music, physical education, theatre arts, visual arts, health education, science and social studies); Educators repeatedly voiced concerns over the practices of teaching social studies or science for less instructional time (1/2 year, every-other day, or shorter time periods than ELA or MA); Many elective areas were not available in participants’ schools (ex: Dance – 11%) Many educators voiced concerns over the lack of delivery of the guidance curriculum. Where are NC’s Schools Today?

7. Assigning remediation during elective or non-tested classes; 68% of administrators reported placing students in remediation during elective periods; 15% reported placing students in remediation during SS or SCI Teaching skills in isolation (e.g. “EOG prep”); Where are NC’s Schools Today?

8. Inadequate collaborative planning time, (especially across and between grade levels, special services and special areas). 65% of educators and 78% of administrators reported that it is very important to integrate curricula in order to teach the SCS; Collaborative planning was scheduled to occur occasionally (33%); monthly (30%) and weekly (24%) in administrators’ schools. Where are NC’s Schools Today?

9. Teaching to the Test • NC’s state-mandated tests are closely aligned with the SCS. • Teaching a balanced curriculum, to include all areas of the SCS, prepares students for success on standardized tests.

10. What is a Balanced Curriculum? • Includes entire Standard Course of Study (SCS) • Educates the whole child (BEP) • Includes a challenging and common curriculum (CCSSO) • Is based on best knowledge of how children develop and learn (NASBE)

11. What is a Balanced Curriculum? • Prepares students for success in school and in life (NCLB/NCDPI) • Is inclusive of all subjects verses only those subjects tested (NCLRC) • Promotes brain growth and development through an enriched environment (Diamond & Hopson)

12. What is a Balanced Curriculum? • Creates active participants rather than passive observers (Diamond & Hopson) • Allows students to use the whole brain (Zull)

13. What a Balanced Curriculum is NOT: • An individual effort • Planning and teaching in isolation • Teaching to the test • Teaching only English Language Arts, Mathematics and Science • “One size fits all” • Teaching without assessing student needs

14. What a Balanced Curriculum is NOT: • Teaching the text • Teaching favorite/most comfortable topics • “Fake” integration • A program • Only for some children

15. Why Teach a Balanced Curriculum? • Standard Course of Study • (As Required by NCGA/SBE) • Fundamentally complete program of education (BEP) • Workforce readiness • Superior and competitive education – beyond “sound and basic” • (Governor’s Education First Task Force)

16. Why Teach a Balanced Curriculum? • Life skills(CCSSO) • Connections(Jensen) • Brain development(Diamond & Hopson) • Multiple intelligences (Gardner) • Meets the needs of young adolescents (relates to dropout and suspension/expulsion rates)

17. Current Trends in Education: Balanced Curriculum • Read the article • Discussion • Identify the issue(s) addressed in the article. • How are the issues relevant to the Balanced Curriculum philosophy and to your teaching or job responsibilities? • Share with the whole group • (note: each group is reading a different article)

18. Balanced Curriculum in Action QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (pp.27-116) • Suggestions/guidance/ • recommendations for issues impacting scheduling at the middle school level • (with links to resources) • Addressed through Q and A format and supported by research

19. The Scheduling Process (pp 117-135) • Includes recommended principles for developing a schedule (NCMSA) • Includes Samples • Departmentalized • Rotating Block • Flexible Block • Includes Considerations for Electives

20. A Day in the Life (pp 137-207) • Provides “glimpses” of how the school day is structured and what might be taking place in various classrooms • Illustrates what might be occurring during various times on a given day • Includes Content Area and Collaboration Scenarios

21. Looking Ahead (pp 209-232) • Examines issues with time and learning • Identifies education programs and practices that support a Balanced Curriculum

22. Conclusions (pp 233-241) • Students who receive a balanced curriculum and possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities to transfer and connect ideas and concepts across disciplines will be successful as measured by standardized tests and other indicators of student success.

23. Examining the Pieces • Group Work: Using the guiding questions that follow, examine your SCS area with your group. • Discussion/Sharing: Elect a spokesperson to report your findings to the whole group.

24. Examining the Pieces (continued) • Why is this piece important? Discuss the content area and its importance as part of the BC. What are some ways that this particular content area contributes to the BC? • Where can it be taught? HOW is the content area delivered as part of the BC (i.e. grade level content area classroom, AIG, EC, special areas/electives, CTE, media, technology, counseling, etc.)? • How? What models might support implementation of the BC in regards to this area (team teaching, collaborative planning, etc.)?

25. Accessing the Document • On the web and through NCDPI Publications: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum

26. Potential Applications • System, Whole-school, grade level, subject area, or individual professional development (Philosophy, discussion groups, SIP, etc) • As a resource linked to other PD • Methods classes for pre-service teachers • Tool for parents • Scheduling committee/administrators

27. Putting the Pieces Together • What is going well in your school in regards to a Balanced Curriculum? • What are the roadblocks that inhibit delivery of the BC? • What are the next steps in facilitating a BC in your school?

28. Balanced Curriculum: • Implementing a Balanced Curriculum helps students: • develop a love of learning and become lifelong learners • find relevance in and connections with what they are learning • understand themselves and those around them • demonstrate talents they bring with them to school • develop new and necessary skills and abilities to be successful in school and in life.