The A-B-C’s of CTAE and
Academic Curriculum Integration
Stan McCallar, Georgia DOE
Leslie Carson, SREB/HSTW
John Kirby/Brenda Roland, Mt. Zion HS
Tarsha Wynn, Osborne HS
CTAE and Academic Integration in GA
• Training of school teams in Spring 2008.
– Two two-day training events for development of
authentic integrated project units
– On-site coaching visit
• Unit editing for online repository
• Survey of school teams eight months after
training
8-Step Model for CTAE/Academic Integration
Step One:
Step Two:
Step Three:
Step Four:
Step Five:
Step Six:
Step Seven:
Step Eight:
Choose a CTAE project
Look for embedded academics
Identify literacy and 21st century skills students will
apply
Develop a summative assessment
Develop a pre-assessment
Develop instructional strategies for the CTAE
classroom
Develop instructional strategies for the academics
classroom
Prepare a document describing the project activities.
Supporting Data
• 54% of CTAE teachers now look for embedded
math and provide instruction for it.
• 11% of CTAE teachers continue to work with a
math teacher to plan integrated instruction.
• 64% of math teachers have added some
contextual instruction to their math classes.
Additional Supporting Data
• 100% of math support class students at Grady HS
passed the Georgia High School Graduation Exam
in Spring 2009 as a result of ongoing collaboration
between the math teacher and the health sciences
teacher
• Teachers involved in the project continue to
develop authentic integrated anchor projects:
Stephenson HS, Grady HS and Albany, for example
• Mathematics and CTAE teachers in Dekalb County
are using online units.
Barriers
• Common planning time
• Lack of administrative support
Success requires:
Teachers and administrators must see a project such
as this one as a part of a larger whole school
reform; and,
Successful teams include the right team members
who have the direct support of administration.
Restaurant Project
John Kirby – Engineering & Technology
Brenda Roland – Mathematics
Mount Zion High School
Clayton County Public Schools
Designing a Restaurant
• Math concepts – proportions, measurement, frequency
tables, dispersions, word problems, etc.
• CT concepts – design process, floor plan designs, logo
designs, menu planning, advertising, management
implementation, marketing, and presenting
• Product or performance assessment – bell ringers,
pretest / post test, rubrics, project samples,
presentations, etc.
Benefits to Students and Teachers
• CT students improved math skills from pre to post test
• Math has infused activities to align with preparation for
the GHSGT and EOCT
• When teachers of different disciplines work together
the students see the relevance for both subjects
Barriers
• Barriers we encountered — lack of common planning
time, not teaching the same students, targeting
relevant integration ideas
• Overcoming of barriers – continued discussing
strategies before or after school, warm ups or bell
ringers for math classes and CT classes, discussions
of relevant math assignments for both programs
Since the Training…
• Presented to other teachers at the HSTW Summer
Conference
• Developed / Developing additional units of study for math
integration activities – floor coverings, heating & air
calculations, pouring concrete calculations and predictive
analysis activities, etc.
• Begin working with a science/CTAE teacher for Activities
Using Engineering by Design and Engineering the Future
Curriculum
Gadgets and Gizmos
Tarsha Wynn – Engineering Drawing & Design Teacher
R.L. Osborne High School Cobb County
Project Description
Math Standards:
• P1, P2, P3, P4, P5
• M6M2, M6G1
• M7G1
• M8G1
• MM2G1
• MM2G3
CT concepts
ACT-IED 2
ACT-IED 3
ACT-IED 4
• The project will teach students about the
process involved in proposing and
creating a product of a simple mechanical
nature.
Benefits to Students and Teachers
• Project ideas created together.
• Standards explored together.
• Lesson ideas created together, lesson
implementation completed individually.
• Math concepts reinforced between CTAE and Math
classes.
• Manufacturing and business concepts introduced.
Barriers
• Proximity: We work in different buildings, meeting
together was challenging.
• The Engineering Drawing Class had just started the
unit in question, eliminating the possibility of a pretest.
• Math EOCT and Advanced Placement testing
considerations prevented the Geometry class from
reviewing concepts already visited until after the
EOCT.
Since the Training…
• My collaborating teacher did not return to Osborne
High School.
• The ideology behind the project was introduced to
the CTE and counseling department.
• My CTE section was taught to my students.
• More math concepts have been extracted and
explained from units.
2009 CTAE/HSTW Workshops
• We are tentatively making plans to have math,
science, CTAE integration workshops on a
regional basis in the fall. Additional information
will be forthcoming.
www.gadoe.org/ci_cta.aspx
Please complete the evaluation form
for this session, found in your
conference program and turn it in at
the door as you leave.
Thank you!