Tools for Outcome 4 – Alignment: A Case Example

1. Tools for Outcome 4 – Alignment: A Case Example Prairie Lakes AEA 8 Iowa Core Session #4 Peter Holly, Laura Horan, Kim Rost ICC Network Meeting

2. Specific Objectives • Preview Heartland Curriculum Alignment Tool (HCAT) • Demonstrate in a case example how the tool can help a district engage in Outcome 4 work ICC Network Meeting

3. Before We Get Started • This school year… • Focus on completing self studies by April 25 • Use self study data to develop and submit implement plan ICC Network Meeting

4. Why Alignment is Important • What research tells us about the impact of alignment on student outcomes: • As alignment between what is taught and what is assessed increases, so, too, do student outcomes (e.g., Gamoran et al., 1997; Cohen, 1987). • This is true even for students with low achievement, low SES, and ethnically and culturally diverse groups. ICC Network Meeting

5. ICC Implementation Outcomes* • Leadership - Community - Schools • 1. Leadership: System Capacity • 2. Community: Support Implementation • 3. Schools: Continuous Improvement • Content - Instruction - Assessment • 4. ALIGNMENT OF CONTENT, INSTRUCTION, AND ASSESSMENT • 5. Professional Development to improve Content, Instruction, and Assessment • 6. Instruction: Effective Practices in Instruction/Assessment and Student Engagement Professional Development Leadership: System Capacity *Taken from ICC Leadership Module 4 ICC Network Meeting 5

6. Outcome 4: Alignment • District leaders and other educators monitor and use data to increase the degree of alignmentof each and every student’s enacted curriculumand other relevant educational opportunities to the Iowa Core Curriculum (intended curriculum). ICC Network Meeting

7. Implementation Implications The focus on initial implementation work will be on examining alignment of the enacted curriculum to the intended curriculum (i.e., the Essential Concepts and Skill Sets). THIS MEANS DATA WILL BE COLLECTED ON WHAT TEACHERS ACTUALLY TEACH • SUMMATIVE SELF REPORTS • Observation and dialogue ICC Network Meeting

8. A Case Example • A tool is under development that may be used for summative self reporting • Heartland Curriculum Alignment Toolkit (HCAT) • Web-based application • Not required to use • Meets all requirements for the summative self reporting, and will extend beyond that in the future • What follows is a description of how the HCAT and supporting processes work ICC Network Meeting

9. Major HCAT Activities ICC Network Meeting

10. Major Activity #1: Planning • Preparing for training and use of HCAT involves meeting with those responsible for curriculum decisions and/or building-level administrator • Plan for engaging in professional development and use of HCAT • Support for the work • Vision/purpose of work • Expectations for administrators, teachers, and AEA staff • How a plan will be developed to use alignment data for decision making ICC Network Meeting

11. Major Activity #2: Setting Up HCAT • Make sure HCAT can connect to staff information system (e.g., PeopleBox) • Names of teachers and administrators • Building(s) they are in (name and state ID#) • Email address • Title/Position • Once connected, choose teachers who will use HCAT for summative self reporting ICC Network Meeting

12. Major Activity #3: Teacher Training • Training and data entry • District/building leadership physically present, part of planning and training • Uses a “just-in-time” approach • Training objectives: Participants will be able to • Develop a common understanding of curriculum and alignment concepts and terms • Explain the implementation outcome for alignment • Explain the purpose of the alignment process • Learn how to and enter data ICC Network Meeting

13. Major Activity #4: Data Entry • Occurs immediately following training (i.e., same day, with administrators and facilitators present) • Teachers will be able to enter data on their own as well since HCAT is web-based ICC Network Meeting

14. Major Activity #5: Follow Up to Data Entry • Some things to consider for developing a plan • Determine how frequently data should be collected • Determine who else may need to be involved in the future • Determine how enacted curriculum data connect with local curriculum efforts (e.g., curriculum cycles) • Facilitate conversations among teachers and administrators about alignment data • Use alignment data to help develop a plan to address any misalignment that exists Use self study 4.c.2 rating to determine systems progress ICC Network Meeting

15. HCAT: Summative Self Report Demonstration • Demonstration of the following • Online data entry interface (beta version) • Data output, display, and analysis options • While observing the demonstration, note the following • How could these tools and data be used to help districts engage in Outcome 4 work? • How could these tools and data be used to help districts determine what is taught and where it is taught? ICC Network Meeting

16. HCAT Login Screen ICC Network Meeting

17. HCAT Main Page: Your Profile Click Here Once Ms. Smith ICC Network Meeting

18. HCAT Course Selection Click checkboxes for desired courses Click once to submit selections ICC Network Meeting

19. HCAT Main Page: Select Subject Click Once to Select Subject ICC Network Meeting

20. HCAT: Select Reflection Parameters Select desired parameters for reflection Click Continue once to start reflection ICC Network Meeting

21. HCAT: Reflection Data Entry Parameters Defined Here Essential Concepts/Skill Sets in bold North Overshoe MS Use checkboxes to select what was taught ICC Network Meeting

22. HCAT: Data Entry Submission Click one of these buttons to save data and move on ICC Network Meeting

23. Percent alignment between what is taught and the Essential Concepts/Skill Sets is displayed Different levels of analysis reveal different degrees of alignment Data Display ICC Network Meeting

24. The Essential Concepts/Skill Sets taught and not taught are indicated in a table with “Yes” and “No” Yellow highlights the “No” designations Data Display ICC Network Meeting

25. Percent alignment between what is taught and the Details within each Essential Concepts/Skill Sets is displayed 0% means no Details taught for that Essential Concept/Skill Set 100% means all Details taught for that Essential Concept/Skill Set Everything in between means some but not all Details taught Data Display ICC Network Meeting

26. Line-by-line summary of alignment between what is taught and the Details within each Essential Concepts/Skill Sets is displayed Details taught designated by “x,” not taught highlighted yellow Data Display ICC Network Meeting

27. Courses can all be analyzed side by side by frequently taken course sequences Line-by-line summary of alignment between what is taught and the Details within each Essential Concepts/Skill Sets is displayed Details taught designated by “x,” not taught highlighted yellow Data Display ICC Network Meeting

28. Some Things to Consider Next • Questions • Do local tools exist that will allow a comprehensive look at enacted-to-intended alignment? • How could these data be used? • If you would like to know more about HCAT, contact your AEA ICC Network Meeting