KCAS and CASL: Framework for Deconstructing Standards

1. KCAS and CASL: Framework for Deconstructing Standards Kedc meeting october 21, 2010

2. Today’s Targets • Explain the process that teacher leaders will use to deconstruct KCAS into learning targets • Understand the utility of the set of deconstructed standards for both assessment and instruction

3. Senate Bill 1 (2009) and Professional Development • KDE #7, 8: Disseminate Content Standards to schools and teacher prep programs • KDE # 9, 10: Provide or facilitate statewide training for teachers and admin on integration of standards in instruction, assessments, and improvement of student higher order thinking/comm. skills; collaborate with EPSB/CPE on doing same for teacher prep • KBE # 11: Assist local districts and schools in developing and using continuous assessment strategies to provide diagnostic info to improve student progress, to improve instruction and to meet needs of individual students • KDE #13: Assist schools/districts in developing and using continuous assessment

4. Assessment Literacy To be ‘assessment literate’ means to be skilled both in gathering accurate information about students’ learning and in using it effectively to promote further learning. Classroom Assessment for Student Learning, p 21

5. 5 Students who can identify what they are learning significantly outscore those who cannot. • Robert Marzano

6. Learning Targets (aka learning intentions, objectives, etc.) • A learning target is simply a clear description of what is to be learned. It should provide a clear vision of the ‘destination’ for student learning. • It should focus on describing what is to be LEARNED vs what is to be ‘DONE’ (activity). • A learning target can take from “five seconds to five weeks” depending of the complexity of the knowledge/skill/reasoning/product called for and its overall importance in the curriculum–as well as the age/abilities (prior experience and cognitive development) of your students.

7. From Standards to Targets Leadership Networks Standard: Understand how to translate Kentucky’s Core Academic Standards into clear learning targets in order to design high quality formative and summative assessments and to plan/select rigorous and congruent learning experiences. Knowledge: • Know and explain: KCAS, learning targets, formative assessment, summative assessment, learning experiences Reasoning: • I can interpret each standard I am expected to teach in terms of the expected depth and breadth. This means my interpretation of the meaning of the standard is consistent with others. Performance Skill: • I can deconstruct standards into learning targets that students understand.  This means I can I can write them in language that is consistent with their developmental level and that they can use to self-assess their competency. Product: • I can produce aligned formative assessments, summative assessments and learning experiences for the targets I teach. This means I have the ability to create, select, and implement congruent items and experiences.

8. Doing it Right: Quality Control • Each target should clearly align to and support attainment of the standard. • Each should be clear to the teacher (and to the students) and focused on what is to be LEARNED – not just an activity. • In looking at the ‘set’ of deconstructed targets for the standard collectively, others with expertise in the same content area should generally agree that the overall intent of the standard is met and that the targets would, in fact, scaffold the learner toward mastery/attainment of the overall standard.

9. To Deconstruct, or not to deconstruct… KCAS K - Count to answer “how many?” questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1–20, count out that many objects. • What knowledge will students need to demonstrate the intended learning? • What patterns of reasoning will they need? • What skills are required, if any? • What product development capabilities must they acquire, if any?

10. What makes them ‘wrong’ or ‘weak’? • It is wrong if there is a misunderstanding of the intent of the standard -which is why many “experts” are needed to ensure consistency in interpretation. • The deconstruction would be considered weak if it lacks developmental continuity (ability to scaffold learning based on the developmental needs of the learners) or if it fails to adequately address the content/concept(s) in the standard.

11. Congruent or Not? Students will describe and compare the processes, factors involved and consequences of slow changes (e.g., erosion and weathering) and fast changes (e.g., landslides, earthquakes, floods) to earth’s surface (Science 4th grade) • I can observe changes to earth’s surface over time and use evidence/data to infer the cause of the change. • I can classify changes to earth’s surface as ‘slow’ or ‘fast’. • I can describe how the earth’s surface might be slowly changed. • I can name a process that changes the earth’s surface slowly and compare how it affects different places on earth.  • I can classify changes by how often they occur and whether they are predictable. • I can create a model of a volcano to show a fast change to earth’s surface. • I can name 3 places on earth where a fast change has occurred. • I can name 3 places on earth where slow changes have occurred. • I can identify different landforms. • I can locate landforms on a topographic map.

12. Without Clear Targets We Can’t Do Any of the Following… 12 • Know if the assessment adequately covers and samples what we taught. • Correctly identify what students know and don’t know and their level of achievement. • Plan next steps in instruction. • Give detailed, descriptive feedback to students. • Have students self-assess or set goals likely to help them learn more. • Keep track of student learning target by target or standard by standard. • Complete a standards-based report card.

13. Deliverables Some of the specific processes/skills Teacher Leaders will be expected to learn and products they will be asked to eventually produce (collectively) include: • Reaching consensus with colleagues on the meaning of each standard in terms of its expected depth and breadth; • Deconstructing Kentucky’s Core Academic Standards into clear learning targets; • Planning and reflecting on their own/others’ teaching using the Characteristics of Highly Effective Teaching and Learning as a guide; • Designing high-quality formative and summative assessments and utilizing resulting data effectively to improve teaching and learning;

14. Deliverables (cont.) • Planning/selecting rigorous and congruent (i.e., completely aligned) learning experiences for instruction; • Selecting evidence-based strategies and resources to enhance instruction; • Working collaboratively within and across networks to populate an online repository for instructional resources (i.e., learning targets and suggested sequences of learning, sample aligned units and assessments, common formative and summative assessments based on Kentucky’s Core Academic Standards) for all Kentucky teachers/leaders to access; • Utilizing provided resources, tools, protocols and other network products in your districts’ schools to facilitate others’ growth; • Supporting other educators as they try out these same processes/strategies in their own classrooms.

15. Useful Websites and Contact Information • Unbridled Learning Summit website • Go to KDE website – www.kyschools.org • In search menu type Unbridled Learning Summit • Contact Information • Karen Kidwell – karen.kidwell@education.ky.gov