Curriculum Alignment at Queen Elizabeth High School

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Curriculum Alignment at Queen Elizabeth High
School

• A Brief Introduction
• Monday November 17, 2003
• by Mr. Wayne Lincoln

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Purpose of the session

• To begin the
• conversation around
• curriculum alignment, to
• provide some opportunities
• for reflection, and to examine
• what alignment of a unit
• might look like in an African
• Canadian Studies 11 class.

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What are your own thoughts on curriculum
alignment and what does it mean to you?

• 1.Take a couple of minutes and put
• your ideas on paper.
• 2. Share your thoughts with your colleagues who
  
• are in close proximity to you.

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Now, what are you really thinking?

• This too shall pass.
• Fasten your seatbelts!
• Do we really have to?
• Collaborative sigh.
• Something else for teachers to make successful.
• All of these

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Something to reflect upon

• Most high-performing schools simply reflect the
  social capital of their students (they are
  primarily schools with students of high
  socioeconomic status) , rather than the internal
  capacity of the schools themselves. Most
  low-performing schools cannot rely on the social
  capital of students and families and instead must
  rely on their organizational capacity.
• Elmore, R.F. (2002). Harvard Magazine, Vol 105,
  (1) September-October 2002, p.35. Retrieved
  05/11/2003 http//www.harvardmagazine.com/on-line/
  0902140.html

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What is Curriculum Alignment?

• Educational theorists and scholars such as
  Beverly Freedman, former Superintendent of
  Educational Programs, Durham (Ontario) Board of
  Education, who will be working with HRSB staff,
  have suggested that curriculum alignment refers
  to a process of organizing instruction into units
  that are aligned with the written curriculum and
  student assessment.

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WRITTEN CURRICULUM (TARGETS)
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
TAUGHTCURRICULUM
ASSESSED CURRICULUM
Halifax Regional School Board Outcomes Based
Student Assessment
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What Curriculum Alignment is not!

• Superficial alignment
• i.e. Checking off any outcomes we may happen to
  have covered.

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Curriculum Alignment

• levels the playing field for students as it
  ensures that everyone has to meet the same
  outcomes e.g. is this going to be on the test
  ?or I want to be in her class. or this is how
  I understand the outcome so this is what I am
  going to teach.
• is about accountability, responsibility, and
  quality control.
• will be imposed on us if we are not proactive .
• does not mean that we are not doing our jobs
  effectively.
• will rely on administration and teachers to make
  it work.
• may already be in the implementation phase in
  some classrooms.
• is not new.

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Why is Curriculum Alignment so important?

• We need to be more concerned with what students
  have learned as a result of their schooling
  experience than with what they know and can do
  regardless of the source of that knowledge or
  those skills.
• Proper curriculum alignment enables us to
  understand the differences in the effects of
  schooling on student achievement.

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Why is Curriculum Alignment so Important?

• Poorly aligned curriculum results in our
  underestimating the effect of instruction on
  learning.
• Concern for educational accountability.
• From
• Anderson, L.W. (2002) Curricular Alignment A
  ReExamination, Theory Into Practice, 41(4), p.
  259

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Furthermore, Baratz-Snowden (1993) in Anderson
(2002) contends

• If students are to be held accountable for their
  learning, then schools must be held accountable
  as well by demonstrating that they provide
  students with opportunities to learn to meet the
  standards outcomes that have been set (p. 317)

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Critics of Curriculum Alignment (CA) such as
Wraga (1999) argue

• Underlying assumptions of equity and
  accountability are problematic
• CA validates teaching to the test and promotes
  greater reliance on high stakes testing

• CA is all about what is taught and no
  consideration is given to how students are taught
• CA demands compliance while ignoring the
  teachers role as curriculum developer impact
  on student learning

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However, Glatthorn (1999) contends

• In a time of mandated standardsoutcomes and
  high-stakes tests, ignoring the need for
  alignment is foolish at best. The issue is not
  
• Should we align? Rather, it is How can we
  align so that the alignment is teacher-directed
  and teacher-friendly?

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Principles of Learning from NS Public School
Program

• Active construction of knowledge
• Construction and meaningfulness of knowledge in
  terms of prior knowledge and experiences
• Social and collaborative environment

• Learning as integrated whole
• Learners see themselves as capable and successful
• Different ways of learning representing
• Reflection is key to learning

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How might these principles impact on planning
units and lessons in my African Canadian Studies
11 class?

• My class would have to be more activity-based
  with activities carefully planned to meet
  outcomes-see curriculum documents.
• I would have to have knowledge of the prior
  experiences (e.g. collaborate with prior
  teachers, engage in discussions with students).
• I would have to plan for my environment to be a
  social and collaborative space for my students.

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Impact on instructional planning

• I would have to explore connections with other
  subject disciplines- English, languages
  mathematics, sciences, art, music, social
  studies.
• I would have to plan instructional events which
  would enable students to have opportunities for
  success e.g write a poem, role play a situation,
  make up a rap song and perform it, depict the
  life of Black Nova Scotian loyalists in a
  drawing.
• I would have to more accepting of different
  learning styles and ways of representing, not
  just the ones I prefer.
• I would have to provide opportunities for student
  reflection e.g. journalling, portfolios i.e.
  data collection, and tap into the knowledge
  gained.

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An example of Curriculum Alignment in ACS11

• With the 7 principles (construct, prior,
  environment, integrated, capable, different ways,
  reflection) in the back of my mind, I would ask
  myself
• What are the big ideas I want my students to
  take away from this unit or lesson?
• Which of the Essential Graduation Learnings
  apply?
• What is the General Curriculum Outline for this
  unit/lesson?

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ACS11 example

• What is(are) the Specific Curriculum Outcome(s)
  or targets I want students to hit?
• How will I assess to ensure the target is met i.e
  what kinds of evidence and how much must I
  collect?
• How will I plan for this unit?
• How will information be communicated back to the
  student and the parent?

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Reflection Activity

• Please take 5 10 minutes and complete the
  handout .
• Try to work without consulting a fellow staff
  member.
• Please be candid about your assessment and
  instructional practices.

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(No Transcript)
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So whats the point?

• Big ideas and essential understandings are what
  our courses are about.
• They frequently overlap with Essential Graduation
  Learnings i.e what the Department expects us to
  accomplish.
• It is important for us to have a clear picture of
  where we are headed in order for our students to
  understand our expectations.

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So whats the point?

• Have we taken ownership of the EGLs or do we
  view it as an imposition from above?
• Do we believe in the Principles of Learning and
  if so have we incorporated them into our
  instructional plan? If we do not believe in them,
  why not?
• Do we really believe in MI theory or is it a case
  of been there, done that and got the T-shirt?
• Is there evidence of MI theory in our classes?

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Framework for unit or lesson planning promoting
Curriculum Alignment
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Origins of Curriculum Alignment

• Standards movement in U.S. which grew out of
  calls for greater accountability in the public
  educational system.
• Curriculum Alignment Project Los Angeles Unified
  School District 1979-1982 grades 3-6 with
  substantive success for marginalized students.
• Calls for curriculum alignment in Canada with the
  accountability movement.

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Origins of Curriculum Alignment

• Curriculum Alignment in HRSB
• (2002-2003) arises from the need to Plan For
  Improvement (PFI) as HRSB establishes its vision
  to become the most improved school board in
  Canada in the next five years in terms of
  measurable achievement targets guided by the
  principles
• Every child can learn
• All schools can improve

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What might an aligned unit in ACS11 look like?

• e.g. Unit VI Journey to Empowerment
• GCO Students will investigate the importance of
  collective consciousness of peoples of African
  descent as a strategy for empowerment.
• I interpret this to mean that students have to
  study how African Canadians/African Nova Scotians
  collectively have been able to empower themselves
  in the context of the larger, dominant
  Euro-Canadian society.

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What are the big ideas (essential questions) that
I want my ACS students to take away from this
unit?

• What is collective consciousness and why is it of
  particular importance to peoples of African
  descent?
• What is empowerment disempowerment?
• What kinds of empowerment exist?
• How would you empower yourself and your
  community?
• Afrocentricity v Eurocentricity.

• How would you meet the challenges of societal
  forces and institutions that combine to
  disempower you?
• What have individual African Canadians/Nova
  Scotians done to empower themselves?
• What has been done elsewhere in the world and
  with what results?
• Spirit, Survival, Strength.

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What are the SCOs (targets)?

• Explain how community-based groups/grassroots
  organizations have developed changed over time
  (NSAACP, AUBA, BUF, BEA).
• Examine contributions achievements of African
  Canadian/NS men women in social, educational,
  political, religious , judicial institutions.
• Analyse rel among descendents of the diaspora
  people from African continent.

• Examine concept of empowerment with examples.
• Examine empowerment model impact through
  institutional change.
• Investigate global impact of political
  empowerment independence of colonized countries
  1950s to present.
• Discuss some of challenges facing African Cdn/NS
  today.

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What skills knowledge are required to meet the
targets?

• Reading and writing skills
• Analytical skills competence with technology
• Problem solving skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Ability to research present
• Knowledge about power power structures
• Knowledge about the experiences of ANS

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How might I integrate technology into this unit
on empowerment?

• Use a webquest for some of the community-based
  groups.
• Post course syllabus with calendar on QEH
  website.
• Work with CRS/TITL teachers to help students
  design websites on contributions achievements
  of AC/NS men women.
• Powerpoint presentations.

• Pair Euro-Canadian students with African Nova
  Scotian students to communicate via student.ednet
  email on issues of empowerment.
• Use the www to research the global impact of
  independence from colonial countries and to gain
  a perspective from African electronic media.

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What might my Assessment Plan look like?

• Formal
• End of unit test
• Case study Inglewood
• Visual representation of work done by
  community-based groups/grassroots organizations
• Reflection on video
• In-class assignments

• Informal
• Brief oral reports on readings research on
  African Cdn/NS men women
• Journal
• Portfolio (self-assessment)

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What results would I want to see from my
assesment plan?

• I would be looking for clear evidence that the
  SCOs i.e. targets have been met and that
  students have a good understanding of the big
  ideas and are able to respond to the essential
  questions in the unit.
• Students would be involved in developing the
  rubrics for all assessment events and would have
  input in the composition of the test i.e.
  selected, constructed, and extended response
  questions.
• Results may lead to reteaching, varying
  instructional strategies, reallocation of time,
  varying assessment strategies.

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Unit planning--Empowerment

• Time frame 4-5 weeks.
• Concept of empowerment with examples-2
• Empowerment model (CAAA) impact-3
• Global impact of empowerment indep-2
• Development change of community groups-3
• Contributions achievements of African
  Canadians/Nova Scotians-3
• Challenges facing African Nova Scotians-3
• Relationships among descendents of the diaspora
  people from the African continent-2
• Testing, video, computer lab library time-5
• Total classes 23

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Materials/Resources needed for the unit

• Text(s) Supp readings
• Photocopy resources
• Computer in class LCD projector ext cord
• TV/VCR screen
• O/H Projector
• CRS Lab CRS Teacher Time
• HRSB TITL access

• Guest speaker(s)
• Contact partner school with ANS community as
  feeder community
• Librarian/tech human resources, on-line
  resources, time

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How will I make provisions for adaptations, MI,
learning styles, diverse abilities?

• Use of O/H TV/VCR for more visual learners.
• Use of small-group cooperative learning
  situations for inter-personal and
  logical-mathematical intelligences.
• Field trip to Black Cultural Centre for
  bodily-kinesthetic, naturalist visual-tactile
  learners.

• Texts readings for linguistic intelligences.
• Music poetry for musical linguistic
  intelligences.
• Refer to Tanya MacNeils (MHS) document on IPPs
  Adaptations.
• Reflections, journals, portfolios for
  intrapersonal intelligence.
• Use of technology for diverse abilities.

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How will information be communicated back to the
student parent?

• Informal conversations with students inside or
  outside of the classroom.
• Through assessments rubrics.
• Random telephone calls or emails-balanced i.e.
  not just negative calls.

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Thank you for your participation.