Vertical AlignmentProfessional Development

February 8, 2012Northern Vance High School

*Please sit with teachers of the same

content area as you.*

Where We’ve Been

Introduction to Common Core/NC Essential Standards

Changes in specific course objectives

Develop Instructional Units

What’s Next

Today’s Purpose

To explore the vertical alignment of

instruction and assessments to ensure that

course expectations (2012-2013) are

appropriately aligned to Common Core/NC

Essential state standards.

Activity: Building a Map

• In two separate groups,

remove the content of the

envelope and place them

on the table so that all

members can read its statements

• Discuss what statements should be learned

and/or mastered at each grade band (K-2,

3-5, 6-8 and 9-12) in regards to the Reading

Standards for Informational Text

Activity: Building a Map

• Have one group member keep notes of the

conversations and/or questions that arise

• Once a group consensus has been made,

arrange them on the table under the

appropriate grade band

• Make note of how one statement may

contribute to the understanding of another

Activity: Building a Map

• Have a group member share out the group’s

progression map and discussions with the

whole group

Compare your maps to the Common Core

State Standards for English/Language Arts

K

Identify the front

cover, back

cover, and title

page of a book.

1

Ask and answer

questions about

key details in a

text.

2

Identify the main

topic of a multi-

paragraph text

as well as the

focus of specific

paragraphs

within the text.

3

Compare and

contrast the

most important

points and key

details

presented in two

texts on the

same topic.

4

Explain how an

author uses

reasons and

evidence to

support

particular points

in a text.

5

Analyze multiple

accounts of the

same event or

topic, noting

important

similarities and

differences in

the point of view

they represent.

6

Determine the

meaning of words

and phrases

as they are used

in a text, including

figurative,

connotative, and

technical

meanings.

7

Analyze how

two or more

authors writing

about

the same topic

shape their

presentations of

key information

by emphasizing

different

evidence or

advancing

different

interpretations

of facts.

8

Delineate and

evaluate the

argument and

specific

claims in a

text, assessing

whether the

reasoning is

sound and the

evidence is

relevant and

sufficient;

recognize when

irrelevant

evidence is

introduced.

9/10

Analyze seminal

U.S. documents of

historical and

literary

significance

11/12

Determine the

meaning of words

and phrases as

they are used in a

text, including

figurative,

connotative, and

technical

meanings; analyze

how an author

uses and refines

the meaning of a

key term or terms

over the course of

a text

11/12

Cite strong and thorough

textual evidence to

support analysis of what

the text

says explicitly as well as

inferences drawn from

the text, including

determining

where the text leaves

matters uncertain.

HOW DID YOUR GROUP DO?

Discuss your reactions and any

misconceptions that you/your

group may have had.

Inch-deep

coverageLengthy

review

Definition

of insanity

Re-teaching

at next level

The Current Dilemma

DAILY instructional

activities/lessons

are aligned to state

standards

The Solution

(Cohen, 1987; English & Steffy, 2001; Moss-Mitchell, 1998; Neidermeyer & Yelon, 1981; Porter et al., 1994;

Porter & Smithson, 2001; Price-Braugh, 1997; Wishnick, 1989)

VERTICAL ALIGNMENTEstablishing and/or recognizing the scope and sequence of

course content to ensure…

An appropriate

amount of time is

devoted to

instruction

Unnecessary

repetitions are

removed

Gaps are

indentified

Assessments are

appropriate

Activity: Course Reflection

• Independently answer the four reflection

questions on the front side of the handout

provided

• Share your responses with members of your

content area

Common Core/NC Essential Standards

Correlation

• On the back side of the handout provided, complete

the first three columns based on your input on the front

side

• For the Common Core/NC Essential Standards

Correlation column, search your new standards for

those major concepts/skills; provide the objective

number and a brief description of all occurrences

Instructions on Locating YOUR Standards

PLEASE PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS

AND VOCABULARY OF THE STANDARDS; not

intended to be new wording for old ways of doing

things!

Common Core/NC Essential Standards

Correlation cont.• Share your table with members of your content area

• Have one member compile an electronic group response;

upload it to the Moodle forum Major Course Concepts (click here for instructions)

• Have a whole-group discussion on the common/major

ideas Things to Discuss (should include but not limited to):

Concepts/Skills learned at lower levels that should lend

themselves to major concepts in upper levels

Any repetition of course concepts/skills

The amount of time spent on concepts/skills identified as

strengths and weaknesses

What topics/skills are nice to know as opposed to what is

essential?

Power Standards

Refer back to the fourth question on

Course Reflection sheet – “What do you

wish you could give your students more

of?”

Your response to that prompt were

probably items considered as “power

standards”

Power Standards

are… “those

standards that, once

mastered, give a

student the ability to

use reasoning and

thinking skills to

learn and

understand other

curriculum

objectives

Not intended

to undermine

CCSS/NCES

Idealism

vs. Realism

Prioritization

NOT

Elimination

Marzano’s

Instructional

Strategies

Emphasis on

enduring

understanding

Power Standards Criteria

Power Standards help teachers focus and prioritize what is

most important for students to know and be able to do in

the time available for teaching and learning. Three

criteria of PS:

Readiness for Further Study: Students should have an

opportunity to master skills, concepts and processes that

will provide the necessary foundation for being

successful in their studies.

Leverage: Students should study skills, concepts and

processes that have wide applicability to other areas of

study.

Endurance: Students should study skills, concepts and

processes that they will likely draw on throughout their

lives.

What are YOUR Power Standards?

What will you provide your students with to ensure

success – in your class, in their next level class and

so on (leverage, readiness for next levels of

learning), in life (endurance), and on your final/state

exam

under the new curriculum?

Post your response on the Moodle discussion

forum Power Standards; we will refer to

these standards along with our major concepts

in our next session

Where We’re Going

On next/last early release session will be on

Wednesday, March 21 at Northern

We will begin Unit/Assessment Planning and

Locating Resources

There will be two days of Common Core/NC

Essential Standards training for core teachers

this summer – Dates TBA

Before you GO…

To submit an evaluation on today’s

professional development session:

•Return to the 1:1 Professional

Development VCS Moodle

http://moodle.vcs.k12.nc/moodle

•Under the EVALUATION topic,

select

“Professional Development

(Feb. 8, 2012) EVALUATION”

*Hard copies are available

for those without

laptops/internet

connection

Instructions Go to the VCS Moodle site

Click on Instructional Technology from the Course

Categories

Click on 1:1 Professional Development VCS

Under today’s section, open the Word document Major

Course Concept

Complete the table based on the input provided by your

group members; SAVE the document

Return to the Moodle and attach the file to the forum Major

Course Concept Return to Activity

Locating YOUR Standards Go to the VCS Moodle site

Click on Instructional Technology from the Course

Categories

Click on Common

Core & NC Essential

Standards

Locate your

content area

Select the

document that

you wish to viewReturn to Activity Part 2