1. Leveraging DI Through Curriculum Implementation
Ron Ballentine
Cindy Cosentino
Halton District School Board

2. 2007-2010 DLP: Differentiation Learning Plan Pre-implementation
Building Capacity
Sustaining Capacity

3. Differentiation Learning Plan
DLP:
Differentiation Learning Plan
Strengths:
Allowed teachers to self-evaluate and select the session that best met their learning needs
Allowed SPD leadership team to develop expertise
Provided a foundation of understanding in the system
Participants felt well-prepared to implement DI in their classroom

4. Differentiation Learning Plan
DLP:
Differentiation Learning Plan
Areas to improve:
Participants were often isolated, difficult to develop a culture of collaboration
Challenging to provide ongoing support and follow-up
Difficult to ensure the learning was job-embedded

5. Science Curriculum Implementation Plan
Use the implementation of the
revised science curriculum as a
context for the
learning
3 year plan

6. Year 1 2008-2009 Winter: Prepare the way
Planning team (department heads) developed to look at new curriculum and to begin planning for roll-out
Ministry training session

7. Year 1 2008-2009 Spring: Set the Stage
Regional sessions each science department was brought to a training session
Goals:
introduce the new curriculum
frame it within the philosophical shift in structure

8. Build Leadership Capacity
Year
Build Leadership
Capacity

9. Year 2 2009-2010 Leaders meetings-5 full day sessions
Differentiated Instruction
Literacy
Assessment and evaluation
Backward Design
Facilitation skills

10. Year 2 2009-2010 Release time provided for in-school department time
Department initiatives
Cross-school meetings
Differentiated to meet the needs of the department

11. Year
Lesson writing
Development of teacher-developed lessons that model
Differentiated Instruction
STSE focus of curriculum
A & E practices
2 examples included

12. DI Planner

13. Sharing teacher developed resources
…Developing a culture of collaboration

14. Evaluation
How did it go?

15. “I felt better prepared to use differentiated instruction while I worked to implement the new curriculum.” NA 1 2 3 4 5
Not applicable
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Uncertain
Agree
Strongly Agree
95%

16. “The learning from Science Leaders Sessions has had a positive impact on the work I do in my classroom.”
95%

17. “The learning from Science Leaders Sessions has had a positive impact on the work I do in my role as a department head.”
90%

18. “The learning from these sessions has had a positive impact on the work of the other teachers in my department.”
82% agree/strongly agree

19. Consolidate and Sustain Capacity
Year
Consolidate
and
Sustain Capacity

20. Year 3 2010-2011 Leaders meetings-4 half days
Development of department goals to support SIPs
Sharing of successes and challenges

21. What supports would be of assistance to you?
More specific examples
Exemplars that I could use in class
More examples for academic/senior classes
Demos of lessons
More continued exemplars of what has worked well for other teachers
Could we see some classes engaged in a differentiated lesson to see what it looks like in practice

22. Sharing of Ministry Resources
Teaching Learning examples, DVD of lessons

23. DI and Growing Success Using DI as a context for all the work we are
doing

24. Next steps? 50% chose PROCESS 68% chose READINESS
Looking at the DI planner, what areas in KNOWLEDGE OF STUDENT
and
INSTRUCTIONAL RESPONSE
Are you most interested in focusing on next?
50% chose PROCESS
68% chose READINESS

25. Year
April PD day
Subject based, used to introduce Growing Success
Science leaders are planning & organizing work sessions
DI is at the core of the work

26. Year
Work Groups
Continued use of differentiated lesson planner
Develop strategies to meet the needs of different learners (Vernier)
Smarter Science-differentiation in inquiry
Focus on learning skills and community building

27. Would you recommend this model of department leader support for other curriculum areas?
Yes, time to reflect and grow throughout the year (better than just a one time thing).
Yes, it has allowed the Board to become smaller. What is happening in Acton is also occurring at Burlington Central.
Absolutely, it enhances student learning through teacher professional dev. In specific areas i.e. science.

28. Would you recommend this model of department leader support for other curriculum areas?
I would recommend this model for all curriculum areas because it forms a more focused time and the opportunity for sharing among leaders.
Yes, to build consistency (with curriculum, A& E, DI) between Halton schools, this is very useful.

29. Administration Perspective?
“The rollout of the revised science curriculum provided Halton the opportunity to simultaneously embed differentiated instruction into science courses. The evidence of our science teachers implementing a differentiated approach is readily apparent.”

30. Administration Perspective?
"They provided more choice in products and process, adapt their delivery to student's readiness to learn and frequently rely on assessment practices to adjust their lesson delivery."
" Our science teachers are adjusting very well to the implementation of the Growing Success policy document. The learning introduced through the revised curriculum rollout is again showing its value.”

31. Administration Perspective?
“Our science teachers are adjusting very well to the implementation of the Growing Success policy document. The learning introduced through the revised curriculum rollout is again showing its value.”

32. Moving forward…
This 3-year plan is being used by other curriculum areas as their documents are revised.

33. Questions?