Alabama

1
Alabamas Academic Standards

• The Journey to
• Student Success
• Begins with
• Standards

Fall Leadership Conference 2004 Presenters
Marla Holbrook Tuwanna McGee
2
No Child Left BehindState Requirements

• Academic achievement must be standards-driven.
• Each state must establish its own unique set of
  standards for reading, math, and science.
• State assessments must be aligned to state
  content standards (reading, math, science).
• All students must have opportunities to learn and
  be assessed on state content standards.

3
NCLB, Standards, and Accountability

• NCLB requires schools/systems to show annual
  improvement in the academic achievement of the
  overall student population and by student
  subgroups, such as special education students.

4
NCLB, Standards, and Accountability

• School/system accountability status is determined
  primarily by student achievement results and
  participation in state testing.
• What is being tested?
• ALABAMAS ACADEMIC CONTENT STANDARDS

5
NCLB, Standards, and Accountability

• In the spring of 2005, Alabama students will be
  tested on the academic content standards in
  reading and mathematics in grades 3 through 8.
• The AHSGE continues to test academic content
  standards in grades 10-12.

6
NCLB, Standards, Accountability, and Special
Education

• All students, including special education
  students, must be taught Alabama academic content
  standards in order to make adequate yearly
  progress.

7
Standards and Special Education

• NCLB has provided a mandate to states to improve
  the academic performance of all students.
• IDEA 97 states that students with disabilities
  must have access to the general curriculum
  (content standards).
• Access occurs when students with disabilities are
  actively engaged in learning the content and
  skills that define the general education
  curriculum (Access Center, 2003).

8
Standards-Based Instruction

• Standards-based instruction is the process to
  improve the academic performance of all students
  by teaching the content standards.

9
Standards-Based Instruction Vocabulary

• Curriculum
• what teachers need to teach in order for
  students to know and do the standards.
• Curriculum is the road to the standards.

• Content standards what students need to know
  and be able to do.
• Standards signal the destination of learning.

10
Standards-Based Instruction Vocabulary

• Reading Math Content Standards
• Strands
• Examples
• Bullets
• Curricular Alignment
• Horizontal
• Vertical

• Curriculum Guides
• Content Standards
• Instructional Objectives
• Examples
• Bullets

11
State Assessment Achievement Levels

• Level IV
• Exceeds Academic Content Standards

Above the content standard
Level III Meets Academic Content
Standards
Aligned to the grade level content standard
Below grade level content standard
Level II Partially meets Academic
Content Standards
Limited use of Level II skills
Level I Does not meet
Academic Content Standards
12
Alabamas Journey Toward Standards - Redefined

• Reading
• Prior to NCLB, reading standards were included in
  the Alabama English Language Arts Course of
  Study.
• Since NCLB, reading content standards have been
  separated from the remainder of the course of
  study and are contained in the 2003 Alabama
  English Language Arts Course of Study Reading
  Addendum.
• Reading content standards have been revised to
  reduce the number of standards per grade and
  increase the measurability of each standard.

13
Alabamas Journey Toward Standards - Redefined

• Math
• Math content standards have been revised during
  the math course of study cycle to
• Reduce the number of standards at each grade
  level
• Align more closely with the National Council of
  Teachers of Mathematics standards
• Math content standards are contained in the 2003
  Alabama Course of Study Mathematics.

14
Alabamas Journey Toward Standards - Redefined

• Social Studies
• Social Studies content standards have been
  revised during the Social Studies course of study
  cycle and have been adopted by SBE.
• Social Studies content standards will be
  contained in the 2004 Alabama Course of Study
  Social Studies.

15
Alabamas Journey Toward Standards - Redefined

• Science
• Science content standards are currently being
  revised beginning in March 2004 during the
  Science Course of Study process.
• Science content standards will be contained in
  the 2005 Alabama Course of Study Science.

16
Alabamas Journey Toward Standards - Redefined

• Standards-based instruction will lead to
  closing the achievement gap between special
  education and general education.

17
Standards and Special Education

• What we know
• In order for students with disabilities to meet
  state standards, instruction must change.

18
Changes in the Process of Instructional Planning

• Traditional Practice
• Selects a topic from the curriculum
• Designs instructional activities
• Designs and gives an assessment
• Gives grade or feedback
• Moves on to new topic

• Standards-based Practice
• Use content standards to plan instruction
• Designs an assessment through which students
  demonstrate the knowledge and skills to meet the
  standards
• Decides what learning opportunities students will
  need to learn
• Plans instruction to assure that each student has
  adequate opportunities to learn
• Uses data from assessment to give feedback,
  re-teach, or move to next level

19
Changes in the Process of Instructional Planning

• In standards-based instruction, the teacher
  must plan backwards from the required content
  standards to the assessments then to the lessons
  that will be needed for students to achieve at
  that level.

20
Standards and Special Education
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Special Educations Journey Toward Standards

• What Special Education Services is doing
• Producing curriculum guides for Alabama Academic
  Content Standards.
• With each new course of study, a curriculum guide
  will be developed as a companion document.
• Curriculum guides are the road maps to the
  standards.

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Organization of the Curriculum Guides

• The Curriculum Guides are designed for use with
  students functioning below grade level standards.
• Provide instructional sequence for prerequisites
  skills leading to the readiness for learning
  grade level standards
• May be used by both general education and special
  education teachers for
• Classroom interventions
• IEP Development

23
Organization of the Curriculum Guides

• The organizational components of the Curriculum
  Guides include content standards, instructional
  objectives, bullets and examples.
• Content standards are statements that define what
  all students should know and be able to do at the
  conclusion of a grade level or course. Content
  standards contain minimum required content and
  complete the phrase Students will .

24
Organization of the Curriculum Guides

• Instructional Objectives are smaller
  instructional units that serve as foundational
  skills for the standards. Utilization of
  instructional objectives facilitates having all
  students working toward grade-level standards
  while also working at individual ability levels.

25
Organization of the Curriculum Guides

• Examples clarify certain content standards and
  bullets, and/or their components. They are
  illustrative but not exhaustive.
• Bullets denote additional related content
  required for instruction. Bulleted content is
  listed under a standard.

26
Reading Curriculum Guide

• The Reading Curriculum Guide (grades 1-12) is
  designed for use with students functioning below
  grade level standards.
• Provides instructional sequence for prerequisites
  skills leading to the readiness for learning
  grade level standards and for preparation for the
  Alabama High School Graduation Exam (AHSGE)
• May be used by both general education and special
  education teachers for
• Classroom interventions
• IEP Development

27
Sample Reading Content Standard with
Instructional Objectives from the Reading
Curriculum Guide

• 1.5 (First grade, fifth standard) Read with
  fluency simple passages containing simple
  sentences.
• Objective 1.5.1 Establish letter-naming fluency
  at rate of 40-plus letters per minute
• Objective 1.5.2 Recognize 100 percent of the
  Dolch sight word list for first grade.
• Objective 1.5.3 Read 40-50 words of connected,
  decodable text per minute with 100 percent
  accuracy.
• Additional content to be taught
• Reading 50-60 words per minute
• Recognizing first-grade high frequency words by
  sight
• Example lists provided with basals
• Attending to end punctuation in phrasing

28
Sample Math Content Standard with Instructional
Objectives from the Math Curriculum Guide 1-8

• 6.5 (Six grade, fifth standard - Geometry) Plot
  coordinates on grids, graphs, and maps.
• Objective 6.5.1 Identify components of the
  Cartesian plane, including the x-ais, y-axis,
  origin, and quadrants.
• Objective 6.5.2 Identify numbers less than zero
  by extending the number line.
• Objective 6.5.3 Find locations on a map or grid
  using ordered pairs.
• Additional content to be taught
• Identifying the coordinates of a point on the
  Cartesian plane
• Comparing parallel and perpendicular lines

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Alabamas Journey Toward Standards - Redefined

• Currently working with a committee to draft a
  social studies curriculum guide
• The science curriculum guide will be developed
  after the science course of study is revised.

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Special Educations Journey Toward Standards

• What SES is doing
• Developing Extended Content Standards for
  students with significant cognitive disabilities
  who may not be able to address directly the
  general education standards. They are
• - a downward extension of the state content
  
• standards
• -measurable by the Alabama Alternate
• Assessment

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Special Educations Journey Toward Standards
Extended Content Standards

• INCLUDE
• Bullets that identify additional content related
  to the standard
• Examples that demonstrate diversity of
  performance and variety of skills

• Do NOT INCLUDE
• Grade by grade standards
• Disability specific information
• An exhaustive list of performance indicators

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Example of an Extended Content Standard
Reading

• Reading
• 1. Connect spoken words to written words using
  printed material. (K.1 and K.3)
• Bullets
• Recognize labels and signs. (picture cards, road
  signs)
• Demonstrate that graphic information has
  meaning. (menus, map, word cards)
• Use printed word(s) to perform a task. (locate a
  name in the phone book)

33
IEP Examples

• AREA Reading
• Annual Goal
• The student will communicate a desired
  activity by selecting from 5 choices using a
  picture board with labels with 90
  accuracy.(ES1-Bullet 3)
• Benchmarks
• The student will match the correct label to the
  corresponding picture with 100 accuracy by the
  end of the 1st grading period.
• The student will communicate a desired activity
  by selecting from 3 choices using a picture board
  with labels with 90 accuracy be the end of the
  3rd grading period.
• The student will communicate a desired activity
  by selecting from 4 choices using a picture board
  with labels with 100 accuracy be the end of the
  4th grading period.

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Area ReadingAnnual Goal The student will
read to gain information needed in daily life
with a minimum of 80 accuracy. (ES2)

• Benchmarks
• The student will identify the entire alphabet and
  each letters corresponding sound with 80
  accuracy by the end of the first semester.
• The student will read 3 5 word sentences using
  known sight words in 4 out of 5 trials by the end
  of the end of the first semester.
• The student will read a minimum of 250 sight
  vocabulary words for use in everyday life by the
  end of the 4th grading period.
• The student will read written words, phrases, and
  simple sentences to complete a task in 4 out of 5
  trials by the end of the 4th grading period.

35
Example of an Extended Content Standard Math

• Math
• 4. Use coins and currency to conduct financial
  activities. (K.4)
• Bullets
• Place money for future purchases in containers
  designed for that use.(piggy bank,saving money)
• Compute change to consumer related
  problems.(change from a vending machine)
• Identify the value of a combination of coins and
  currency.
• Estimate the total amount of a purchase.

36
IEP Examples

• AREA Math
• Annual Goal The student will use coins and
  currency to conduct financial activities with at
  least 80 accuracy. (ES4)
• Benchmarks
• The student will state the value of and name
  coins 4 out of 5 times with 100 accuracy by the
  end of the first 9 weeks.
• The student will calculate the value of a
  combination of coins and currency 4 out of 5
  times with by the end of the second 9 weeks with
  80 accuracy.
• The student will correctly determine the
  affordability of items from given coins and
  currency 8 out of 10 times by the end of the
  school year.

37
AREA MathAnnual GoalThe student will sort
objects by color, size, and shape with 100
accuracy. (ES5-Bullet 1)

• Benchmarks
• The student will sort objects by color with 90
  accuracy by the end of the first 9 weeks.
• The student will sort objects by size with 90
  accuracy by the end of the end of the first
  semester.
• The student will sort objects by shape with 90
  accuracy by the end of the last grading period.

38
Annual Goals

• Should be measurable
• Correlate directly with the students PLOP
• Develop a goal for each area in which the student
  has an identified need
• Students will ALWAYS need a goal for reading and
  a goal for math.

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Benchmarks

• Determine the steps that will assist the student
  in accomplishing the annual goal
• Are based on the PLOP
• Drive instruction
• Are measurable
• Because Benchmarks should be developed from the
  standards, they will be aligned to State
  Assessments!

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Components

• WHO?
• DOES WHAT?
• WHEN?
• GIVEN WHAT?
• HOW MUCH?
• HOW WILL IT BE MEASURED?

• Student
• Observable behavior
• Date
• Conditions
• Mastery/criteria
• Performance data/Evaluation

41
The student will communicate a desired activity
by selecting from 5 choices using a picture board
with labels with 90 accuracy.(ES1-Bullet 3)

• WHO?
• DOES WHAT?
• WHEN?
• GIVEN WHAT?
• HOW MUCH?
• HOW WILL IT BE MEASURED?

• Student
• Communicates
• End of school year
• 5 choices using a picture board with labels
• 90 accuracy
• (Check type of evaluation for Annual Goal)

42
Benchmark The student will match the correct
label to the corresponding picture with 100
accuracy by the end of the 1st 9 weeks.

• WHO?
• DOES WHAT?
• WHEN?
• GIVEN WHAT?
• HOW MUCH?
• HOW WILL IT BE MEASURED?

• Student
• Match
• End of 1st 9 weeks
• Label and corresponding picture
• 100 accuracy
• (Check type of evaluation for Annual Goal)

43
REMEMBER

• Students with significant cognitive
  disabilities must ALWAYS have both a reading and
  a math annual goal on their IEPs!!!

44
Alabamas Journey Toward the Standards -
Redefined

• Developed guidance with the Getting Started with
  the Standards document
• Provides an introduction to the why of
  standards
• Provides tips on how to start with standards
• Provides additional resource information
  including informative websites

45
Alabamas Journey Toward the Standards - Redefined

• Partnering with selected LEAs to target
  standards-based instruction Winter-Spring 2004.
• Developing statewide standards-based instruction
  and IEP training 2004-2005 for implementation
  during Spring 2005.

46
Next Steps for LEAs

• Awareness activities
• Make copies of curriculum guides for all teachers
• Form committees to align textbooks and materials
  with standards
• Encourage teachers to participate on
  textbook/curriculum committees
• Use Getting Started with Standards (available on
  SDE website)
• Inform teachers of lesson plans available on ALEX
  website

47
Questions to Ask in the Standards Planning Process

• How do teaching materials align with the
  standards?
• How do you use the standards to guide your
  instruction?
• How do you use assessment to inform (improve)
  your instruction?

48
Process for Curricular Alignment with Alabama
Standards

• Conduct alignment of teaching materials
  (textbooks, supplemental materials, unit and
  lesson plans) with standards (see sample textbook
  alignment forms).
• Meet by grade levels or disciplines to pinpoint
  gaps in articulation of the curriculum K-12
  (horizontal alignment).
• Meet by overlapping grade levels or disciplines
  to pinpoint gaps in articulation of the
  curriculum K-12 (vertical alignment).
• Align standards to supplemental/alternate courses
  or individual programs

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Alabama Websites for Standards

• For Courses of Study, go to
• Home Page of the SDE website www.alsde.edu or
• Classroom Improvement
• Publications
• Scroll down to document
• For aligned lesson plans, go to
• www.alex.state.al.us.
• For Curriculum Guides, go to
• www.alsde.edu
• Sections
• Special Education
• Standards

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Additional Resources

• www.makingstandardswork.com
• www.mcrel.org/standards/index.asp
• www.nwrel.org
• www.ascd.org
• www.nsdc.org
• www.teachstream.com
• www.ael.org