Closing the Achievement Gap Using

Scripted CurriculumBy Kristen Taylor

Teach For America St. Louis, ‘06

WHY SCRIPT A CURRICULM?!?!

It’s supposed to be a solution to a problem. CONVENIENCE

Problem: Teachers are doing nothing- Keep lazy teachers on trackProblem: Teachers are teaching everything but. - Provide a baseline or minimumProblem: Comparison by classroom is impossible- Allow for tracking across divisions

PROBLEMS!*%$ THIS CURRICULM!

Steps to Success1. Mindset: Books are resources –

not scripts.2. Knowledge: How do the

“powers that be” assess your students using this curriculum?

3. Knowledge: Is the activity/lessonGLE aligned?

4. Skill: Practice the process using the content.

Books are a resource – not a script!

“Houghton Mifflin School Division develops comprehensive

learning programs that include a variety of products to help

maximize teaching effectiveness.”

How do the “powers that be” assess your students

using this curriculum?• Teachers: Grades, tracking skills, etc.• Specialists: focus groups, their own

tracking, etc.• Principals: comparison with other schools,

alignment to the Board-approved resources• Superintendent: value-added, research,

etc.

Is it GLE aligned?What if it isn’t?

1.Content – context – immediate situation

2.Process – how – method – Show Me Standards

3.Frameworks – Should know, should do, sample activities

Practice the process using the content.

DON’T REINVENT THE WHEEL!!!! Check what is already there.

• QAR – Question-Answer Relationships• RAP • Depth of knowledge • Bloom’s Taxonomy