What Works: 20 Years of Curriculum Development and Research for Advanced Learners

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What Works 20 Years of Curriculum Development
and Research for Advanced Learners

• Dr. Joyce VanTassel-Baska
• The College of William and Mary
• Honolulu, Hawaii
• 2009

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• National Curriculum Network Conference
• March 6, 2008
• Dr. Joyce VanTassel-Baska
• Jody and Layton Smith Professor of Education
• Executive Director, Center for Gifted Education
• The College of William and Mary

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The Process for Determining What Works
Theory
Practice
Research
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The Theory

• Differentiated characteristics of gifted
  learners
• Precocity
• Complexity
• Need for adaptations in school-based curriculum

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The Integrated Curriculum Model
Issues/Themes Dimension
Advanced Content Dimension
Process-Product Dimension
VanTassel-Baska, 1986
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The PracticeWhat Works in Curriculum and
Instruction for High End Learners?

• William and Mary curriculum frameworks and models
  in core areas
• Research-based instructional approaches (concept
  maps, higher level thinking, metacognition,
  developing concepts et al.)
• Authentic Assessment tools

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Strategies for Aligning Curriculum for the Gifted
with Content Standards
-VanTassel-Baska, 2004
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Science Curriculum Framework
The Problem
Concept
Process
Understanding Systems
Using Scientific Research
Content
Learning Science
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Wheel of Scientific Investigation and Reasoning
Make Observations
Tell Others What Was Found
Ask Questions

SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION AND REASONING
Learn More
Create Meaning
Design and Conduct the Experiment
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The ResearchScience Research Findings

• Significant and important treatment effects were
  found for students ability to design an
  experiment after exposure to the William and Mary
  units.
• Teachers and students both found problem-based
  science units more engaging than typical science
  units.

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The ResearchScience Research Findings cont.

• Positive academic achievement effects were
  significant for all groups of learners,
  regardless of socioeconomic status, ability
  level, or ethnicity
• Continued use of the PBL science curriculum over
  a three year period resulted in continued
  academic growth for gifted students.
• -Feng, VanTassel-Baska, Quek, ONeil, Bai,
  2005
• -VanTassel-Baska, Bass, Ries, Poland, Avery,
  1998

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Project Clarion Goals

• To implement instrumentation sensitive to low
  socioeconomic learners for identification and
  assessment of learning.
• To implement, refine, and extend research-based
  concept curriculum units of study at primary
  levels.
• To develop and implement professional training
  models for stakeholders.
• To conduct research on short term and
  longitudinal learning.

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Project Clarion Research Findings

• Primary age students exposed to the William and
  Mary science units showed significant growth on a
  standardized achievement test in science (MAT8)
  compared to control students.
• Primary age students exposed to the William and
  Mary units showed significant growth in critical
  thinking when compared to those students who used
  the regular science curriculum.

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Project Clarion Research Findings cont.

• Performance-based assessments that emphasized
  higher-order concepts, scientific investigation,
  and content mastery showed significant growth for
  Title I students exposed to the science units.
• Positive academic achievement effects were
  significant for all groups of learners,
  regardless of socioeconomic status, ability
  level, or ethnicity -VanTassel-Baska, Bracken,
  Stambaugh, Feng, 2007

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Social Studies Curriculum Framework
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Reasoning about a Situation or Event
What is the situation?
Who are the stakeholders?
What is the point of view for each stakeholder?
What are the assumptions of each group?
What are the implications of these views?
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The ResearchSocial Studies Research Findings

• Students engaged in the William and Mary social
  studies units showed significant growth in
  measures of conceptual thinking, content
  learning, and critical thinking.
• Treatment effects were evident for the whole
  sample including non-gifted students. Gains were
  consistent for males and females.
• -Little, Feng, VanTassel-Baska, Rogers, Avery,
  2007

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Language Arts Curriculum Framework
The Literature
Concept
Process
Understanding Change
Using the Reasoning Process
Content
Literary Analysis and Interpretation
Learning Language Arts Content and Skills
Linguistic Competency
Oral Communication
Persuasive Writing
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Hamburger Model for Persuasive Writing
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The ResearchLanguage Arts Research Findings

• Students who were exposed to the language arts
  curriculum showed significant and educationally
  important gains in literary analysis and
  persuasive writing (VanTassel-Baska, Zuo, Avery,
  Little, 2002 VanTassel-Baska, Johnson, Hughes,
  Boyce, 1996).
• Gifted, learning disabled, and typical learners
  all showed significant learning gains in critical
  thinking through the WM model of persuasive
  writing (Hughes, 2000).

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Language Arts Research Findings

• Academic achievement effects were significant for
  all groups of learners regardless of
  socioeconomic status, ability level, or ethnicity
  (VanTassel-Baska, Zuo, Avery, Little, 2002
  VanTassel-Baska, Johnson, Hughes, Boyce, 1996).

• Continued use of the language arts curriculum
  over a three-year period significantly enhanced
  students literary analysis skills and persuasive
  writing competency (Feng, VanTassel-Baska, Quek,
  Bai, ONeill, 2005).

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Project Athena Goals

• To develop and implement instrumentation
  sensitive to low socioeconomic learners for
  purposes of identification and assessment of
  learning.
• To implement, refine, and extend research-based
  language arts curriculum units of study.

• To develop and implement professional training
  models.
• To conduct research on short term and
  longitudinal student learning gains

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Project Athena Research Findings

• Students in Title I schools exposed to the
  language arts units showed significant learning
  gains annually in reading comprehension and
  critical thinking compared to students who used a
  basal reader or teacher-created materials.
• Students who were exposed the language arts
  curriculum showed significant and educationally
  important gains in literary analysis and
  persuasive writing.
• Academic achievement effects were significant for
  all groups of learners regardless of
  socioeconomic status, ability level, or
  ethnicity.
• -VanTassel-Baska, Bracken, Feng, Brown, under
  review Bracken, VanTassel-Baska, Brown, Feng,
  2007

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Jacobs Ladder Research Findings

• When compared to students in Title I schools who
  used the basal readers only, those who were
  exposed to the Jacobs Ladder curriculum showed
  significant and educationally important gains in
  reading comprehension and critical thinking.
• Students reported greater interest in reading
  after exposure to Jacobs Ladder curriculum.
• Teachers reported more in-depth student
  discussion after teaching the Jacobs Ladder
  curriculum.
• -Stambaugh, under revision Stambaugh, 2007
  French, 2006.

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What Works in Assessment for High End Learners?

• Multiple assessments
• Assessments that tap into higher level thinking
  and problem solving
• Assessments that match curriculum outcomes
• Assessments that meet technical adequacy standards

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Assessment Instruments

• Test of Critical Thinking (TCT)
• Classroom Observation Scale Revised (COS-R)
• Student observation scale
• ASPIRE
• Professional Development Questionnaire
• Science Observation Scale
• Performance-Based Assessments

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Persuasive Writing Pre-Assessment

• Prompt Do you think______ should be required
  reading for your grade?
• Student B, Grade 3
• Yes, I think the story The Wolf and the Lion
  should be required reading for all the students.
  Why? Its a great story with a very interesting
  topic. They could also learn from the story.
  Also they could get lots of interesting
  questions. Thats why I think 3rd grade students
  should read The Wolf and the Lion.

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Post-Assessment

• Student B, Grade 3
• Yes, I think all the students in 3rd grade
  should read this book. Its such an excellent
  moral.
• One reason I think everyone in third grade
  should read The Miser is because it does teach a
  good lesson. It could help them learn that
  things they never use are worthless.
• Another reason I think all the students in
  third grade should read this story is they use
  great, funny words. It basicly is a funny story.
  One of the parts I likes was He pulled his hair
  out (not really). It would make our writing
  better.
• Also, the students should read this because
  its similar to a true story. If you have a
  good, healthy body and you never use it, the
  muscles will be very weak, and youll miss out on
  a lot of things.
• As you see, its a good moral for all the
  students in third grade. They could learn great
  details for their own stories, and they can
  compare it with a true happening like this story.
  Its a great story.

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Science Pre-Test

• Prompt How would you do a fair test of this
  question?
• Are earthworms attracted to light?
• Tell how you would test this question. Be as
  scientific as you can as you write about your
  test. Write down the steps you would take to find
  out if earthworms like light.

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Pre-test Response

• First, I would put some earthworms in a
  container. There would be lights and some dirt.
  I would put several different earthworms in it.
  If more earthworms like the light than that would
  be right. If more didnt like the light than
  that would be right. I would try this with about
  seven groups and decide if they like the light.

CFGE, 3rd Grade
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Science Post-Test

• Prompt How would you do a fair test of this
  question?
• Are bees attracted to diet cola?
• Tell how you would test this question. Be as
  scientific as you can as you write about your
  test. Write down the steps you would take to find
  out if earthworms like light.

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Post-Test Response

• Set the small container of diet cola in each
  large container that has bees in it.
• Watch and observe to see if the bees are attached
  to the diet cola.
• You should record if the bees like diet cola on a
  chart like below.
• Bees If they are attracted to Diet Cola
• 1.
• 2.
• 3.
• 4.
• 5.
• 6.

• Materials
• Diet Cola, 3 large containers, 3 small
  containers, 6 bees.
• Hypothesis
• If you give bees diet cola then they will be
  attracted to it.
• Gather 6 bees, diet cola, 3 large containers, 3
  small containers.
• Put 2 bees in each large container.
• Pour 5 ml of diet cola in each small container.

CFGE, 3rd Grade
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What Works in Professional Development for High
End Learners?

• Use of teaching and learning models to
  demonstrate high level instruction
• Training on materials to reduce inferences about
  application
• Emphasis on the linkage between teacher behaviors
  and student learning

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Professional Development Research Findings

• Teachers can significantly improve their skills
  in the differentiation strategies of problem
  solving, critical thinking, curriculum delivery,
  and metacognition, given ongoing professional
  development in such strategies embedded in a
  social studies curriculum (Avery, 1999)
• Untrained teachers of the gifted in Title I
  schools can significantly improve their skills in
  differentiation strategies across two years,
  given training and implementation support in
  language arts (Van Tassel-Baska, Bracken, Feng,
  Brown, in press).

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Professional Development Research Findings

• Teachers score at differential levels in critical
  thinking and creative thinking, rendering it
  problematic for them to teach these skills to
  students if they are low in the capacity to use
  the skills themselves (McGowan, 2007).

• Exemplary secondary teachers of the gifted in
  specialized schools in Singapore and the United
  States score high in the use of differentiated
  strategies and have incorporated these practices
  effectively into their daily repertoire
  (VanTassel-Baska, Feng, MacFarlane, 2007).

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Professional Development Research Findings

• Teacher self-assessments of differentiation use
  suggest that they are using differentiation
  strategies more frequently and more effectively
  than external trained assessors would rate them
  (Tyler, 2006 Avery, 1999).
• When teachers employ differentiation strategies,
  there is corresponding active engagement of
  students with the learning process
  (VanTassel-Baska, Bracken, Feng, Brown, in
  press).

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Lessons Learned on Curriculum Development

• Today is always hereTomorrow, never.
• -Toni Morrison

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Lesson 1
Curriculum design matters.
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Lesson 2

• The curriculum development process matters.

Tryouts
Field Testing
Revisions
Piloting
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Lesson 3

• Curriculum development work for high-end
  learning requires collaboration with content
  experts and teachers.

Teachers of the gifted
Content experts
Curriculum development
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Lesson 4

• Student exposure to repeated models over time
  enhances student achievement and learning
  transfer.

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Lesson 5

• High-level curriculum may be used successfully
  with all learners.
• Twice-exceptional
• Typical learners
• High readers
• Promising learners

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Lesson 6

• Promising learners from low-income backgrounds
  and students of color benefit from high-powered
  curriculum.

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Lesson 7

• Use of authentic assessment documents authentic
  learning.
• Curriculum-based
• Portfolio
• Products

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Lesson 8

• Professional development on curriculum materials
  enhances faithful implementation.
• Modeling
• Explicit linkage to content standards
• Guided practice

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Lesson 9

• Fidelity of implementation of innovative
  curriculum efforts requires monitoring.
• Peer coaching
• Ambassador model
• Administrative technical support

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Lesson 10

• Institutionalization of innovative curriculum
  and instruction requires ongoing attention.

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• Time is like a series of liquid transparencies.
• You dont look back
• Along time,
• But through it like water.
• -Margaret Atwood,
• Canadian writer

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Center for Gifted EducationSchool of
EducationThe College of William Mary

• Joyce VanTassel-Baska, Ed.D.
• Executive Director
• Jody Layton Smith Professor of Education
• 427 Scotland Street
• Williamsburg, VA. 23185
• [phone]
• cfge_at_wm.edu
• www.cfge.wm.edu