Curriculum

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Curriculum Instruction Information,
Expectations, Support2006 and Beyond

• Paul G. Vallas, Chief Executive Officer
• Gregory E. Thornton, Ed.D., Chief Academic
  Officer
  
• Cecilia P. Cannon, Associate Superintendent

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No matter how good the schools are for some
children, they are not good enough for all of the
children. And until they are good enough for all
the children, there is much to do. And it cannot
come soon enough. -Fenwick English, PDK Co
nvention, 2004
3
Systemic Cooperation and Collaboration to Improve
Student Achievement Narrowing the Focus

• WHO

WHAT
HOW
Core Curriculum
Central Office Staff CAO, CI, OSD, OAAI OLCA,
OSS, OSM, OSE
Curriculum Development Revisions, Companion Docu
ments
Data
Instructional Support Coaching, Modeling
Regional Office Staff Regional Superintendent Di
rector of Instruction
Monitoring Feedback, Support
GOAL
Increased Student Achievement
School Staff Principals, Teachers
Data Analysis Data Informed Decision Making
Community, University, Business Partners
Staff Development Training
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Systemic Cooperation and Collaboration to Improve
Student Achievement Narrowing the Focus
Objective Measures
Subjective Outcomes
5
Phi Delta KappaCurriculum Management
AuditOverview

• Purpose
• Conduct a comprehensive curriculum evaluation
• Evaluate alignment of written, taught and tested
  curriculum
  
• Measure how effectively the school district
  delivers its curriculum
  
• Results
• A Total of 70 Recommended Actions
• 23 of the 70 recommended actions (33) are being
  addressed by the Office of Curriculum and
  Instruction
  

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Phi Delta KappaCurriculum Management Audit

• Curriculum Instruction
• Response to Audit Recommendations
• Projects completed immediately Course of Study,
  Prerequisite Skills, Writing Plan, Curriculum
  Management Policy, and Increased Rigor of
  Benchmarks
• Current Projects Grade 12 courses,
  Administrators Guide and Constructed Response
  Items (included in revisions to PSTs)
  
• Future Projects 5th year curriculum review
  cycle
  

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Phi Delta KappaCurriculum Management Audit
Curriculum Instruction

• Immediate Response
• Curriculum Management Policy Submitted for
  approval and adoption by the SRC 8/2006
  
• Purpose To ensure equity and opportunities for
  all students to learn rigorous content, the
  District requires that teachers use the published
  Core Curriculum
• Development of Administrators Guide to help
  monitor curriculum implementation
  
• To be used in summer professional development for
  principals

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Putting it all together Preparing for the Future
Narrowing the Focus
Phi Delta Kappa Response
Continuing School Reform
A Plan for Action Evaluate, Improve and Succeed
Enhanced Student Achievement

• What, Who, When, How

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Curriculum Implementation with Fidelity Ensuring
Student Achievement
Accountability
Pedagogy
Core Curriculum
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Written Curriculum
Companion Documents, 12th Grade Courses, World
Languages, African-American History
Core Curriculum
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Curriculum Support Documents 2006 - 2007

• Writing Plan
• Clearly details a vertical alignment from Pre
  K-12
  
• States what is expected in proficient writing
• Includes Grade level map
• Course of Study
• Summarizes major teaching objectives at each
  grade level, K-12, for Literacy, Math, and
  Science
  
• Helps teachers know exactly what understanding
  students need in order to master the subject
  objectives
  
• Prerequisite Skills
• Outlines what students should know before going
  to a particular grade
  
• Describes how a skill or strategy begins, grows
  and/or changes over time
  

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Planning and Scheduling Timeline K
8Enhancements and Improvements

• Dates adjusted to 2006-2007 school calendar
• 2007 Eligible Content is reflected
• Preparation for the PSSA is embedded - no
  separate documents
  
• The last column on the right side now reflects
  PSSA Connection to What I Will Teach column
  
• The PSSA Sample Items and TerraNova Objectives
  are now in one column
  
• PSSA Checkpoints

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Written/Taught Curriculum Improving the Overlap
Taught
Instructional Strategies, Monitoring, Teacher
Feedback
Pedagogy
Core Curriculum
PST Revisions
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Written and Taught CurriculumThe Need for Overlap

• Written and Taught curricula reflect the concepts
  and skills required in the standards
  
• Teachers must provide evidence that students are
  experiencing those concepts and skills

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Lack of OverlapPDK Audit EvidenceCognitive
Types Observedin SDP Classrooms
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Lack of OverlapPDK Audit EvidenceFrequency of
Observed Student Classroom Activities
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Written/Taught CurriculumMaking the Overlap
Evident

• Point teachers to the curriculum guides Picture
  Window for different instructional strategies
  based on the situation (needs of students and
  subject matter)
• Provide this information in a manner that is
  easily accessible to teachers
  

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Instructional PlanGrades 6 12

• High School 9/06
• Student Ownership of Data
• students learn about the test and its
  implications
  
• students compare their work to the criteria set
  by the assessment
  
• students create a personal plan to improve on the
  next assessment
  
• Interdisciplinary Teacher Teams
• Regular meeting of teacher teams support
  coordinated instruction
  
• Instructional Strategies
• Learning in all content areas can be supported by
  using a selected set of strategies to help
  students understand, remember, and apply key
  information and concepts
• The strategies will be used by teachers of every
  subject to teach students to be better readers of
  their particular content
  

• Middle Grades 1/07
• Select and Identify Pilot Schools

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Administrators Guide Curriculum Implementation

• Purpose
• Provides the tools principals need to guide the
  effective implementation of the Core Curriculum
  in all classrooms
  
• Content
• Information about each content area, literacy,
  math, science, and social studies tools for
  monitoring, expectations

• Classroom Visitation
• Quick and easy checklists to capture evidence of
  effective instruction through the lens of student
  engagement
  
• Teacher Feedback
• Detailed list of expectations provides the
  content for thoughtful and helpful feedback

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Taught/Tested Curriculum
Benchmark Alignment
Pedagogy
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Tested Curriculum
Accountability
PSSA
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Office of Curriculum and InstructionPreparing
for the Future

• Engaging Stakeholders for the 5th Year Curriculum
  Review Cycle
  
• Researching National Trends
• Reviewing and Analyzing Local and National
  Achievement Data
  
• Identifying Most Effective Instructional
  Strategies
  
• Leveraging Technology
• Thinking Globally

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Teacher Supports

• Webinars hosted by CI staff
• K-8 Planning and Scheduling Timelines
• Pre K -8 Coordinating Documents
• Downloadable Professional Development
  Modules/Powerpoints Presentations
  
• K-8 Planning and Scheduling Timelines
• Benchmark Assessments
• Coordinating Documents
• Financial Literacy Module

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The School District of Philadelphia has the
tools, people, and resources needed to reduce the
achievement gap and to dispel the legacy of
failure, which must be changed for good...We see
no reason not to be optimistic..
PDK Audit