Curriculum Compacting

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Curriculum Compacting

• Differentiation Strategies for teachers of Gifted
  Students
• Chantal Cravens
• GATE Specialist
• ccravens_at_emcsd.org
• 626-575-2310

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Compacting

• High-ability or high-achieving students are
  frequently asked to participate in practice
  exercises or instruction that they have
  previously mastered.
• Curriculum compacting is a process to
  "streamline" and modify the grade-level
  curriculum by eliminating material that students
  have previously learned.

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Why?

• Less repetition of previously mastered material
  can result in more learning for some students.

• Students who already know the material can face
  boredom, depression, inattentiveness, and
  underachievement, and may become discipline
  problems in their classrooms.

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How Does It Work?

• In the curriculum compacting process, a form
  entitled the Curriculum Compactor can be used by
  teachers to guide the compacting services
  provided to the students.
• Teaching Young Gifted Children in the Regular
  Classroom p. 55
• Differentiating Instruction-p. 142
• http//www.sp.uconn.edu/7enrcgt/sem/semart08.html
  

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Pre-assess

• Students report being pre-tested in spelling and
  math.
• Some express frustration because they still end
  up doing what everyone else does. Some get free
  time which they enjoy, but without thoughtful
  planning, this time becomes Academic Down-Time.

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The following 3 steps are involved

• Defining the goals and objectives of a particular
  unit/segment.
• Documentation of mastery most of learning
  outcomes. (scores, work samples, etc.)
• Providing replacement options that enable a more
  challenging and productive use of the student's
  time
• Teaching Young Gifted Children in the
  Regular Classroom
• p. 47 sample compacting forms
• Differentiating Instruction-p. 142
• http//www.sp.uconn.edu/7enrcgt/sem/semar
  t08.html

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Okay, what do I use for pre-tests?

• Unit pretests, or end-of-unit tests that can be
  administered as pretests are ready made for this
  task, especially when it comes to the assessment
  of basic skills.
• Pre-testing enables the teacher to document
  proficiency in specific skills, and to assess
  weak spots as well.
• (Gifted kids have holes in their learning
  too.)

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Who gets pre-tested?

• All or some
• Although this may seem like more work for the
  teacher, it provides the opportunity for all
  students to demonstrate their strengths or
  previous mastery in a given area.

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Online Resources on Tiered Assignments

• Tiered Assignments for Kindergarten
  http//webtech.cherokee.k12.ga.us/littleriver-es/e
  williams/tieredassignmentskindergar.htm
• Tiered 3rd grade literature study
  http//webtech.cherokee.k12.ga.us/littleriver-es/e
  williams/Tieredassignmentelementsofastory.htm

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Considerations

• Great care should be taken to select activities
  and experiences that represent individual
  strengths and interests rather than the
  assignment of more-of-the-same worksheets or
  randomly selected kits, games, and puzzles.

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Motivation and Underachievement

• When some previously bright but underachieving
  students realized that they could both economize
  on regularly assigned material and "earn time" to
  pursue self-selected interests, their motivation
  to complete regular assignments increased. As one
  student put it, "Everyone understands a good
  deal!"

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Listing Objectives/Standards

• First, list the objectives for a particular unit
  of study.
• Teaching Young Gifted Children in the Regular
  Classroom p. 55

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Documentation of Mastery

• Teachers should detail the pretest vehicles they
  select, along with test results.
• Level of Mastery____________
• How demonstrated________ date___
• The pretest instruments can be formal measures,
  such as pencil and paper tests, or informal
  measures, such as performance assessments based
  on observations of class participation and
  written assignments.(You can attach these to
  your cover sheet-essay, photos, video,
  multimedia, etc.)

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Specific Documentation

• Specificity is extremely important, depending on
  the subject. Recording an overall score of 85 on
  ten objectives, for example, sheds little light
  on what portion of the material can be compacted,
  since students might show limited mastery of some
  objectives and high levels of mastery on others.

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Filling in the holes

• The child may be asked to sit in on whole group
  lessons on an area in which they demonstrate a
  need or weakness.

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Providing Acceleration and Enrichment Options

• The final phase of the compacting process is
  based on cooperative decision making and
  creativity on the parts of both teachers and
  students.
• Efforts can be made to gather enrichment
  materials from classroom teachers, librarians,
  media specialists, and content area or gifted
  education specialists.

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Enrichment

• Materials may include self-directed learning
  activities, instructional materials that focus on
  particular thinking skills, and a variety of
  individual and group project oriented activities
  that are designed to promote hands on research
  and investigative skills.

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Strengths and Preferences

• The Interest-A-Lyzer (Renzulli) provides profiles
  of general categories of student interests.
• www.gifted.uconn.edu/3summers/pdf/Interest-A-Lyzer
  .pdf
• (free download)
• learning styles http//members.shaw.ca/priscilla
  theroux/styles.html

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Go Forth and use your books!

• Teaching Young Gifted Children in the Regular
  Classroom is full of great ideas for working with
  students in the Primary grades, very user
  friendly.
• Curriculum Compacting is in Chapter 3 (page 47
  and 55 have sample Compactors and planning tools)
• I like the Tic Tac Toe Menu found on page 44 and
  53.
• Chapter 10- Social and Emotional Needs
• Differentiating Instruction, Diane Heacox
• -p. 137-143 Curriculum compacting
• -p.125 Managing Differentiation