DeKalb Schools characterizes their curriculum and assessments as “an intense instructional road map while providing flexibility to accommodate individual student needs.” I characterize it so far as less than stellar.
Lisa Martin – (
resume) Lisa Martin has been DeKalb Schools’ Chief Academic and Accountability Officer since June 2016. – She was previously the Superintendent and Associate Superintendent for various school districts across the South East over the previous 5 years.
resume) Lisa Martin has been DeKalb Schools’ Chief Academic and Accountability Officer since June 2016. – She was previously the Superintendent and Associate Superintendent for various school districts across the South East over the previous 5 years.
Q&A With Lisa Martin
DeKalb Schools’ Chief Academic and Accountability Officer
Question: Many of the curriculum unit assessments have been thus far poorly written. What is the plan to address that?
Answer: Lisa Martin – The teacher created pre assessments were developed during the curriculum writing design process. The content area, grade level teacher teams vetted the assessment questions and responses throughout the end of second semester and over the summer. Content coordinators and master teachers again vetted the assessments for a second editing. Revisions have been made as needed. Additional revisions will be addressed as we continue to seek input through the implementation of the units. Post assessments were developed through a partnership with the University of Georgia Assessment Center.
The C&I Division is soliciting continuous feedback from curriculum writers and teachers to identify possible modifications and adjustments during the first year of implementation of the units and assessments. As feedback is provided, the C&I division is enhancing the documents. Each core content area coordinator conducts a monthly Lead Teacher level meeting (K-5, 6-8, 9-12). The schools have appointed teacher leaders to attend these monthly meetings. A portion each monthly meeting has been dedicated for teacher input regarding the new curriculum and its associated components. This time also provides the coordinators with teacher/school specific input regarding teacher support.
Question: How do you respond to the open letter to the Board and Superintendent that says the curriculum is chaotic, disorganized, lacking substance, and fails to follow a logical sequence of concepts and skills.
Answer: Lisa Martin – DCSD partnered with the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE), a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, to develop 528 units of study in all K-12 core content areas (Math, ELA, Science, & Social Studies) as well as the first course in 8 CTAE pathways.
Using DeKalb Schools’ own K-12 teachers, the new curriculum is built on the Georgia Standards of Excellence for DCSD students, and is aligned to the GADOE suggested/recommended pacing. Some standards were shifted in DCSD’s CAAGs based on an analysis of student data and teacher input. For example, in July 2017 GADOE released the pacing guide for science. GADOE’s science units are connected to only one phenomenon for the entire course. In DCSD, our curriculum addresses several different phenomena and allows for the lessons within the respective unit to be thematically connected to that specific phenomenon.
The Unit Plan Template includes:
• A Curriculum-at-a-Glance, which was posted in May for each grade level and content area, outlines priority standards and pacing of units and provides guidance to teachers to plan for the entire year.
• A weekly planner for each unit, which provides teachers with the autonomy for planning for instruction on a daily basis.
• A lesson plan template aligned to the weekly planner, which provides guided support for teachers to plan for instruction.
Question: Lesson Planning Template – The teachers need the flexibility to customize the Lesson Planning Template. Perhaps they could customize the templates and submit the new templates to the principal and/or regional Superintendent. What are your thoughts about that?
Answer: Lisa Martin – In an effort to address the recommendations from the independent curriculum audit, as well as the AdvancED improvement priority and standard 3, a lesson plan template was created. The AdvancED visiting committee questioned the district-level and school-level representatives about the school district having a “uniform lesson plan” template. The template was vetted by curriculum writers (teachers), randomly selected Principals, and CIA2. We listened to the feedback shared and made several adjustments. The lesson plan template is aligned to the rigorous curriculum design model.
The lesson plan template aligns to a standards based curriculum model that accounts for the components of a well-designed lesson (the opening, the work period and the closing). The newly added components include the instructional strategies and interventions to ensure teachers are preparing rigorous lessons and addressing the needs of the learners. These instructional strategies and interventions allow for a teacher to include ways in which to differentiate and to personalize the lesson for the struggling student, the special needs student, the English as a second language student and the gifted student.
While the lesson plan draws attention to the necessary components of a well-designed lesson, it still affords each teacher the opportunity, the flexibility and autonomy to design and to plan lessons that meet the needs of their students. The lesson plan template only provides the framework for lesson planning. Teachers continue to have and retain the ability to customize their lessons within the framework.
We continue to welcome teacher feedback on the lesson plan template and the curriculum units.
Question: We spent $675,000 on Illuminate Education to Implement Learning Assessment Platform. My understanding was that teachers could customize these standardized tests and add questions as they saw fit. What is the plan to communicate to the principals and teachers that they can customize these tests?
Answer: Lisa Martin – The Illuminate Learning Assessment Platform was approved by the Board of Education in June of 2017. The District is in the final stages of implementation of Illuminate, ensuring that all of the data uploads, technical specifications, and integration of student information systems are completed. There is a comprehensive professional development and communication plan ready once the system is live. During professional development, teachers will learn how to develop and implement their assessments, inclusive of utilizing available question banks for their own classrooms. This will go live by September 15th.
Question: Are teachers required to enter pre-tests into Infinite Campus? Why?
Answer: Lisa Martin – As the District finalizes the transition to the online formative assessment platform (Illuminate), the pre and post assessments are being administered via paper/pencil. Teachers are entering into Infinite the numeric score only as a pre-assessment grade. Infinite Campus allows the District to monitor student progress on pre/post assessments throughout the school year. Once the technical implementation of Illuminate is finalized, the scores will auto-populate to Infinite Campus for the teachers.
Teachers, Grades 1 – 12, are required to enter pretests in Infinite Campus (IC) in the Pre Assessment Category that is weighted zero percent. This entering of the score allows parents, school staff and district staff to gauge what the students know prior to introducing new content and concepts. Furthermore, the data allows teachers to plan lessons to ensure students are exposed to and demonstrate understanding and application of the new concepts. This data point also provides a comparison point once the post test is administered to aid in the determination and understanding to the degree to which the student has demonstrated growth and mastery of the concept.
In an effort to support our kindergarten teachers with assessing students individually, they will receive additional time to administer the assessments. At this time, the kindergarten pre and post assessments will not be entered in Infinite Campus until further notice.
The Division of Curriculum and Instruction is forming an advisory group to address the concerns expressed by several kindergarten teachers. We have requested principals to nominate an experienced kindergarten teacher who they feel would provide valuable insight as the school district makes adjustments during the first year of implementation of the new curriculum.
Answer: Lisa Martin – The teacher created pre assessments were developed during the curriculum writing design process. The content area, grade level teacher teams vetted the assessment questions and responses throughout the end of second semester and over the summer. Content coordinators and master teachers again vetted the assessments for a second editing. Revisions have been made as needed. Additional revisions will be addressed as we continue to seek input through the implementation of the units. Post assessments were developed through a partnership with the University of Georgia Assessment Center.
The C&I Division is soliciting continuous feedback from curriculum writers and teachers to identify possible modifications and adjustments during the first year of implementation of the units and assessments. As feedback is provided, the C&I division is enhancing the documents. Each core content area coordinator conducts a monthly Lead Teacher level meeting (K-5, 6-8, 9-12). The schools have appointed teacher leaders to attend these monthly meetings. A portion each monthly meeting has been dedicated for teacher input regarding the new curriculum and its associated components. This time also provides the coordinators with teacher/school specific input regarding teacher support.
Question: How do you respond to the open letter to the Board and Superintendent that says the curriculum is chaotic, disorganized, lacking substance, and fails to follow a logical sequence of concepts and skills.
Answer: Lisa Martin – DCSD partnered with the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE), a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, to develop 528 units of study in all K-12 core content areas (Math, ELA, Science, & Social Studies) as well as the first course in 8 CTAE pathways.
Using DeKalb Schools’ own K-12 teachers, the new curriculum is built on the Georgia Standards of Excellence for DCSD students, and is aligned to the GADOE suggested/recommended pacing. Some standards were shifted in DCSD’s CAAGs based on an analysis of student data and teacher input. For example, in July 2017 GADOE released the pacing guide for science. GADOE’s science units are connected to only one phenomenon for the entire course. In DCSD, our curriculum addresses several different phenomena and allows for the lessons within the respective unit to be thematically connected to that specific phenomenon.
The Unit Plan Template includes:
• A Curriculum-at-a-Glance, which was posted in May for each grade level and content area, outlines priority standards and pacing of units and provides guidance to teachers to plan for the entire year.
• A weekly planner for each unit, which provides teachers with the autonomy for planning for instruction on a daily basis.
• A lesson plan template aligned to the weekly planner, which provides guided support for teachers to plan for instruction.
Question: Lesson Planning Template – The teachers need the flexibility to customize the Lesson Planning Template. Perhaps they could customize the templates and submit the new templates to the principal and/or regional Superintendent. What are your thoughts about that?
Answer: Lisa Martin – In an effort to address the recommendations from the independent curriculum audit, as well as the AdvancED improvement priority and standard 3, a lesson plan template was created. The AdvancED visiting committee questioned the district-level and school-level representatives about the school district having a “uniform lesson plan” template. The template was vetted by curriculum writers (teachers), randomly selected Principals, and CIA2. We listened to the feedback shared and made several adjustments. The lesson plan template is aligned to the rigorous curriculum design model.
The lesson plan template aligns to a standards based curriculum model that accounts for the components of a well-designed lesson (the opening, the work period and the closing). The newly added components include the instructional strategies and interventions to ensure teachers are preparing rigorous lessons and addressing the needs of the learners. These instructional strategies and interventions allow for a teacher to include ways in which to differentiate and to personalize the lesson for the struggling student, the special needs student, the English as a second language student and the gifted student.
While the lesson plan draws attention to the necessary components of a well-designed lesson, it still affords each teacher the opportunity, the flexibility and autonomy to design and to plan lessons that meet the needs of their students. The lesson plan template only provides the framework for lesson planning. Teachers continue to have and retain the ability to customize their lessons within the framework.
We continue to welcome teacher feedback on the lesson plan template and the curriculum units.
Question: We spent $675,000 on Illuminate Education to Implement Learning Assessment Platform. My understanding was that teachers could customize these standardized tests and add questions as they saw fit. What is the plan to communicate to the principals and teachers that they can customize these tests?
Answer: Lisa Martin – The Illuminate Learning Assessment Platform was approved by the Board of Education in June of 2017. The District is in the final stages of implementation of Illuminate, ensuring that all of the data uploads, technical specifications, and integration of student information systems are completed. There is a comprehensive professional development and communication plan ready once the system is live. During professional development, teachers will learn how to develop and implement their assessments, inclusive of utilizing available question banks for their own classrooms. This will go live by September 15th.
Question: Are teachers required to enter pre-tests into Infinite Campus? Why?
Answer: Lisa Martin – As the District finalizes the transition to the online formative assessment platform (Illuminate), the pre and post assessments are being administered via paper/pencil. Teachers are entering into Infinite the numeric score only as a pre-assessment grade. Infinite Campus allows the District to monitor student progress on pre/post assessments throughout the school year. Once the technical implementation of Illuminate is finalized, the scores will auto-populate to Infinite Campus for the teachers.
Teachers, Grades 1 – 12, are required to enter pretests in Infinite Campus (IC) in the Pre Assessment Category that is weighted zero percent. This entering of the score allows parents, school staff and district staff to gauge what the students know prior to introducing new content and concepts. Furthermore, the data allows teachers to plan lessons to ensure students are exposed to and demonstrate understanding and application of the new concepts. This data point also provides a comparison point once the post test is administered to aid in the determination and understanding to the degree to which the student has demonstrated growth and mastery of the concept.
In an effort to support our kindergarten teachers with assessing students individually, they will receive additional time to administer the assessments. At this time, the kindergarten pre and post assessments will not be entered in Infinite Campus until further notice.
The Division of Curriculum and Instruction is forming an advisory group to address the concerns expressed by several kindergarten teachers. We have requested principals to nominate an experienced kindergarten teacher who they feel would provide valuable insight as the school district makes adjustments during the first year of implementation of the new curriculum.
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