Five Easy Steps to a Balanced Math Program (FES)

Step 3: Conceptual Unit Designand

Step 5: Common Formative Assessments

How it all connectswith

Step 1: Computational Skills (Math Review and Mental Math)Step 2: Problem Solving

(Elementary does Step 4: Math Facts)

Welcome!Please sit by course in groups of 4 for the

activitiesIntroductionsParking Lot – post-its

Goals:Understand the connections for FES Step 1,2,3 & 5Know the different aspects of the unwrapped

document to support your teachingUnderstand the set-up of the assessments to

support teaching, learning, and PLC/DT process

Vocabulary in MN StandardsStrand – four broad strands (country)Standard – a general goal of student

learning (state)Benchmarks - specific knowledge & skills

acquired by the end of the grade (city)Examples – provided for clarification and

level of understanding (neighborhood)

Learning Targets – lesson size chunks(street)

(MN) Strand – Standards – Benchmarks (SPPS) Learning Targets

StrandStandard Standard Standard Standard

Benchmar

k

Benchmar

k

Benchmark

Benchmark

Benchmar

k

Benchmark

Benchmark

Benchmark

Benchmar

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Benchmar

k

Learning Target

Learning Target

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Learning Target

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Learning Target

Learning Target

Learning Target

Learning Target

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Learning Target

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Learning Target

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A Quote fromChapter 11: “Unwrap” the Priority Standards; Write Big Ideas and Essential Questions

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Those who are mechanically adept often say that the only way to really understand how something works is to take it apart and put it back together again. In the third step of the “unwrapping” process, educators can see if this holds true with regard to their work with standards. After deconstructing the standards to identify the separate concepts within them, the next step is to “put them back together again” in a way that shows important connections between those concepts.

From Rigorous Curriculum Design by Larry Ainsworth, 2010

Unwrapped High Priority BenchmarkSkills, Concepts, and Bloom’sProperly Unwrapped Benchmarks include:

Skills – verbs taken directly from benchmark (capitalized)

Concepts – nouns or phrases taken directly from benchmark (underlined)

Bloom’s Taxonomy - need to match the rigor of the standard.  Double check the levels, many times when you match the verbs in the

benchmark to the Bloom's handout and sometimes you need take into account the context of the benchmark. 

Supporting benchmarks that are seen inseparable should be included in the additional benchmark box but should NOT be included in the unwrapping.

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Unwrapped High Priority Benchmark Example

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Jigsaw for Unwrapped High Priority BenchmarkActivity – Use the chart of the skills, concepts and Bloom’s

Taxonomy to look at your designated areasBe prepared to share with your group how the areas

relate to i.) the benchmark, ii.) the chart, and iii.) how it can support your teaching

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Group Membe

rArea of Unwrapped Document

A • MCA-III Specifications, Vocabulary, Sample Item• Supporting Benchmarks

B • Learning Targets

C • Graphic Organizer• Big Ideas and Essential Questions

D • Pre-requisite Skills and Concepts• Problem Solving Item

Unwrapped High Priority Benchmark Example – Group Member A

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Unwrapped High Priority Benchmark Example – Group Member B

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Unwrapped High Priority Benchmark Example – Group Member C

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Unwrapped High Priority Benchmark Example – Group Member D

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Assessments Aligned to High Priority Benchmarks and Learning Targets

These assessments were designed to support ...

PLCs and Data TeamsDifferentiationProgress Monitoring and Standards Based

GradingStudents owning their learning.

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Assessments Aligned to High Priority Benchmarks and Learning Targets

Activity: Take the first assessment

What do you notice about the test and the items?

How will they support …your instruction?your PLC?your students?

What questions do you have?

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Assessments Aligned to High Priority Benchmarks and Learning TargetsEach High Priority Benchmark has several

Learning Targets (lesson size chunks)

Each Learning Target has 4 items.

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Suggest including on Pre-test

Suggest including on

Post-test

Pre-requisite Skill X

Developing (Partial

Proficient)X X

Proficient X X

Exemplary (Exceeds) X

Important Information

The Superintendency expects common assessments aligned to standards for progress monitoring to be used.

These assessments cannot leave the classroom to ensure security of items.

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Important InformationThese are a work in progress. They can be found on the website at

http://thecenter.spps.org/five_easy_steps.html

Throughout the year, we will be collecting your feedback on the unwrapped documents and assessments through a Google form to be completed by your PLC.

Alignment and sequencing of Holt sections and units will be available by October 1st .

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Questions???