Curriculum Compacting

CurriculumCompacting

GUIDELINES, PRACTICE AND NEXT STEPS

COACHES MEETING MARCH 6, 2015

Goal

Coaches will deepen their understanding ofcurriculum compacting and develop steps toimplement compacting by reviewing thepurpose of compacting, providing feedback todistrict expectations, and practicing theimplementation of compacting .

Timelines

12:30-1:30- What is compacting? When do we compact? – Granby Expectations feedback

1:30-2:15 – Let’s Try It – compacting and brainstorming ideas for resources and classroommanagement

2:15- 2:45 – Reflections on the work; Next Steps – timelines and processes

Curriculum Compacting is the process

of identifying learning objectives, pre-testingstudents

for prior mastery of these objectives, andeliminating needless

teaching practice if mastery can be documented(Sally Reis).

The Steps of Compacting

NICOLE’S VERSION

Identify the Objectives

Find appropriate pretests

Identify students who should be pretested

Pretest students

Eliminate instructional time for students who exhibitmastery

Streamline instruction of those objectives that stillneed to be mastered

Offer challenging alternatives for time provided bycompacting

Keep records

GRANBY VERSION

Identify the Objectives

Develop appropriate pretests

Pretest ALL students

Review pretest data to determine who should takethe performance assessment.

Determine who should be compacted *

Compact instruction of those objectives that havebeen mastered

Offer challenging alternatives for time provided bycompacting

Keep records

When students demonstrate mastery of the content at the beginningof a unit

Students who score 90% or higher on pre-assessments (otherwisedifferentiate)

Performance assessment taken – rubric score of grade level or better

What other factors need to be considered?

Cultural differences

Learning disabilities

Learning styles – Those who learn “differently”

Twice Exceptional

When Do I Compact?

Student Behaviors that May SuggestCompacting is Necessary

•Consistently finishes tasks quickly

•Finishes reading assignments first

•Appears bored during instruction time

•Consistently daydreams

•Creates own puzzles, games or diversions in class

•Brings in outside reading material

•Has consistently high performance in one or more academic areas

•Test scores consistently excellent despite average or below average class work

•Uses vocabulary and verbal expression in advance of grade level

•Expresses interest in pursuing alternate or advanced topics

How Do I Compact?

If a student has mastered 90% of the objectives in a unit…

◦That student should not take part in the classroom instruction of thoseobjectives.

◦Develop learning goals based on interests and going deeper with the concepts – Renzulli on-line

◦Students may be excused from:

◦ specific class sessions (for example, the Monday and Wednesday portions of vocabularybuilding),

◦ certain chapters or pages on the text or

◦specific learning activities.

◦The student will participate in regular classroom instruction for areas they have notmastered.

What does this look like?

Compacting Classroom Activities

•Independent or small group study

•Escalated coverage of the regular curriculum

•Mini-courses

•Special interest groups

•Interest Development Centers

•Special Lessons for furthering cognitive and affective processes

•For those who have access – the Renzulli Learning System

•http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/sem/sem3rd.html

•“Recommendations for Implementation.” It is from the book Curriculum Compacting by Reis,Burns, and Renzulli.

Interest Development Centers

•An IDC allows children to explore a wide variety of options that areselected because of student interest and to pursue a new subject,and possible involvement in long-term research. These centers arestocked with:

•Manipulative materials

•Media and print materials

•Suggestions for experimenting and exploring specific topics that are presented as options thatare presented for those students who have a genuine interest about a particular topic.

MATH RELATED IDC– considerthis…

•RLS on famous mathematicians

•Challenging math games, puzzles, programs, advanced equations,etc.

•Articles on mathematical research around the world, includingPulitzer Prize, Google, Wall Street, Stock Market, etc.

•Ted Talks “Why I Fell In Love With Prime Numbers”

•Ted Talks “The Magic of Fibonnaci Numbers”

Guiding Students Through anIndependent Study

•Assess, find, or create student interest

•Conduct interviews to determine interest strength

•Help students arrive at a question or questions to research

•Formulate a written plan

•Help students locate resources

•Provide methodological assistance

•Help students to choose the question or problem to investigate

•Offer managerial assistance

•Identify final products and audiences

•Offer encouragement, praise, and constructive criticism

•Escalate the process

•Evaluate

Let’s Try It!

Review the math unit and pre-assessment

Based on the student’s score, what can be compacted?

Complete the compacting sheet

Plan for what the student can do during the compacted time

Going deeper with the concepts they have mastered

NOT going onto the next grade level curriculum

Resources – Brainstorm ideas!!!

Develop a plan for classroom management of this time

How does the math workshop model help support this process?

Next Steps and Questions

Share- what went well? What was difficult?

Need someone to brainstorm with that has common knowledge and background.

Shifting mindset

HS might choose higher level classes

Where do materials come from

Add ideas for compacting to the curriculum document

Release time to backward design- coach and teacher

Motivation to change

Choose a place to start (small) and practice

Clustering students??

Question – does the compacted idea have to directly connect to what they know?

Review unit pre-assessments in math

Skill vs content

Create science pre-assessments

Skill and content

Provide training to teachers K-12

Other: brainstorm ideas