Common Sense 07/15/2009
 Common Sense was published anonymously by Thomas Paine in January 1776. The purpose for this small pamphlet was to encourage change and to urge the American people to form their own government. The purpose of this article is to offer some common sense advice which will impact K-12 education in any country. IN the following pages I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense; and have no other preliminaries to settle with the reader (Paine, 1776). Education:
described how student achievement increases when one or more of the processes or viewpoints are implemented. For example, Marzano (2003) shared, the number one factor impacting student achievement is a guaranteed and viable curriculum (p. 22). “Standards alone cannot change these realities. Instead, successful change occurs when all aspects of the local curriculum are linked to standards through a purposeful, coherent system of process and products” (Carr & Harris, 2001, p. 1). Wiggins and McTighe (2007) wrote, “Schooling at its best reflects a purposeful arrangement of parts and details, organized with deliberate intention, for achieving the kinds of learning we seek” (p. 9). Please feel free to share your Common Sense recommendations for K-12 education. References: Carr, J.E., & Harris, D.E. (2001). Succeeding with Standards: Linking Curriculum, Assessment, and Action Planning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Marzano, R.J. (2003). What working in schools: Translating research into action. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Paine, T. Common sense (1776). The Library of Congress. Retrieved July 14, 2009, from http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm028.html Wiggins, G. & McTighe, G., (2007) Schooling by design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Curriculum Renewal 07/03/2009
 By July, most school systems have received data from student report cards, state testing results, feedback from parents/guardians, and student portfolios which demonstrate the student's growth from the beginning of the school year until the last day of school. What processes will teachers and administrators use to improve the written and taught curriculum in the upcoming school year? What strategies should be developed to provide additional support to struggling readers? According to Senge, Scharmer, Jaworski, and Flowers (2004), "Most change initiatives that end up going nowhere don't fail because they lack grand visions and noble intentions. They fail because people can't see the reality they face" (p. 29). A tool for identifying the realities faced by a school and one which will help your team determine 'next steps' is a SWOT Analysis. A SWOT Analysis looks at and defines the strengths and weaknesses of the internal environment of the school or school system, as well as the opportunities and threats within the environment external to the organization or organizational unit. Once educators have identified the existing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, they can build plans to support student achievement. Instructional priorities will based on the outcomes of the SWOT Analysis, rather than focusing on 'what worked' last year. Educators will notice that what is perceived as a threat for the upcoming school year could also be a new opportunity. "Systems don't change by themselves. Rather, the actions of individuals and small groups working on new conceptions intersect to produce breakthroughs" (Fullan, 1993). Resource: SWOT Analysis Template (See attached document) References: Fullan, M. (1993). Change forces: Probing the depths of educational reform. London: Falmer Press. Senge, P., Scharmer, C.O., Jaworski, J., & Flowers, B.S. (2004). Presence: An exploration of profound change in people, organizations, and society. New York: Doubleday. 
Force Field Analysis 06/24/2009
 Do opposing forces prevent your school system from aligning the curriculum? Opposing forces include time, co-workers, competing district initiatives, changes in leadership, and the failure to define the purpose for curriculum alignment efforts. Educators are aware of the need for curriculum alignment, yet most school systems struggle with making curriculum alignment an ongoing process. A planning tool named the Force Field Analysis will provide your team with valuable data regarding the opposing forces which interfere with curriculum alignment efforts. The Force Field Analysis is a simple but powerful technique for building an understanding of the forces that will drive and resist a proposed change. The attached document provides a template for teachers and teacher teams. The Force Field Analysis can also be used for other educational goals which are difficult to achieve due to opposing forces. Additional information regarding this tool is available at: Force Field Analysis
A New Day For Education in the United States 06/01/2009
 46 States, D.C. Plan to Draft Common Education Standards The Washington Post By Maria Glod, Washington Post Staff Writer June 1, 2009 On June 1, forty-six states and the District of Columbia announced an effort to craft a single vision for what children should learn each year from kindergarten through high school graduation. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan was quoted in The Washington Post as saying, "This is the beginning of a new day for education in our country." Influential Organizations: National Governors Association Achieve - American Diploma Project Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Center for Civic Education Council of Chief State School Officers International Technology Education Association National Council for the Social Studies National Council of Teachers of English National Council of Teachers of Mathematics National Education Association National Science Teachers Association The American Federation of Teachers The Partnership for Twenty-First Century Learning Skills and others....... Important Documents: Benchmarking for Success: Ensuring U.S. Students Receive a World-Class Education Common Core Standards Initiative Why Is the Common Core Standards Initiatieve Important for the Country? Council of Chief State School Officers The Case for National Standards The Washington Post By Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers A Call for National Standards The American Federation of Teachers The Partnership’s Statement on President Barack Obama’s Education Plan The Partnership for Twenty-First Century Skills March 11, 2009 The Unfinished Work of the Standards Movement By Michael Cohen, President Achieve Governor Hunt Testifies Before U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor James B. Hunt Institue for Educational Leadership and Policy April 29, 2009 Additional information on National Standards may be found by clicking on National Standards. Please feel free to share your thoughts on the press release announcing the creation of Common Education Standards. What is the Purpose of Your K-12 Curriculum? 05/13/2009
 Smedley said, "A speech without a purpose is like a journey without a destination" (as cited by Koegel, 2007, p. 34). The same can be said about curriculum development. A curriculum without a purpose is like a journey without a destination. Do the teachers and administrators in your school system have agreed upon learning outcomes for students at the end of each grade level? Do teachers and administrators have time scheduled throughout the school year to discuss which instructional strategies are working with certain grade levels or even with individual students? The list below contains several of the skills and understandings that most teachers and parents would agree students should develop during the K-12 experience(s). If a parent moved from another state or country and asked teachers in your school district which skills and understandings are taught in the seventh grade, would the parent receive the same answer from teachers at three different middle schools? Using the list below, add skills and understandings that you feel are missing. Are some of the identified skills more essential than others? Should some of the skills be taught in each grade, K-12? Should some of the skills be deemphasized due to the skills required by a changing workforce? Most importantly, what is the purpose for including each of these skills or understandings in the K-12 curriculum? Is your district's current curriculum meeting its intended purpose? What can be done to realign the district's curiculum in order to meet the agreed upon purposes during the 2009-2010 school year? 1. Citizenship 2. Geographic Awareness 3. Decoding Skills 4. 21st Century Learning Skills 5. Presentation Skills 6. Writing Skills 7. Problem Solving Skills 8. World Languages 9. Literacy Skills 10. Self-Awareness 11. Character Education 12. Healthful Living 13. Personal Financial Literacy 14. Apply Mathematics in a variety of settings 15. Communication Skills 16. The Arts 17. Career Development 18. Interview Skills 19. Critical Thinking Skills 20. How to Apply Skills and Understandings "All learners benefit from and should receive instruction that reflects clarity about purposes and priorities of content." - Carol Ann Tomlinson and Jay McTighe References: Koegel, T.J. (2007). The exceptional presenter. Austin, TX: Greenleaf Book Group Press. Tomlinson, C.A., & McTighe, J. (2006). Integrating differentiated instruction and understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Four Things That Make a Great Leader 05/04/2009
Stephen Covey suggests that there are four things that make a great leader. Behind the Classroom Door 04/21/2009
 Thoughts for Teachers and Teacher Teams: During the curriculum development process, educators will experience change and various strategies will require that educators have a clear understanding of the differences between first order change and second order change | AuthorSteven Weber is the Director of Secondary Instruction for Orange County Schools in Hillsborough, NC. Weber has served as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, and state department of education consultant in Arkansas and North Carolina. He consults school systems in aligning their curriculum and in unpacking curriculum standards.  ArchivesMarch 2010 CategoriesAll | ||||
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