AP Courses in Forethought: It’s a Process

AP Courses in Forethought: It’s a Process

Why do we need a common syllabus?

We must create a system that

supports the end goal of student

success in Advanced

Placement courses and on the AP

exams.

•We want the students who tackle Advanced Placement coursework to enter the classroom equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills.

•For example: Many students sitting in BISD AP courses are reading at a 7th grade level – this is not good enough.


• In order to deliver better prepared students to your classrooms, strong vertical alignment must be built into the BISD system.

•Once course syllabi are established, the vertical work can begin to ensure that PreAP courses across the district are precisely aligned to student success in AP courses.

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APEXAM

“The world’s best school systems foster a culture of sharing what works and what doesn’t. In the high-scoring schools of Finland, South Korea and Shanghai, studies show, teachers are not like private emperors in their classrooms; they make their practice public, becoming the ‘learners of their own teaching.’”

- Melinda Burns, “Teacher Collaboration Gives Schools Better Results”


SupportCollaborationBest PracticesStrong Results

Aligned Program

• The goal is NOT to take away individual decisions about teaching in the moment – you are the expert. You know what your students need. You have your own signature teaching style.

• A common syllabus will never take the place of your expertise or overshadow the artistry of your teaching.


AP Courses: The ProcessIdentify standards and

strands

Prepare standards for entry into Forethought

Develop Common Syllabus

Identify standards taught in each unit of syllabus and create a Scope and

Sequence chart

In Forethought, bundle standards into units

based on syllabus and scope and sequence

Develop standard clarification documents

for each standard

Develop Unit Overviews, Vocabulary, Resources

Develop/locate assessments and

cornerstone tasks for each unit

Phase II and III Work: Align TEKS to AP standards, Identify high-yield strategies and structures for each unit, develop/locate exemplar lessons/activities,

Vertical Alignment

What are the “standards” for my course?

Identify standards and strands

Standards in Forethought

•Cut and paste to Microsoft Word•Remove all bullets and symbols•Bold each new strand title•Leave a space between each strand

Prepare standards for entry into Forethought

Standards in ForethoughtPrepare standards for entry into Forethought

Common SyllabusDevelop Common

Syllabus

Unit Standards

-Examine each unit on your syllabus

-Identify the standards that are taught within each unit

Identify standards taught in each unit of syllabus and create a Scope and Sequence

chart

Scope and SequenceIdentify standards

taught in each unit of syllabus and create a Scope and Sequence

chart

Unit Bundling in ForethoughtBundle standards into

units based on syllabus and scope

and sequence

Standard Clarification DocumentsDevelop standard

clarification documents for each

standard

-Create in Microsoft Word using the template provided

Unit DocumentsDevelop Unit Overviews,

Vocabulary, Resources

Develop/locate assessments and

cornerstone tasks for each unit

Phase II and III WorkFuture Work: Align TEKS to AP standards, Identify high-

yield strategies and structures for each unit, develop/locate exemplar

lessons/activities

Summer Vertical Work

1. Common Syllabus

- For courses that are being redesigned (AP Spanish Lit and Chemistry), this will not be done until after APSI

- All other courses: hash this out today, make plan for completion date

- We want to submit syllabi as soon as window opens June 1

2.Standards and Strands Word document

3.Align standards to syllabus Which standards go where in the syllabus?

4.Scope and Sequence Word document template

5.Clarifying Documents Word document template

Tasks for the Day

Tracey and Crysten will be available to each team throughout the day