Managing Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment

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Managing Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment
Data in the Information Age

• Linda Mora and Kelly Smith
• Northside ISD
• San Antonio, Texas
• [phone]
• www.nisd.net

Texas Association of School Boards September 19,
2004
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Background

• The acquisition and development of a Curriculum
  Management System (CMS) was identified by the
  Division of Curriculum and Instruction and the
  Northside ISD 10-year Technology Master Plan as
  a high-priority need to facilitate
  standards-based teaching, learning and
  assessment.
• To meet this need, a cross-representative team
  from Curriculum and Instruction and Technology
  Services embarked on the "CMS Project" in
  February 2003.

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Session Objectives

• Understand the components of a comprehensive
  CurriculumManagement System
• Understand the benefits of a Curriculum
  Management System
• Review the Northside process for acquiring and
  implementing a Curriculum Management System
• Know the "look fors" when purchasing a
  Curriculum Management system, including writing
  the RFP (Request for Proposal)

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CMSWhat is it?

• A well designed Curriculum Management System
  (CMS) is a computer-based system that seamlessly
  links and aligns all teaching, learning and
  assessment components so that teachers and
  administrators are able to focus on teaching
  and on meeting the needs of each and every
  student.

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CMS Facilitates Our Goal

• To increase student achievement in an
• environment where standards, curriculum,
  instructional resources, continual assessment,
  and staff development on research-based best
  practices are totally aligned.

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Components of CMS

• Data Warehouse
• Curriculum
• Instructional Resources
• Assessments
• In-depth, Customizable Reporting
• Best Practices Staff Development Resources
• Internet Outreach
• Gradebook Component

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Components of CMS

• Data Warehouse
• Student demographic data
• Standardized test data
• Benchmark data
• Attendance data
• Course data
• Campus and staff data
• Special programs and intervention data

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Components of CMS

• Curriculum (State, Local, National)
• Standards
• Goals
• Objectives
• Student Expectations

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Components of CMS

• Instructional Resources
• Scope and Sequence
• Calendars
• Lesson Plans
• Activities
• Online Resources
• Audio and Video Clips
• Links to software, library materials, and other
  resources

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Components of CMS

• Assessments
• Various Types
• State
• National
• Benchmarks
• Learner Profiles
• By student
• By question, objective, standard
• Across all test and years

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Components of CMS

• Reporting various levels of secure access
• To teachers, administrators, program directors,
  parents
• By classroom, campus, grade level, student
  groups
• By question, objective, standard
• Current and longitudinal

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Components of CMS

• Best Practices Staff Development
• Resources to improve teaching
• Audio and video clips
• Workshops opportunities
• Online classes
• Online collaboration
• Articles

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Components of CMS

• Internet Outreach
• School and teacher web pages
• Parent portal

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Components of CMS

• Gradebook Component
• Linked to TEKS/Standards, allowing multiple
  scales and symbols
• Lesser priority, development to begin in year
  two for Northside

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A Curriculum Management System Can

• Seamlessly link and align all teaching, learning
  and assessment components so that teachers and
  administrators are able to focus on teaching and
  on meeting the needs of each and every student
• Help students, parents, teachers, and
  administrators focus on knowledge and skills
  required for promotion, course completion and
  success on standardized tests (e.g. TAKS)
• Enable the systematic collection of data
  pertaining to school, district, state and
  national standards and assessments

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A Curriculum Management System Can

• Seamlessly aggregate, disaggregate and report
  assessment information immediately to all
  appropriate stakeholders
• Provide all stakeholders with a standardized
  Web-based system for monitoring and reporting
  student and group progress
• Allow District and campus instructional staff to
  analyze and interpret the data to guide
  decision-making and identify strengths and
  weaknesses in student, teacher, curriculum,
  program and school performance

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A Curriculum Management System Can

• Facilitate curriculum design and development,
  lesson planning, teaching and learning,
  standards mastery, testing, and grading
• Reduce paperwork and save time for teachers and
  administrators
• Help teachers improve their effectiveness in the
  classroom
• Help the District ensure that all legal
  requirements are met (NCLB, AEIS, IDEA, etc.)

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A Curriculum Management System Can

• Streamline the benchmarking process
• Allow teachers to share model lesson plans and
  teaching practices
• Help teachers customize instruction based on
  student progress and individual learning needs
• Reduce overall printing costs
• Improve communication with parents
• Give teachers the ability to provide online
  resources for students and parents

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Project Development Process

• Preliminary Identification of Needs and
  Investigation of Technology Solutions
• Determination of NISD Requirements and Thorough
  Research of Technology Solutions
• Procurement Process, including RFP and In-depth
  Evaluations of Solutions
• Project Management and Implementation

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Preliminary Identification of Needs
Investigation of Technology Solutions

• Curriculum Instruction and Technology Services
  formed Project Leadership Team in February 2003
• Performed literature review of K-12 curriculum
  management systems
• Published CMS Project Development Website -
  single repository of all information related to
  the project
• 35 staff members attended CMS Project Overview /
  Needs Analysis Meeting
• Staff began to provide needs analysis input
  (content, instructional, operational) via the
  website

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Preliminary Identification of Needs
Investigation of Technology Solutions

• Product demonstrations held in March April,
  2003
• Pearson Educational Technologies, 25 staff
  members attended
• Campus Online, 30 staff members attended
• Edsoft, 30 staff members attended
• Edmin, 19 staff members attended
• SchoolNet, 18 staff members attended
• Lightspan, 21 staff members attended
• Edusoft, 27 staff members attended
• Project Leadership Team met to debrief after
  each presentation, using Product Evaluation
  Instrument
• Staff members provided feedback via the website
  after each presentation

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Determination of NISD Requirements Thorough
Research of Technology Solutions

• Staff explored demo sites in April and May, using
  trial accounts provided by vendors
• CMS Needs Analysis Summary drafted compilation
  of input and feedback submitted to the website
  and from various discussions
• CMS Needs Analysis Summary discussed and refined
  by Project Leadership Team
• Purchasing Department provided guidance in
  development of Request For Proposal (RFP)
  process to Technology Services staff

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Procurement Process, including RFP and In-depth
Evaluations of Solutions

• RFP released June 23, 2003
• Preliminary evaluation of seven proposals
  conducted by Project Leadership Team in August
• Semi-finalists' presentations held in October
  November (SchoolNet, Campus Online, Lightspan)
• Two finalists (SchoolNet, Lightspan) were
  invited to provide best cost and purchase
  options

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Procurement Process, including RFP and In-depth
Evaluations of Solutions

• CMS concept presented to Northside Educational
  Improvement Council (NEIC) in December
• CMS update provided to Academics and Technology
  Committees of the Board in joint meeting in
  December
• Project Leadership Team made site visits to San
  Antonio ISD (Lightspan implementation) and
  Judson ISD (SchoolNet implementation)
• SchoolNet named the recommended finalist in
  January, 2004

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Procurement Process, including RFP and In-depth
Evaluations of Solutions

• CMS update provided to Academics Committee of
  the Board in February, 2004
• SchoolNet made five presentations to a variety
  of Northside groups (Cabinet, elementary and
  secondary administrators, secondary department
  coordinators, technology staff, etc.)
• Northside team made site visit to School
  District of Philadelphia to discuss their
  SchoolNet implementation in early March

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Why SchoolNet?

• Best meets C I requirements
• Feature-rich, with more functionality than
  competitors
• Highly customizable for NISD needs
• Content-neutral, open container
• Proven solution for very large school districts
  (scalable)
• Detailed, multi-phase, realistic project
  management plan

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Why SchoolNet?

• Highly secure and dependable technology and
  methodology
• Moves the District toward the goal of a data
  warehouse
• Provides Web portal components (also a District
  goal)
• Most attractive purchase plan
• Stable company history with highly qualified
  staff

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Contractual Considerations

• Bond-eligible, outright purchase
• Payments based on defined project
  deliverables/milestones
• Warranty and upgrade terms
• Confidentiality assurance of all NISD data/
  information
• Service Level Agreement (tier problem resolution
  with identified name and contact information,
  email, help desk, additional technical support
  by phone and in person)
• Disaster Recovery Plan (guaranteed uptime,
  on-site support staff, back-up data nightly,
  system back up)

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Project Management and Implementation

• Project Manager and Design Team (Instructional,
  Technical, Training, Contractual)
• Weekly internal meetings
• Weekly phone conference with SchoolNet
• Loading of historical and current data
• SchoolNet continues to building the system to
  our specifications

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CMS Implementation Timeline

• User Acceptance Testing
• January, 5 to 15 days
• Launch and Training
• February
• 125 Certified Trainers, taught by SchoolNet
• District-wide Implementation
• March