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Curriculum and Instruction

2010 Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Summit

Third Annual Summit on Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
December 7 & December 8, 2010
Best Western Royal Plaza, Marlborough

Session Descriptions:

Adventures in Text Analysis: Reading and Writing Elementary Science

The Common Core Standards invite educators to teach essential concepts in the content areas along with disciplinary language students need to access those concepts. This workshop introduces language features commonly found when reading and writing science and shares innovative work from local teachers who incorporated this focus into the literacy block.

Following Fractions: Exploring a Common Core Math Learning Progression

This session will examine the in-depth treatment of fraction concepts and operations reflected in the Common Core Mathematics Standards (CCMS) and draw on the ongoing collaborative work of mathematics and special education leaders on teaching math to students with disabilities. Participants will work together on at least one sample math problem as a basis for considering connections to the CCMS and supporting research.

Effectively Recognizing and Addressing Students' Science Misconceptions

Learn about instructional strategies to address common science misconceptions including the use of pre- and formative assessments. New Concept and Skill Progressions will be introduced which summarize research on sequencing students' science learning over time, while addressing misconceptions.

The Mystery of Sheltering Content

This session will help participants to understand what it means to shelter content. A theoretical perspective will be presented, followed by an activity that will invite participants to be the learners by taking part in a lesson where the content is sheltered for them.

Teaching Vocabulary to Support Content-Area Learning

In this session we will look at what kinds of words need cross-content instruction and what words need content-specific instruction and how to prepare students to learn the most from their math, science, ELA and social studies texts.

Arts Engagement: A Pathway to Multiple Literacies

Experience the arts as an active form of cognitive, affective, and motor frames of reference. These develop artistic literacy, capacity for learning in other domains, language to describe and critique arts processes/products, and aesthetic awareness, sensitivity, and appreciation, all of which are essential 21st-century skills.

Beating the Odds with Low-Income High School Students - Research & Tools

A study of thirteen New York City high schools identified as preparing high percentages of low-performing ninth graders for timely graduation and college enrollment showed that these schools used four common practices to "beat the odds": academic rigor, including a focus on literacy; a network of timely supports, college expectations and access, and the effective use of data. These practices, as well as tools that can help other high schools assess their college-going practices will be described.

The Massachusetts System of Tiered Instruction - Overview

This session will introduce the Massachusetts System of Tiered Instruction: a data driven prevention, early detection, and support system with the aim of providing high-quality core educational experiences for all students and targeted interventions to struggling students who experience learning and/or behavioral challenges. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with districts involved in planning and designing systems aligned to the Massachusetts framework.

Ready or Not Writing and Step Write Up: Online Writing Support Programs for College Readiness

After discussing the cultural and institutional causes of the achievement gap in writing between high school and college, the presenter will explain the design and implementation of a vertical standards alignment project. The presenter also will provide an overview of Ready or Not Writing and Step Write Up, two online essay submission programs designed to increase students' writing readiness for high school and college.

Preparing Students for the 21st Century with New Literacies

This panel presentation will focus on helping students develop the online literacy skills needed in the 21st century. It will address topics such as reading comprehension on the Internet; understanding search results; evaluating information; communicating with digital tools; and staying safe on the Internet. The presentation will also highlight some of the "cool tools" that educators are using to increase student engagement with the curriculum.

College and Career Readiness For All: A Case Study of a Successful District-Wide Strategy

This case study examines the success of Hidalgo ISD in Texas, a rural district serving a predominantly low-income and Hispanic population along the Mexican border. Over the past ten years, the district has embarked on implementing an ambitious college prep strategy whose primary goal is to expose all students to college courses during the course of their high school career. Information will be presented on the district's development of a strong programmatic strategy; how the district supports all students, including ELLs; and the district's development of strong partnerships with local 2-year and 4-year institutions of higher education, including the state technical college.

Integrating Literacy and Content Instruction to Accelerate College Readiness

College readiness depends upon students' agility with complex text. Participants will use a framework to make sense of the broad range of student performance represented in a contemporary classroom. Student work will be used to illustrate the application of this framework which accelerates students' learning on a college readiness trajectory.

Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Implementing the Common Core

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are a comprehensive, internationally-benchmarked set of K-12 standards, which delineate what students should know and be able to do in preparation for college and career. While the CCSS explain what students need to know, they do not dictate how the standards should be taught. In this session, a team from a large urban district will share a proposed plan for supporting teachers and administrators as they begin the task of implementing the CCSS. The presentation will focus on integrating existing district curricula and initiatives with the Common Core.

Mathematics Learning Communities - An ESE Resource for School-Based Professional Learning

The Math Learning Communities (MLC) professional development materials are designed to establish and support ongoing collaborative learning by teacher teams. The curriculum supplies facilitator notes for over a dozen two-hour sessions that revolve around a protocol for looking at student work and lay the foundation for a self-sustaining learning community.

The Massachusetts System of Tiered Instruction - Implementation

This session will showcase schools/districts in Massachusetts that are implementing Tiered Instruction systems aligned to the Massachusetts framework. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in a discussion around the process of moving from planning and designing to implementation.

An Overview of the Massachusetts Common Core Standards Initiative: Focus on Mathematics

This session will provide an overview of the Common Core State Standards initiative, a discussion of similarities and differences between the Common Core and the 2000 / 2004 Massachusetts Mathematics standards, and a preview of the new opportunities the Common Core offers educational leaders.

An Overview of the Massachusetts Common Core Standards Initiative: Focus on English Language Arts and Literacy In History/Social Studies, Science, And Technical Subjects

This session will provide an overview of the Common Core State Standards initiative, a discussion of similarities and differences between the Common Core and the 2001 / 2004 Massachusetts ELA standards, and a preview of the new opportunities the Common Core offers educational leaders.

Common Core State Standards and Arts Education

After a brief introduction of the history and development of the ELA Common Core State Standards, participants will discuss how languages in the arts are frequently a vital part of other subjects/disciplines. Presenters will share draft standards of arts Literacy based on the Common Core State Standards; and facilitate discussions on how such standards can be integrated into other content areas through the Arts.

Library of Congress Resources for Common Core State Standards & History/Social Studies

Examine new Common Core State Standards for literacy in history and science. Learn to tap the vast online resources of the Library of Congress supporting inquiry-based literacy in ELA and History/Social Studies (and access free teacher training). Explore experiments by the Collaborative and its partner schools with performance-based assessments in history.

Massachusetts/WGBH Partnership - Massachusetts Teachers' Domain

A highlight on the partnership between ESE, local school districts and WGBH Teachers' Domain to develop online professional development courses featuring digital media and resources that are aligned with the state's standards. Courses and resources available to all teachers and demonstrations on how teachers can access and use them in the classroom will be presented.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners - 12/07/10

This session will provide participants with an overview of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) a framework for designing curriculum to meet the variability of all students in today's classrooms. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in a discussion with school district personnel who have begun to implement the UDL framework when designing classroom curriculum, instruction and assessments.

The Achievement Gap: Recognizing Giftedness and Talent in All of our Students- 12/08/10

This workshop will highlight strategies for advancing the learning of all students, especially ELLs and students of color. Prominently featured will be how to narrow achievement gaps by challenging students and changing our expectations.

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS): A Tiered System for Improving School Climate.

PBIS is a systems approach that organizes local information and data, evidence-based practices, and implementation supports. It is comprised of a broad range of systemic and individualized strategies for achieving social and learning outcomes while preventing problem behaviors. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in a discussion with school/district leaders who have begun to implement these strategies in Massachusetts.

Creating Formative Assessments for Mathematics Using Released MCAS Items

This session will provide examples of using released MCAS Mathematics test items to create focused formative assessments that are easy for teachers to administer and evaluate. The examples presented will cover the elementary and middle school grade spans of 3/4, 5/6, and 7/8 and will align to both the Massachusetts Frameworks and the Common Core.

Literacy, Workplace Readiness, 21st Century Skills: Their Overlaps and Assessment

Schools are being asked to give greater attention to developing skills students will need to succeed in their adult lives. Different labels have been applied to sets of these skills, sets that have considerable overlap. This session will look at the intersection of these sets and at ways to measure student proficiency with respect to them.

Family Engagement: An Instructional Strategy that Works

Research has shown that the greatest improvement in student performance and school achievement occurs when parents are actively involved in their child's education. This workshop addresses the questions: What motivates parents to become involved? How can schools partner with families and communities to promote learning both at school and during out of school time?