Leadership Module 3: Introduction to Content Alignment

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• Leadership Module 3 Introduction to Content
  Alignment

2
Module 2 Review

• During Module 2, we worked on developing common
  vocabulary and understanding of key curriculum
  terms.
• Recall and explain the definitions of
  foundational curriculum terms
• Organize foundational terms into a framework of
  logical relationships
• Today, we are going to build on that work with
  some key concepts and terms specific to alignment.

3
Objectives

• Summarize the relationship between the Iowa Core
  Curriculum and the Iowa Core Content Standards
  and Benchmarks
• 2. Remember and explain key alignment concepts
  and terms

4
The Relationship

• There are two state-level education policy
  documents that speak to what students should
  learn.
• Iowa Core Content Standards and Benchmarks (CCSB)
• Iowa Core Curriculum (CC)
• Though related, these two documents are not
  interchangeable.
• The Iowa Core Content Standards and Benchmarks
  are broad statements of critical content.
• The Iowa Core Curriculum provides further detail
  related to the Iowa Core Content Standards and
  Benchmarks, and extends beyond them.

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The Relationship
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Whole-Group Activity The Relationship

• Review the example document MATHEMATICS Core
  Content Standards and Benchmarks and The Iowa
  Core Curriculum
• Note the following features of the relationship
  displayed
• The broad nature of the Iowa Core Content
  Standards and Benchmark statements
• The specific nature of the Iowa Core Curriculum
  compared to the Iowa Core Content Standard and
  Benchmark statements
• The layout of the document (i.e., general to more
  specific)

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The Relationship Making the Connections
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Understanding Alignment

• What is Alignment?
• To paraphraseThe extent to which and how well
  all policy elements (e.g., content, instruction,
  and assessment) work together to guide
  instruction and, ultimately, student learning
  (Webb, 1997).
• In other wordscontent, instruction, and
  assessments need to provide clear messages about
  the important goals and outcomes of the
  educational system.
• Alignment information can be thought of as a
  characteristic of the relationship among content,
  instruction, and assessment

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Understanding Alignment

• The purpose of alignment work is to determine the
  extent to which content, instruction, and
  assessment are in agreement AND facilitate
  student learning.
• Its not just an eventits a process!

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Why Alignment is Important

• Aligned content, instruction, and assessment
  provide clear messages about important goals and
  outcomes.
• Conversely, when policy elements contradict each
  other, increased stress and pressure may be
  placed on educators and students.

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Why Alignment is Important

• Having alignment data provides valuable
  information about system functioning to be used
  for improvement efforts.
• Poorly aligned instructional content with
  assessments can result in our underestimating
  the effect of instruction on learning (Anderson,
  2002).

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Why Alignment is Important

• What research tells us the impact of alignment on
  student outcomes
• As alignment between what is taught and
  assessments increases, so to do student outcomes
  (e.g., Gamoran et al., 1997 Cohen, 1987).
• This is true even for students with low
  achievement, low SES, and ethnically and
  culturally diverse groups.
• Important to consider both topical/ conceptual
  information, as well as cognitive complexity when
  measuring alignment.

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Alignment Logic and the Iowa Core Curriculum

• The Iowa Core Curriculum defines the Essential
  Concepts and Skill Sets students need to learn.
• The content of instruction should be guided by
  (aligned with) the Iowa Core Curriculum.
• Fair assessment practices means students are
  assessed on what they are supposed to learn
  (align assessments with the Iowa Core
  Curriculum).
• Fair assessment practices also means students are
  assessed on what they have will have or had an
  opportunity to learn (align assessments with
  instructional content).

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Rationale for Alignment

• In other words
• figure out what to teach (i.e., the Iowa Core
  Curriculum),
• teach it, and
• assess it
• Because if we dont
• we are being unfair, and
• adults and children get confused and frustrated
• Instead, the goal of alignment with the Iowa Core
  Curriculum is to
• reduce confusion
• improve opportunity to learn for students, and
  ultimately
• improve outcomes for each and every student

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Common Vocabulary

• Why do we need common vocabulary?
• Clarifies communication within and among
  stakeholder groups across the state
• Enhance dialogue for common understanding, which
  is ultimately the goal
• Clarity and common understanding help reduce
  confusion and frustration, and facilitates a
  common vision

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Activity

• FIRST, in table groups, divide the alignment
  terms, and write your own definitions.
• SECOND, come back together as a table group and
  share your definitions.
• THIRD, as a table group, match each alignment
  term with the provided definitions.
• FOURTH, review the definitions sheet, and ask
  clarifying questions as necessary.

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The Big Picture

• Consider the curriculum definitions activity from
  Module 2.
• Alignment can be examined among the intended,
  enacted, and assessed curriculum (Porter, 2002).
• When examining alignment among these three
  components, we need to consider the different
  characteristics of alignment (Niebling et al.,
  2008).
• Directionality
• Dimensions
• Level of Analysis
• As Iowa Core Curriculum work moves forward, well
  spend more time learning how to examine these
  different characteristics appropriately, and how
  to prioritize alignment efforts.

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Some Thoughts to Consider

• There are a wide variety of experience and roles
  within a building, district, at the AEAs and
  Department of Education.
• To develop a common understanding about the Iowa
  Core Curriculum, we all need to have professional
  conversations about practices we engage in or
  observe.
• As our common understanding improves, it will
  help ensure that all students in Iowa have an
  equitable opportunity to learn the Essential
  Concepts and Skill Sets found in the Iowa Core
  Curriculum.

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References

• Anderson, L. W. (2002). Curriculum alignment A
  re-examination. Theory into Practice, 41 (4),
  255-260.
• Cohen, S. A. (1987). Instructional alignment
  Searching for a magic bullet. Educational
  Researcher, 16, 1620.
• Niebling, B. C., Roach, A. T., Rahn-Blakeslee,
  A. (2008). Best practices in curriculum,
  instruction, and assessment alignment. In A.
  Thomas J. Grimes (Eds.), Best Practices in
  School Psychology, Vol. 4 (5th ed., pp.
  1059-1072). Bethesda, MD National Association of
  School Psychologists.
• Porter, A. C. (2002). Measuring the content of
  instruction Uses in research and practice.
  Educational Researcher, 31, 314.
• Webb, N. L. (1997). Criteria for alignment of
  expectations and assessments in mathematics and
  science education (Research Monograph No. 8).
  Madison, WI National Institute for Science
  Education, University of WisconsinMadison.