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Curriculum Development Details
Data, Assessment and Continuous Improvement Process (DACIP)
Administrators and teachers
must understand the use of data to drive instruction and
model the use of data to determine needed interventions and
learning goals. At FOCUS Learning Academy, we use Skills
Check (a few TAKS objectives assessed at a time) and
Benchmarks (entire TAKS/TAKS-M Release Test or questions
from the WebCat test bank).
Purpose of Assessments
Genuine change and
essential improvement in student performance compels the use
of assessments to guide instruction and evaluate the
effectiveness of the reading, writing, social studies,
mathematics, and science programs. These assessments occur
at two levels: school-wide and classroom.
FOCUS Learning Academy's
Benchmark usually tests the material that, according to the
our Instructional Timeline (CSCOPE’s scope and sequence),
has been taught during a specific time period (i.e.,
six-weeks, semester). Other times the FOCUS Learning
Academy’s Benchmark is a full practice TAKS test. The
questions on the Benchmark use stems that match TAKS or are
actual released TAKS test questions.
FOCUS Learning Academy Instructional Focus
FOCUS Learning Academy's
curriculum is CSCOPE and it is aligned to the TEKS and the
state testing timeline.
Through CSCOPE’s
Instructional Timeline, it addresses:
SCOPE:
-
Content - specifically
what must be taught.
-
Complexity - level of
rigor; degree of mastery (introduced, mastered,
reviewed).
-
Context - how material
is tested.
SEQUENCE:
-
Order - indicates the
order in which content is presented (must be designed to
ensure TEKS tested on TAKS are taught at mastery level
before the tests).
-
Pacing - amount of time
usually needed for instruction.
FOCUS
Learning Academy’s curriculum (or other documents) includes:
-
strategies for re-teaching concepts at TAKS rigor
(new approaches, not simply reinforce previous
instructional delivery).
-
common vocabulary per
subject area as drawn from the TEKS
objectives.
-
main resources to use in
CSCOPE
(other materials can be used).
Instructional Strategies and Action Plan
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STEP
#1:
Disaggregate
Data |
BEGINNING OF THE
SCHOOL YEAR
■
Disaggregate Data:
TAKS/TAKS-Acc//TAKS-M, AEIS, multi-year history
reports, test participation, ITBS, DIEBELS, AP
Benchmarks, TAKS Release Benchmarks, Woodcock Munoz,
At-risk criteria, etc. Develop a spreadsheet for
ease of use.
■
Training:
provide required training for administrators and
teachers on disaggregation of data,
understanding patterns of data, linking data to
instruction, and integrating and teaching TAKS
objectives/Benchmark strands in all subject areas.
■
Grade K-2:
The ITBS test is given the first two weeks of school
and in May. Grades 3-8: A combination of Skills
Checkpoints and three Benchmarks are given prior to
the official TAKS in math, reading, writing, social
studies, and science. In May, TAKS results are
disaggregated and shared with teachers, CAO, the
TAKS Coordinator, and the CEO/Superintendent.
Teachers receive data no later than two days after
the administration of a Benchmark assessment and in
a format that is easy to use.
■
Intervention Criteria: Set passing criteria to
determine flexible instructional groups for purposes
of intervention or starting the
Response-to-Invention (RTI) process. (i.e.,
ITBS: 40% & below/TAKS below 2199).
ONGOING
THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR
■
Teachers will turn in results of periodic and
cumulative assessments from CSCOPE’s Skills Checks
to Chief Academic Officer. Data will be
used for individual conferences, team conferences,
and instructional planning meetings. |
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STEP
#2:
Develop a Timeline |
■
Testing Dates:
Develop a calendar for administering the
Benchmarks/simulations which coordinates with state
assessments. Re-examine existing Benchmark tests to
guarantee that they test what is taught, are aligned
to the TEKS, are in TAKS format, and reflect TAKS
rigor.
■
Collecting Data:
All
students will
take the periodic and cumulative assessments on
paper and pencil and then click their answers
through the Classroom Performance System program on
the fourth and fifth day of the Benchmark/Simulation
testing week.
■
Data Sharing:
Teachers will send the Student Cross Index and Item
Analysis file to the TAKS Testing Coordinator
immediately upon clicking the answers. Teachers
receive the processed data no later than two days
after the administration of a Benchmark assessment
and in a format that is easy to use.
■
Implementing Instructional Response:
Teachers will conference with the CAO on the
following Monday to determine how to place priority
on student performance in correlation with the
weight of the objectives as well as campus strengths
and weaknesses.
■
Tutorials:
Dates and times will be determined by the CAO and
CILT team. |
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STEP
#3:
Focus on Instruction |
■
Item Analysis:
Teachers will utilize item analysis to develop
growth targets. The CAO will use this information to
monitor progress to support interventions, find
needed resources, and provide help to teachers who
are not being successful.
■
Monitoring:
The CAO will monitor the CSCOPE instructional
Timeline and adjust as necessary. |
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STEP
#4:
Assess Routinely |
■
Skills Checkpoint:
After the instructional focus has been taught, an
assessment is administered by subject area
teachers to
identify mastery/non-mastery students. These skills
checks are aligned to FLA's CSOPE Instructional
Timeline (scope and sequence).
·
Benchmark:
School-wide Benchmark tests, which is a full
practice test with question stems that match TAKS
and the level of questions appearing on the state
mandated tests, possibly a released TAKS test or
questions from the WEbCat test bank, will be given.
The 3rd-8th grade benchmark
will be given over 4 days – Day 1:
Reading, Day 2: Math, Day 3: Writing & Science, and
Day 4: Social Studies.
■
Collecting Data:
All students
will take the periodic and cumulative assessments on
paper and pencil and then click their answers
through the Classroom Performance System program on
the fourth and fifth day of the Benchmark/Simulation
testing week. Teachers receive data no later
than two days after the administration of a
Benchmark assessment and in a format that is easy to
use. |
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STEP
#5 & #6:
Provide
Interventions, Tutorials, and Enrichment |
·
Instruction/Interventions:
Provide instruction and interventions that are
directly related to student needs as demonstrated by
data.
·
Planning Meetings:
Use one day of the week for protected collaborative
time for classroom teachers and tutorial teachers to
discuss student needs and progress, as well as,
curriculum planning and concerns.
·
Reteaching:
CILT team will ensure that re-teaching is not simply
a repeat of classroom instruction, but that
re-teaching presents the content using alternative
instructional methods and provides new strategies
and practice.
·
Point of Clarity:
CILT team will ensure that students who are
mastering the TEKS at TAKS rigor are not repeating
lessons but are being pushed to a higher level to
encourage commended performance.
■
Tutorials/Extended Day Time:
this after-school time will be devoted to the
re-teaching of non-mastered target areas.
Target-related enrichment should be provided for
mastery students.
■
Resources:
CAO will provide resources for equipment, tutorials,
staff, and materials. |
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STEP
#7:
Maintenance/ Professional Development |
·
Professional Development:
CAO will use flexibility in professional development
time aligned to the state testing timeline so that
targeted teacher training in areas such as skill
checks, lesson cycle, analyzing questions on
mini-benchmarks, gaining a deeper understanding of
the TEKS, and strategies for teaching at TAKS rigor.
·
Teacher Development:
Teachers will become experts in the lesson cycle
with special focus on the skill check process and
instructional strategies to reinforce learning at
intervals that allow students to retain the
information.
·
Data-Driven Instruction:
CAO, CILT team, TAKS Coordinator and teachers will
work together to understand the use of data to drive
instruction and model the use of data to determine
needed interventions and learning goals.
·
Enrichment for TEKS Mastery:
Enrichment will be provided for students who have
attained TEKS mastery. This should be in the form of
assignments that reflect the analysis and synthesis
of Bloom's taxonomy as well as the concepts and
generalizations/principles levels of Erickson's
Structure of Knowledge. |
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STEP
#8:
Monitor |
CHIEF ACADEMIC
OFFICER RESPONSIBILITES
Ongoing Training
& Development
·
Model
for campuses the value of dependence on data to make
decisions to retrain, change, or remove programs.
Walkthroughs &
Feedback
·
Conduct walkthroughs to ensure that teachers are
teaching TEKS at TAKS rigor, addressing weighted
objectives, and attending to student needs.
·
Provide feedback through meaningful conversations of
what was seen, both positive and negative, with
suggestions for how teaching can be improved.
·
Ensure that the flow of feedback is coordinated with
campus timelines and goals.
Weekly Teacher
Meetings & Daily Collaboration
·
Hold
TAKS conferences with teachers to discuss
mini-benchmark data and identify areas of strength
and weakness for both teachers and students, and
identify students for the RTI process.
·
Provide time and resources for teaming, peer
coaching, and professional collaboration during the
school day.
TEACHER
RESPONSIBILITIES
·
Implement the Skill Check/Mini-benchmark process.
·
Discuss data in grade level and departmental
vertical team meetings to isolate student needs and
instructional targets.
·
Hold
TAKS talks with students, parents, and staff to
share progress and needs as revealed by data.
·
Chart
growth with students.
·
Hold
vertical team meetings to discuss school-wide
Benchmark and Mini-benchmark data with the purpose
of adjusting the FOCUS Learning Academys
Instructional Timeline (scope and sequence and/or
aligned resources). |
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