Ohio 8 Coalition Leadership Council

1. Ohio 8 Coalition Leadership Council Meeting the Standards: Akron Public Schools Curriculum and Instruction May 5, 2005

2. Speakers • Keith Ohnhaus, Teacher, Firestone High School • kohnhaus@akron.k12.oh.us • Linnea Gallagher, Teacher, Roswell Kent Middle School • lgallagh@akron.k12.oh.us • Cynthia Harris, Learning Specialist, English Language Arts, K-12 • charris@akron.k12.oh.us • Steve Miller, Learning Specialist, Mathematics, K-12 • smiller@akron.k12.oh.us • Kathy Sparrow, Ph.D., Learning Specialist, Science, K-12 • ksparrow@akron.k12.oh.us • Adam Motter, Learning Specialist, Social Studies, K-12 • amotter@akron.k12.oh.us

3. Agenda • Opening Comments • Pacing Guides and Websites • Assessments • Professional Development • Curriculum and Instruction Classroom Observations • Working Through Issues

4. Curriculum Alignment A closer look at APS Pacing Guides and web sites

5. Pacing Guides/Websites Overview of Pacing Guide What is the purpose of the Pacing Guides? • Pacing Guides are the way we have organized the Standards by Grade level. • from student perspective (checklists) • from teacher perspective • They address “when” to teach benchmarks and indicators. • They offer teachers ideas for “how”, and “why”. Rationale: It allows all teachers to be teaching at the same place at the same time • Mobility issues • Collaboration • Teachers were primary authors at all grade levels

6. Teachers Using Websites Structure/Format • Strategies from the contents: • Science • Teaching Timelines (Physical Science) • Proposition statements (Physical Sciences) • Social Studies • OGT Review Guide • Identifying Sources for Instruction (Grade 6) • Student Question Mapping • Mathematics • Sections to Skip (Pre-Algebra, Grade 8) • Links between the contents (Grade 3) • English Language Arts • Revisions • Pacing Guide/Instructional Guide

7. Assessments

8. Assessments • Stiggins Training • Training on Assessments FOR Learning • Training on Assessments OF Learning • Guskey Trainings • District Assessment Committee • Trainings for Principals, Curriculum Leaders, Staff

9. District-wide Assessments • 6-10 Secondary • English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies • Based on Pacing Guide (Standards) • 9 week assessments • 9 week & 27 week Assessments • Semester Exam & End of Year Exam

10. District-wide Assessments • 6-10 Secondary • Teacher generated & reviewed • Scoring Guides generated • Results reviewed with students • District results generated • Network meeting discussions • Provides accountability

11. District-wide Assessments • K-5 Elementary - English Language Arts • Reading • Dibels - Oral Reading Fluency • Harcourt Reading & Language Skills • Aligned with State Standards • 3 times a year • Writing • Adding Assessment in 2005-06 • 2 times a year

12. District-Wide Assessments • K-5 Elementary - Mathematics • Three times a year • Winter, Spring & Fall • Based on State Indicators • Chosen from Harcourt items • Based on number of indicators for each Standard • Band Scores developed • Information disseminated on Internet

13. Professional Development Teaching and Learning Opportunities

14. Rationale For Professional Development • Impact student academic achievement • Impact classroom based practices

15. What We Do • Plan and implement staff development in order to affect the quality of instruction • Provide current research-based information and practices to impact teacher skills/knowledge

16. What We Do continued… • Develop materials and secure resources to facilitate standards-based classrooms.

17. Why We Do It • Promote student focused learning • Promote collaboration among staff • Promote academic rigor • Promote continued learning for staff • Promote the sharing of best practices and successful teaching practices/experiences

18. How We Do It • District Focus • Related to district goals and initiatives • Content Focus • Grade Level Focus • Concept and Skills Focus

19. How We Do It continued… • Networks • Middle School (6-8) • High School (9-12) • Elementary • (Primary K-2), (Intermediate 3-5)

20. Elementary Network 2005 Science and Mathematics Network Social Studies and English Language Arts Network

21. Scope of Professional Trainings • Train-the-Trainers • Standards Implementation • Textbook Adoptions • Content Literacy • Department Chair Inservices • Assessment Development • Grades 6-10 • Pacing Guide Development/Revisions • K-12 • New Teacher Content Orientation

22. Samples of Workshops • Handwriting Course • Manuscript • Cursive • I Know I am a Good Science Teacher, But I Want to Better! • Lesson development • Assessment for Learning Design • Online Workshop: PBS Teacherline, Math • Successful Teaching In Urban Schools • “Inclusion Solutions” • Strategies for successful partnerships between content teachers and inclusion specialists (social studies)

23. Classroom Visitations Reality Sets In

24. Classroom Visits • Feedback Form • Standards-Based • Evidence of Standards • What Teachers Are Doing • What Students Are Doing • Classroom Environment • Assessment • Teacher-generated • Link to form

25. Classroom Visits • Expectations from Teachers • Challenges • Feedback • Follow-up • Professional Development Needs

26. Working Through The Issues Challenges Ahead

27. Working Through Issues • Speed of the Guide • In the past the teacher got as far as they could. • What strategies are working to help overcome this? • Looking at Data to uncover misunderstood concepts and ideas (Promising Practice) • Working with teachers regarding pacing has been very helpful. • Professional Development Workshops, Networks, Staff Meetings • If I have to go faster does this mean I have to skip meaningful activities and information? • How do you use your instructional time? • What content supports the assessment targets? • Professional Development Workshops, Networks, Staff Meetings

28. Working Through Issues • Differentiation of Instruction • Pacing Guides have suggested activities that include many different examples of reaching learners • Evidence of Understanding (Assessment element of the guide) uses differentiation techniques • Secondary Content Literacy Training for teachers in the district this year • Working on Inclusion Models • Margaret Searle’s Treasure Chest (ODE) • Summer Workshops and trainings

29. Working Through Issues • Rigor and expectations of the benchmarks and indicators • APS teachers became very good at OPT prep and intervention over the years (lower complexity questions), but the accountability is significantly different now • Dialogue now is: • How do we support student precision in assessment and deeper understanding of concepts? • How do we get students to apply the knowledge? • How do we get students to think critically about what they are learning? • How do we get teachers to fundamentally shift how we view assessment, data analysis, and higher expectations for student learning?

30. Dissemination of information is tough enough....... • How do you get the word out and maintain consistency to thousands of teachers in many buildings? • How do you do this when the subject is... • philosophical approaches to learning, • changing values and beliefs about urban education, • higher expectations for teachers and students • performance • Strategies/products provide a positive focus for teacher/specialists to dialogue changes.

31. The real challenge is having C and I support and mirror all of our district efforts in the area of impacting student achievement. • How is C and I supporting and • interacting with the other • systems that are impacting • teaching and learning? Systems Growing and Developing: ODE Academic Standards, NCLB, SBE,,Stiggins, Guskey, Ruby Payne, SIP, Baldrige, UbD, Victoria Bernhart… • C and I System: • SBE Modules, GCOS, • Pacing Guides, PD, • Observations, • Assessments, • Networks, • Products, etc.. • Other Systems • Growing and Developing: • HSTW, • MMGW, • Tracking and • monitoring SIP, • ODE systems…