developed under the joint direction of the national governors association center for best practices...

Using Common Core State Standards to Design a

Rigorous Curriculum

An Introduction

CCSS Introduction

Developed under the joint direction of the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers

Final version released on June 2, 2010 Official Website:

http://www.corestandards.org/

CCSS Introduction States are required to adopt 100% of

the common core K-12 standards in ELA and mathematics (word for word), with the option of adding up to an additional 15% of standards on top of the core.

Adopted by the Michigan Board of Education on June 15th.

CCSS Introduction

As of 8/15/11

CCSS Introduction Fewer, clearer, higher

Aligned with college and career expectations

Include rigorous content and application of knowledge through higher order skills

ELA Structure

Math Structure

K-8

Grade Level

Domain

Grade-Specific Standard

4.G.1

High School

Conceptual Category

G-C.1

Practice Standards

Describe an expertise that college & career ready math students at all levels should develop in

order to effectively engage mathematical concepts.

Domain

Content-Specific Standard

Content Rigor

ELA rigor has increased substantially for elementary and middle school as compared to the Michigan GLCEs and is comparable to Michigan’s HSCEs

Math rigor has remained the same for elementary and decreased for Middle and High School as compared to the Michigan GLCEs and HSCEs

Assessment

Development of an infrastructure and content for a common assessment in measuring CCSS in English Language Arts and Mathematics

SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC)› 31 States Belong› 17 Governing States

Assessment

Goal: To ensure that all students leave high school prepared for

postsecondary success in college or a career through

increased student learning and improved teaching.

Assessment

Meeting the Challenges of Implementation

Using CCSS to Design Rigorous Curricula

Rigorous Curriculum Design

“How to Create Curricular Units of Study that Align Standards, Instruction and Assessment”

Provides the What, Why & How

1. What do ALL students need to know and be able to do? (Standards)

2. How will we know if they have learned it? (Assessment)

3. How do we teach so that all students will learn? (Instruction)

4. What will we do if they don’t know, or if they come to us already knowing? (Intervention, Differentiation, Enrichment)

Rigorous Curriculum DesignFour Parts:

1. Big Picture 2. Building a Foundation3. Designing the Units4. Implementing the Units

Rigorous Curriculum DesignThe Big Picture:

How do you define “rigor?”

Rigor rĭg •ər n. 1. Strictness or severity. 2. A harsh or trying circumstance. 3. The stiffness of death.


How do you define “curriculum?”

Rigorous Curriculum Defined

A rigorous curriculum is an inclusive set of intentionally aligned components – clear learning outcomes, matching assessments, engaging learning experiences, and high-impact instructional strategies – organized into sequenced units of study.


Rigorous Curriculum Design Alignment Diagram

“How well does our staff look at the ‘Big Picture’ when designing Curriculum?”

“Where would we like to be by 2015?”

“Which pieces are already in place in our district?”

“Where should we begin, and where should we focus our work in the coming years?”

Rigorous Curriculum DesignLaying the Foundation:

Group the Standards into Units of Study: Series of specific lessons, and assessments Usually 2 – 6 weeks Integrates both “content” and Anchor (ELA)/Practice

(Math) Standards

Three Types:1. Topical – specific portion of a larger subject, e.g.

place value, fractions.2. Skills-based – emphasize application, e.g.

estimating, converting fractions, decimals, percents.3. Thematic – emphasize connections to other topics

or disciplines, e.g. functions, probability.

Rigorous Curriculum DesignExamples of Topical ELA Units:

Freshman EnglishUnit 1: Approach to WritingUnit 2: MemoirUnit 3: MythologyUnit 4: Critical ThinkingUnit 5: Shakespeare (Drama)Unit 6: Research

Sophomore EnglishUnit 1: Persuasive WritingUnit 2: Nonfiction ReadingUnit 3: Reading

ComprehensionUnit 4: Literary AnalysisUnit 5: Nonfiction WritingUnit 6: Research

Junior EnglishUnit 1: Writing ProcessUnit 2: American PoetryUnit 3: Drama/PerformanceUnit 4: American Short StoriesUnit 5: American NovelsUnit 6: Literary Analysis

Senior EnglishUnit 1: College Application

ProcessUnit 2: Literary Research PaperUnit 3: Literary Analysis of ClassicsUnit 4: ShakespeareUnit 5: PoetryUnit 6: 20th Century Literature


Prepare a Pacing Calendar: A year-long (or course-long) sequenced schedule for delivering all the planned units of study for a designated grade level or course.

Does NOT specify Instructional Materials Learning Progressions: Simple Complex “Buffer Week” – 2-5 class periods for remediation,

enrichment, intervention Resource-dependent Units – all educators must have

simultaneous access to all necessary resources and materials

Which units need to be taught prior to the state assessment

Rigorous Curriculum DesignExample of Pacing Calendar:

Third Grade Pacing

Place Value, Value of Numbers Sept. 6-16

Addition/Subtraction of 2-digit numbers Sept. 21-Oct. 5

Rounding Oct. 10-24

Estimation Oct. 26-Nov. 9

Money Nov. 11-Nov. 28

Multiplication/Division Nov. 30-Dec. 14

Fractions Dec. 16-22

Ratio and Probability Jan. 3-13

Time Jan 17-Feb. 7

Graphing Feb. 13-28

Geometry Mar. 5-23

Measurement April 2-11


Construct Unit Planning Organizer: Unit Title Pacing/Duration Aligned Common Core State Standards Essential Questions Big Ideas Vocabulary Assessments Other elements …

Rigorous Curriculum DesignDesigning the Units:

Unwrap the Standards: Underline the nouns (teachable concepts) Circle the verbs (student skills)

Example (4th Grade Math CCSS): Add and subtract mixed numbers with like

denominators.

Attach Bloom’s Level or Depth of Knowledge


Create Graphic Organizer for Unwrapped Standards: (bulleted list, outline, chart, etc.)

Measurement Units and Tools

LengthArea

Volume

Angles

temperature

Time

Weight


Big Ideas: Foundational understandings, main ideas,

conclusions, generalizations related to the unit’s “unwrapped” standards.

Teacher-friendly Version: “It is appropriate to use a variety of writing styles to communicate information for a variety of purposes and to a variety of audiences.”

Student-friendly Version: “Writers need to know how to write in different ways for different people.”


Essential Questions: 2-4 per unit, open-ended rigorous questions that require more than superficial thought, that allow multiple correct responses, and are connected to each day’s lesson.

“Big Ideas” provide the response(s) to the Essential Questions.

Essential Question: What is estimation? Why do we need to know how to estimate?

Big Idea: Estimation produces a value that comes close to a problem’s actual answer. Whether you estimate or need to calculate the actual answer depends on the situation.


Create End-of-Unit and Pre-assessments:

“Teachers use assessment results to make inferences about their students’ cognitive status, and then reach instructional decisions based on those inferences.”

W. James Popham (2003)


Create End-of-Unit and Pre-assessment:

Formats:1. Selected-response2. Constructed-response3. Performance-based

Purposes:4. Formative5. Summative6. Both


Create End-of-Unit and Pre-assessment:

Pre-Determine:1. Item-Specific Scoring Guides2. Expected Student Responses for

a) Exemplaryb) Proficientc) Basicd) Beginning

Plan Time to Analyze the Data:3. Item Analysis4. Examine (and Retain Examplars of) Student Work5. Adjust Instruction


Identify Vocabulary, Interdisciplinary Connections, and 21st Century Learning Skills.


Plan Engaging Learning Experiences: Authentic (genuine) Relevant Motivational Incorporate rigor – critical thought,

application, analysis, synthesis, creativity, and reflection

Include both collaborative and individual work

Gather the necessary resources

Engaging Learning Experiences:Example (7th Grade Math):

It is your dream to own your own car. But, you soon discover that

the kind of car you really want costs at least $20,000-30,000!

So, you’re hoping to find a good used car for $5000. You want

to convince your parents that you are responsible enough to

own your own car when you turn sixteen. In order to convince

them, you are willing to do the necessary research and

planning to prepare a mathematically persuasive case that

you are able to save enough money during the next four years

to pay for half of the car. You hope your parents will agree to

pay for the rest of the car.

Engaging Learning Experiences:Example (7th Grade Math):

Use the internet to research the costs of several sample used

cars based on the parameters discussed in class (mileage, safety,

reliability, etc.) Document the resources you used.

Develop a linear equation that shows your monthly contribution

based on the total cost of the car, and your parents’ contribution.

Use the equation to create a table and a graph to display your

results.

Use your research to develop a persuasive presentation to

convince your parents that you can save enough money in the

next four years to pay for half of your car.


Recommend High-impact, Research-based Instructional and Intervention Strategies:

› Identifying Similarities and Differences› Summarizing and Note-Taking› Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition› Homework and Practice› Nonlinguistic Representations› Cooperative Learning› Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback› Generating and Testing Hypotheses› Cues, Questions and Advance Organizers


Write the Weekly Plan, Design the Daily Lesson:

Revisit the Unit Planning Organizer and Fill In the Details› Specific Materials Required› Instructional Strategies› Specific Intervention Strategies – Tier 1, Tier 2

and Tier 3, ELL› More Challenging Enrichment Activities

Rigorous Curriculum DesignImplementing the Units:

Introduce the Unit to Students Administer Unit Pre-Assessment (Data Analysis) Begin Teaching the Unit Administer Formative Assessments Differentiate Instruction Continue Teaching, Modifying and Adjusting

Instruction Administer End-of-Unit Assessment (Data

Analysis) Enrich, Remediate and Intervene Reflect on the Unit

developed under the joint direction of the national governors association center for best practices...

Documents

assessment slide

hsces slide

enrichment slide

rigorous content

practice standards

middle school

common assessment

ela rigor