2. The Year of Core Instruction
Dr. DeeDee Washington, Chief Officer for Instruction
(803)

3. Learner Outcomes Essential Questions
What are the components of our district’s instructional vision for the school year?
How does our work need to shift to focus on student learning, rather than solely on quality teaching?
What do the experts identify as the critical components for effective lessons?
How do these components relate to the components of the ACPSD instructional framework?
Why is a district-wide instructional framework important?

4. Instructional Vision: Strategic Competencies and Priorities
Planning for the School Year
Curriculum
Instruction
Assessment
Professional Learning
Leadership
Literacy
Focus: The Year of Core Instruction

5. Instructional Vision: 2017-18 School Year
Focus: Core Instruction
Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum
Explicit Direct Instruction
ACPSD Instructional Framework
Lesson Planning Templates
Observation Tools
ACPSD Literacy Framework
Comprehensive Assessment System
Professional Learning
Strategic Competencies and
Priorities
AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT Instructional Vision| August 9, 2017

6. Building a Framework to Support Student Centered Learning A Planning Guide for Schools
Questions for Thought:
Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment
* What do we want students to learn?
* How will we know if they have learned it?
* What do we do if they do not learn it?
* What do we do if they do learn it?
ACPSD
Curriculum
Instructional
Delivery
Model
Focus

7. How does our fundamental purpose shift in a student-centered culture?
From…
To…
Focus on teaching
Focus on learning
Emphasis on what was taught
Fixation on what students learned
Coverage of content
Demonstration of proficiency
Providing individual teachers with curriculum documents such as state standards and curriculum guides
Engaging collaborative teams in building shared knowledge regarding essential curriculum

8. How does the work of teachers shift in a student-centered culture?
From…
To…
Isolation
Collaboration
Each teacher clarifying what students must learn
Collaborative teams building shared knowledge and understanding about essential learning
Each teacher assigning priority to different learning standards
Collaborative teams establishing the priority of respective learning standards
Providing individual teachers with curriculum documents such as state standards and curriculum guides
Engaging collaborative teams in building shared knowledge regarding essential curriculum
Individual teachers attempting to discover ways to improve results
Collaborative teams of teachers helping each other to improve
Privatization of practice
Open sharing of practice
Decisions made on the basis of individual preference
Decisions made by building shared knowledge of best practice
“Collaboration-light” – focused on matters unrelated to student achievement
Collaboration explicitly focused on issues and questions that most impact student achievement
An assumption that indicates that “these are my kids, those are your kids…”
An assumption that indicates that “these are our kids…”

9. How does our response change when students don’t learn in a student-centered culture?
From…
To…
Individual teachers determining the appropriate response
Systematic response that ensures support for every student
Fixed time and support for learning
Time and support for learning as variables
Remediation
Intervention
Invitational support outside of the school day
Directed (that is, required) support occurring during the school day
One opportunity to demonstrate learning
Multiple opportunities to demonstrate learning

10. Block Party: Pre-Reading Text Protocol
1. Facilitator writes quotes on index cards prior to session. You may choose one quote per participant, or repeat some quotes.
2. Participants randomly select quote/cards and spend a few minutes reflecting upon their quote’s meaning for them and their work.
3. Participants find their chart and other group members and share any reaction to or thoughts about the quote. A recorder takes notes in preparation to share out.
4. Each group shares a summary of their discussion, including their ideas and questions raised by the experience. This can be done popcorn style or as a round.
6. Facilitator shares the source of the quotes, posting the link, distributing the article, etc. for future work
7. Debrief the process

11. Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning by Mike Schmoker
Section I: First Things First: What We Teach, How we Teach – and Literacy
Simplicity, Clarity, Priority
Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum
Effective Lessons:
The Consequences of Typical, Poorly Built Lessons
The Stunning Impact of Effective Lessons
Chapter 3: How We Teach

12. Checking for Understanding
Component
Definition
1. Learning
Objective
A standards-based statement that describes what students will be able to do successfully and independently at the end of a specific lesson as a result of your classroom instruction.
2. Activator
Lesson Importance
A brief instructional experience that provides relevance, sparks interest or connects prior knowledge to the current learning objective. 
3. Concept
Development
Explicit instruction and development of the main idea of the learning objective, broken into manageable segments. 
4. Skill
Explicit instruction that teaches students how to execute the skill (verb) in the learning objective.
5. Guided
Practice
Students do the initial practice of content working together with the help and under the close guidance of the teacher.
6. Transition
A check for understanding to determine students' level of mastery of the learning objective. This check will determine whether students move on to independent work or receive reteaching.
7. Independent
A task for students to work and practice the skill taught without direct support of the teacher. 
8. Closure
A final check for understanding to determine student mastery of the learning objective. 
Checking for Understanding
(CFU)
Continually verifying that the students are learning what is being taught while it is being taught.

13. Let’s compare components…
Schmoker’s List:
Clear learning objectives
Teaching/Modeling/ Demonstrating
Guided Practice
Checks for Understanding/ Formative Assessment
Components of ACPSD Instructional Framework
1. Learning Objective
2. Activator and Lesson Importance
3. Concept Development
4. Skill Development
5. Guided Practice
6. Transition
7. Independent Practice
8. Closure
Checking for Understanding
(CFU)

14. Why focus on core instruction?

15. Why an instructional framework?
Our Whys…
To create a common language about what constitutes quality teaching and how it looks.
To provide guidance in designing and implementing quality instruction for each student (PK-12).
To have collaborative, meaningful, and reflective dialogue about our work using a common language.
To become self-reflective, self-analytical individuals seeking increased efficiencies to improve student achievement.
To ensure an alignment with professional development (school resources, priorities and teacher supports).

16. Revisiting Learner Outcomes
Essential Questions
What are the components of our district’s instructional vision for the school year?
How does our work need to shift to focus on student learning, rather than solely on quality teaching?
What do the experts identify as the critical components for effective lessons?
How do these components relate to the components of the ACPSD instructional framework?
Why is a district-wide instructional framework important?

17. QUESTIONS? Dr. DeeDee Washington, Chief Officer for Instruction
(803)