CURRICULUM
COMPACTING
Portland Public Schools
February/March 2009
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The Big Picture-Differentiating in Mixed-Ability Classrooms
Differentiation
Strategies
Grouping
Options
Tiered
Lessons &
Assignments
Questioning
Compacting
Curriculum
and
Depth &
Complexity
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The Challenge
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Students come at
different readiness levels
Students learn at
different rates
Students have different
styles of learning
Students have varying
interests
Students have a variety
of needs
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Meeting Needs of All Learners
•How do you know the rate and level of your
students?
•How are you adjusting your instruction based on
the information you receive about student rate
and level of learning?
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Word Association: Compact
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Visualize and Illustrate
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Think of associations for Compact
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Today’s Objectives
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What is Curriculum
Compacting?
How?
When?
Who?
Why use Curriculum
Compacting?
Resources
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What is Curriculum Compacting?
(Reis and Renzulli)
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Instructional strategy …
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streamlines the grade-level curriculum
allows more time for challenging work
Designed to make appropriate adjustments in
rate or level for students in any area or gradelevel.
Not just for gifted learners.
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eliminates redundancy or work that may be too
easy for any student
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•Identify Curricular Need
•Assess content and skills prior
to and throughout instruction
•Discover that students already
meet or exceed standard
•Compact the Regular
Curriculum: provide opportunity
for sufficient evidence at the
student’s level of proficiency
•Keep Records (get the student
involved).
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Two Kinds of Curriculum
Compacting
Basic Skills
Compacting
Content Compacting
Spelling, Math Facts,
Language Arts Basic Skills
Pre-testing or other quick
pre-assessments are used to
document proficiency.
Social Studies, Science, Literature, Math
Applications, and Problem-Solving
Students may already know some
material or may be able to read
advanced material or master
objectives more quickly.
Pre and Formative assessment
data may come from teacher
observation, journal entries, writing
assignments, Socratic Seminars…
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MOST DIFFICULT FIRST
can be an example of basic skills or content
compacting
Before giving an assignment, start by determining
which items are the most difficult examples of
the entire task.
Offer the whole class the explanation and
opportunity to try the most difficult first.
Students who are successful in the
completion of the most difficult and
demonstrate proficiency with this work are
given time to explore the content more in
depth.
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The Score is the Score:
Demonstration of Proficiency
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Once a student demonstrates
proficiency, the “score” or “value”
at that point can serve as a final
score for that standard or unit.
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Tiering
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Teachers modify
content/activities into
2-3 progressive levels
of depth and
complexity
Compacting
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Information, routine
practice, and/or skills
are eliminated from
the curriculum that a
student has already
mastered
A student works at a
more rapid pace
Alternative activities
are provided
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Tier and/or Compact?
100
80
60
40
20
0
Scaffolded
Meets
Exceeds
Far Exceeds
Assessment shows need
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THE COMPACTOR (Renzulli)
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Assess the area(s) of strength
Document mastery
Provide alternate activities for enrichment
and/or acceleration
Set working conditions for alternate activities
Provide a personal study project agreement
Student keeps log of extension workmanagement
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Student’s Name: ________________________________
Areas of Strength
Documenting Mastery Alternate Activities
-pre-assessment
-the results w/ specificity
“More & harder
work!”
“No, thanks!”
Choice!
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Student’s Name: _______________________________
Areas of Strength
Mathfacts
Documenting Mastery Alternate Activities
-Quiz
-90-100%
Will work with class
on days they learn
concepts not mastered
Will work on alternate
math enrichment
activities on other days
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Student’s Name: ________________________________
Areas of Strength
Rapid reader
with very good
comprehension
Documenting Mastery Alternate Activities
-Teacher
observation on
previous
assignments
-Answer
comprehension
questions/problems
-Show teacher
-Read assignment
-Do questions
-Choose from a menu
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Student’s Name: ________________________________
Areas of Strength
Science:
Relationship of the
sun, moon and
earth (standard):
seasons
Documenting Mastery Alternate Activities
Students uses a model
to show how the tilt of
the earth causes
differential heating of
the earth’s surface
which in turn causes
the seasons as the
earth revolves around
the sun
Student will explore an
astronomy area of
choice from the choice
board
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Write the first chapter and the general
outline of a historical novel
based on the time period we are
studying. All aspects of the
characters, location, and setting
must be accurately portrayed
within the time period in which it
is set.
Create enough questions from our
curriculum for the class to use in
its next College or Academic
Bowl game. Give your questions
to the teacher to use. Be sure the
answers are included.
Illustrate or demonstrate several
articles of clothing that would
have been worn by 5 characters
in a novel about this time period.
Discover how schools were run during
this time period. Teach a lesson
to the class in the same style that
would have been used at this
particular time.
Student
Choice
Study The Timetables of History by
Bernard Grun. Design a way to
make your classmates aware of
what was going on in the rest of
the world during a significant
period of American history.
Create a newspaper that contains
stories and features about actual
events written in ways authentic
to the period of time we are
studying.
Compare and contrast 2–3 novels
written about the same time
period and determine which
version is closest to the ways in
which events actually happened.
Understand ways in which the
expansion of multiculturalism in
America has impacted our
politics and literature.
Winebrenner-Differentiating Content for Gifted Learners in Grades 6-12:
CD of extension menus and guides by content areas
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WHEN should a teacher compact
the curriculum?
When pre and ongoing formative
assessments indicate that a student
(or several students) demonstrates
proficiency in the skill or content
which is the instructional focus.
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WHO are candidates for Compacting?
→Already meets or exceeds standard
→Consistently finishes tasks quickly
→Mistakes are careless in nature
→Brings outside materials to class
→Tests well (despite average or below class work)
→Consistently performs high in an academic area
→Questions show advanced familiarity with the material
→Interest in pursuing alternate or advanced topics
-Starko
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Tools for Compacting Curriculum
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Assessments (Pre, Ongoing, Formative,
Summative)
Tiered Lesson Templates
“The Compactor”
Menus of Challenging Activities
Working Agreements
or Learning Contracts
Student Planning Guide
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WHY?
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Dramatically reduces
redundancy and challenges
students to new heights of
excellence
Makes work particularly
relevant for underachieving
students
Unless students are
consistently challenged, they
will loose motivation to learn
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If you want to know more …
•Kingore, Bertie (2007) Reaching All Learners: Making
Differentiation Work. Professional Associate Publishing.
•Reis, S.M. & Renzulli, J.S. (2005). Curriculum Compacting:
An Easy Start to Differentiating for High-Potential Students.
Prufrock Press.
•Starko, A. J. (1986). It’s About Time. Creative Learning
Press.
•Winebrenner, S. (2001) Teaching Gifted Kids in the
Regular Classroom. Updated edition. Free Spirit Press.
• Winebrenner
Differentiating Content for Gifted Learners in
Grades 6-12: CD of extension menus and guides by content areas
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