Creating Rigor in the CRD Classroom Have you heard the latest Myths about rigor lately. I hear a couple of them wherever I go. How about the one about assigning more homework is a sign of rigor? Any one else want to volunteer a Myth about rigor? First, Let’s talk abut the CRD Classroom Then we’ll look at our students ..and then, we’ll talk about rigor Susan Oskin, CTE Specialist Maryland State Department of Education (410) 767-0635 soskin@msde.state.md.us

7 Myths About Rigor Myth #1: Lots of homework is a sign of rigor Myth #2: Rigor means doing more Myth #3: Rigor is not for everyone Myth #4: Providing support means less rigor Myth#5: Resources = Rigor Myth #6: Standards alone take care of rigor Myth #7: Rigor is just one more thing to do Source: Suite101.com -The Seven Myths of Instructional Rigor Can anyone tell me any Myths about rigor? I Hope that I will challenge and dispel all of these Myths before I am done speaking with you today

Career Research and Development Program Description Course II: (1 credit) Career Development, Preparation and Transition End of Course Assessments Academic and Career Portfolio Course I: (1 credit) Career Research and Development Skills for Success Employer Development Let’s look at the Program as a whole. Are there any teachers here who are teaching CRD for the first time? Two things that are important for all of us to know: 1 . This used to be a program with only one in-school course & 3 credits for WBL Because we were getting complaints from employers that are students were not prepared to enter the work place…. We increased the in-school component to two courses 2. We increased our expectations for teachers for student achievement Course I Self Awareness & Identifying Dependable Strengths Career Awareness Researching Careers Academic and Career Planning Course II: Career Preparation Employment Readiness Transition Factors Work-Based Learning (2 credits) Authentic Learning Plan (Technical/Academic/Employability Skill Development) Career and College Readiness

CRD STUDENT DATA Academic Attainment far below the state average: HSA English II (83.58% vs.68.76%) HSA Algebra (77.53% vs. 63.33%) Placement rate for CRD is 10 percentage points below the state average Dual Completion rate is 37 percentage points below the state average Enrollment: 38% of student have an IEP 3040/8000 - Students have IEPs GET OTHER DATA

What is Rigor? Harsh inflexibility in opinion, temper or judgment: severity The quality of being unyielding or inflexible: strictness Severity of life: an act or instance of severity or cruelty A tremor caused by a chill A condition that makes life difficult, challenging or uncomfortable ADD TRANSITIONS HAVE EACH SLIDE IN SEPARTATELY

Rigor/Relevance Framework Evaluation 6 High Rigor Low Context High Context Synthesis 5 Analysis 4 Application 3 Low Rigor Understanding 2 Awareness 1 Knowledge Apply in Discipline Apply Across Disciplines Apply to Predictable Real-World Situations Apply to Unpredictable Real-World Situations CTE 2014 AP Math Old Voc Ed & Consumer Math Arithmetic This is an example of how Career and Technology Education has changed over the past 20 years. What we are really talking about when we say that we have increased the rigor of our programs rigor is that we expect CTE students to learn content and apply their knowledge in unpredictable Real-World Situations because we build the curricula to help them be able to analyze, synthesize and evaluate the information and situations around them. This is our expectation for all CTE Programs of study…so how do YOU as CRD teachers meet this expectation? Critical thinking Problem-solving Communicating effectively SO…how do you do it???? Adapted from W. Daggett - International Center for Leadership in Education

Rigor in Education Meeting or exceeding established standards Improving the trajectory of performance BY IT…I mean So when we speak about Rigor in Education we mean

Rigor is increasing the level of expectation of what students are already doing Teacher Expectations Student Scale Strengths/Struggles Capabilities Aptitudes Learning Styles Emotions ….. Raising your expectation for your students But… There is a balance…… each student is very different… so as a teacher your looking at several areas about each student (STUDENT SCALE) and starting from where each student is in their SCALE…. Then setting expectations based on this information. Instruction then can be delivered within Tiered groups of students – group students with similarities and setting goals/ targets based on where they are. Or you can individualize instruction Or at certain times, you might want to groups students with very different performance scales - say on a group project to have peer mentoring/ teaching opportnities. The point being… You know so much about each student that you can customize your instruction in ways that benefit student learning.

What Does Rigor Look Like? Environmental Rigor Standards of Achievement Common Assessments Progress for Each Student Rewards for Progress What does rigor look like? There are two places where rigor is important in our education sphere. IN THE Learning ENVIRONMENT and… IN OUR INSTRUCTION. Let’s Look at the Learning Environment first We have Standards of Achievement (MD College and Career Ready Standards and CRD Standards (NCDA) Now take a look at the next two bullets: Where have you hear this language before? SLOS! Right Students have targets… But then there is the human side of education…. Actually telling someone they have done well or made improvements or gave good effort…. Recognize the small steps students are making toward the large goal – can be significant to building certain students self confidence in learning.

What Does Rigor Look Like? Instructional Rigor Differentiating instruction (SCALE) Coaching as well as direct instruction Applying Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Using formative assessments Increasing opportunities to apply learning Reflecting on learning Making changes to instruction This is how you get to rigor? Getting at rigor is intentional! These are probably strategies you recognize. SCALE : Strengths/Struggles Capabilities Aptitudes Learning Styles Emotions UDL  is an educational framework based on research in the learning sciences, including cognitive neuroscience, that guides the development of flexible learning environments that can accommodate individual learning differences.[1] the Center for Applied Special Technology(CAST) in the 1990s,[2] calls for creating curriculum from the outset that provides: Multiple means of representation to give learners various ways of acquiring information and knowledge, Multiple means of expression to provide learners alternatives for demonstrating what they know, and Multiple means of engagement to tap into learners' interests, challenge them appropriately, and motivate them to learn.[3][4] Reflection is for both students and teachers And the ability to respond to student needs and change instruction

True Instructional Rigor is… “creating an environment in which each student is expected to learn at high levels, each student is supported so he or she can learn at high levels, and each student demonstrates learning at high levels” ~Williamson and Blackburn, 2011 Rigor is not a Four Letter Word….Barbara Blackburn

Career Research and Development Program Description Course II: (1 credit) Career Development, Preparation and Transition End of Course Assessments Academic and Career Portfolio Course I: (1 credit) Career Research and Development Skills for Success Employer Development .. And so when I think about What is rigor in the CRD classroom I am reminded that we have standards: CRD Standards (informed by the National Career Development Guidelines) and Learner outcomes…. What students are supposed to know and be able to do And… The College and Career Ready Standards for Disciplinary Literacy And.. the Skills For Success – Those 21st Centruty skills that employers tell us that our students need to develop to be successfulin the workplace. All of which you will get to see and experience as our Master Teachers take you through the lessons developed using these standards. I hope you reflect on what you have learned throughout this PD experience and integrate even more ways to make your classroom instruction rigorous for every student. Work-Based Learning (2 credits) Authentic Learning Plan (Technical/Academic/Employability Skill Development) Career and College Readiness

Believing in Possibilities

Creating Rigor in the CRD Classroom First, Let’s talk abut the CRD Classroom Then we’ll look at our students ..and then, we’ll talk about rigor Susan Oskin, CTE Specialist Maryland State Department of Education (410) 767-0635 soskin@msde.state.md.us