Beyond Topical Alignment: Equity in the Classroom

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Beyond Topical Alignment Equity in the Classroom

• Debbi Hardy, Curriculum Director
• Lina Conrad, Special Education Learning
  Improvement Program Supervisor
• Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
• WERA 2005

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Equity requires differentiated instruction

• Differentiated instruction is a teaching
  philosophy based on the premise that teachers
  should adapt instruction to student differences.
  Rather than marching students through the
  curriculum lockstep, teachers should modify their
  instruction to meet students varying readiness
  levels, learning preferences, and interests.
  Therefore, the teacher proactively plans a
  variety of ways to get at and express
  learning.

Carol Ann Tomlinson
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Grade Level Expectationsexplain what students
should know and be able to do

• Each GLE contains
• A statement of cognitive demand and the essential
  content or process to be learned.
• Evidence of Learning is a bulleted list of
  student demonstrations that provides educators
  with common illustrations of the learning.

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Understanding the Mathematics GLEs

• EALR 1 The student understands and applies the
  concepts and procedures of mathematics.
• Component 1.4 Understand and apply concepts and
  procedures from probability and statistics.

WASL Eligible GLE
Grade Level Expectation
Evidence of Learning
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Establishing Common Language

• Curriculum defined by the school district based
  on the EALRs and GLEs.
• Instruction implementation of the defined
  curriculum.
• Assessment multiple measures of proficiency of
  the defined curriculum (diagnosis, formative,
  summative).

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• Alignment congruence or match between
  curriculum, instruction and assessment

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Activity Formative and Summative Assessment

• You will need Differences in Assessment Context
  (1-sided yellow sheet).
• Read the page.
• Summarize for yourself the difference between
  formative and summative assessment.

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Research Finding

• The data give rise to a conclusion that
  reinforces the use of curriculum alignment,
• there were desirable gains despite the
  traditional predictors of poor student
  achievementlow socioeconomic status, being
  Black, being male, and learning in a school with
  over 800 children!
• Felicia Moss Mitchell, Ed.D
• AERA, 1998

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Research Finding

• Ability of instruction to overcome initial
  aptitude differences was one goal in a study of
  alignment effect relative to task difficulty.
  (Community College students understanding main
  idea.)
• Lower aptitude students did not perform as
  well as higher aptitude students when test items
  misaligned from practice. On the more difficult
  task, alignment was so effective that lower
  aptitude students performed better under aligned
  conditions than did higher aptitude students
  under misaligned. (What was structured as
  misaligned was what one normally sees in the
  average classroom.)
• The Fahey Study
• 1986

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Alignment congruence or match between
curriculum, instruction, and assessment

• Topical alignment
• Deep alignment

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Topical Alignment

• Congruence of the content (knowledge, skill,
  process, or concept) in the curriculum,
  instruction, and assessment
• Initial level of alignment (Textbook Correlation
  Analysis)

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Examples of Content

• Mathematics
• Equality and Inequality (concepts)
• Attributes (knowledge)
• Measurement (procedure)
• Problem Solving (process)
• Reading
• Draw Conclusions (skill/strategy)
• Vocabulary (knowledge/concepts)
• Textbook Preview (process)

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Alignment congruence or match between
curriculum, instruction, and assessment

• Topical alignment
• Deep alignment

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Deep Alignment

• Congruence of content, context, and cognitive
  demand present in the curriculum, instruction and
  assessment

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What do we look for to identify deep alignment?

• The 3 Cs of deep alignment
• ?Content
• Context
• Cognitive demand

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Context refers to the ways in which the content
may be learned and demonstrated

• Instructional conditions includes supplied
  materials, available resources, and specialized
  vocabulary
• Tasks student responses and/or activities
  (including format and mathematical situations)

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Examples of instructional conditions

• Graph paper for sketching rectangles
• Calculator to check computation
• Graphic Organizer used for note taking
• Work with a partner
• List of key vocabulary words

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Examples of student tasks

• Calculate the volume of a rectangular prism.
• Compare your translations and reflections with
  the people at your table.
• Draw a picture to illustrate the plot of the
  story.
• Explain your inference and support with evidence
  from the text.

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What do we look for to identify deep alignment?

• The 3 Cs of deep alignment
• ?Content
• ?Context
• Cognitive demand

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Cognition Type

• or cognitive demand - generally refers to
  Blooms taxonomy and reflects a classification of
  thinking rather than a sequential hierarchy.
• (understanding prior to application and
  analysis)
• Cognitive demand is determined by analyzing the
  context of the lesson.
• (What support is provided and what are the
  students being asked to do?)

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Understanding by Design/Blooms Taxonomy/
Marzanos New Taxonomy
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Examples of cognition type

• Understand characteristics of two-dimensional
  figures.
• Analyze problem to determine if enough
  information is given to find a solution.
• Apply summarization comprehension strategy
• Evaluate conclusions drawn from a set of data and
  support with evidence.

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What do we look for to identify deep alignment?

• The 3 Cs of deep alignment
• ?Content
• ?Context
• ?Cognitive demand

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Identifying the 3 CsReading - Grade 5

• 2.4.2 Analyze how an authors style of writing,
  including language choice, achieves the authors
  purpose and influences an audience. W
• Identify and explain the authors purpose (e.g.,
• entertain, inform, explain, persuade)
• Identify and explain how authors use of word
• choice, sentence structure and length, and/or
  literary devices influences an audience.

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Identifying the 3 Cs Math Grade 4

• 1.1.5. Understand the meaning of addition and
  subtraction on like-denominator fractions. W
• Represent addition and subtraction of fractions
  with like denominators using models (e.g.
  everyday objects, fraction circles, number lines,
  geoboards).
• Explain the meaning of addition and subtraction
  of like-denominator fractions.
• Represent addition or subtraction of
  like-denominator fractions that represent sets of
  objects.
• Demonstrate the meaning of addition or
  subtraction of like denominators with multiple
  examples.

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Curriculum Defined by the District Based on
EALRs/GLEs
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Instruction Implementation of the Defined
Curriculum
Implementation of the defined curriculum
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Implementation Consideration

• Equality refers to being alike, identical
• Examples same instructional method, materials,
  and tasks for all students the opportunity for
  all students to learn the curriculum.
• Equity refers to needs-based differences
• Examples differentiated activities, strategies,
  and other accommodations necessary to meet
  student needs so that they might all become
  proficient with the learning.

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Equity requires differentiated instruction

• Therefore, the teacher proactively plans a
  variety of ways to get at and express
• learning.
• Carol Ann Tomlinson

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Differentiated Instruction

• What it is
• Provides multiple approaches to whats taught,
  how its taught, and how students demonstrate
  their learning
• Student centered
• A blend of whole class, group, and individual
  instruction
• Keyed to student needs
• Clarifies what students should know, understand,
  and be able to do as a result of any segment of
  learning

• What it is Not
• Individualized instruction
• Chaotic
• Another way to provide one size fits all
  instruction
• Modifying grading systems and reducing work loads
• More work for good students and less/different
  work for the poor students

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Content Knowledge, skill, process or concept
Planning for Differentiated Instruction
Curriculum State and Local Standards GLEs

• Process
• Plans instruction (Context instructional
  conditions and tasks)
• ? Whole class
• ? Groups/Pairs
• ? Individually

Summative Evaluation
Formative Assessment
Pre-Assessment

• Student
• Readiness/Ability
• Interests/Talents
• Learning Profile
• Prior Knowledge
• Specific Challenges

Product (Context) Assessment of Content and
Cognitive Demand
Slide 32
Slide 33
Slide 41
(adapted from Oaksford, L. Jones, L., 2001)
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EALR 1 The student understands and applies the
concepts and procedures of mathematics.

• Component 1.1 Understand and apply concepts and
  procedures from number sense.
• GLE 1.1.5
• Understand the meaning of multiplication and
  division on whole numbers. W (Grade 3)
• Understand the meaning of addition and
  subtraction on like-denominators fractions. W
  (Grade 4)
• Understand the meaning of addition and
  subtraction on non-negative decimals and
  fractions. W
• (Grade 5)

Slide 30
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Differentiated Classroom ReadingGLE 2.4.2
Analyze how an authors style of writing,
including language choice, achieves the
authors purpose and influences an audience. (Gr.
5)
Grade 5

• Identify and explain the authors purpose.
• Explain how the authors style contributes to
  imagery, suggests, a mood, or otherwise
  influences an audience.

Grade 3
Grade 4

• Students choose from multiple choices the
  authors specific purpose.
• With teacher guidance students will identify
  literacy devices to support their choice.

• Identify and explain the authors purpose.
• Identify in a list and then explain how authors
  use of word choice, sentence structure, and/or
  literacy devices influences an audience.

Slide 30
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Differentiated Classroom Product
GLE 1.1.5 Understand the meaning of addition
and subtraction on non-negative decimals and
fractions. (Gr. 5) GLE 5.3.1 Understand how
mathematics is used in everyday life and
extensively outside the classroom. (Gr. 3 - 8)
Composed questions and conducted an interview
with the local butcher and presented to the class
(videotaping).
Wrote a story about My Life as a Fraction.
Developed PowerPoint
Slide 30
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Fractions in Our World
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What is a Fraction?(frak'sh?n)

• A fraction is a small part
• A disconnected part of anything
• A quantity less than a whole

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3/12 4/12 7/12

• Adding fractions

Games
4/12
3/12
7/12
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When do we use fractions? Cooking recipes
Chef

• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• ½ cup shortening ½ ½ 2/2
• ½ cup sugar ½ ½ 2/2
• ½ cup brown sugar ½ ½ 2/2
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 tsp. of vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. soda ½ ½ 2/2
• 1/4 tsp. salt ¼ ¼ 2/4
• 1 ½ cup sifted flour 1 ½ 1 ½ 2 2/2
• 1 cup chocolate chips

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When do we use fractions?Measurement
Carpenter
A board needs to be 2 ¼ feet long. The current
length is 3 ¾ feet. How much needs to be cut
off? 3 ¾ - 2 ¼ 1 2/4
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When do we use fractions? TimeSubtracting
Fractions
4/4 3/4 1/4
¼ 15 minutes
¼ 15 minutes
¼ 15 minutes
¼ 15 minutes
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Fraction Frenzy

• Station 1 Chef of the Day
• Station 2 Master Builders
• Station 3 Ready-Set-Go
• Station 4 Lets Play Jacks

Slide 33
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Instructional and Assessment Considerations

• Learning Goals/Objectives (Content)
• Instructional conditions What do you need to
  have available for your students to accomplish
  the learning goal?
• Process
• Teacher and whole class.
• Further study using varied materials based on
  readiness and learning style.
• Assigned tasks.
• Whole class reviews/extensions through sharing.
• Student selected groups apply key principles to
  solve teacher-generated problems.
• Whole class Sharing/learn skills needed later
  to make presentation/projects. Summarize what
  was accomplished.
• Complete work on differentiated activities/work
  on projects.
• Assessment Share students projects/products
• Were the objectives obtained?
• How do you know?
• What assessment tools were used?

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Differentiated Classroom

• A differentiated classroom is marked by
• repeated rhythm of whole-class preparation,
• review, and sharing, followed by opportunity
• for individual or small-group exploration,
• sense-making, extension, and production.

Individual Group work
Individual Group work
Individual Group work
Whole Class
Whole Class
Ongoing Assessment
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Equity requires differentiated instruction

• Differentiated instruction is a teaching
  philosophy based on the premise that teachers
  should adapt instruction to student differences.
  Rather than marching students through the
  curriculum lockstep, teachers should modify their
  instruction to meet students varying readiness
  levels, learning preferences, and interests.
  Therefore, the teacher proactively plans a
  variety of ways to get at and express
  learning.
• Carol Ann Tomlinson

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