Vertical Alignment
Professional Development
February 8, 2012
Northern Vance High School
*Please sit with teachers of the same
content area as you.*
Where We’ve Been
 Introduction
 Changes
to Common Core/NC Essential Standards
in specific course objectives
 Use
of Bloom’s Taxonomy
 Five
Strands
 Conceptual
Focus
What’s Next
Today’s Purpose
To explore the vertical alignment of instruction
and assessments to ensure that course
expectations (2012-2013) are appropriately
aligned to Common Core/NC Essential state
standards.
Activity: Building a Map
• In two separate groups,
remove the content of the
envelope and place them
on the table so that all
members can read its statements
• Discuss what statements should be learned
and/or mastered at each grade band (K-2, 3-5,
6-8 and 9-12) in regards to the History Strand
Activity: Building a Map
• Have one group member keep notes of the
conversations and/or questions that arise
• Once a group consensus has been made, arrange
them on the table under the appropriate grade
band
• Make note of how one statement may contribute
to the understanding of another
Activity: Building a Map
• Have a group member share out the group’s
progression map and discussions with the whole
group
Compare your maps to the NC Social Studies
Essential Standards
K.H.1.3. Explain
the impact of
how life events
bring change
1.H.1.3. Explain
why national
holidays are
celebrated
2.H.1.3. Compare
various
interpretations of
the same time
period using
evidence such as
photographs and
interviews.
3.H.2.2. Explain
how multiple
perspectives are
portrayed
through historical
narratives.
4.H.1.4. Analyze
North Carolina’s
role in major
conflicts and
wars from the
Pre-Colonial
period through
Reconstruction.
5.H.2.1
Summarize the
contributions of
the “Founding
Fathers” to the
development of
our country.
6.H.2.3. Explain
how innovation
and/or technology
transformed
civilizations,
societies and
regions over time
7.H.2.4.Analyze
the economic,
political, and
social impacts of
disease
8.H.3.4.Compare
historical and
contemporary
issues to
understand
continuity and
change in the
development of
North Carolina
and the United
States.
WH.2.5.Analyze
the development
and growth of
major Eastern and
Western religions
AH1.H.8.3.
Evaluate the
extent to which
a variety of
groups and
individuals have
had opportunity
to attain their
perception of
the “American
Dream” through
Reconstruction
AH2.H.5.1.Summarize
how the philosophical,
ideological and/or
religious views on
freedom and equality
contributed to the
development of
American political and
economic systems since
Reconstruction
HOW DID YOUR GROUP DO?
Discuss your reactions and any
misconceptions that you/your group may
have had.
The Current Dilemma
Inch-deep
coverage
Re-teaching
at next level
Lengthy
review
Definition
of insanity
The Solution
VERTICAL ALIGNMENT
Establishing and/or recognizing the scope and sequence of course
content to ensure…
DAILY instructional
activities/lessons are
aligned to state
standards
An appropriate
amount of time is
devoted to
instruction
Gaps are
indentified
Unnecessary
repetitions are
removed
Assessments are
appropriate
(Cohen, 1987; English & Steffy, 2001; Moss-Mitchell, 1998; Neidermeyer & Yelon, 1981; Porter et al., 1994; Porter &
Smithson, 2001; Price-Braugh, 1997; Wishnick, 1989)
Activity: Course Reflection
• Independently answer the four reflection
questions on the front side of the handout
provided
• Share your responses with members of your
content area
Common Core/NC Essential Standards
Correlation
• On the back side of the handout provided, complete the
first three columns based on your input on the front side
• For the Common Core/NC Essential Standards
Correlation column, search your new standards for those
major concepts/skills; provide the objective number and a
brief description of all occurrences
Instructions on Locating YOUR Standards
PLEASE PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS AND
VOCABULARY OF THE STANDARDS; not intended to be
new wording for old ways of doing things!
Common Core/NC Essential Standards
Correlation cont.
• Share your table with members of your content area
• Have one member compile an electronic group response; upload
it to the Moodle forum Major Course Concepts (click here for
instructions)
• Have a whole-group discussion on the common/major ideas
Things to Discuss (should include but not limited to):
 Concepts/Skills learned at lower levels that should lend
themselves to major concepts in upper levels
Any repetition of course concepts/skills
 The amount of time spent on concepts/skills identified as
strengths and weaknesses
 What topics/skills are nice to know as opposed to what is
essential?
Power Standards
Refer back to the fourth question on Course
Reflection sheet – “What do you wish you
could give your students more of?”
Your response to that prompt were
probably items considered as “power
standards”
Not intended
to undermine
CCSS/NCES
Power Standards
are… “those
Emphasis on
Idealism
standards
that,
once
enduring
vs. Realism
understanding
mastered, give a
student the ability to
use reasoning and
thinking skills to
learn and understand
other curriculum
Marzano’s
Prioritization
objectives
Instructional
NOT
Strategies
Elimination
Power Standards Criteria
Power Standards help teachers focus and prioritize what is most
important for students to know and be able to do in the time
available for teaching and learning. Three criteria of PS:



Readiness for Further Study: Students should have an
opportunity to master skills, concepts and processes that will
provide the necessary foundation for being successful in their
studies.
Leverage: Students should study skills, concepts and
processes that have wide applicability to other areas of study.
Endurance: Students should study skills, concepts and
processes that they will likely draw on throughout their lives.
What are YOUR Power Standards?

What will you provide your students with to ensure
success – in your class, in their next level class and so on
(leverage, readiness for next levels of learning), in life
(endurance), and on your final/state exam
under the new curriculum?
Post your response on the Moodle discussion
forum Power Standards; we will refer to
these standards along with our major concepts
in our next session
Where We’re Going

On next/last early release session will be on
Wednesday, March 21 at Northern

We will begin Unit/Assessment Planning and
Locating Resources

There will be two days of Common Core/NC
Essential Standards training for core teachers this
summer – Dates TBA
Before you GO…
To submit an evaluation on today’s
professional development session:
•Return to the 1:1 Professional
Development VCS Moodle
http://moodle.vcs.k12.nc/moodle
•Under the EVALUATION topic, select
“Professional Development
(Feb. 8, 2012) EVALUATION”
*Hard copies are available for
those without laptops/internet
connection
Instructions

Go to the VCS Moodle site

Click on Instructional Technology from the Course Categories

Click on 1:1 Professional Development VCS

Under today’s section, open the Word document Major Course
Concept

Complete the table based on the input provided by your group
members; SAVE the document

Return to the Moodle and attach the file to the forum Major
Course Concept
Return to Activity
Locating YOUR Standards


Go to the VCS Moodle site
Click on Instructional Technology from the Course Categories
Click on Common
Core & NC Essential
Standards

 Locate
your
content area
 Select
the
document that you
wish to view
Return to Activity Part 2