VAD Tool Vertical Alignment Study

1. VAD ToolVertical Alignment Study Created by Shelby Waller, Missy Mayfield, and Kathy Harvey, Region 9 ESC

2. Vertical Alignment/TEKS Clarification Document Study The Guidelines for Your Lane

3. Objectives • Pre-assess using the CSCOPE implementation rubric. • Build an understanding of the Vertical Alignment Documents (VADs). • Identify which content standards are introduced or transformed in a particular grade level. • Determine the differences in the cognitive and content specificity for the student expectations from one grade level or course to the next.

4. Pre-assessment of Vertical Alignment Document Implementation CSCOPE Implementation Rubric

5. What is my level of implementation of the Vertical Alignment Document?

6. Rate the teachers in your district on their knowledge of Vertical Alignment: • Teachers are unaware of the concept of vertical alignment and are unable to discern gaps in textbooks, ancillary products, and/or specificity. • Teachers are aware of gaps in learning with incoming or outgoing students but no action is taken. Teachers are individually working from grade level to grade level. • Teachers are aware of gaps in learning with incoming or outgoing students. There is minimal evidence of collaboration among teachers regarding identified gaps.. • Teachers are aware of gaps in learning with incoming or outgoing students and routinely collaborate with other teachers regarding identified gaps. • Teachers continually look for and identify gaps in learning with incoming and outgoing student by reflecting on the VADs, as well as data, and have professional dialogue with colleagues through the PLC. Level 5 Implementation

7. Build an Understanding of the Vertical Alignment/TEKS Clarification DocumentsReviewing the Components

8. ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS • K – 2nd • 3rd – 5th • 6th – 8th • English I – English IV

9. MATHEMATICS • K – 2nd • 3rd – 5th • 6th – 8th • Clarification Documents • Algebra I • Algebra II • Geometry • Math Models • Pre-Calculus

10. SCIENCE • K – 2nd • 3rd – 5th • 6th – 8th • Clarification Documents • Integrated Physics and Chemistry • Biology • Chemistry • Physics • Environmental Science

11. SOCIAL STUDIES/HISTORY • K – 3rd • 4th and 7th (Texas History) • 5th, 8th and United States History • 6th, World Geography and World History • Clarification Documents • Economics • Government

14. In this example, the strands are written into the knowledge and skills statement. The Student Expectation is written in bold black.

15. This model of an ELA Vertical Alignment Document shows an example of a knowledge and skills statement that spans the four high school English courses.

16. Specificity Specificity determines the rigor and complexity of the content that must be provided through the instruction.

17. Cognitive Specificity - Verbs from the knowledge and skills statement as well as the student expectation are highlighted to direct teachers to the level at which students should be performing.

18. After the Cognitive Specificity, the CONTENTis highlighted in ALL CAPS.

19. Specificity determines the rigor and complexity of the content that must be provided through instruction.

20. Content Specificity - Following the content in ALLCAPS, is the “Including, but not limited to,” bulleted items. “Including” means students must be given learning opportunities for each of the bulleted items. “…but not limited to,” means instruction can go beyond those items listed.

21. CSCOPE Specificity Resources • TAKS Information Booklets • TAKS Study Guides • Released TAKS Test • National and State Standards • AAAS – American Association for the Advancement of Science • Early Childhood Research • Texas Social Studies Tool Kit • Charles A. Dana Center Tool Kit • State Resources: Content • State Trainings (MSTAR/ESTAR)

22. TEKS Clarification Documents contain the same information found in a Vertical Alignment Document: title, strand, KS, SE, cognitive expectations, content expectations, specificity, and shading.

23. K & S Statement Student Expectation VERBS (Cognitive Rigor) Content The purpose of the TEKS Clarification Document is to provide further specificity for high school courses that do not necessarily align to specific earlier courses. Specificity)

24. Level 5 Processes and Tools Vertical Alignment Study

25. Teachers continually look for and identify gaps in learning with incoming and outgoing students by reflecting on the Vertical Alignment Documents, as well as data, and have professional dialogue with colleagues through the Professional Learning Community. Our Goal

26. Cognitive and Content Specificity Across Grade Bands

28. The Vertical Alignment Study tool is used to document introduced and transformed student expectations as well as changes in cognitive and content specificity from one grade level to the next. Teachers may analyze TEKS by STRAND or by CSCOPE UNIT.

29. Completing the Tool 4th Grade Math Geometry and Spatial Reasoning First, complete the header of the document.

30. 4th Grade Math Geometry & Spatial Reasoning 4.9B Find the identifying number and letter for the student expectation. Record it in the TEKS row of the “MY LANE” column.

31. 4th Grade Math Geometry & Spatial Reasoning 4.9B Connect, Use, Verify Find the verb or verbs written below the student expectation and record them in the cognitive specificity row of “MY LANE”.

32. 4th Grade Math Geometry & Spatial Reasoning 4.9B Connect, Use, Verify Congruency of Transformations Locate the content title written in ALL CAPS. Record it in the CONTENT TITLE row of the “MY LANE” column.

33. 4th Grade Math Geometry & Spatial Reasoning 3.9A 4.9B 5.8B Recognize, Identify Connect, Use, Verify Model, Identify, Generate Congruent Figures Congruency of Transformations Congruency of Transformations • Follow the same process to complete the AFTER column. • Locate and write the TEKS Student Expectation Number. • Locate and write the VERBS. • Locate and write the CONTENT Title.

34. Identify which Student Expectations are introduced or transformed in a particular grade level.

35. Introduced or TransformedTEKS • An introduced Student Expectation would start in “your lane” and continue from there. • A transformed Student Expectation would stop in “your lane” or could be an altered Student Expectation.

36. While 3.9A focused on “congruency,” 4th grade is the first time congruency of TRANSFORMATIONS are introduced, which is a completely NEW concept. Introduced Which best describes TEKS 4.9B ? Introduced or Transformed?

37. Identify which Student Expectations are introduced or transformed in a particular grade level.

38. Why could this be considered an introduced TEKS?

39. What type of TEKS could this example represent? What is the significance of this particular situation?

40. What is the significance of this type of alignment?

41. TEKS Clarification Documents Science, Math, and History have TEKS Clarification Documents rather than VADs.

42. The Vertical Alignment Study tool can also be used to study alignment between a high school course that has a clarification document and a previous grade level. In this example, a student expectation from Geometry will be mapped back to 8th grade.

46. This 8th grade Student Expectation maps to the specificity of geometry TEKS in the Clarification Document.

47. Bridging to a VAD Use the Vertical Alignment Document to complete the “before” column.

48. Bridging to a VAD There may not be an alignment of Student Expectations for the courses following this one.

49. Determine the differences in the cognitive and content specificity for the student expectation from one grade level or course to the next.

50. Exploring Specificity • Using the science example of the tool, examine the three aligned student expectations. • Determine the differences in the cognitive and content specificity for the student expectation from one grade level or course to the next. • Record findings in the last two rows on the Vertical Alignment tool.