ACE COLLABORATIVE FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

An Overview

Catholic Schools…Hope for the Future

Community…

Gospel Values…

Exemplary Education…

“National Treasures”

- Margaret Spellings, former Secretary of Education

ACE Collaborative:

A Brief History

2005 United States Bishop’s Pastoral Letter2006 Notre Dame Task Force on Catholic EducationFall 2008: Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment

Initiative piloted in the Dioceses of Memphis and Pensacola-Tallahassee

Summer 2010: Name change & expansion to three new (arch)dioceses

Summer 2011: Expansion to one new dioceseSummer 2012: Expansion to four new dioceses

WHAT IS THE ACE COLLABORATIVE FOR

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE?

ACE Collaborative:

An Overview• A sustained professional development approach that seeks to strengthen curriculum, instruction & assessment by:• Promoting collaboration among teachers (professional learning communities)

• Providing a common language & structure• Fostering a culture of continuous improvement

ACE Collaborative:

An Overview• Accomplished through

• Two annual workshops for Teachers & Principals• In-person and electronic collaboration within and among

school faculties throughout academic year• A general timeline

• Year 1 Workshop: Curriculum—What We Teach• Year 2 Workshop: Assessment—What Did Students

Learn?• Both Workshops: Instruction—How We Teach• Ongoing: Curriculum Development Process

“Working together with other teachers under the ACE leadership team enhanced knowledge, attitudes towards unit approach to teaching, and broadening the repertoire of assessment strategies.” – Tucson Teacher

ACE Collaborative:

According to Participants…

“The first day, I thought I knew it all after 46 years, and I was happily delighted. This is the boost that professionally I needed to

guide teachers forward.” -Pensacola-Tallahassee Principal

“I absolutely love the scope and sequence of our curriculum. It has made the entire year more fluid, and more of a “story” instead of segmented units.” - Fort Wayne-South Bend Teacher

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS TO THIS APPROACH?

• Builds on Catholic Schools’ Strengths

ACE Collaborative:

Builds on Catholic Schools’ Strengths

Parent-Community Ties

Student-CenteredLearning Climate

Professional Capacity

Instructional Core

Local Leadership and Governance

Catalyst ForChange

Key Outcomes

EnhancedStudentEngagement

ExpandedAcademicLearning

A Theory of Essential Supports (2009)

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS TO THIS APPROACH?

• Builds on Catholic Schools’ Strengths• Addresses Accreditation Standards

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS TO THIS APPROACH?

• Builds on Catholic Schools’ Strengths• Addresses Accreditation Standards• Consistent with Current Research

“Curriculum – what we actually teach - may be the single largest school factor that affects learning, intellectual development, and college and career readiness.  If we are serious about improving schools, this is the place to start.  Until we have built a clear, coherent curriculum for every course, we’ll only have a superficial impact on learning or achievement” - Mike Schmoker

WHAT DOES THIS APPROACH ENTAIL?

ACE Collaborative:

2-Year Workshop Roadmap

Curriculum Development Process

ACE Collaborative:

Program Components• 2 Summer Workshops with teachers and principals (Year 1

focused on Curriculum, Year 2 focused on Instruction and Assessment).

• Four semester visits from the ACE Collaborative staff focused on timely issues.

• Continued collaboration among teachers both in person and electronically throughout the school year aimed at target dates for draft diocesan curriculum.

• Expansion each year to new content areas led by trained diocesan team.

•Provide common language & structure

•Disseminate resources

•Makes implementatio

n decisions•Allocates in-service time

•Allocate PD & faculty

collaboration time

•Uphold relevant school norms,

including DBDM

•Implement Collaborative

•Facilitate local school discussions

ACE Collaborative:

Key Stakeholders and their Responsibilities

Summer workshop for Teachers & Principals to learn common curricular language and structure, plus assessment part I

1. Team/Department Outcomes2. Course Outcomes3. Unit Concepts & Course Narrative4. Unit Goals5. Performance Assessments6. Unit Structure (an introduction)

Teachers & Principals then train other faculty in language & structure

All teachers work in teams/departments throughout Year One to develop diocesan, language arts curriculum at levels 1-4

ACE Collaborative:

Basic Components—Year 1

ACE Collaborative:

Basic Components—Year 2Teachers are trained in developing instruction and assessment

plans with:• Unit Cover Pages that state Lesson Plan Objectives, which build

toward the Unit Goal• A Unit Structure that supports struggling students and challenges

succeeding students• Lesson Plans that engage different learning styles and apply other

best practices• Formative and Traditional Test Assessments based on critical

thinking skills, and whose results are used to strengthen instruction (data-based decision making)

Conceptually & practically integrate curriculum, instruction & assessment into a whole

THE WEEK AHEAD

The Week Ahead:

An OverviewThis week you will learn new language and structures in order to…

1.Work with colleagues to articulate a K-12 diocesan curriculum (curriculum development process)

2.Generate holistic Performance Assessments and Rubrics

3.Design units that support struggling students while challenging succeeding students

The Curriculum Development Process:

Prioritizing Standards

Catherine Storms—Diocese of Memphis 2008

- Team/Department Outcomes

-Course Outcomes

-Unit Goals

- Lesson Plan Objectives

Curriculum Standards

Prioritized Standards

Prioritizing the Standards

www.doe.in.gov-standards (trending now) - Resources (related links) - Indiana’s CC English/LA-Toolboxes will be at the bottom

-OR

http://www.doe.in.gov/achievement/curriculum/indianas-common-core-englishlanguage-arts-and-literacy

We begin by becoming familiar with the standards and resources available.

Work Time