tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-159352530254089372024-03-13T13:55:01.630-05:00That Alignment GuyBradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02929677267165236564noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935253025408937.post-10252889811110318012012-08-14T09:21:00.001-05:002012-08-14T09:21:27.755-05:00A New ChapterGreetings blog readers! I haven't been very active on this blog lately. There is a good reason for that. I have been in the process of pursuing a new professional opportunity. And I took a vacation. Ok, that's two reasons. So, I've been sorta busy :). Let me fill you in.<br />
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Effective August 16th, 2012, I will no longer be an employee of the <a href="http://milcleaders.org/" target="_blank">Midwest Instructional Leadership Council</a> (miLc). miLc is an outstanding organization, full of people for whom I have the highest respect. It has been an absolute honor working at miLc this past year. We have successfully put on our fifth annual RtI Leadership Summit, as well as research-to-practice learning institutes for the early childhood and high school levels. We have provided a wide range of consultative services for schools, districts, and state departments of education. milc will continue to provide these services, as well as new ones, after I leave. I have learned a lot, and received a lot, this past year. I hope that I've made my share of positive contributions as well.<br />
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The reason I am leaving miLc is because of an incredibly exciting new opportunity in my home state of Iowa. As of August 17th, 2012, I will be the Iowa Core Curriculum Consultant for Teachers of Students on IEPs for the Iowa Department of Education. Although there is still plenty of defining to do in terms of what my roles and functions will be, in general my focus will be supporting the AEAs, districts, and schools to increase achievement for students with disabilities within a standards-based system. This position represents an intersection of standards, RtI, and alignment that were the focus of my graduate school minor. I am incredibly passionate about this work, and am blessed to have an opportunity to pursue it in my home state of Iowa.<br />
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So, that's the scoop. I still plan to keep blogging and tweeting. I imagine that in time I'll find some new communication methods in a more official capacity as well. I'm super excited! Thanks for reading, and I'll be back soon.Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02929677267165236564noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935253025408937.post-33787923831228197102012-06-27T10:18:00.003-05:002012-08-26T15:25:34.659-05:00Foundations Series: What is Dimensions? - Cognitive Complexity/DemandWell, it's the end of June. Most students are out and about enjoying the summer break, as are many teachers. As well they should be. You all have earned a break after another long and challenging year, but hopefully a rewarding one. But knowing educators as I do, you're never really completely done or unplugged. So, I am here for you, to help you keep those neurons firing. And what better topic than curriculum alignment! Here we go.<br />
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Last month, I began to unpack the alignment dimension of <a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2012/05/foundations-series-what-is-dimensions.html" target="_blank">topical/conceptual knowledge</a>. I defined topical/conceptual knowledge as "the subjects, information, and ideas that students are supposed to learn," (Niebling, Roach, Rahn-Blakeslee, 2008) otherwise know as stuff kids need to learn. I know, not exactly fancy. But I think it gets the job done. This month, I am going to unpack the second dimension in the alignment framework I use, known as cognitive complexity/demand. I define <b><i>cognitive complexity/demand</i></b> as<br />
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<i>what students are expected to do with the topical/conceptual knowledge. <span style="background-color: white;">(Niebling, Roach, Rahn-Blakeslee, 2008)</span></i><br />
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The idea is this: during the schooling process, we don't just try to plug topics and concepts into students' heads to live there unused. We want our students to do something mentally (i.e., cognitively) with those topics and concepts. Oftentimes, we generically describe the "do something mentally" process as <i>understanding</i>. Now, understanding is a loaded concept; it could mean just about anything. My goal isn't to unpack this concept, but rather to use it as an example as to how we can be as objective as possible in dealing with cognitive complexity.<br />
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In the field of alignment, it is common practice to use a cognitive complexity/demand framework as a lens to examine the intended, enacted, assessed, and/or learned curriculum. One of the end products of such an examination is to determine or explain the type of mental activities called for in the curriculum. Or, to take it a step further, cognitive complexity/demand frameworks can help us examine the degree of alignment along this dimension between two different curricular elements (e.g., enacted to intended).<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">What are some examples of cognitive complexity/demand frameworks?</span></b><br />
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Great question! I thought you'd never ask. I use three different cognitive complexity/demand frameworks in my curriculum alignment work: (a) Bloom's Revised Cognitive Taxonomy, (b) Webb's Depth of Knowledge Framework, and (c) the Surveys of Enacted Curriculum Cognitive Demand framework. I'll explain each of these very briefly. The titles for each bullet point below are also links to more information about that taxonomy/framework.<br />
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<a href="http://rt3region7.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/file/view/8+Perspectives+on+RBT.pdf" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Bloom's Revised Cognitive Taxonomy (RCT)</a><span style="background-color: white;">: Almost every educator has heard of "Bloom's." It comes up in almost every teacher preparation program. It's now called the Revised Taxonomy because, well, they revised it. There is a knowledge taxonomy as well as a cognitive taxonomy. The cognitive taxonomy is content neutral, and includes the following levels: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create. It is organized, for the most part, from less to more sophisticated thinking, though there is overlap between the different levels. Furthermore, it is not assumed that a student must master skills at the lower levels to be able to engage in the higher-leveled thinking skills. Finally, when examining any curricular element, multiple levels may be assigned (e.g,. to a single standard or test item).</span></div>
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<a href="http://seconline.wceruw.org/Reference/CodingProcedures2008.pdf" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Surveys of Enacted Curriculum (SEC) Cognitive Demand Framework</a><span style="background-color: white;">: The SEC cognitive demand </span><span style="background-color: white;">framework is similar to Bloom's RCT, in that is generally organized from less to more complex. Furthermore, multiple levels can be assigned to a curricular element
(e.g,. to a single standard or test item). Unlike Bloom's RCT, the SEC is content-specific, with frameworks for English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. For example, the framework for Mathematics is as follows: Memorize Facts, Definitions, Formulas; Perform Procedures; Demonstrate Understanding of Mathematical Ideas; Conjecture, Analyze, Generalize, Prove; and Solve Non-routine Problems/Make Connections.</span></div>
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<a href="http://wat.wceruw.org/Training%20Manual%202.1%20Draft%20091205.doc" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Webb's Depth of Knowledge (DOK) Framework</a><span style="background-color: white;">: Webb's DOK framework shares one primary similarity with the SEC: it is content specific. There are DOK frameworks for Reading and Writing, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. The generic labels for DOK levels are Recall, Skills/Concepts, Strategic Thinking, and Extended Thinking. Unlike both Bloom's RCT and the SEC, typical application of the DOK framework involves assigning one DOK level for each component of a curricular element
(e.g,. to a single standard or test item). There are exceptions to this practice. For example, in many cases, multiple DOK levels have been assigned to the Common Core State Standards in English/Language Arts and Mathematics.</span><br />
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Ok, that was a lot, and I really only scratched the surface. Cognitive complexity/demand is, well, complex. This post is already getting long, and I haven't even provided examples of using each of these approaches to cognitive complexity. I'm afraid I'll have to save that for another time. <span style="background-color: white;">Hopefully the links can provide you with some additional helpful information.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> Let's dig into some research, shall we?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><b>What does research say about cognitive complexity/demand?</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">To understand what research has to say about cognitive complexity/demand, it's important to know that this concept is also studied in the context of "rigor" and "higher-order thinking skills." This matters, because research in these related areas can provide us information on the role of cognitive complexity/demand when it comes to student learning. Some of what we know about cognitive complexity/demand and alignment is fairly broad, and certainly correlational. For example, international studies such as the TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) have pointed to practices in countries where students outperform U.S. students that could ultimately help improve student learning in the United States. Included in these high-performing countries are a focus on fewer topics/concepts, and working with students to support deeper (i.e., more cognitively complex) thinking.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">A more direct approach to examining the role of cognitive complexity/demand and alignment was taken by Adam Gamoran and his colleagues back in 1997. In this study they examined the enacted to assessed curriculum relationship to see how that impacted growth in student achievement. What they found was that as enacted to assessed curriculum alignment increased, so to did student achievement growth. Interestingly, this relationship was found only when cognitive complexity/demand was included in the alignment examination, while looking at just topical/conceptual knowledge alignment did not. Although correlational and not causal, this study was well designed and executed, and the results were compelling. In this study, alignment accounted for over 40% of student score variance at the classroom level. That means, out of all the things they studied plus the error that happens in every study, over 40% of what explained student scores was alignment. That's a pretty big amount. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Unfortunately, the profound results of this study have not been replicated to the same extent since then when it comes to cognitive complexity/demand, though I'm hopeful that the work being done by Alexander Kurz and Steve Elliott with the My instructional Learning Objectives Guidance System <a href="http://www.myilogs.com/public/index.php" target="_blank">(MyiLOGS</a>) and my work with the Iowa Curriculum Alignment Toolkit (<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/aea11alignment/learningcenter/icattutorial" target="_blank">I-CAT</a>), as well as continued work with the SEC will yield similar results in the future.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">What are the practical implications?</span></b></div>
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In my mind, there are several very practical implications of cognitive complexity/demand. But what is practical for me isn't necessarily practical for most everyone else. With that said, there are a few biggies worth mentioning here:<br />
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<ol>
<li><u>Leaning about cognitive complexity/demand</u>: You should learn about cognitive complexity/demand frameworks, as well as how to use them. It's not magic, and the work can be challenging and at times frustrating. But if you start to get it, my guess is that you will start to think about your instruction and assessment in a different way, and hopefully help you implement not only a more rigorous enacted curriculum, but a tighter-aligned enacted curriculum as well.</li>
<li><u>Designing and delivering instruction</u>: Whether you use a published set of textbooks/materials or develop your own, it's not good enough to look at the standards or state test and say that some part of your instructional materials "matches" them. That's not even good enough for topical/conceptual knowledge. Typically, in my experience, cognitive complexity/demand doesn't even enter this situation, but it needs to. Use a cognitive complexity/demand framework in addition to your standards to help you select or design instructional materials. How you ultimately deliver those materials is your enacted curriculum. What sort of cognitive processes did your students engage in?</li>
<li><u>Designing and delivering assessment</u>: I'll make this one easy. Everything I just said in #1 applies to designing and delivering assessment.</li>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Final thoughts</span></b></div>
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If nothing else, I hope you remember this: it's all about student thinking, and frameworks help us capture the type of thinking found in the different curricular elements. We've got a pretty compelling research foundation for the importance of cognitive complexity/demand, though that research is primarily correlational. I also think that cognitive complexity/demand is really the bridge between what we teach and how we teach it.</div>
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That's it for this month gang. Check back next month when I dig into the next alignment dimension, emphasis. Until then, follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/bniebling" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. Thanks for reading!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">References</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://andyporter.org/sites/ansyporter.org/files/papers/UpgradingMathematics.pdf" target="_blank">Gamoran, A., Porter, A. C., Smithson, J. L., & White, P. A. (1997). Upgrading high school mathematics instruction: Improving learning opportunities for low-achieving, low-income youth. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 19, 325-338.</a><br />
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Niebling, B.C., Roach, A.T., Rahn-Blakeslee, A. (2008). Best practices in curriculum, instruction, and enacted curriculum. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.), Best practices in school psychology 5 (Vol. 4), 1059-1072. Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.</div>
Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02929677267165236564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935253025408937.post-59986888865110507152012-05-31T19:53:00.002-05:002012-05-31T19:55:16.018-05:00Foundations Series: What is Dimensions? - Topical/Conceptual KnowledgeGreetings alignment fans! I hope that all of you had a fantastic Memorial Day Weekend, and are feeling rejuvenated. I know I am. I spent the weekend with my wife and dog in Fargo, ND visiting some dear friends. Believe it or not, I didn't even think about alignment. Ok, I <u>hardly</u> thought about alignment. Sometimes it just jumps right in ol' noggin. So, last month, I more or less took off from blogging. Nevertheless, I'm here to dig into another foundational alignment concept. Before I get too far down that path, let's briefly recall the working definition for the term <i><b>alignment</b></i>:<br />
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<i>"the extent to and how well all curricular categories and the elements within them (e.g., content standards, instructional content, and assessment practices) work together to guide instruction and, ultimately, facilitate and facilitate student learning." (e.g., Webb, 1997)</i><br />
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The point of this definition isn't just that alignment means that curriculum is coordinated/similar. The bigger point is that this coordination is done for the purpose of supporting student learning. If that's not our clear purpose, then our work is misguided. Ok, moving along...<br />
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The month before my brief hiatus was focused on the question <a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2012/03/foundations-series-what-is.html" target="_blank">"What is Directionality?"</a> You can see the overall alignment picture for the framework I use, as well as where Directionality fits, under the green oval on the left.<br />
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This month, I will focus on the question "What is Dimensions?" You can find that in the figure above under the blue oval in the center. That question, I realize, is a bit clunky the way it is phrased. Think of it this way: the term Dimensions is a categorical label. Anyway, Dimensions is such a broad and important concept, I'm actually going to be breaking it down into three sub-categories, each of which I will explore in single blog posts. I will start with the alignment dimension of <b><i>Topical/Conceptual Knowledge</i></b>.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">
What is topical/conceptual knowledge?</span> </b><br />
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Briefly, topical/conceptual knowledge is:<br />
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<i>the subjects, information, and ideas that students are supposed to learn. (Niebling, Roach, Rahn-Blakeslee, 2008)</i><br />
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A less elegant way to state that definition is this: stuff kids need to learn. Through this lens, we aren't concerned about what students are supposed to do with the "stuff" they are learning, what sort of cognitive activity we hope to evoke in their minds. No, this is really just about the facts, topics, ideas, and concepts they are supposed to learn. Here are some examples:<br />
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<li>math facts</li>
<li>the Civil War</li>
<li>photosynthesis</li>
<li>author's voice</li>
</ul>
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That's pretty straightforward, right? As stated, the above examples are just topics or ideas. Let's ratchet this up a notch, shall we? Let's look at some <a href="http://www.corestandards.org/" target="_blank">Common Core</a> standards and see if we can pick out the topical/conceptual knowledge in them. I'll provide on English/Language Arts example and on Mathematics example. Here we go...<br />
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English/Language Arts</i></b></span><br />
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<i>Standard RI.5.3</i>. Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.
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What is/are the topical/conceptual knowledge of this standard? Think for a minute. Then scroll down and see what I think. :)</div>
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Got your answer? Here's what I thought. I believe the topical/conceptual knowledge in this standard can be found in this portion of the standard: <i>"relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text..."</i>. The standard calls on students to learn about relationships or interactions that are detailed or described in different kinds of texts. Do you agree or disagree?<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Mathematics</i></b></span><br />
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Now, let's try a math standard:<br />
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<i>Standard 3.MD.4</i>. Generate measurement data by measuring lengths using rulers marked with halves and fourths of an inch. Show the data by making a line plot, where the horizontal scale is marked off in appropriate units—whole numbers, halves, or quarters.<br />
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Ok, same as before. What is/are the topical/conceptual knowledge of this standard? Think for a minute. Then scroll down and see what I think.<br />
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Got your answer? Here's what I thought. Here are the parts of the standard statement that I thought contained the topical/conceptual knowledge of the standard: <i>"measurement data...halves and fourths of an inch...line plot...horizontal scale...appropriate units—whole numbers, halves, or quarters."</i> In my opinion, this one wasn't quite as neat and clean as the ELA example. But I believe you can see several concepts described in the standard. There are a variety of types of measurement data (e.g., temperature, length, weight, etc.), each of which can be broken down into different units. Data can also be displayed in a variety of ways (e.g., line plot, bar graph, pie chart, etc.), again broken down into different units.<br />
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In each of these examples, we've isolated the topical/conceptual knowledge called for by the standard, but we haven't gotten into what students are supposed to be able to do with that topical/conceptual knowledge. That is critically important, but I will save that issue for next month :).<br />
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What does research say about topical/conceptual knowledge?</b></span><br />
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Sadly, we know little from research about topical/conceptual knowledge. Candidly, most research on opportunity to learn and alignment does not break down Dimensions into different categories. There really isn't any acknowledgement that Dimensions is a "thing." In my opinion, we can look to two general areas of research that can shed a little light on the subject. One area is descriptive, the other predictive.<br />
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Descriptive research</span></b></i><br />
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When it comes to descriptive research, we can look to work done to describe the degree of alignment between two curricular elements (e.g., intended, enacted, assessed, learned curricula). Norman Webb's (e.g., 1997) work on alignment does examine what I would consider to be a form of topical/conceptual knowledge. I would say his version of this concept is what he calls categorical concurrence. Basically, there is a high degree of categorical concurrence across standards and assessments if the same or consistent categories of content appear in both the assessment and the standards.<br />
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Andy Porter and his colleagues (e.g., Porter, 2002) have created a multi-dimensional alignment framework known as the Surveys of Enacted Curriculum (SEC). Part of the SEC framework includes a set of topical descriptors that relates quite closely to the concept of topical/conceptual knowledge. Examples of these topical descriptors includes "Linear equations" and "Main idea(s), key concepts."<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">
Predictive research</span></i></b><br />
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Unfortunately, we know even less about the predictive nature of topical/conceptual knowledge than we do about it's descriptive potential. Put another way, just looking at topical/conceptual alignment hasn't been specifically explored much in research. Perhaps the most telling piece of research comes from Gamoran and his colleagues (1997) who found that just looking at topical/conceptual knowledge alignment didn't predict how well students would perform on assessments. Only when cognitive complexity was added to the analysis could those types of predictions be accurately made. We'll revisit the cognitive complexity issue next month.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>What are the practical implications?</b></span><br />
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In my opinion, the practical implications boil down to a few simple ideas.<br />
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<ol>
<li>It can be helpful to just think about topical/conceptual knowledge alignment first before getting into cognitive complexity. I can't provide you with empirical support for that opinion. It's based on my conversations and work with teachers and administrators who consistently tell me that thinking about cognitive complexity is harder. </li>
<li>Most work done under the title of "alignment" really only looks at topical/conceptual knowledge, and typically at a coarse-grained level (more to come in future blogs on this concept). Which is a decent-enough place to start, but limited. </li>
<li>The work gets more interesting (and challenging) when we start looking at cognitive complexity in addition to topical/conceptual knowledge.</li>
</ol>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Final Thoughts</span></b><br />
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In my experience, most folks can wrap their heads around the idea of topical/conceptual knowledge as being a "thing." For the most part, folks are also relatively comfortable looking at topical/conceptual knowledge alignment. Perhaps you fit into this description. Where there rubber meets the road, however, is with cognitive complexity. So, that is where I shall end this blog, and it is where I will pick the next alignment foundation series blog. Until then, hit me up on <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/bniebling" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and happy aligning!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>References</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://andyporter.org/papers/UpgradingMathematics.pdf" target="_blank">Gamoran, A., Porter, A. C., Smithson, J. L., & White, P. A. (1997). Upgrading high school mathematics instruction: Improving learning opportunities for low-achieving, low-income youth. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 19, 325-338.</a><br />
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Niebling, B.C., Roach, A.T., Rahn-Blakeslee, A. (2008). Best practices in curriculum, instruction, and enacted curriculum. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.), <i>Best practices in school psychology, 4(5)</i>, 1059-1072. Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.<br />
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<a href="http://andyporter.org/papers/PresidentialAddress.pdf" target="_blank">Porter, A C (2002) Measuring the content of instruction: Uses in research and practice Educational Researcher, 31, 3-14.</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://facstaff.wcer.wisc.edu/normw/WEBBMonograph6criteria.pdf" target="_blank">Webb, N.L. (1997). <i>Criteria for alignment of expectations and assessments in mathematics and science education</i> (Research Monograph No. 8). Madison, WI: National Institute for Science Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison.</a><br />
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Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02929677267165236564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935253025408937.post-69967014800953902552012-05-01T14:57:00.001-05:002012-05-01T14:57:32.353-05:00Let's Review and RecoverGreetings lovers of curriculum alignment! I hope all is going well in your worlds as the 2011-12 school year heads towards its inevitable end. I have found myself unable to add the next installment in the Alignment Foundations series this month. I will return to that in the beginning of June. In the meantime, I'd like to share links to all of the previous blog posts in the Foundations series, as well as provide an update on the curriculum alignment work I've been doing lately.<br />
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<h2>
Foundation Series Links</h2>
Below are links to each of the Curriculum Alignment Foundations Series posts. Tell your friends.<br />
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<a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/08/introduction-to-curriculum-alignment.html" target="_blank">Introduction to Curriculum Alignment Foundations Series</a><br />
<a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/07/what-is-curriculum-alignment.html" target="_blank">Foundations Series: What is Curriculum Alignment?</a><br />
<a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/09/foundations-series-what-is-curriculum.html" target="_blank">Foundations Series: What is Curriculum?</a><br />
<a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/10/foundations-series-what-is-intended.html" target="_blank">Foundations Series: What is Intended Curriculum?</a><br />
<a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/10/foundations-series-what-is-enacted.html" target="_blank">Foundations Series: What is Enacted Curriculum?</a><br />
<a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/12/foundations-series-what-is-assessed.html" target="_blank">Foundations Series: What is Assessed Curriculum?</a><br />
<a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/foundations-series-what-is-learned.html" target="_blank">Foundations Series: What is Learned Curriculum?</a><br />
<a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2012/02/foundations-series-what-is-alignment.html" target="_blank">Foundations Series: What is Alignment?</a><br />
<a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2012/03/foundations-series-what-is.html" target="_blank">Foundations Series: What is Directionality?</a><br />
<h2>
My Recent Curriculum Alignment Work</h2>
I have been working on several things lately. First and foremost, I've been working working with an amazing programmer, Lori Thelen, at Heartland Area Education Agency 11 in Johnston, IA to add cognitive complexity tools to the Iowa Curriculum Alignment Toolkit, or ICAT for short (<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/aea11alignment/learningcenter" target="_blank">check out Learning Station #1</a>). For those of you unfamiliar, the ICAT is a web-based alignment tool I started building almost four years ago for educators in Iowa to use, free of charge. The ICAT allows teachers to reflect on the content of their <a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/10/foundations-series-what-is-enacted.html" target="_blank">enacted curriculum</a>, and to then check to see the degree to which that aligns with the <a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/10/foundations-series-what-is-intended.html" target="_blank">intended curriculum</a> of the <a href="http://www.educateiowa.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2485&Itemid=4602" target="_blank">Iowa Core</a>. We will be starting a field study in the coming weeks, and hopefully have it functional by the end of June, which is when my current contract with the Iowa Department of Education ends.<br />
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Relatedly, I designed and facilitated a study determining the cognitive complexity of the Iowa Core in English/Language Arts and Mathematics for grades K-2 and all of the Iowa-specific additions to the Iowa Core for grades K-12. I say additions, because Iowa is a <a href="http://www.corestandards.org/" target="_blank">Common Core State Standards</a> state. We didn't have to do a study for grades 3-12 because <a href="http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm" target="_blank">WestEd</a> did a <a href="http://www.smarterbalanced.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/SBAC_CCSS_Eligible_Content_Final_Report_030411.pdf" target="_blank">cognitive complexity study</a> of the Common Core in English/Language Arts and Mathematics for the <a href="http://www.smarterbalanced.org/" target="_blank">Smarter Balance Assessment Consortium</a> (SBAC). That means we were able to use the cognitive complexity information from the SBAC study for our Iowa Work. I am hopefully we will be able to provide a project report on our study, as well as guidance on appropriate use for the cognitive complexity data beyond the ICAT.<br />
<h2>
Final Thoughts</h2>
I've been quite busy lately, and I'm loving every minute of it. I'll be back next month, better than ever, with a new blog post in the Curriculum Alignment Foundations Series: What Are Dimensions. Until then, be great!<br />
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<br />Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02929677267165236564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935253025408937.post-71438392969993541632012-03-30T17:04:00.001-05:002012-03-30T17:11:43.459-05:00Foundations Series: What is Directionality?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rREKoV9x3z4/T3HayDjrtNI/AAAAAAAAGAk/nm2jLj6148k/s1600/upload_1000002F84A1B3_2012.03.23%25252C03%25253A00%25253A37%25252C747_4F1A9E1D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rREKoV9x3z4/T3HayDjrtNI/AAAAAAAAGAk/nm2jLj6148k/s320/upload_1000002F84A1B3_2012.03.23%25252C03%25253A00%25253A37%25252C747_4F1A9E1D.jpg" title="Crazy Buddy Ready to Roll" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(c) Brad Niebling</td></tr>
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As I sit here, excited to start my next installment in the Foundations Series, I am looking outside at the beautiful weather, and feeling a bit torn. As much as I love a good blog post on curriculum alignment, it sure would be nice to be outside hiking somewhere rugged with my dog, Buddy. See, he's excited to see the world, too!<br />
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I'm guessing many of you are feeling the same way, either returning from or getting ready to go on spring break. Sometimes, we just have to find a way to push on. I'm sort of feeling that way today. But I will push on!<br />
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Last month, I kicked off the next "chapter" in the Foundations Series by exploring the question "What is Alignment?" As a reminder, I defined alignment as<br />
<br />
<i>"the extent to and how well all policy elements work together to guide instruction and, ultimately, facilitate and enhance student learning." (Webb, 1997)</i><br />
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Alignment is not necessarily a "thing" unto itself, but rather a characteristic of the relationship between different aspects of curriculum. The desire to have the different aspects of curriculum coordinated or matched makes practical sense. In my experience, where the breakdown occurs is how we view alignment. Let me ask you a question: have you ever heard a phrase that sounds something like "our curriculum is aligned"? Perhaps you've even used a phrase like that yourself. It's understandable. I hope, after reading my series of blogs defining curriculum as having many different types, that you we see alignment as more than a "yes/no" sort of thing. I can tell you that beyond that, alignment gets to be a broader thing when you break it down into smaller chunks as well.<br />
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This month, I start on a journey to break alignment down into smaller, more meaningful chunks, just like I did with curriculum. By doing so, one step at a time, I hope that together we can gain a deeper appreciation for alignment and learn how to use it more effectively. Visually, a multi-dimensional view of alignment looks something like this:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9sq6PUyuWNQ/TicwIQO_qII/AAAAAAAAAU4/qZiO8QmEObU/s1600/Alignment+Characteristics+Pic+miLcD2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9sq6PUyuWNQ/TicwIQO_qII/AAAAAAAAAU4/qZiO8QmEObU/s400/Alignment+Characteristics+Pic+miLcD2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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As you can see, alignment is not one single "thing." Right now, I will start from the far left of the diagram and explore the question "What is Directionality?" and work my way from left to right in the coming months. Let's get into it!<br />
<h4>
<b>What is directionality?</b></h4>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B1eU-U1kELY/ToNU6GyeRcI/AAAAAAAADlg/vtkIwzCLlww/s1600/BradDontknow2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B1eU-U1kELY/ToNU6GyeRcI/AAAAAAAADlg/vtkIwzCLlww/s200/BradDontknow2.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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That's a very good question, if I do say so myself! Wait, haven't I seen that picture before? Anyway, when I use this term in my work with folks, I mostly get blank stares. That's ok, because it's not a term that gets used very often. In general, directionality is...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wfWk9cZnz54/T3YQgzCTwxI/AAAAAAAAGBM/1KxNWn3Mv54/s1600/Directionality.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="89" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wfWk9cZnz54/T3YQgzCTwxI/AAAAAAAAGBM/1KxNWn3Mv54/s200/Directionality.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<i>"the direction in which alignment is examined." (Niebling, 2008, cheap plug)</i><br />
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Well, ok. That's not really helpful at all by itself, and probably not worth a citation. I think we can all wrap our heads around what the concept of <u>direction</u> means. Come on alignment boy, you gotta bring more game than that! Fine, you want it, you got it. Horizontal alignment is the<br />
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<i>"degree of match, typically across two curricular categories (e.g., instructional content with state or national standards) within a single level (e.g., same grade comparisons)."</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W45DRy7M1no" target="_blank">Boom goes the dynamite!</a> I've got more, too. Vertical alignment is the<br />
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<i>"degree of match within one curricular category (e.g., district benchmark assessments) across multiple levels (e.g., across grade levels)."</i><br />
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I don't even have to say it, do I?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X5rkUI8cxsg/T3XcS0AZl_I/AAAAAAAAGA0/k8Jp5Ue_q3E/s1600/BoomGoesTheDynamite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X5rkUI8cxsg/T3XcS0AZl_I/AAAAAAAAGA0/k8Jp5Ue_q3E/s400/BoomGoesTheDynamite.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image source - <a href="http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/boom-goes-the-dynamite">http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/boom-goes-the-dynamite</a></td></tr>
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Whew! That was a lot of work, blowing up all that alignment dynamite. However, beyond me entertaining myself, we need to put some meet on that directionality bones. Let's start with <b>horizontal alignment</b>. When you hear or see the term "alignment," most likely it's about horizontal alignment. Every example of alignment I have discussed in previous blog posts in this Foundations series was an example of horizontal alignment. Consider this scenario:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YqLxk2GRDlk/T3X-WhBgA-I/AAAAAAAAGA8/gH3GkCOTLLA/s1600/HorizontalAI2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YqLxk2GRDlk/T3X-WhBgA-I/AAAAAAAAGA8/gH3GkCOTLLA/s200/HorizontalAI2.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<i>A 5th grade teacher wants to know what the degree of alignment is between what she taught and the statewide accountability test her students took during the Spring semester.</i><br />
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In this scenario, the teacher is curious about the degree of horizontal alignment between her enacted and the assessed curriculum. It's horizontal because she's curious about the degree of alignment between her 5th grade enacted curriculum and the 5th grade state test. As you can see, she's focused on 5th grade only. If you look back at the definition for horizontal alignment, you'll see this scenario meets all of the criteria defined.<br />
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Now let's consider <b>vertical alignment</b>, which is sometimes referred to as vertical <i>articulation </i>in curriculum circles, or vertical <i>scaling </i>in assessment circles. Each of these concepts are slightly different in some ways, but the terms often get used generically. I'm not going to go too deeply into the nuances of those differences here. What I will say is that vertical alignment still calls for coordination of curricular elements to facilitate and enhance student learning. In this case, that coordination occurs within single curricular elements, not across them. Consider this scenario:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7LdDgU2Ih1M/T3X-oZI8MZI/AAAAAAAAGBE/BM_o67NqN9U/s1600/VerticalAI2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7LdDgU2Ih1M/T3X-oZI8MZI/AAAAAAAAGBE/BM_o67NqN9U/s200/VerticalAI2.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<i>The curriculum director of a school district wants to know how well common formative assessments are coordinated with each other as students transition from elementary to middle school, and from middle to high school.</i><br />
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In this scenario, the curriculum director is curious about the degree of vertical alignment between assessed curriculum across grade levels. So, her focus is on one curricular area (i.e., assessed curriculum) across grade levels. Take a peak back at the definition for vertical alignment, and you should see that this scenario meets all of those criteria.<br />
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Ok, those were sort of easy. Now it's time for a tougher scenario. You decide if this scenario is about (a) horizontal alignment, (b) vertical alignment, (c) both, or (d) neither. Here we go...<br />
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<i>Arianna Miles is the principal of North County Elementary School. There are a lot of students in her building. Each grade level has six sections. It is a school of high poverty, with 70% of students eligible for free and reduced lunch. It is highly diverse with respect to culture and ethnicity. She knows how important it is to make sure all students have equity in their opportunity to learn the intended curriculum. She wants to know the extent to which teachers' enacted curriculum is aligned with each other at each grade level.</i><br />
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What do you think? Here's what I think. Although you could possibly make compelling arguments for their being vertical alignment issues embedded in Ms. Miles focus, in my opinion this scenario is primarily about <u>horizontal alignment</u>. The tricky part is that she is curious about alignment among the enacted curriculum of multiple teachers within a grade levels. If you look closely at the definition for horizontal alignment, it indicates that this aspect of directionality is generally about examining alignment among multiple curricular elements, but not always. It is very possible to examine the degree to which what different teachers teach is the same.<br />
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<b>What research says about directionality and practical implications</b><br />
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Generally speaking, the research out their on alignment isn't typically framed around directionality. That doesn't mean that directionality isn't part of the research though. For example, research studies like <a href="http://balancedcurriculum.com/Instructional_Alignment_Cohen.pdf" target="_blank">Cohen's</a> and <a href="http://andyporter.org/papers/UpgradingMathematics.pdf" target="_blank">Gamoran's</a> incorporate <u>horizontal alignment</u>, with the idea that as horizontal alignment increases, so to does student achievement. Vertical alignment research often comes in a very empirical package, like determining the psychometric soundness of assessment tools, or more narrative and descriptive packages, like the degree to which standards expand and require more complex thinking across grade levels. Indeed, a simple Google search for vertical articulation or alignment yield very little information, other than a few PowerPoint presentations and long documents within which vertical alignment was mentioned but not really highlighted.<br />
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What can we take from all of this? Here are the practical implications of Directionality, in no particular order:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>A high degree of horizontal alignment is generally a good thing.</li>
<li>A lower degree of vertical alignment is generally the goal. After all, we don't want the exact same things taught and assessed at every grade level, right? </li>
<li>Achieving these goals will take district-wide vision and a lot of collaboration.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Final thoughts</b></div>
<div>
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<div>
Addressing the Directionality of alignment, be it horizontal or vertical, is important to understand what the work is about and what we want to accomplish with it. When you read something about alignment, or listen to someone talking about it, make sure to inquire about the direction they are talking about. </div>
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As always, thanks for reading. Check back next month, as I dig into the question "What are Dimension?" See you then and there!</div>
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<b>Resources Used</b><br />
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<a href="http://balancedcurriculum.com/Instructional_Alignment_Cohen.pdf" target="_blank">Cohen, S. A. (1987). Instructional alignment: Searching for a magic bullet. <i>Educational Researcher, 16</i>, 16-20.</a><br />
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<a href="http://andyporter.org/papers/UpgradingMathematics.pdf" target="_blank">Gamoran, A., Porter, A.C., Smithson, J.L., & White, P.A. (1997). Upgrading high school mathematics instruction: Improving learning opportunities for low-achieving, low-income youth. <i>Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 19</i>, 325-338.</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.jwalkonline.org/docs/Grad%20Classes/Spring%2008/modmeas/class%2010/Kolen%20(2004).pdf" target="_blank">Kolen, M.J. (2004). Linking assessments: Concept and history. <i>Applied Psychological Measurement, 28</i>, 219-226.</a><br />
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Niebling, B.C., Roach, A.T., & Rahn-Blakeslee, A. (2008). Best practices in curriculum, instruction, and assessment alignment. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.), <i>Best practices in school psychology, (4)5,</i> 1059-1072. Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.<br />
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<br />Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02929677267165236564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935253025408937.post-60003601794656120822012-02-28T10:54:00.000-06:002012-03-27T10:12:26.915-05:00Foundations Series: What is Alignment?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uZjmOJQu2HQ/T00BdWORLdI/AAAAAAAAFmk/RiL6X6cENTw/s1600/TroyBoisedive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="136" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uZjmOJQu2HQ/T00BdWORLdI/AAAAAAAAFmk/RiL6X6cENTw/s200/TroyBoisedive.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Source - <a href="http://leisuredive.com/">http://leisuredive.com</a></td></tr>
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Greetings blogosphere! Guess what? It's February during a leap year. You know what that means, right? Do you? It means a whole extra day to talk about curriculum alignment! Let's get to it!<br />
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Last month, I wrapped up the first part of the Foundations Series on curriculum alignment by examining the question <a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/foundations-series-what-is-learned.html" target="_blank">"What is Learned Curriculum?"</a> Briefly, I examined what it is students actually learn in the context of the <a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/10/foundations-series-what-is-intended.html" target="_blank">intended</a>, <a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/10/foundations-series-what-is-enacted.html" target="_blank">enacted</a>, and <a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/12/foundations-series-what-is-assessed.html" target="_blank">assessed</a> curricula, after having both posed and examined the questions <a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/07/what-is-curriculum-alignment.html" target="_blank">"What is Curriculum Alignment?"</a> and <a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/09/foundations-series-what-is-curriculum.html" target="_blank">"What is Curriculum?"</a> Visually, I have represented curriculum as a learning-centered triangle"<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sJIK5-BnJv0/Tib_zaGPn3I/AAAAAAAAAUw/B-F7bAto_TU/s1600/CurriculumTrianglemiLcD2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sJIK5-BnJv0/Tib_zaGPn3I/AAAAAAAAAUw/B-F7bAto_TU/s400/CurriculumTrianglemiLcD2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am starting with the next "chapter" in the Foundations Series this month where I examine various aspects of alignment. I am starting with a broad question "What is Alignment?" In the coming months, I'll be dissecting alignment into smaller parts, just like I did with curriculum. Before I get into alignment though, I just want to take a small bird walk and share what I'm up to right now...<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SHAWWkLjaKY/T00EdEf41BI/AAAAAAAAFms/AkjaVy--cX8/s1600/nasp-logo180x407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SHAWWkLjaKY/T00EdEf41BI/AAAAAAAAFms/AkjaVy--cX8/s200/nasp-logo180x407.jpg" width="88" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Source - <a href="http://www.ets.org/praxis/nasp">http://www.ets.org/praxis/nasp</a> </td></tr>
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I'm writing my latest bog post in the Foundations Series from Philadelphia, PA. I'm a long way from Urbandale, IA, both figuratively and literally! I'm at the annual conference of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). I try to make it here every 3 years or so. Even though my degree from graduate school is in educational psychology, and I did my thesis and dissertation on curriculum alignment (cheap plug), I was in the <a href="http://edpsych.education.wisc.edu/academics/school-psychology" target="_blank">school psychology program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison</a>. So, these are my peeps. Or at least my original peeps.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nzxb7MdG-_Y/T00EjoEkSOI/AAAAAAAAFm0/FN9pYQEnPgc/s1600/2012-Convention-Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="121" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nzxb7MdG-_Y/T00EjoEkSOI/AAAAAAAAFm0/FN9pYQEnPgc/s200/2012-Convention-Logo.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://nasponline.org/" target="_blank">Image Source - http://nasponline.org</a></td></tr>
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I've been both honored and blessed to work with educators in many different disciplines over the years, and I feel like I've learned a great deal from many of those educators. In that spirit, this conference is a reminder to me of two big things that I think directly apply to curriculum alignment. First, curriculum alignment isn't just the responsibility of the classroom teacher, or the "curriculum adoption" committee. It takes entire systems to ensure tight alignment; administrators, psychologists, occupational therapists, and the students themselves, just to name a few. Second, I am reminded that there are so many other pieces in the schooling formula that impact student learning; social-emotional well-being, connectedness, reliability and validity of assessment processes and tools, and the evidence-base for instructional materials/practices, again just to name a few. So while I believe curriculum alignment is central to the success of any school system, let's not forget how many things need to be going well for a student to have a positive school experience. With all of that said, let's dig into some curriculum alignment, shall we?<br />
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Although defining curriculum was a complex process, much of what curriculum is can be framed as something tangible. Assessment materials, content standards, instructional materials, lesson plans, test results. That's not to say that there aren't more intangible aspects to curriculum, like conversations and thoughts that certainly make up part of the enacted curriculum. But there are definitely concrete curricular elements that we can put our eyes and hands on. Alignment, on the other hand, isn't really a tangible thing. Instead, it's the nature of the relationship among curricular elements. Here's an official type of definition:<br />
<br />
<i>Curriculum alignment is "the extent to and how well how all policy elements work together to guide instruction and, ultimately, facilitate and enhance student learning." (Webb, 1997).</i><br />
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This is the sort of definition that is usually more useful for researchers than practitioners. But it absolutely applies to practitioners, day in and day out. Think of "policy elements" as the intended, enacted, and assessed curricula. The "working together" part is really getting at how similar are those elements to each other. For example, if a teacher provides instruction on vowel teams (enacted curriculum), an assessment experience (assessed curriculum) that is "aligned" with that would also include vowel teams. That would be the two elements working together. If the assessed curriculum was composed of vowel-consonant teams instead of just vowel teams, that would be an example of the curricular elements not working together.<br />
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While I hope that example provides a simple picture of what alignment is, it by no means does it justice. In reality, alignment is a multi-dimensional thing. Just like the big idea of "curriculum" is composed of smaller components (i.e., intended, enacted, assessed, and learned), so to is alignment. Below is a visual of the multi-dimensional nature of alignment:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9sq6PUyuWNQ/TicwIQO_qII/AAAAAAAAAU4/qZiO8QmEObU/s1600/Alignment+Characteristics+Pic+miLcD2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9sq6PUyuWNQ/TicwIQO_qII/AAAAAAAAAU4/qZiO8QmEObU/s400/Alignment+Characteristics+Pic+miLcD2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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We will be digging into each an every aspect of the diagram above in the coming months. I will make the argument that unless each of these elements is considered, any alignment work will be short of getting the "bang for the buck" that alignment can bring. That's it for now. Check back next month! In the meantime, hit me up on <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/bniebling" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
References</div>
<br />
Webb, N.L. (1997). <i>Criteria for alignment of expectations and assessments in mathematics and science education</i> (Research Monograph No. 8). Madison, WI: National Institute for Science Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison.Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02929677267165236564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935253025408937.post-88162634772449116122012-01-30T12:05:00.002-06:002012-03-30T10:26:37.417-05:00Foundations Series: "What is Learned Curriculum?"<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YnC868xCLAY/TyLBnHJvY3I/AAAAAAAAFgQ/HGIW7TzK4bo/s1600/jimmy-fallon-z105-radio-dj-snl_medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YnC868xCLAY/TyLBnHJvY3I/AAAAAAAAFgQ/HGIW7TzK4bo/s200/jimmy-fallon-z105-radio-dj-snl_medium.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image source - <br />
<a href="http://ryangoslingdisneylandcats.tumblr.com/">http://ryangoslingdisneylandcats.tumblr.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And we're back!!! Welcome to my curriculum alignment blog. I'm particularly excited about this post. What, what was that? Why am I so particularly excited about this post you ask? Well let me tell you why. My last few blog posts in the Foundations Series have dealt with three areas of curriculum, <a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/10/foundations-series-what-is-intended.html" target="_blank">intended</a>, <a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/10/foundations-series-what-is-enacted.html" target="_blank">enacted</a>, and <a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/12/foundations-series-what-is-assessed.html" target="_blank">assessed</a>, that are often part of alignment discussions. While each of these areas, and how tightly they are aligned with each other, is an important part of successful schools, it is the Learned Curriculum that is the actual goal of the schooling process.<br />
<br />
Let's take a step back and set the stage for this discussion. As I have indicated in the previous Foundation Series posts, the framework I use to discuss curriculum alignment is based on the work of <a href="http://andyporter.org/" target="_blank">Andy Porter</a>. Here is a visual depiction of that framework:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sJIK5-BnJv0/Tib_zaGPn3I/AAAAAAAAAUw/B-F7bAto_TU/s1600/CurriculumTrianglemiLcD2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sJIK5-BnJv0/Tib_zaGPn3I/AAAAAAAAAUw/B-F7bAto_TU/s400/CurriculumTrianglemiLcD2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Porter, in his article on curriculum assessment (i.e., collecting and using data on different aspects of curriculum, including alignment), does not actually define the learned curriculum or dig into it. I think, however, we can come up with a pretty decent idea about what the learned curriculum is. In this framework, I define the learned curriculum, sometimes referred to as the achieved curriculum, as:<br />
<br />
<i>the knowledge and skills acquired by students during the schooling process.</i><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k31OoljX4ag/TybXitW3-9I/AAAAAAAAFhU/0o9pIAoyn0E/s1600/LearnedCurriculum.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k31OoljX4ag/TybXitW3-9I/AAAAAAAAFhU/0o9pIAoyn0E/s200/LearnedCurriculum.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(c) Brad Niebling, Midwest Instructional<br />
Leadership Council</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There you have it. I told you we could do it! But notice what is and is not a part of this definition. Absent from this definition are how the learning relates to the intended curriculum, attributing the learning to teachers or anything they said or assigned (part of the enacted curriculum), or that students actually demonstrated the knowledge and skills they acquired and/or a score/grade (the assessed curriculum). So, students might acquire knowledge and skills as a part of the schooling process (i.e., learn), but it may not be tied to any of the other three curricular components in framework. Let's examine each one of these components and how they could or should relate to the learned curriculum.<br />
<br />
<b>The Intended and Learned Curriculum</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
Briefly, the intended curriculum is what students are supposed to learn. In this framework, the learned curriculum can take the form of content standards, curriculum frameworks, curriculum maps, textbooks and related materials, to name a few. In well-functioning systems, the intended curriculum as actually written down, and staff have professional conversations to develop a common understanding of what contents of the intended curriculum mean.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PEseAuMPHz4/TybYLtl62qI/AAAAAAAAFhc/0dVcXefHYNU/s1600/IntendedCurriculum.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="101" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PEseAuMPHz4/TybYLtl62qI/AAAAAAAAFhc/0dVcXefHYNU/s200/IntendedCurriculum.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(c) Brad Niebling, Midwest Instructional<br />
Leadership Council
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As I have detailed previously, we don't always do a great job focusing on a common intended curriculum, much less integrate that into the enacted or assessed curricula. I would say we spend even less time relating student learning back to the intended curriculum. To be fair, it's not like this sort of thing is often addressed in training programs, nor is it really expected in our schools. Here is an important question to consider: how can we determine if there is any relationship between something like the <a href="http://corestandards.org/" target="_blank">Common Core State Standards</a> and student learning if we don't explicitly analyze the alignment between the intended and learned curriculum? I realize we can do some very general correlational work, but in my mind this is short of where we need to be.<br />
<br />
I believe that organizing student learning according to the intended curriculum can greatly enhance our understanding of student strengths and weaknesses. There are likely several methods and tools out there to do this. For example, I believe <a href="http://shawncornally.com/wordpress/?page_id=114" target="_blank">standards-based assessment and reporting</a> has a lot of promise to assist us with linking the intended and learned curricula. Iowa is starting to explore <a href="http://iacomped.com/" target="_blank">competency-based education</a> as a system as well. I think having a structure such as these can greatly enhance teachers' ability to organize student learning around the intended curriculum.<br />
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<b>The Enacted and Learned Curriculum</b><br />
<br />
The enacted curriculum is what students get the chance to learn, as well as how that "what" is delivered. Recall, when it comes to curriculum alignment, we are only talking about the "what" of enacted curriculum. Also note, the enacted curriculum isn't necessarily just what teachers say and do. Students own engagement, reflection, research, and other activities can constitute part of the enacted curriculum if it's related to the schooling process.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WUHICWdSEQo/TybZMUf2GZI/AAAAAAAAFhk/cs3-QVA-PZk/s1600/EnactedCurriculum.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="101" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WUHICWdSEQo/TybZMUf2GZI/AAAAAAAAFhk/cs3-QVA-PZk/s200/EnactedCurriculum.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(c) Brad Niebling, Midwest Instructional<br />
Leadership Council
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Regardless of whether or not the enacted curriculum is tightly aligned with the intended curriculum, we still want to know if students are learning the things they have an opportunity to learn. Otherwise, whats the point of school? Why would teachers even show up? I'm guessing almost all teachers want to know if what they are teaching is being learned. Historically, we haven't typically explored the nature of this alignment, or lack thereof. Instead, some curriculum is enacted, another assessed, and what is learned is rarely checked back against what was taught. In my opinion, that occurs because teachers don't have good, easy-to-get enacted curriculum data to examine.<br />
<br />
However, if we want to be able to link enacted curriculum, at least the part delivered, structured, or otherwise observed by the teacher, to the learned curriculum, we need data on both, and the extent to which they are aligned. This can be particularly useful in those cases that there are intended-learned alignment data available, and you are trying to troubleshoot why students are struggling to learn particular aspects of the intended curriculum.<br />
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<b>The Assessed and Learned Curriculum</b><br />
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The assessed curriculum is a system of processes and tools that are used to determine the extent to which students are acquiring or have acquired knowledge and skills (Niebling, et al., 2008). Ideally, the assessed curriculum is tightly aligned with the intended and enacted curricula. In my experience, I've seen a lot of assumptions around the assessed curriculum, mainly that it is aligned to anything.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fRMjcpfB_jk/TybZqXr8OqI/AAAAAAAAFhs/WQJniA0rX_0/s1600/AssessedCurriculum.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="101" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fRMjcpfB_jk/TybZqXr8OqI/AAAAAAAAFhs/WQJniA0rX_0/s200/AssessedCurriculum.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(c) Brad Niebling, Midwest Instructional<br />
Leadership Council
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Large-scale accountability and research assessments often have reliable and valid alignment data, typically between the intended and assessed curricula. I have seen little-to-no alignment data for most assessments that can be bought on the market. Some do, some don't. Unfortunately, I don't see alignment data from district- or teacher-created assessments. I think this is due to multiple factors. First, doing rigorous alignment work is not the norm in our schools Second, I don't find many teachers who have collectively examined the intended curriculum well enough to construct tightly aligned assessments. I'm not necessarily blaming teachers for this, it's just my observation.<br />
<br />
Without tight alignment of the assessed curriculum to either the intended or enacted curricula, we have no way of determining if a student's learning has anything to do with the schooling process (i.e., the learned curriculum). The assessed curriculum, in many ways, is really the bridge between intended/enacted and the learned curricula.
<br />
<br />
<b>Practical Implications</b><br />
<br />
I believe that there are at least three major, practical implications to the information I just shared. Here they are, in no particular order:<br />
<ol>
<li><u>School is about learning</u>: School is about many things, not just academic achievement. That debate is for another blog post. If we can agree that student achievement/learning is central to the purpose of school, then I assume that we want to know if the things they are learning are related to anything we are supposed to teach or what they get an opportunity to learn. If so, then it makes sense to think about learning in a curricular context.</li>
<li><u>It's really a pyramid, not a triangle</u>: In a well-functioning system, the intended, enacted, and assessed curricula are all tightly aligned. The purpose of this tight alignment is not really and end unto itself, but rather a means to an end, mainly that students learn. </li>
<li><u>Troubleshoot when needed</u>: If student learning is not where it needs to be, especially when viewed as a system, how do we know why that is the case? Having alignment data among the intended, enacted, and assessed curricula can provide information on, for example, a lack of sufficient opportunity to learn that coincides with specific areas in which groups of students are struggling.</li>
</ol>
<div>
<div>
<b>Final Thoughts on Curriculum...For Now</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Over the last 6 months, I have laid out my ideas about how to define/describe the concept of curriculum. Hopefully it's been at least somewhat practical. Here are a few summary points I'd like to make before moving on to the next part of the Foundation Series, again in no particular order:</div>
</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Curriculum IS NOT just textbooks!</li>
<li>Curriculum is not a single "thing." No matter how you frame it, it's important to look at it from several angles because in practice, it's complicated.</li>
<li>Curriculum is what students are supposed to learn, what they get the opportunity to learn, what gets assessed, and what is actually learned.</li>
<li>Ultimately, it's all about the learned curriculum. The other three areas need to be coordinated to facilitate and enhance student learning.</li>
</ol>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ekVo755ZUNw/Tybbb9hSOhI/AAAAAAAAFh0/14og41NARhA/s1600/IloveLampcropped.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ekVo755ZUNw/Tybbb9hSOhI/AAAAAAAAFh0/14og41NARhA/s200/IloveLampcropped.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image source - <br />
<a href="http://www.shirttrader.com/shirt/i-love-lamp.html">http://www.shirttrader.com/shirt/i-love-lamp.html</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Next, I'll be turning my attention to the next part of the curriculum alignment world, namely alignment. I love alignment! Make sure to tune in next month, when I start with the question "What is Alignment?" In the following months, I will be taking on the alignment topics of Directionality, Dimensions, and Level of Analysis before I pull it all back together. </div>
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<div>
Not sure what those things are or why you should care about them? Then check back in next month! And keep checking back to this blog, and <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/bniebling" target="_blank">follow me on Twitter</a>. Soon I will be posting a blog on the curriculum alignment implications of Iowa Governor Branstad's education legislative recommendations, and I might even chime in on the hot topic of 3rd grade retention. Sparks are flying! Thanks for taking the time to read my blog, and definitely post your thoughts or reflections in the comment section below. Tell your friends!</div>
</div>
</div>Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02929677267165236564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935253025408937.post-72812741577069331772011-12-16T08:18:00.004-06:002011-12-24T18:01:30.803-06:00Foundations Series: What is Assessed Curriculum?I love Winter. Almost as much as I love Fall, which is my favorite session. And, almost as much as I enjoy talking about curriculum alignment. And assessment. Which is why you are in luck stopping by my blog today, because I am going to be talking about both curriculum alignment and assessment today. I am continuing my Foundations Series right here, right now! Specifically, I am going to dig into the question "What is Assessed Curriculum?"<br />
<br />
But before I tackle Assessed Curriculum, I hope you don't mind if I spend just a little more time on why I love Winter so much. I promise, it will greatly enhance your understanding and appreciation for curriculum alignment and assessment. Or, at least, it will be loosely related.<br />
<br />
So...Winter, why do I love you so? It's not that I really enjoy the bitingly-cold winds of a mostly-flat Iowa. But here are some things that I <u>do</u> enjoy about Winter: falling snow, playing in big snow piles with my dog Buddy, being warm and cozy inside watching TV with my wife Suzy and once again my dog Buddy, drinking a nice hot cup of coffee, and seeing my breath when I walk outside. For some strange reason, I just feel 7% cooler when I can see my breath outside. And believe me, I can use all of the cool points as I can get. Though I'm pretty sure that my wife would say believing this actually makes me not 7% more cool but 27% <u>less cool</u>.<br />
<br />
You want to know what else I really love about Winter? I love wearing hats and gloves. I really only wear the same four pairs of shoes. But I do have a fairly extensive glove collection. My favorite is a pair of wool convertible glove-mittens. Ah yes, here they are:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DmZkm2crQPc/TvZRj39_e7I/AAAAAAAAFc4/UnEwvqB9Klc/s1600/convertiblegloves.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="335" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DmZkm2crQPc/TvZRj39_e7I/AAAAAAAAFc4/UnEwvqB9Klc/s400/convertiblegloves.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now these are cool gloves. Or should I say, really <u>warm</u> gloves. And so versatile, too. On cold, but not too-cold days, I can let my fingers breath in the crisp cold winter air. If it is just bitterly freezing, or if I'm going to be outside for a long time, I just flip the tops of the gloves over my frigid fingers and rock them mitten-style. Anyway, I feel like these gloves can do it all! Maybe you have a favorite pair of gloves that you love. Or maybe it's something else like blanket, a screwdriver, a dress, or a remote control. Whatever it is, we all have our favorites things. Now hold that thought, I'll come back to it in a little bit.<br />
<br />
Let's look back a month, shall we? Last month, I spent some time digging into the question <a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/10/foundations-series-what-is-enacted.html" target="_blank">"What is Enacted Curriculum?"</a> I get excited about the Enacted Curriculum for a number of reasons. First, its role in impacting student learning is huge, according to a review of research literature. But it also really interests and excites me because it's an area of education that is really, really hard to capture accurately. Think about it for a second, as a classroom teacher: do you have time to record everything that you actually taught each student? Most teachers I know do not, which is why survey methods are both interesting and promising.<br />
<br />
Those are the sorts of things I talked about last month. This month, I am digging into the area of Assessed Curriculum. Recall that I use a multi-dimensional framework based on the work of <a href="http://andyporter.org/" target="_blank">Andy Porter</a> that includes the intended, enacted, assessed, and learned curricula:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sJIK5-BnJv0/Tib_zaGPn3I/AAAAAAAAAUw/B-F7bAto_TU/s1600/CurriculumTrianglemiLcD2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sJIK5-BnJv0/Tib_zaGPn3I/AAAAAAAAAUw/B-F7bAto_TU/s400/CurriculumTrianglemiLcD2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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In this framework, the assessed curriculum is:<br />
<br />
<i>the knowledge and skills (i.e., the content) that are measured to determine student achievement.</i><br />
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In other words, the assessed curriculum is the "what" gets measured when we are trying to figure out where student learning is at. I know not many folks like using formulas to understand the world, but I do, so hang in there with me. I think of it like this:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>content = stuff + what students do with the stuff</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Simple enough, right? We are trying to dig into <u>what</u> students are learning when we assess. I'm guessing that most of you can get behind that idea. What is sometimes harder for folks to wrap their head around is that assessment is a type of curriculum. And I'm not <u>just</u> talking about things like the tests that come at the end of chapters in textbooks. I'll get into that a little later. </div>
<br />
The definition I used for the term curriculum in my blog "What is Curriculum?" is based on Andy Porter's work and goes like this:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Curriculum is what students are supposed to learn, what they get the opportunity to learn, what gets assessed, and what is actually learned.</i></div>
<br />
So, as strange as it may seem, from this perspective assessment is part of curriculum Another perspective to take is a curriculum alignment perspective. We want the assessment practices we use to align with what we teach, right? Curriculum alignment is about the "what" or the "stuff" of curriculum. Assessments have stuff. What teachers teach has stuff. If this logic is getting distracting, don't get bogged down in it. Just take the ideas themselves from this blog and don't worry about it.<br />
<br />
<b>Types of assessment</b><br />
<br />
Remember when I said to not let perspectives get in the way of the big ideas in this blog? Like, one sentence ago? Yeah, this is on of those times. Folks spend a lot of ink and hot air...er...normally-temperatured breath, arguing about what to call different types of assessment processes and tools. I don't really want to go down the debate path on the vocabulary here, though I'm happy to have that discussion with anyone who is so inclined. For now, I'd just like to briefly present an assessment framework that I find handy for understanding the different types of assessment decisions that can/should be made.<br />
<br />
I provided a general definition of assessed curriculum above. I'd like to get a little more specific now. Check this description out:<br />
<br />
<i>Assessment is a system of processes and tools that are used to determine the extent to which students are acquiring or have acquired the knowledge and skills listed in the curriculum and delivered via instruction (Niebling, et al., 2008) In general, there are four types of assessment decisions:</i><br />
<ul>
<li><i>Summative</i>: Summative assessment tends to be comprehensive in nature, provides accountability, and is used to check the level of learning at the end of a unit of study. (RtI Action Network)</li>
<li><i>Formative</i>: Formative assessment is a collection of evidence about student learning that is used to inform instructional decisions in an ongoing manner. <i>Progress Monitoring</i>, a type of formative assessment used in RtI systems, is a scientifically-based practice used to assess students’ academic performance and evaluate the effectiveness of instruction. It is the process used to monitor implementation of specific interventions. (RtI Action Network)</li>
<li><i>Screening</i>: Screening assessment is a quick check of all students’ current levels of performance in a content or skill area. (RtI Action Network) The purpose is to help identify potential academic and/or behavioral concerns in need of additional assessment. (Midwest Instructional Leadership Council)</li>
<li><i>Diagnostic</i>: Diagnostic assessment is used to confirm screening results and to inform intervention by determining a student’s particular academic needs. (RtI Action Network)</li>
</ul>
<b>Hey, didn't you tell us to hold onto our thought about our favorite things?</b><br />
<br />
Yes, yes I did. Thanks for reminding me. I want you to think about some of your favorite things again. And, if you have enough brain space left (it is the holiday season after all), think about what you know about assessment as well. I just laid out different purposes of collecting assessment information. Now let's see, what can my gloves teach us about making assessment decisions? After all, these are really a sweet pair of gloves. They can do all sorts of things. For example, they can train my dog, Buddy.<br />
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There's my guy. Pretty handsome, huh? I'm not quite sure why he's so spazzed about having fake antlers on his head. But clearly, he needs some training! Well guess what, my gloves can train Buddy!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dczKle9MIv0/TvEWbPO6bwI/AAAAAAAAFFU/ZOqL_SMzCUc/s1600/buddyglovessitcomic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dczKle9MIv0/TvEWbPO6bwI/AAAAAAAAFFU/ZOqL_SMzCUc/s400/buddyglovessitcomic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Remarkable! As you can see, my gloves can give Buddy a command and sure enough, Buddy follows the command. Well, I'm feeling quite empowered now. I wonder what else my gloves can do?<br />
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I don't know about you, but I find driving during the holidays to be really stressful. And I've got so much else to do. Maybe my gloves can drive a car! If they can drive a car, then maybe they could go run errands for me. Let's see...<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o2f6_CG7MKk/TvZas_zxppI/AAAAAAAAFdw/ZZ1RhAAnJXQ/s1600/glovesdrivecar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o2f6_CG7MKk/TvZas_zxppI/AAAAAAAAFdw/ZZ1RhAAnJXQ/s400/glovesdrivecar1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ok, the gloves appear a little distracted, but they are still on the road. So far, so good...<br />
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Whoa! My gloves almost hit a strangely-calm dog and a very handsome man who were trying to cross the street.<br />
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Well, that didn't end very well, but it could have ended much worse. Maybe I expected too much too soon from my gloves. I mean, not only did they almost run over that dog and handsome man, they seem to be developing an attitude problem. Maybe I should scale it back a little bit.<br />
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I know! I don't really enjoy cooking dinner at night. I'd rather be reading about curriculum alignment and assessment. Perhaps my gloves could quick cook some dinner for me from time to time...<br />
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Now this seems to be working much better for my gloves. This glove has found the penne pasta and Alfredo sauce I set out. And it looks like my glove even got out some paper and something to write with, perhaps to write down a tasty recipe from a cookbook. I bet my other glove has started boiling some water to put the penne pasta into...<br />
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Yep, sure enough, there is my other glove, boiling a pot of water. I'm getting hungry just seeing these pictures. And I'm stoked, because it seems like I've found another amazing thing that my gloves can do! I'll check back in a few minutes to see how my penne pasta is doing........ok I'm back. Let's see how it's going...<br />
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Well, that didn't end too well, either. Maybe I've expected too much from my gloves. Maybe, after all of that, they didn't really train my dog Buddy at all. Maybe there was someone out of frame helping the gloves, making the gloves seem like they could do something they weren't really made to do.<br />
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If you are still reading this blog, congratulations, and thank you for putting up with my strange sense of humor. Let me get to my point. Like my gloves, like many of your favorite things, we may love them. We may think they can do a lot. But in the end, my gloves and you favorite things became our favorites because they were really good at one or two things, not everything.<br />
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Assessment practices and tools are the same way. When we try to make 1 minute oral reading fluency probes into diagnostic tools, they can let us down if that's all we use to try and get diagnostic data. When we try to turn measures that take 30-45 minutes per student into screening tools, we are likely to waste a lot of time and resources when we could have used a reliable and valid curriculum based measure (CBM), for example.<br />
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Furthermore, it's my opinion that when we demonize different assessment processes and tools, we are failing to take responsibility for our own actions or the actions of other educators who are misusing the processes/tools. Are you mad because state accountability assessments get misused and abused? Fine. But don't be mad at the measures. Be mad at the people misusing them. And help them learn more appropriate ways to use them. Because you know what, large-scale standardized assessments can provide helpful screening and/or summative data. They aren't useless, at least not in the hands of those who are properly trained to use them appropriately.<br />
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That's a bit of a soapbox, but I find it necessary to share my thoughts on this topic. Let's not just yell and scream about professional malpractice around assessment (yeah, I said it). Let's work together to promote and improve appropriate assessment practices.<br />
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<b>What the research says about alignment and assessed curriculum</b><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rHZ1OkcQHEQ/TvIjwSoOMPI/AAAAAAAAFF0/bpKuct9tnRY/s1600/ResearchWikiTagxedo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rHZ1OkcQHEQ/TvIjwSoOMPI/AAAAAAAAFF0/bpKuct9tnRY/s200/ResearchWikiTagxedo.png" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">created using text from<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research</a></td></tr>
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I'll tell you what research says about alignment and the assessed curriculum. After 20+ years, and millions of dollars invested, I can tell you with a very high degree of confidence the following:<br />
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<i>Students do better on assessments when they've been taught the stuff that's in the assessments.</i><br />
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Genius, right! I know, I know. That is really common sense. But, having research data to back that up is handy. Here's what's really important though. This phenomenon holds for students who come from low socio-economic backgrounds, have low prior achievement, have disabilities, or belong to minority ethnic group. In other words, giving all students equity in opportunity to learn what they are to be assessed on can really help level to playing field. Check out the articles by <a href="http://balancedcurriculum.com/Instructional_Alignment_Cohen.pdf" target="_blank">Cohen (1987)</a> and <a href="http://andyporter.org/papers/UpgradingMathematics.pdf" target="_blank">Gamoran and his colleagues (1997)</a> to see some of this research.<br />
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Now, there are a few nuances to these findings. First, this doesn't mean all students can accomplish this learning by being taught the exact same way. Some kids will need more time so the content can be taught more slowly, or they may need to content taught differently. But we still need to give them an opportunity to learn. The second main nuance here is that it seems that when examining this opportunity to learn (i.e., alignment between the enacted and assessed curriculum), we have to look at both the topical/conceptual knowledge as well as the cognitive complexity of the content. These are topics for future blog posts, but I wanted to highlight them here.<br />
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<b>Practical implications of research findings</b><br />
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<a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/10/foundations-series-what-is-enacted.html" target="_blank">Last month</a>, I really hit on the importance of opportunity to learn for all students, which I reiterated with the summary of some research above. Instead of continuing to repeat myself, I'd like to take a slightly different angle here. Let me start with some questions (in no particular order, just numbered to keep track of the conversation):<br />
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<ol>
<li>Have you ever heard a phrase that goes something like "this test is aligned to the standards"?</li>
<li>Do you know how well aligned the the tests you acquire, are given, or create are with what you teach and/or state standards? (sorry, that's a long question)</li>
<li>Do you know how well aligned the state tests are with state standards?</li>
</ol>
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I'd be neglecting my professional duties if I let a question like #1 above go unchallenged. Really, "aligned"? Alignment is not a black and white issue. It's a matter of degree. There isn't, nor should there be, any test that covers all state standards (i.e., intended curriculum) or everything a teacher teaches (i.e,. enacted curriculum). Now, all of the items on a single test may all hit at least on or more state standards, or they may each be something that the teacher taught. But do you see how this question depends on which direction you looking at alignment? And we haven't even gotten into the multi-dimensional nature of alignment itself. Soon. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0hzd5OpkklE/TvINf7mqIjI/AAAAAAAAFFs/khTIDrKGSc0/s1600/Twitterbirdwink.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="182" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0hzd5OpkklE/TvINf7mqIjI/AAAAAAAAFFs/khTIDrKGSc0/s200/Twitterbirdwink.gif" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">picture source - <a href="http://winnersdelhinews.com/2011/09/twitter-is-now-home-to-a-whopping-100-million-active-users/twitter-2/" target="_blank">Winners Dehli News</a></td></tr>
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Regardless of shiny packaging or how large the promises, there has to be some evidence of where things are aligned and misaligned. And, for that matter, how the creator of said shiny packaging made those alignment determinations should be clear as well. Hey, those are two very Tweetable statements. Give me some <a href="http://www.twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a> love!</div>
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As an educator then, how would you respond to questions #2 and #3 above? Can you? Should you be able to? If the test isn't really measuring what is being taught, or at least what is planned to be taught (e.g., screening, pre-testing), is that really fair to the students or teachers? I'll let you decide.</div>
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If you hear absolute statements about curriculum alignment, please raise the red warning flag, or your baloney meter, because you're probably about to hear/read something that isn't entirely true. Even if you hear a more conservative statement, like "strong alignment," does the maker of that statement explain how they came up with that conclusion? If not, they should. You deserve better than that, and so do our students. </div>
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<b>Yet another revisit of textbooks and related materials</b><br />
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Let's dig into the matter of textbooks and related materials, shall we? It wouldn't be a very good blog post about curriculum and alignment matters if we didn't methinks. To date, I've made the claim that textbooks and related materials can be considered to be both intended and/or enacted curriculum, depending on how and when they are used. Furthermore, I've argued that textbooks and related materials shouldn't hold the honorable distinction of being exclusively considered "the curriculum." But can textbooks and related materials actually be considered assessed curriculum? You know I like scenarios, so here's one for your consideration:<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZw10TWZ5CU/Ts0gguLhXdI/AAAAAAAAEwA/sNkMi4kCPj0/s1600/ani_thinkingcap.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZw10TWZ5CU/Ts0gguLhXdI/AAAAAAAAEwA/sNkMi4kCPj0/s200/ani_thinkingcap.gif" width="136" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">picture source -<br />
<a href="http://school.discoveryeducation.com/">http://school.discoveryeducation.com/</a></td></tr>
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<i>At the end of the school year, a district's Director of School Improvement wants to know the extent to which the Common Core State Standards were assessed across the district. She started by asking teachers where they got their tests from that they used in the classroom (i.e., tests other than those directed by the state or the district). In this district, teachers overwhelmingly responded that they used the tests at the end of the chapters and units in their textbooks. Therefore, the Director decided to start her examination with the chapter/unit tests. What sort of alignment comparison would they be making?</i><br />
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I would say they are making an assessed-to-intended curriculum alignment comparison. Here is my thinking...<br />
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First, the desired examination is looking at things that were already implemented, similar to last month's scenario. And like last month, textbooks and related materials seem to be at the center of the desired examination. The difference in this scenario, however, is that a specific aspect of the textbooks and related materials is being examined: the chapter/unit tests. These are assessments. Second, and like the scenario last month, the desired alignment examination is with the Core Content Standards and Benchmarks (i.e., the intended curriculum). That's why I think that in this case, textbooks and related materials can be used in an assessed-to-intended curriculum alignment comparison. What do you think? Leave a comment here or <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/bniebling" target="_blank">tweet me</a>.<br />
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Check back here next month when I discuss the next topic in the Foundations Series: "What is Learning Curriculum?" and how is it different that the assessed curriculum. Thanks again for taking the time to read my thoughts. I hope all of you have/had a great holiday season. See you here next month!<br />
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<b><i>Resources Used</i></b><br />
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<a href="http://balancedcurriculum.com/Instructional_Alignment_Cohen.pdf" target="_blank">Cohen, S.A.(1987). Instructional alignment: Searching for a magic bullet. <i>Educational Researcher, 16</i>, 16-20.</a><br />
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<a href="http://andyporter.org/papers/UpgradingMathematics.pdf" target="_blank">Gamoran, A., Porter, A.C., Smithson, J.L., & White, P.A. (1997). Upgrading high school mathematics instruction: Improving learning opportunities for low-achieving, low-income youth.<i> Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 19,</i> 325-338.</a><br />
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Niebling, B. C., Roach, A. T., & Rahn-Blakeslee, A. (2008). Best practices in curriculum, instruction, and assessment alignment. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.), <i>Best practices in school psychology, (4)5, 1059-1072</i>. Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.<br />
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<a href="http://andyporter.org/papers/CurriculumAssessment.pdf" target="_blank">Porter, A.C. (2006). Curriculum assessment. In J.L. Green, G. Camilli, & P.B. Elmore (Eds.), <i>Complementary methods for research in education (3rd edition)</i>. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.</a><br />
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RtI Action Network. Glossary of Terms. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.rtinetwork.org/glossary">http://www.rtinetwork.org/glossary</a>.Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02929677267165236564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935253025408937.post-41007016021662072822011-11-23T10:43:00.000-06:002011-11-23T10:43:49.395-06:00Foundations Series: What is Enacted Curriculum?Welcome to another fascinating installment of Alignment Foundations! Last month, I dug into the question <a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/10/foundations-series-what-is-intended.html" target="_blank">"What is Intended Curriculum?"</a> Last month, I defined <i>intended curriculum</i> as what students are supposed to learn. I also took issue with textbooks and related materials exclusively (or at least almost exclusively) defining the intended curriculum. However, I do acknowledge that textbooks and related materials do constitute at least part of the intended curriculum, before they are implemented, or enacted.<br />
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Hey, look at that! What a great segue into this month's topic in the Foundations series, "What is Enacted Curriculum?". The enacted curriculum is another part of the multi-dimensional framework developed by <a href="http://andyporter.org/" target="_blank">Andy Porter</a> that also includes the intended, assessed, and learned curricula:<br />
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In this framework, the <i>enacted curriculum</i> is:<br />
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<i>the content actually delivered during instruction (i.e., instructional content), as well as how it is taught (i.e., instructional practices). Typically, the content targets are based on the intended curriculum.</i><br />
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In other words, the enacted curriculum is what students get the chance to learn, as well as how teachers "deliver" the content. Now, I realize that most folks would rather spend more time talking about instructional practices, or the "how" of the enacted curriculum. It's understandable. The "how" of instruction is what teachers spend a good portion of their day thinking about and doing. However, curriculum alignment is fundamentally about the "what" of instruction, and this blog is about curriculum alignment.<br />
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OK, that's really not a good enough reason to focus on the "what" of enacted curriculum to any degree, much less an entire blog. I get excited about this work because of the potential positive impact for students, plain and simple. Let me share some research on alignment and the enacted curriculum.<br />
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<b>What the research says about alignment and enacted curriculum</b><br />
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Don't worry, I'm not going to turn this into a thesis on curriculum alignment. As a matter of fact, I'm just going to talk, very briefly, about two studies. If you want a more extensive treatment of alignment research on student learning, check out <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/aea11alignment/learningcenter/research-findings" target="_blank">this link</a>. Otherwise, just stay here and keep reading :).<br />
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The first resource I'd like to share is actually a summary of several studies that was done by S. Alan Cohen in 1987. Now, I know what many of you are already thinking: 1987, seriously?!?! Is that the most recent research you can come up with? Old research is no good!<br />
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First, no, it's not the most recent research I can come up with, as I will share in a little bit. And second, the age of the research is really irrelevant if it hasn't been refuted through more recent research with equal or great methodology. In this case, I haven't found anything that meets those criteria. So, in my mind, this research is still applicable. Let's see what Cohen has to say, shall we?<br />
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<i><a href="http://balancedcurriculum.com/Instructional_Alignment_Cohen.pdf" target="_blank">Cohen Studies</a></i>. Briefly, what Cohen found across all of the studies he summarized in this article is that the alignment between what was taught (the enacted curriculum) and what was assessed (the assessed curriculum) had a significant and large impact on student learning (the learned curriculum). The findings were significant in that groups of students in higher-alignment situations performed better than students in lower-alignment situations. The findings were large based on the effect sizes calculated in the studies. Cohen found effect sizes to generally be between 1.0 and 3.0. If you want some information on how to interpret these numbers, check out <a href="http://effectsizefaq.com/2010/05/30/what-are-some-conventions-for-interpreting-different-effect-sizes/" target="_blank">this link</a>. Here is my interpretation...<b>THAT'S FREAKING HUGE!</b><br />
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<i><a href="http://andyporter.org/papers/UpgradingMathematics.pdf" target="_blank">Gamoran Study</a></i>. Adam Gamoran and his colleagues, in 1997, found in their study what many of us would consider common sense: as opportunity to learn what was assessed increased, so to did student outcomes. In other words, students did better on assessments when they had a chance to learn what was on those assessments. This is not earth-shattering news to most educators. What was particularly interesting in this study is that the alignment between the enacted and assessed curricula <b>COMPLETELY WIPED OUT</b> the impact of students' prior achievement levels, socio-economic status, and ethnicity, all factors that are typically considered to have negative impacts on student learning.<br />
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<b>Practical implications of research findings</b><br />
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I believe that major point to walk away with from findings like these is that opportunity to learn/alignment has the potential to have both a significant and meaningful impact on student learning. So much so that at times, alignment can largely negate the impact on factors like poverty on student outcomes. Now, what I'm not saying is that poverty is not important. That would be foolish. What I am saying is that when we provide all students with an opportunity to learn, it can help level the playing field and students will generally learn.<br />
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If these findings and ideas are indeed the case, implications extend beyond credit requirements and textbook adoption cycles. This is about what students actually get a chance to learn. What happens day in and day out in classrooms and other learning environments crafted and facilitated by teachers. In my mind, to ensure all students have the opportunity to learn what they are supposed to learn (the intended curriculum) and what they are assessed on (the assessed curriculum), several questions are worth posing and pursuing. For example:<br />
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<ul>
<li>What processes and policies are in place to facilitate <u>all</u> students being able access these learning opportunities?</li>
<li>Are teachers comfortable teaching perhaps a broader range of students?</li>
<li>Are teachers comfortable enough in their content knowledge and ability to learn new knowledge to meet these demands?</li>
<li>What supports does the system have in place to ensure teachers can accomplish these goals?</li>
</ul>
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These are not small questions. Fundamentally, it calls for the system to work as a just that, a system. Teachers need to not only have access to information and materials, but each other for conversations and collaboration. As a matter of fact, to accomplish these goals, I believe teachers should have access to what other teachers are teaching. As in, observation and self-report data. And by self-report data, I'm not talking about consensus curriculum maps or "model" lesson plans. I mean reflective data, i.e., what got enacted. Furthermore, I believe these sorts of data should not be used for accountability purposes. My reasoning is simple: attach high stakes to self-report and observation data, we can surely expect those data to decrease in reliability and validity. And without that, we have nothing of use.</div>
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<b>Let's revisit textbooks and related materials, shall we?</b><br />
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Last month, I explored the issue of where textbooks and related materials fit into this curriculum framework, since I'm pushing so hard against the idea of just calling them our curriculum and calling it good. I like using scenarios, so here is another one:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZw10TWZ5CU/Ts0gguLhXdI/AAAAAAAAEwA/sNkMi4kCPj0/s1600/ani_thinkingcap.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZw10TWZ5CU/Ts0gguLhXdI/AAAAAAAAEwA/sNkMi4kCPj0/s200/ani_thinkingcap.gif" width="136" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">picture source - <br /><a href="http://school.discoveryeducation.com/">school.discoveryeducation.com</a></span></i></td></tr>
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At the end of a school year, a district's curriculum director wants to know the extent to which the curriculum materials acquired over the summer were implemented across the district, and then how that implementation aligned with the Common Core State Standards. What sort of alignment comparison would they be making?<br />
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I would say they are making an <u>enacted-to-intended</u> curriculum alignment comparison. Here is my thinking...<br />
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First, the examination is looking towards what was implemented. In this case, I believe we can use the terms implemented and enacted to mean the same thing. Second, the examination is looking at implementation (i.e., what was enacted) relative to something else, (Common Core State Standards). I have previously used the Common Core as an example of intended curriculum. In this example, it's all about the timing. Since the examination of the curriculum materials is occurring after they are implemented (or not, as the case may be), the materials change from intended to enacted. Make sense? What do you think? I'd love to hear your perspectives.<br />
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Check back here next month when I discuss the next topic in the Foundations Series: What is Assessed Curriculum. Thanks again for taking the time to read my thoughts. See you here next month!<br />
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<b><i>Resources Used</i></b><br />
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<a href="http://balancedcurriculum.com/Instructional_Alignment_Cohen.pdf" target="_blank">Cohen, S. A. (1987). Instructional alignment: Searching for a magic bullet. <i>Educational Researcher, 16</i>, 16-20.</a><br />
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Ellis, P. D. (2010). What are some conventions for interpreting different effect sizes? Retrieved from <a href="http://effectsizefaq.com/2010/05/30/what-are-some-conventions-for-interpreting-different-effect-sizes/">http://effectsizefaq.com/2010/05/30/what-are-some-conventions-for-interpreting-different-effect-sizes/</a><br />
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<a href="http://andyporter.org/papers/UpgradingMathematics.pdf" target="_blank">Gamoran, A., Porter, A. C., Smithson, J. L., & White, P. A. (1997). Upgrading high school mathematics instruction: Improving learning opportunities for low-achieving, low-income youth. <i>Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 19</i>, 325-338.</a><br />
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<a href="http://andyporter.org/papers/CurriculumAssessment.pdf" target="_blank">Porter, A.C. (2006). Curriculum assessment. In J. L. Green, G. Camilli, & P. B. Elmore (Eds.), <i>Complementary methods for research in education (3rd edition)</i>. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.</a>Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02929677267165236564noreply@blogger.com3Urbandale, IA, USA41.6266555 -93.712165641.5317035 -93.8700941 41.7216075 -93.554237100000009tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935253025408937.post-62270870023457512092011-10-26T14:04:00.003-05:002011-10-26T14:04:58.599-05:00Foundations Series: What is Intended Curriculum?Last month, I continued my Foundations Series on Curriculum Alignment by exploring the question <a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/09/foundations-series-what-is-curriculum.html">"What is Curriculum?"</a> Recall that I took issue with the idea that things like textbooks and related materials hold the exclusive right to be called "the curriculum," no matter how practical it may be to do so. I of course left this as the big cliffhanger to get you to check back in this month. ;)<br />
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Let's take a step back first, and set the stage for this discussion. This month, I am going to dig a little deeper into one aspect of curriculum, the <i>intended curriculum</i>. The intended curriculum is part of a multi-dimensional framework for working with curriculum developed by <a href="http://andyporter.org/">Andy Porter</a>, with the other three dimensions being the enacted, assessed, and learned curricula (Porter, 2006). Visually, this is how I picture it:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sJIK5-BnJv0/Tib_zaGPn3I/AAAAAAAAAUw/B-F7bAto_TU/s1600/CurriculumTrianglemiLcD2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sJIK5-BnJv0/Tib_zaGPn3I/AAAAAAAAAUw/B-F7bAto_TU/s400/CurriculumTrianglemiLcD2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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In this framework, the intended curriculum is:<br />
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<i>the content target for the enacted and assessed curriculum, statements of what every student is to know and be able to do. It is often captured in content standards or other similar documents that define specific points in time when students are to learn the knowledge and skills.</i><br />
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In other words, the intended curriculum is what students are supposed to learn. This may be a reasonable description of what the intended curriculum is (I'll let you decide that), but it does not address who should define the intended curriculum and how it should, or at least could, be defined.<br />
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<b>Who and How Should the Intended Curriculum Be Determined?</b><br />
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This is a very sticky issue, one full of emotion for most educators. From my experience working with teachers and administrators, I'd say there is a strong feeling out there among many (I won't say most, because I don't know that) educators that the intended curriculum should be determined locally, not by politicians, test and curriculum developers, and other talking heads.<br />
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At the same time, I have also worked with many (again, I won't say most) educators that say that with all of the growing stressors and challenges of being a teacher, they would just like to be told <u>what</u> to teach, and be left alone as to <u>how</u> they should teach it. I'll get into the latter part of that statement when I blog about the <i>enacted curriculum</i>. For now, I'll stick to the <u>what</u> part of the conversation.<br />
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I'm guessing that many of you can appreciate this perspective (i.e., tell me what but not how). For me, I think it's completely understandable, and maybe even a partial explanation as to why many teachers rely so heavily on textbooks and related materials for their daily instructional decisions.<br />
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Currently, the United States continues more and more towards content being defined centrally/nationally, so to speak, not at the local level. No Child Left Behind created perhaps the most centrally-directed defining of intended curriculum at the time, requiring states to codify their own state content standards. The ante was significantly upped with the creation of the <a href="http://corestandards.org/">Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English/Language Arts and Mathematics</a>, which was led by the <a href="http://www.nga.org/cms/home.html">National Governor's Association</a> (NGA) and the <a href="http://ccsso.org/">Council of Chief State School Officers</a> (CCSSO). And it appears that there is now movement to create similar documents in the areas of <a href="http://www.nextgenscience.org/">Science</a> and <a href="http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/05/18/32socialstudies.h30.html?tkn=OQSF2b68jZaqecnwfvbCJHhEpPDJEDziYbPv&cmp=clp-edweek">Social Studies</a>. You can see how these standards were developed <a href="http://corestandards.org/about-the-standards">here</a>, at least for the English/Language Arts and Mathematics.<br />
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Even if a state adopts/adopted the CCSS, there is still room there for states (as in, state departments of education/instruction) to define an "additional 15%" of content (i.e., intended curriculum) that students are to learn. I put 15% in "" because there really isn't any guidance as to how you would determine how much is 15%. Still, it's latitude for states to define intended curriculum.<br />
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Now, I'm no math major (I was a psychology major). But reading what I just wrote, it looks like the CCSS and state's additions add up to no local/district decisions about content. So now I'm really shifting from the "who" to the "how" the intended curriculum should be determined. I do believe that their is an important role for folks at the national/federal, and state levels to determine the intended curriculum. Honestly, if the work is done defensibly well (a big if for many of you I'm guessing), <u>I'm perfectly ok with the <b>foundation </b>of the intended curriculum being developed at the national/federal and state levels.</u><br />
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Why on earth would I say such a thing you ask? I'll tell you why...the process these groups use is usually pretty rock-solid. Some really smart, experienced educators (i.e., folks from universities, national organizations, administrators, and teachers) get together and hash out their ideas to come up with what they think is best. Their ideas get nationally vetted by virtually every stakeholder group in education. They have professional editors polish up their work. As a result, the finished product is usually pretty darn good.<br />
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Now, that's not to say that it's perfect. There are often holes in this work. It will be biased to some extent 100% of the time. It will be missing some things and have things that many think shouldn't be there. Human beings write these documents. The voices of dissension can help shape and improve this work over time. In addition, decisions made at the district, building, and teacher level can help balance out many imperfections in the national/federal/state work. This compensation, if you will, comes in many forms. Discussions in professional learning networks, materials adoption and development, and lesson planning are just a few examples of work that can be done to bring both clarity, local context, and specificity to the intended curriculum.<br />
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At the same time, hopefully the national/federal/state work can provide compensation for shortcomings in the district/school/teacher level of decision making and implementation around the intended curriculum. In my mind, their are two big areas in which having a national intended curriculum can provide a tremendous benefit for teachers and students. First, having a common instructional target can help, if followed by teachers, eliminate discrepancies in opportunity to learn for all students. Second, a national intended curriculum can provide local educators freedom to use their dwindling resources focused on other things that repeatedly trying to write standards without the experience or resources necessary to do it well.<br />
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<b>So...where do textbooks and related materials fit into this approach to defining curriculum?</b><br />
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You didn't think I was going to forget to respond to my very own question, did you? :) Let me try to address this question with a hypothetical example. Consider this scenario:<br />
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<i>A district is planning to adopt and acquire new curricular materials for K-3 reading. They want to know the alignment between the content of materials from multiple companies and the Common Core State Standards. What sort of alignment comparison would they been making?</i><br />
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I would say they are making an <u>intended-to-intended</u> curriculum alignment comparison. The Common Core defines what students are supposed to learn in this example. The materials can't be enacted or assessed yet, because they haven't been adopted or acquired. The materials can't be learned, because students are the focus on what is learned, not materials. Whatever materials the district in this scenario selects will still be intended before they are implemented by teachers and students.<br />
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Ok, there it is. I have made my declaration: textbooks and related materials are intended curriculum. You know what though? I also think textbooks and related materials can be enacted and/or assessed curricula as well. "What" you say? Didn't I just say textbooks and related materials couldn't be enacted or assessed curricula? Well, guess what? You're just going to have to check back in next month when I explain myself with my next installation in the Foundations Series: What is Enacted Curriculum?<br />
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Thanks for taking the time to read. See you here next month!<br />
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span">Resources Used</span></i></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">Porter, A. C. (2006). Curriculum assessment. In J. L. Green, G. Camilli, & P. B. Elmore (Eds.), <em>Comple</em><em>me</em><em>ntary</em><em> </em><em>m</em><em>e</em><em>thods</em><em> for </em><em>research</em><em> in education (3rd edition)</em>. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.</span></div>
</div>Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02929677267165236564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935253025408937.post-50229130236137131972011-09-29T11:25:00.000-05:002011-09-29T12:26:46.413-05:00Foundations Series: What is Curriculum?<span class="Apple-style-span" font-family: inherit;>Welcome to my blog! If you got here from the monthly newsletter of the <a href="http://milcleaders.org/">Midwest Instructional Leadership Council</a> (miLc), welcome! If you found your way here from my <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/bniebling">Twitter feed</a>, welcome! If you just stumbled here by accident, welcome! I hope you stay and check it out.
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<span class="Apple-style-span" font-family: inherit;>Last month, I <a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/08/introduction-to-curriculum-alignment.html">"officially" kicked off</a> my Foundations Series on Curriculum Alignment, although I technically <a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/07/what-is-curriculum-alignment.html">started the month before</a> by broadly defining <i>curriculum alignment</i>. To review:
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #29303b; font-family: inherit;"><i>Curriculum alignment is "the extent to which and how well all policy elements work together to guide instruction and, ultimately, facilitate and enhance student learning. </i><span>(Webb, 1997)</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" font-family: inherit;>The topic for this months' blog in the Foundations Series is exploring the question "What is Curriculum?" This is actually, in my opinion, going to be the most challenging blog post to write and discuss in the Foundations Series. Why? Because this concept/term gets tossed around and used by virtually everyone connected to education and it evokes strong emotion. Curriculum is therefore incredibly difficult to define to any degree of consensus. This <a href="http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/03/23/26curriculum.h30.html?tkn=XXMFV3xLz7zGB0cLrV4M9wGJDdGWpUn%2BUEOk&print=1">EdWeek blog</a> does a nice job of capturing these issues, in the context of the <a href="http://corestandards.org/">Common Core State Standards</a>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" font-family: inherit;>What is an alignment guy to do? </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B1eU-U1kELY/ToNU6GyeRcI/AAAAAAAADlg/vtkIwzCLlww/s1600/BradDontknow2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" font-family: inherit;><img border="0" height="221" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B1eU-U1kELY/ToNU6GyeRcI/AAAAAAAADlg/vtkIwzCLlww/s320/BradDontknow2.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" font-family: inherit;><b>Are Textbooks the Curriculum?</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" font-family: inherit;>Well, let me start off with what is likely to be viewed by at least some as at least ignorant, if not inflammatory: <u>I think we need to stop calling textbooks and related materials the "curriculum."</u> I am by no means anti-textbook. I understand that for many educators, their textbooks almost completely drive their instructional decisions from day-to-day. It is my opinion, however, that defining textbooks as the curriculum is incredibly narrow, preventing educators from having a comprehensive perspective on what curricular factors influence student learning. This is especially true for curriculum alignment, which requires a broader view of curriculum to really be worthwhile work for educators.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" font-family: inherit;><b>A Multi-Dimensional Approach</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" font-family: inherit;>So, if textbooks and related materials don't hold the exclusive right to be called "curriculum" in my approach, then what is curriculum? In my curriculum alignment efforts, I've decided to start with the work of people who have been exploring this issue for much long than myself. In particular, I have found <a href="http://andyporter.org/">Andy Porter's</a> multi-dimensional approach to be incredibly helpful in trying to define and understand the concept of curriculum. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" font-family: inherit;>Perhaps the best resource I've found for defining and exploring curriculum by Porter is a chapter he wrot<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">e<span class="Apple-style-span"> in the </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Handbook of Complementary Methods in Education Research</i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" font-family: inherit;><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"> </span>ca</span>lled <b><i>Cu</i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><i>rriculum Assessment</i></b>,</span> which you can download <a href="http://andyporter.org/papers/CurriculumAssessment.pdf">here</a> from Porter's website (he has many other great resources there as well, I highly recommend checking it out). In this chapter, which is based on his larger body of work, he breaks curriculum down into four parts: (a) <b>intended</b>, (b) <b>enacted</b>, (c) <b>assessed</b>, and (d) <b>learned</b>. To quote:</span><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" font-family: inherit;>"Curriculum can be divided into the intended, enacted, assessed, and learned curricula. For K-12 education, the intended curriculum is captured most explicitly in...content standards - statements of what every student must know and be able to do by some specified point in time. The enacted curriculum refers to instruction (e.g., what happens in classrooms). The assessed curriculum refers to student achievement tests. States, districts, and the U.S. government test various subjects at various grade levels. Teachers use their own tests to monitor student performance."</i> (Porter, 2006) </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" font-family: inherit;>For me, this description of curriculum turns into the following picture:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sJIK5-BnJv0/Tib_zaGPn3I/AAAAAAAAAUw/B-F7bAto_TU/s1600/CurriculumTrianglemiLcD2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" font-family: inherit;><img border="0" height="210" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sJIK5-BnJv0/Tib_zaGPn3I/AAAAAAAAAUw/B-F7bAto_TU/s320/CurriculumTrianglemiLcD2.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" font-family: inherit;>This figure is likely familiar to most, at least in terms of its structure. Many have used a triangle to paint a picture of curriculum, though different terms are put at the corners of the triangle in different frameworks. I am of the opinion that this version of the triangle, when properly used, can incorporate any and all facets of any other approach to understanding curriculum, and then some. It is remarkably comprehensive yet simple, flexible yet consistent.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" font-family: inherit;><b>So...What is Curriculum?</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" font-family: inherit;>Each of these terms will be explored in more depth in future blogs in the Foundations Series for Curriculum Alignment. For this blog, I use the following phrase when answering the question posed in the title of this blog, "What is Curriculum?":</span><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" font-family: inherit;>Curriculum is what students are supposed to learn, what they get the opportunity to learn, what gets assessed, and what is actually learned.</span></i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" font-family: inherit;>Where do textbooks and related materials fit within this approach? My answer to this question, as it is to many questions, is...it depends. :) You'll have to check in to my Foundation Series blog next month, when I address the question "What is Intended Curriculum?" Or, hit me up on <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/bniebling">Twitter</a> and ask. Thanks for reading my blog!</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" font-family: inherit;>Resources Used</span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" color: #29303b; font-family: inherit;>Porter, A. C. (2006). Curriculum assessment. In J. L. Green, G. Camilli, & P. B. Elmore (Eds.), <em>Comple</em><em>me</em><em>ntary</em><em> </em><em>m</em><em>e</em><em>thods</em><em> for </em><em>research </em><em>in education (3rd edition)</em>. Washington, DC: American </span><span class="Apple-style-span" color: #29303b; font-family: inherit;>Educational Research Association.
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #29303b; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="apple-style-span">Webb, N. L. (1997). Criteria for alignment of expectations and assessments in mathematics and science</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">education (Research Monograph No. 8). Madison, WI: National Institute for Science Education, University of Wisconsin–Madison.</span></span></span>Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02929677267165236564noreply@blogger.com0Urbandale, IA, USA41.6266555 -93.712165641.5317035 -93.8700941 41.7216075 -93.554237100000009tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935253025408937.post-76456428091950752172011-08-08T16:55:00.005-05:002011-08-22T09:38:04.002-05:00Introduction to Curriculum Alignment Foundations SeriesWelcome back blog readers. As I've started on this new professional journey with the <a href="http://www.milcleaders.org/">Midwest Instructional Leadership Council</a> (aka, miLc), blogging has thankfully been something I can attend to more frequently. At least, for now it is. In the past, my blogging has typically been about something that has come across my radar that I felt compelled to comment on. For those that enjoyed reading about those mini-"inspirations" I plan to continue doing that here in this blog. <div>
<br /></div><div>But I have also had many ideas lodged away deep in my brain to blog about when it comes to curriculum alignment, but lacked the vision and time to do the work. Well, as I said, that has changed. So, let me unveil the first of these ideas...<div>
<br /></div><div>I just started a new line of blogs called the "Foundations Series." More descriptively, I plan to regularly blog about foundational curriculum alignment topics and issues. These blogs will occur once a month, and will coincide with the dissemination of the miLc monthly newsletter. You can subscribe to our newsletter by clicking <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Midwest-Instructional-Leadership-Council/115696542825?sk=app_199008080127590">here</a> and fill out the form. Of course, you'll be able to read these blog posts just by coming here directly. But our newsletter will have plenty of other goodies in it, so you should check that out anyway :).</div><div>
<br /></div><div>I actually posted <a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/07/what-is-curriculum-alignment.html">my first blog in the Foundations Series</a> last month when we sent out our first newsletter. You can read that blog post here. The Foundations Series will consist of the following topics, in order:</div><div>
<br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span id="internal-source-marker_0.09628280996507665" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; ">1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><a href="http://alignguy.blogspot.com/2011/07/what-is-curriculum-alignment.html">What is Curriculum Alignment?</a></span>
<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; ">2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>What is Curriculum?</span>
<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; ">3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>What is Intended Curriculum?</span>
<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; ">4.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>What is Enacted Curriculum?</span>
<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; ">5.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>What is Assessed Curriculum?</span>
<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; ">6.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>What is Learned Curriculum?</span>
<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; ">7.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>What is Alignment?</span>
<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; ">8.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>What is Directionality?</span>
<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; ">9.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>What is Dimensions?</span>
<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>a.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>What is Topical/Conceptual Knowledge?</span>
<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>b.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>What is Cognitive Complexity/Demand?</span>
<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>c.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>What is Emphasis?</span>
<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; ">10.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>What is Level of Analysis?</span>
<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; ">11.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Pulling the Curriculum and Alignment Models Back Together</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; ">
<br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; ">So, for you math fanatics out there, this adds up to about a year's worth of blog posts, once per month. I'll also have my topical posts and a series of other series I plan to launch soon as well. So you'll have plenty of alignment blogging goodness to enjoy. I'll also always tweet a link to my latest blog, so you might want to follow me on <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/bniebling">Twitter</a> as well. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; ">
<br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; ">That's all for now. Stop back often!</span></span></div></div>Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02929677267165236564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935253025408937.post-79915424380562126712011-07-20T08:51:00.010-05:002011-07-21T09:09:08.796-05:00Foundations Series: What is Curriculum Alignment?<div style="text-align: left;">The alignment of intended, enacted, and assessed curriculum, is an under-examined and misunderstood aspect of the educational process and often taken for granted. Despite this relative lack of attention, the term alignment can often be seen in the documents we read and the conversations we have with our colleagues. Alignment is a term that means different things to different people. So, how do we define curriculum alignment, and why does it matter?</div><div><br /></div><div>In this blog posting, I'll begin to address the first of these two questions: what is curriculum alignment? If you'd like to read a "dictionary" definition, <a href="http://www.ehow.com/about_6616423_definition-curriculum-alignment.html">check this out</a>. It's pretty good, actually. A bit wordy though. I like definitions that we have a shot at conjuring up ourselves if asked. I'm a fan of <a href="http://facstaff.wcer.wisc.edu/normw/">Norma</a><a href="http://facstaff.wcer.wisc.edu/normw/">n Webb's definition</a>. It goes something like this:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><i>Curriculum alignment is "the extent to which and how well all policy elements work together to guide instruction and, ultimately, facilitate and enhance student learning."</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>That definition is a little less wordy, but could mean just about anything, right? I'm afraid that to really get at the heart of alignment, we're going to need to break this down a little more. And that, my blogosphere friends, will take some time. Lucky for me, this gives me plenty of things to blog about for awhile. For now, let me leave you with three thoughts:</div><div><br /></div><div>1. <b>Process vs Event</b>. Curriculum Alignment, done well, is a process, not an event. Furthermore, the focus needs to be on student learning. If you can't draw a one or two step connection between the "alignment" work you are doing and how it will directly impact students, it may not be the best use of your time.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">2. <b>Defining Curriculum is Complex</b>.</div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The term curriculum alone conjures up a wide range of responses and emotions. In a future blog, I'll dig into some different definitions, including the one I use in my work. For now, here's a picture of the framework I use to define and understand curriculum.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sJIK5-BnJv0/Tib_zaGPn3I/AAAAAAAAAUw/B-F7bAto_TU/s400/CurriculumTrianglemiLcD2.png" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 263px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631469642717306738" /></div><div><br /></div><div>3. <b>Defining Alignment is Complex</b>. As I alluded to at the beginning of this blog posting, defining alignment is not an easy task. One blog entry can't do it justice. So, like I just did for the term curriculum, I present here for your viewing pleasure a picture of the framework I use to define and understand alignment.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9sq6PUyuWNQ/TicwIQO_qII/AAAAAAAAAU4/qZiO8QmEObU/s400/Alignment%2BCharacteristics%2BPic%2BmiLcD2.png" /></div><div><br /></div><div>Check back soon to see how I dig into curriculum alignment some more.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span">Resources Used</span></i></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Porter, A. C. (2006). Curriculum assessment. In J. L. Green, G. Camilli, & P. B. Elmore (Eds.), <em><span>Comple</span></em><em><span>me</span></em><em><span>ntary</span></em><em><span> </span></em><em><span>m</span></em><em><span>e</span></em><em><span>thods</span></em><em><span> for </span></em><em><span>research</span></em><em><span> in education (3rd edition)</span></em>. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Porter, A C (2002) Measuring the content of instruction: Uses in </span><span class="Apple-style-span">research and practice Educational Researcher, 31, 3-14.</span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 43px; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="apple-style-span">Webb, N. L. (1997). Criteria for alignment of expectations and assessments in mathematics and science</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">education (Research Monograph No. 8). Madison, WI: National Institute for Science Education, University of Wisconsin–Madison.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p></span></div><div><br /></div>Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02929677267165236564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935253025408937.post-71636346768366192832011-06-30T18:57:00.004-05:002011-06-30T19:21:50.437-05:00My International Alignment Meeting<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; font-size: medium;"><div style="background-color: transparent; margin-top: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; "><span id="internal-source-marker_0.19060161709785461" style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had the distinct privilege of attending an international meeting for the</span><a href="http://seconline.wceruw.org/secWebHome.htm"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Surveys of Enacted Curriculum</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (SEC) on June 27th and 28th, 2011. It was at Loyola University in Chicago. They were excellent hosts, and the facilities were outstanding. The conference was "international" because there was a gentleman there from Qatar. Qatar! I couldn't believe it. I had no idea how widespread SEC use really was. Apparently pretty widespread. I was very honored that John Smithson, one of the original creators of the SEC, invited me to attend.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let me back up. The SEC is a set of processes and tools that can be used to examine the alignment between the intended, enacted, assessed, and learned curriculum. In other words, it can be used to explore the connections between what is supposed to be taught, what is actually taught, what is assessed, and what is learned. In my opinion, the SEC is the gold standard in measuring curriculum alignment. I highly recommend checking it out. Here are two links where you can learn some more about the SEC</span><a href="http://www.ccsso.org/Resources/Programs/Surveys_of_Enacted_Curriculum_%28SEC%29.html"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">here</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and</span><a href="http://www.ccsso.org/Resources/Publications/Alignment_and_the_States_Three_Approaches_to_Aligning_the_National_Assessement_of_Educational_Progress_with_State_Assessments_Other_Assessments_and_Standards_.html"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">here</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are a few of the points I took with me from this meeting:</span><ol><li style="list-style-type: decimal; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Socially desirable response problems to the teacher survey don't really seem to be a major issue. In other words, it seems that most teachers respond honestly. This is important, otherwise the information would be worthless.</span></li><li style="list-style-type: decimal; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SEC data should not be used to evaluate teachers. Furthermore, if the experience is going to be useful, teacher trust is a must.</span></li><li style="list-style-type: decimal; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There could be a future for the SEC using teacher-developed assessments instead of just large-scale, standardized assessments for alignment work.</span></li><li style="list-style-type: decimal; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The SEC still performs well, but there is a desire to collect more reliability and validity data for these tools.</span></li><li style="list-style-type: decimal; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Student engagement becomes increasingly clear as a critical variable to explore when looking at alignment.</span></li><li style="list-style-type: decimal; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Common Core State Standards for English/Language Arts and Mathematics has been coded using the SEC language framework, and is now in their database. That means for anyone wishing to do alignment work with the Common Core, it is sitting there for comparison in the SEC database. Teachers just have to complete their survey, and then comparisons can be made.</span></li></ol><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I learned a lot more, but it's pretty nerdy, and I'd hate to bore you :). Rest assured, I got my alignment nerd on in a major way. I left the two-day meeting feeling very excited about the future of alignment in our country. There are some great minds doing great work. I believe it is our imperative then to both benefit from and contribute to this cause.</span></div></span>Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02929677267165236564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935253025408937.post-53475750015211687292011-06-27T19:53:00.006-05:002011-06-27T20:21:35.890-05:00New BeginningsWell, if you've made it to this blog posting, you know that I no longer work for Heartland AEA 11. Or, at least, you just figured that out because I just wrote it right there. Either way, here I am, separated from Heartland for the first time in eight years. It's sort of crazy to realize that for me even now, over two weeks into my vacation.<br /><br />If you want to read my letter to Heartland's HR department explaining my decision not to sign a contract for the 2011-12 school year, <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r5-ceT8UbD-B6wrQuZZ732G5iUhbcZCPF9xhY1BYoP0/edit?hl=en_US">click here</a>. There's nothing very juicy in it. But it's my official statement on the matter. I will say this on the matter here in this blog, and just leave it that way: I am deeply committed to the work I do to help teachers and administrators make sense of data, and how to use those data to make the educational experience better for all students. I do this mostly with curriculum alignment data, though I do a fair amount with response to intervention (RtI) as well. That means I will always pursue employment opportunities that will allow me to pursue my passions.<br /><br />So, what are my work plans now? I have joined a non-profit that I helped start a few years ago called the <a href="http://milcleaders.org/">Midwest Instructional Leadership Council</a> (miLc). Counting me, we have 2.5 employees, an Executive Director, and an amazing Board of Directors. I love working with each and every person associated with miLc. And I am stoked to be working for miLc. I feel refreshed and excited to continue pursuing my passions with this amazing group of world-changers.<br /><br />We don't sell promises or products that will solve every problem. No silver bullets. Instead, we will work shoulder-to-shoulder with whomever wants to partner with us to bring evidence-based practices to the classroom. We do this with passion, determination, and enthusiasm. We work with teachers, schools, districts, education agencies, and anyone else that thinks we can help.<br /><br />I sincerely hope that I can continue working with Iowans (and beyond) to achieve these goals. But even if I don't work directly with you, know that it is my sincere hope that all is going well for you personally and professionally. Take care and I hope to see you down the road.Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02929677267165236564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935253025408937.post-26123705115710203882010-01-27T19:50:00.005-06:002010-01-27T21:41:08.529-06:00State of the Union 2010Ok folks, I've decided to do a running narrative of President Obama's State of the Union address tonight. I'm only going to do this for issues related to education though, as I would hate to wade into other waters on an education blog.<br /><br /> In my opinion, the President has done a pretty good job of not running down the middle, but rather endorsing/supporting projects and philosophies of both the Democrats and Republicans. This is so interesting to me, because unlike the rest of their supposed platforms, Republicans have been pushing for more Federal centralization of education, and Democrats tend to fight for less government intervention in education. It'll be very interesting to see what happens. After my thoughts on the Presidents commentary on education, I'll provide some final thoughts. Enjoy!<br /><br />Ok, to start, I had to pause my TV (I love DVR!) for a few minutes, so my times are going to be a little off. Just an FYI.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8:33</span> - The President cites the stimulus act as having a saved a teacher's job. Well, it's saved a lot of jobs in education, to be sure. He says jobs are the #1 priority for 2010. How will this impact education, which stands to lose a lot of jobs in a couple of years? Hopefully he fills us in.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8:41</span> - The President quickly cites how other countries are putting more emphasis on math and science, which helps them become more competitive. A complex issue, but it's hard to argue that other countries provide more central direction for education, including an emphasis on math and science.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8:49</span> - The President cites Race to the Top. He called it a bipartisan effort. I agree. He says we need to stop funding failure and status quo. I agree. "The best anti-poverty program is a first-class education." I agree. He says that ESEA reauthorization is a priority. Thank goodness, this needs to happen ASAP. The President talks about loan forgiveness for students that go on to college. Amen, amen, amen. Loans are breaking people's backs. Man, there is a lot in this little segment. I'm surprised he didn't hit more on Race to the Top and/or ESEA reauthorization. I'll reflect on this more at the end.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9:34</span> - Well, the speech is over. As I thought, President Obama didn't get into education issues too much. Although it's disappointing, it's understandable in my opinion. There is so much going on right now. The President hit on a wide range of topics. He touted Race to the Top, albeit briefly. He hit the point about ESEA reauthorization, which is kind of a must in my opinion.<br /><br />I'm guessing that this speech won't go down as historic in the world of education. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes it's good to fly under the radar. I imagine that much that is happening now in the world of education will continue to move forward as is. That's a little scary, but could end up ok. I think it means that we need to ride the wave of the movements with Race to the Top and make the best of it.Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02929677267165236564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935253025408937.post-67263375166788851952009-12-10T18:23:00.003-06:002009-12-10T18:42:53.524-06:0021st Century Alignment GuyI don't know about you, but sometimes I find all of the new technologies and toys out there a bit exhausting. I seem to be one of the few people I know who isn't racing to drop his cell phone plan to by an iPhone. Not that iPhones are bad, mind you. I just get a bit tired being "plugged in" all the time. That's one of the big reasons I don't blog as much as many with blogs do. I just need to get away from this machine every now and again. I'm a guy who likes to wander off into the woods for a few days just as much as I like being plugged in. I think a everyone needs to find the right balance for them.<br /><br />With that said, the more and more I learn about tools that can keep one plugged in all over the place, the more it strikes me that what the tech geeks are saying may indeed be the case: we have only seen the beginning of this revolution. So, I think it is wise to hop on board and ride the wave so to speak.<br /><br />I have recently been introduced to a flurry of new tools. Things like <a href="http://etherpad.com/">Etherpad</a>, <a href="http://wave.google.com/help/wave/about.html">GoogleWave</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com">Twitter</a>, and <a href="http://www.ning.com">Ning</a> are all tools I'm trying to harness and use. Each of these has a purpose, and I think I'm getting better at choosing the right tools for the right purposes. Today was a case in point. I had online chats going in three different venues simultaneously, all the while updating a Moodle course and using Etherpad to collaborate with a colleague. It was exhausting, but not too fast either.<br /><br />This has me wondering if, someday, there will be some open source, plug and play apps out there that I could use to build alignment tools with. I'm by no means a programmer, which is why I need to work with smart folks like that to do my work. And there will always be a place for programmers, I'm sure. But gosh, if there where some free apps out there I could use to build the things that are in my head, that would be outstanding. And I'm guessing that day is coming sooner than later. This could help keep costs down for end users, and hopefully allow them more flexibility, too.<br /><br />We'll see how this revolution goes. I'm excited about it, though.Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02929677267165236564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935253025408937.post-526477707869730642009-10-28T16:25:00.002-05:002009-10-28T16:46:12.816-05:00Moving Research into Classrooms: My ReflectionsI just finished attending the <a href="http://ctl.uoregon.edu/pd/cf09/conf_fall_09.shtml">Moving Research into Classrooms</a> conference put on by the <a href="http://ctl.uoregon.edu//">Center for Teaching and Learning</a> out of the University of Oregon. Overall, I have to say I was pretty impressed, both from a conference hosting perspective, as well as from a content perspective. The CTL folks did a great job organizing the conference and making sure all of the logistical nuts and bolts went smoothly. It's one of those things where if it goes badly, it's easy to criticize. But if it goes well, you really don't notice it. So kudos to them for the production of a conference.<br /><br />More importantly, I think this was a good conference. There wasn't a ton of new learning for me, but I definitely picked up several things in terms of content knowledge that I can use. The whole conference was based on four of the <a href="http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/publications/practiceguides/#dddm_pg">Practice Guides</a> developed by <a href="http://ies.ed.gov/">Institute of Education Sciences</a>, the research and evaluation branch of the federal Department of Education. I attended the Adolescent Literacy strand, and it was as I said very well done. I had several reflections throughout the last two days that I'd like to lay out here very briefly, in no particular order.<br /><ul><li>I didn't realize we knew so much about adolescent literacy. It's just not an area I spend a lot of time in, hence the reason I attended the strand. It's heartening to know there are some answers out there.</li><li>Although we know about about good instruction from research, the evidence isn't as solid or comprehensive as we would like it to be. At the same time, that does not excuse us as professionals working on behalf of children to disregard the research that does exist.</li><li>Relatedly, I grow increasingly weary of the debates about different instructional "philosophies" or approaches. Specifically, I find the arguments against direct, explicit instruction increasingly shallow. For a while now, I've felt like an apologist for supporting direct, explicit instruction. No more. When done well, it works. Any arguments to the contrary are simply with little to no merit in my opinion. I have yet to talk to someone who argues against direct, explicit instruction who can accurately describe what it actually is. I am renewed in my motivation to fight the good fight.<br /></li><li><a href="http://www.shanahanonliteracy.com/">Tim Shanahan</a>, an incredibly talented and widely respected educator, was today's keynote. Although I think his treatment of frequent formative assessment for students at risk for failure was a bit harsh and incomplete, I thought overall he was outstanding. He brought up one point that tied tightly with alignment, namely the importance of collecting and using "input" or "process" data. That is to say, data about instruction. Collecting and using alignment data fits the bill incredibly well here in my opinion. I was encouraged greatly.<br /></li></ul>Overall, as I said, it was a great conference. I look forward to processing it some more, and putting some of what I learned to use in my daily practice.Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02929677267165236564noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935253025408937.post-68059033700938912422009-08-18T16:11:00.000-05:002009-08-18T16:13:32.519-05:00Welcome!Welcome one and all. Or, at least those of you who found my blog. This blog is dedicated to my reflections on matters related to curriculum alignment. I will do my best to keep it updated regularly, though I have not yet decided how frequently that should be. I encourage all of you to leave comments on my blog posts. I hope you find this blog both interesting and helpful.Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02929677267165236564noreply@blogger.com0