Florida Department of Education Bureau of School Improvement Office of Curriculum Support

Florida DepartmentFlorida Departmentof Educationof Education

Bureau of School Bureau of School ImprovementImprovement

Office of Curriculum Office of Curriculum SupportSupport

SallySally Sanders SandersScience Curriculum SpecialistScience Curriculum Specialist

TopicsTopics– Textbook AdoptionsTextbook Adoptions– School Chemical Cleanout CampaignSchool Chemical Cleanout Campaign– PASS MaterialsPASS Materials– ResourcesResources– Sunshine State Standards RevisionSunshine State Standards Revision

Textbook AdoptionsTextbook Adoptions

The Science Textbook Committees The Science Textbook Committees met in September and October to met in September and October to make recommendations.make recommendations.

Commissioner Winn will make the Commissioner Winn will make the final approval based on committees’ final approval based on committees’ recommendations.recommendations.

List of approved science textbooks List of approved science textbooks will be available by end of the year.will be available by end of the year.

SC3 – School Chemical Cleanout SC3 – School Chemical Cleanout CampaignCampaign

Partnership between the DOE and Partnership between the DOE and the DEPthe DEP

GoalsGoals– Assist schools with chemical disposalAssist schools with chemical disposal– Identify dangerous chemicalsIdentify dangerous chemicals– Promote safe chemical managementPromote safe chemical management– Provide teacher trainingProvide teacher training– Comply with local, state and federal Comply with local, state and federal

guidelinesguidelines

PASS MaterialsPASS Materials

Supplementary resources for secondary Supplementary resources for secondary classes with diverse learning needs and classes with diverse learning needs and achievement levels; available from the Office achievement levels; available from the Office of Workforce Education (850) 245-0452of Workforce Education (850) 245-0452

PASS Science Books:PASS Science Books:– BiologyBiology– Earth/Space ScienceEarth/Space Science– Physical SciencePhysical Science– Marine Science Marine Science – Integrated Science (in development phase)Integrated Science (in development phase)

ResourcesResources

Professional Development in Science Professional Development in Science CurriculumCurriculum

Florida Space Research Institute’s Florida Space Research Institute’s Advanced Learning Environment offers Advanced Learning Environment offers free web-based courses for math and free web-based courses for math and science teachers:science teachers:www.advancedlearningenvironment.orgwww.advancedlearningenvironment.org

Sunshine State Sunshine State Standards RevisionStandards Revision

Revision ProcessRevision Process

In 2005, the SSS were reviewed byIn 2005, the SSS were reviewed by The College Board in Language Arts and The College Board in Language Arts and

MathematicsMathematics The International Center for Leadership The International Center for Leadership

in Education under Bill Daggettin Education under Bill DaggettAn Internet stakeholder input system in An Internet stakeholder input system in

spring 2005 was posted on the DOE spring 2005 was posted on the DOE website so that stakeholders could website so that stakeholders could suggest changes to individual benchmarks suggest changes to individual benchmarks in all subjects.in all subjects.

Reviewer comments on the Reviewer comments on the SSSSSS

The The rigorrigor of the early curriculum is of the early curriculum is not carried forwardnot carried forward through the through the middle and high school years. middle and high school years.

A lack of specificityA lack of specificity in the middle in the middle grades contributes to a lack of rigorgrades contributes to a lack of rigor

This This lack of progressive lack of progressive developmentdevelopment or spiraling across or spiraling across grades levels represents the most grades levels represents the most pressing issue to be addressedpressing issue to be addressed

Blueprint to Guide Revision Blueprint to Guide Revision ProcessProcess

The original SSS were designed for use by The original SSS were designed for use by curriculum developers rather than for direct curriculum developers rather than for direct use by teachersuse by teachers, even though teachers are most , even though teachers are most often the curriculum developers. It was intended often the curriculum developers. It was intended that the standards would be placed in the that the standards would be placed in the instructional context of a lesson or learning instructional context of a lesson or learning activity that would provide more specific activity that would provide more specific expectations of students. A expectations of students. A lack of specificity lack of specificity was intentionalwas intentional to allow flexibility in local to allow flexibility in local curriculum development. The new benchmarks curriculum development. The new benchmarks will be designed for more direct use by teachers will be designed for more direct use by teachers and will need to provide and will need to provide more specific more specific guidance to teachersguidance to teachers as to what needs to be as to what needs to be taught and, even, how it might be taught.taught and, even, how it might be taught.


Standards will be Standards will be benchmarkedbenchmarked at each at each grade for K-5 in every subject. grade for K-5 in every subject.

Language Arts standards will be Language Arts standards will be benchmarked for each grade 6-12. benchmarked for each grade 6-12.

Mathematics will be benchmarked at Mathematics will be benchmarked at each grade K-8. each grade K-8.

GLEs and benchmarks will be substituted GLEs and benchmarks will be substituted for each other, combined or eliminated. for each other, combined or eliminated. There will be only benchmarks in the There will be only benchmarks in the new SSS and no GLEs.new SSS and no GLEs.


Only Only language changeslanguage changes that are that are necessary, according to the necessary, according to the blueprint, will be made. It is blueprint, will be made. It is important to preserve the language important to preserve the language or most of the language of as many or most of the language of as many existing benchmarks as possible in existing benchmarks as possible in order to minimize the impact of order to minimize the impact of change.change.


All benchmarks and GLEs must be All benchmarks and GLEs must be reviewed to determine those that reviewed to determine those that represent the absolute represent the absolute essential essential learninglearning for which the state will hold for which the state will hold schools and students accountable. schools and students accountable.

The standards level will not be The standards level will not be revisedrevised, thus preserving broad content , thus preserving broad content coverage. coverage.

The The benchmarksbenchmarks, for which the state , for which the state holds schools and students accountable, holds schools and students accountable, may address only selected content at may address only selected content at a particular grade or grade cluster.a particular grade or grade cluster.


If the benchmark or GLE is not If the benchmark or GLE is not absolutely vital to a representative absolutely vital to a representative corecore of knowledge and skills in the of knowledge and skills in the subject that students must master to subject that students must master to be successful in the 21st century, it be successful in the 21st century, it should be deleted or incorporated should be deleted or incorporated into other items. into other items.


As a rough guideline, all the benchmarks for As a rough guideline, all the benchmarks for a grade should be able to be taught and a grade should be able to be taught and learned in about learned in about 100 days100 days throughout the throughout the school year, leaving the remaining school year, leaving the remaining instructional time for reteaching, instructional time for reteaching, remediation, review, maintenance and for remediation, review, maintenance and for additional content. It is expected that as a additional content. It is expected that as a guideline guideline 2525-- 30% of the benchmarks or 30% of the benchmarks or GLEs should be eliminated in each GLEs should be eliminated in each subject.subject.


Benchmarks must be Benchmarks must be developmentally developmentally appropriateappropriate and rigorousand rigorous by spiraling by spiraling knowledge and skills up through the grades. This knowledge and skills up through the grades. This scaffolding must be done very carefully to scaffolding must be done very carefully to differentiate true levels of increasing rigor and differentiate true levels of increasing rigor and complexity. complexity.

In summary, a majority of benchmarks must In summary, a majority of benchmarks must delineate, with more precise specificity, a cleardelineate, with more precise specificity, a clear and coherent, developmentally appropriate and coherent, developmentally appropriate sequence of progression of expected knowledge sequence of progression of expected knowledge and skills across grades that and skills across grades that reflect increasing reflect increasing rigor and relevance. rigor and relevance.


Benchmarks must require Benchmarks must require relevancerelevance by applying prior knowledge and by applying prior knowledge and experiences of students and in experiences of students and in addressing real world addressing real world applicationsapplications that interest them and for which they that interest them and for which they must be prepared in the adult world must be prepared in the adult world of postsecondary education, in the of postsecondary education, in the workplace and to be a responsible workplace and to be a responsible family member and citizen. family member and citizen.


K-2 benchmarks will emphasize the K-2 benchmarks will emphasize the development of mathematics and development of mathematics and language skills,language skills, particularly readingparticularly reading, , with limited benchmarks at this level in with limited benchmarks at this level in other subjects (science, social studies, other subjects (science, social studies, arts, health, phys ed, etc). Benchmarks arts, health, phys ed, etc). Benchmarks in these subjects will focus on the in these subjects will focus on the development of inquiry and thinking development of inquiry and thinking processes, background knowledge and processes, background knowledge and vocabulary important to these subjects vocabulary important to these subjects rather than specific content.rather than specific content.


Any changes that will impact Any changes that will impact state state assessmentassessment require approval from require approval from Assessment staff.Assessment staff.

There will be widespread There will be widespread stakeholder review of the revisions. stakeholder review of the revisions. An On-line website along with focus An On-line website along with focus groups and stakeholder meetings groups and stakeholder meetings will occur in the fall of 2005.will occur in the fall of 2005.

QuestionsQuestions

Sally Sanders – Science Curriculum Sally Sanders – Science Curriculum SpecialistSpecialist

[email protected]@fldoe.org (850)-245-0813(850)-245-0813

Richard Hardy- Director of Curriculum Richard Hardy- Director of Curriculum SupportSupport

[email protected]@fldoe.org (850)-245-0764(850)-245-0764

Documents

Florida Department of Education Bureau of School Improvement Office of Curriculum Support