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Using Power Standards to Build an Aligned Curriculum
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Using Power Standards to Build an Aligned Curriculum
A Process Manual



January 2011 | 216 pages | Corwin

"This is the first book that I have encountered, in all my years of leading districts through curriculum alignment, that makes the process manageable and doable."
—Jody L. Ware, Superintendent
Mundelein Consolidated High School, IL

"This book will allow schools and districts to effectively align standards, curriculum, and assessments to establish continuity between departments and across grade levels."
—Sharon Madsen Redfern, Principal
Highland Park Elementary School. Lewistown, MT

Register for Joe Crawford's upcoming webinar July 18.


Align your curriculum for success with Power Standards

Schools continually face the challenge of developing a useful, aligned curriculum that can effectively support student achievement and assessment. This book gives administrators and teachers the tools to make it happen. Award-winning educator Joe Crawford describes how to build the aligned curriculum that is so crucial to student success. The key is identifying Power Standards—the most critical skills that all learners must have. These skills are then taught in a logical sequence of instruction throughout the year. Key benefits of this process include:

  • A standards-based curriculum developed by teachers and leaders
  • Consistent objectives throughout the school
  • A common assessment system for measuring student success
  • A one-page curriculum outline that eases communication with all stakeholders

This manual is loaded with examples, practical advice, and checklists. Readers also have access to a corresponding Web-based software package that facilitates the process electronically and stores the curriculum plan on the Internet. Lead your school to excellence with Power Standards!


 
Foreword by Dr. Jody L. Ware
 
Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Author
 
Software Availabiilty
 
1. Process Overview and Curriculum Issues
Chapter Expectations

 
Process Overview

 
What About National Standards?

 
Survey of Current Environment

 
What Are Power Standards?

 
Process Summary

 
Process Checklist

 
 
2. Designing the Work Process
Chapter Expectations

 
Who Will Do the Work, and What Will They Do?

 
Goals, Roles, and Responsibilities

 
Process Summary

 
Process Checklist

 
 
3. Developing and Deploying the Power Standards
Chapter Expectations

 
Getting Started

 
Developing Power Standards

 
Deploying the Power Standards

 
Publishing the Power Standards

 
Final Publication and Use of Power Standards

 
Gathering Feedback

 
Final Publication and Use of Power Standards

 
Process Summary

 
Process Checklist

 
 
4. The Next Step: Quarterly Instructional Objectives
Chapter Expectations

 
The Change Process Continues

 
Publishing and Communication Issues

 
Board of Education Action

 
The Group to Do the Work

 
What Are Quarterly Instructional Objectives?

 
A Curriculum System

 
Developing the Quarterly Instructional Objectives

 
Samples and Numbering the Quarterly Instructional Objectives

 
Realities of the Quarterly instructional Objectives

 
Publishing and Reviewing the Quarterly Instructional Objectives

 
Process Summary

 
Process Checklist

 
 
5. Planning for Common, Aligned Assessments
Chapter Expectations

 
What Are Common, Aligned Assessments?

 
Why Use Common Assessments?

 
Stepping Out of the Box

 
Predesign Issues

 
Considering Assessment Options

 
Doing the Work

 
A Sample of Doing the Work

 
Further Applications of the Work

 
Publication and Storage Issues

 
Scoring and Using the Data

 
Final Thoughts and Use in Response to Intervention

 
Process Summary

 
Process Checklist

 
 
6. Special Concerns and Issues
Chapter Expectations

 
Overview

 
Common Curriculum and Formative Assessment Practices

 
Legal Mandates

 
Instructional Strategies and Methods

 
How Do We Begin?

 
Process Summary

 
Process Checklist

 
 
7. Troubleshooting and Follow Through
Chapter Expectations

 
Ready, Set, Go! The Feedback Loop

 
Critical Questions

 
Dealing With the Feedback

 
Keeping the Project Alive

 
Final Thoughts and Advice

 
Process Summary

 
Process Checklist

 
 
Resource A: Standards-Based Curriculum Guide Models and Related Documents
 
Resource B: Sample Power Standards and Quarterly Instructional Objectives
 
Resource C: Suggested Forms for Developing Power Standards, Instructional Objectives, and Feedback
 
Resource D: Recommended Agency References
 
Resource E: Sample Results
 
References and Suggested Readings
 
Index

"This book will help others create curriculum that will cause lasting change."

Elizabeth Lolli, Superintendent
Monroe Local Schools, OH

"In all of my years leading districts through the curriculum alignment process, this is the first book that I have encountered that makes the process manageable and doable."

Jody L. Ware, Superintendent
Mundelein Consolidated High School, IL

"The author has written a clear, step by step handbook on how to select and organize essential curriculum topics. This book is a worthy contribution to the literature on creating coherent curriculum."

Mike Schmoker, Consultant and Author
Results and Results Now, Tempe, AZ

"The strategies the author uses in developing and implementing power standards across a district are effective, practical and meaningful. Teachers involved become advocates of true alignment and meaningful assessment: systemically impacting learning. This process reaches all the way to the student desk, where the real learning takes place."

John Antonetti, Senior Consultant
Colleagues On Call, Little Rock, AR

"Joe Crawford is a veteran leader with a track record committed to excellence and equity. These strategies have been applied in some of the most challenging schools in the nation and these practical ideas can be used by teachers and administrators at every level."

Douglas B. Reeves, Author
Assessing Educational Leaders, 2e

"Joe Crawford is a veteran leader with a track record committed to excellence and equity. These strategies have been applied in some of the most challenging schools in the nation and these practical ideas can be used by teachers and administrators at every level."

Douglas B. Reeves, Founder
Leadership and Learning Center

"This book will allow schools and districts to effectively align standards, curriculum, and assessments to provide continuity among departments and across grade levels."

Sharon Madsen Redfern, Principal
Highland Park Elementary School. Lewistown, MT
Key features
The book discusses the issues presented in the local publication, dissemination, and follow through on the curriculum documents and common assessments developed as a result of this book, offering advice and even specific forms to help the reader plan for and avoid many problems inherent in the reform process.

Based on the author's many years of using this process, road blocks, issues, and problems are discussed in the book and helpful hints and ideas for best solving the issues are presented. Additionally, the author's experiences in Total Quality Management are used to build the continuous improvement process into the entire system, along with the Plan, Do, Check, Act cycle to ensure the work is sustained and constantly improved. This book is intended to help local educators create the guaranteed, viable curriculum so important to improving student performance.

Software available with this book offers real-time data to classroom teachers not only of which students passed and failed the formative assessments and which items were right and wrong, but the software also lists all students who demonstrated mastery of each Instructional Objective and which students did not demonstrate mastery. This is invaluable information in a standards-based curriculum with a re-teaching loop. The software also offers electronic curriculum mapping abilities and the ability to create and score surveys and retired national assessments as well as the storing of all district assessment data.

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Paperback
ISBN: 9781412991162
$41.95