Rigor in a Standards-Based Classroom: What It Looks Like and How To Get It!

Rigor in a Standards-Based Classroom: What It Looks Like and How To Get It!

Dr. Sally Krisel

Assistant Director of Teaching & Learning

Hall County Schools

[email protected]

We Have a Fundamental Decision to Make:

OR-Culture of Adequacy-Remediation and Narrow Focus-Low Expectations, Fear, Anger, Anxiety-Focus on “Most Fragile”-Frustration of our “Most Able”

-Culture of Excellence-Enrichment, Creativity, Disciplined Inquiry-High Expectations, Calculated Risk, High Support, Celebration-Focus on Unlimited Potential of ALL

What if . . .What if . . .

. . . the best way to improve our schools is to focus on EXCELLENCE, not ADEQUACY?

. . . schools could help their students climb WAY beyond PROFICIENCY by focusing on engagement and RIGOR?

Rigor? What do we mean by that term?

For whom is rigor the appropriate focus?

Is this realistic for all students?

Today, when there seems such an urgent need for change and yet the prevailing conditions are so unfavorable, the potential for frustration is greater than ever. What we need is precisely a triumph of hope over experience. But we will not find it in false promises or forced confidence. Nor will we find it in naïve optimism or pie-in-the-sky dreaming. Real hope doesn’t ignore the dilemmas of real life; it is a commitment that bridges reach and realism. We can find it only in ourselves.

The Human Side of School Change, Robert Evans

Equity and excellence in our schools will most likely result from:

Extension of the Pedagogy Once Thought To Be the Exclusive Domain of Gifted Education, e.g., High Expectation, Constructivism, Authenticity

Best practice literacy and scaffolding

Provide access to equity and excellence

Typical and struggling learners

Best practice extension of challenge

Advanced and advancing learners

Retain and extend access to equity and excellence

High Ceilings/High Personalization

Combined with Combined with

for for

in order to in order to

in an environment of

Adapted from Tomlinson (2007)

Rigor for ALL: Three “Tests”

#1 -- Construction of Knowledge

In what ways are we asking students to USE what they have learned, not just repeat it? How does this assignment push students to grapple with information and ideas by synthesizing, generalizing, explaining, and drawing conclusions that produce new understandings for them?

(Based on work of Fred Newmann)

#2 -- Sustained inquiry into important concepts

In what ways does my instruction/this assignment focus on important concepts within the discipline? Does it require students to elaborate on their learning and/or discuss subject matter in depth with classmates and teachers in ways that build improved understanding?


#3 -- Meaningful connections to students’ lives outside the classroom

Does this curriculum have clear connections to students' lives? Do my students see the connections between substantive knowledge and either public problems or personal experiences in their lives outside of school?


The Global Achievement Gap Tony Wagner (2008)

“The rigor that matters most for the twenty-first century is demonstrated mastery of the core content for work, citizenship, and life-long learning. Studying academic content is the means of developing competencies, instead of being the goal, as it has been traditionally. In today’s world, it’s no longer how much you know that matters; it’s what you can do with what you know.”

All students should be engaged in Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW), i.e., work that requires them to: construct knowledge, demonstrate in-depth understanding of important disciplinary concepts, and elaborate on their understandings.

The work should have a clear connection to students’ lives.

Authentic curriculum calls on students to work and be increasingly more like experts.

Rigorous Curriculum for All StudentsRigorous Curriculum for All Students

Rigorous, based on our definition?

Do students . . . construct knowledge, demonstrate in-depth

understanding of important disciplinary concepts,

elaborate on their understandings.

understand connection to their lives,

work like “experts” in the discipline?

Write a fraction to show how much of the shape is shaded.

1.

2.

Rigorous, based on our definition?

Do students . . . construct knowledge, demonstrate in-depth

understanding of important disciplinary concepts,

elaborate on their understandings.

understand connection to their lives,

work like “experts” in the discipline?

Pick a stock. You have $10,000 to invest. Calculate how many shares you can buy at the current price. Every week for the next 10 weeks you will check in the newspaper whether your stock has gone up or down. You will chart the progress of your stock on the bulletin board. The chart is organized to record prices in ¼ points, but the newspaper reports the prices in 1/16 points, so you will need to convert. At the end of the 10 weeks . . .

Standards for Assignments in MathematicsStandard 1. Construction of Knowledge

The assignment asks students to organize and interpret information in addressing a mathematical concept, problem, or issue.

Standard 2. Disciplined Inquiry: Mathematical Communication The assignment asks students to elaborate on their understanding,

explanations, or conclusions through extended writing and/or discussion; for example, by explaining a solution path through prose, tables, equations, or diagrams.

Standard 3. Value Beyond School: Connection to Students' Lives The assignment asks students to address a mathematical concept,

problem or issue that is similar to one that they have encountered or are likely to encounter in daily life outside of school.

Let’s look at one more --Let’s look at one more --THE TASK: Individually and then (if you like) with others sitting near you, analyze the example of a tiered assignment provided in your handout.

THINK ABOUT: Based on The Equalizer, what has been

differentiated? How well does it follow our “Rules of Rigor”? In what ways might you make it more rigorous,

based on our rules?

Questions for Reflection on Authenticity/RigorQuestions for Reflection on Authenticity/Rigor In what ways are we asking students to USE what they have

learned, not just repeat it? How does this assignment push students to grapple with information and ideas by synthesizing, generalizing, explaining, and drawing conclusions that produce new understandings for them?

In what ways does my instruction/this assignment focus on important concepts within the discipline? Does it require students to elaborate on their learning and/or discuss subject matter in depth with classmates and teachers in ways that build improved understanding?

Does this curriculum have clear connections to students' lives? Do my students see the connections between substantive knowledge and either public problems or personal experiences in their lives outside of school?

ELA10RL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time periods. The student Relates a literary work to non-literary documents and/or other texts from its literary period. Relates a literary work to non-literary documents and/or other texts relevant to its historical setting.

Sample Task for ELA10RL3The student researches an archetypal story (e.g., Cinderella, or Little Red Riding Hood) as it changes over time and across cultures, relates the various versions to their contemporary contexts and/or historical backgrounds, classifies the various versions as to their purpose (e.g., to entertain, to instruct, to promote/support cultural or societal values) then presents the results of this research in a verbal or written form.

Differentiated Task #3Differentiated Task #3Students independently research an archetypal story (e.g., Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood) in three different versions that they select. These versions may be from different time periods or from different parts of the world. Students then prepare an original chart or diagram to compare and contrast the major elements of each story. Next, students research the time and place in which each of the stories was written. They then meet with two peers to discuss connections between the time and place of their stories’ production and the differing characteristics of the stories, including the reasons why each was written (e.g., to entertain, to instruct, to promote/support cultural or societal values). Finally, each student focuses on one or more characters from the story s/he researched and creates a cartoon or a comic strip that parodies some event from the time in which the character(s) lived.

Differentiated Task #2Differentiated Task #2

The student meets with two peers, and each selects three different versions of the same story from a number of versions provided by the teacher. Each student then uses a number of resources provided by the teacher to research the time and place of production for each of his/her versions of the story. The students then meet together to select from several sample graphic organizers the one that can best represent the connections between the stories they read and the results of their research. Next the students categorize all their stories according to purpose (e.g., to entertain, to instruct, to promote/support cultural or societal values) and specify the reason(s) why each story best fits in the specified category. Finally, each student composes a dialogue between a character or characters from two different versions of the story; this dialogue should demonstrate the student’s understanding of the cultural and/or historical differences between the two versions of the story.

Differentiated Task #1Differentiated Task #1

Using a teacher-prepared graphic organizer, the student works with two peers to analyze the characters and events in three, pre-selected versions of an archetypal story (e.g., Cinderella, or Little Red Riding Hood). Still working in the group, the student matches these stories to three historical and/or cultural scenarios provided in his/her learning packet. Each student in the group then takes one of the stories and explains to the others why it is representative of the period or culture in the chosen scenario. Next, the students determine the purpose of each of the three stories (e.g., to entertain, to instruct, to promote/support cultural or societal values). Finally, each student individually rewrites one of the stories so that it reflects one or more characteristics of the time and place in which s/he lives.

Examples of Rigorous Curriculum?Examples of Rigorous Curriculum?

See handout, pp. 1-3.

Rigor Additions to GAPSS Classroom Observation Instrument

Hall County Emphasis on Rigor Observed Examples

Construction of Knowledge Instruction inv olves students in manipulating information and ideas by synthesizing, generalizing, explaining, hypothesizing, or arriving at conclusions that produce new meaning and understandings for them.

Disciplined Inquiry: Deep Knowledge

Instruction addresses ce ntral ideas of a topic or discipline with enough thoroughness to explore connections and relationships and to produce relatively complex understandings.

Disciplined Inquiry: Substantive Conversation

Students engage in extended conversational exchanges with the teacher and/or their peers about subject matter in a way that builds an improved and shared understanding of ideas or topics.

Value Beyond School: Connections to Students' Lives

Students make connections between substantive knowledge and either public problems or personal experiences in their lives outside of school.

Relationship of GPS and Criteria for Rigor S

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Above, plus

TasksStudent WorkTeacher Commentary

All Above

Elements

Above, plus

Stage 1:Identify Desired ResultsWhat do I want my students to know

and be able to do?

Big Ideas Enduring Understandings

Essential Questions

Stage 1:Identify Desired ResultsWhat do I want my students to know

and be able to do?

Big Ideas Enduring Understandings

Essential Questions

Stage 2:Determine Acceptable

Evidence How will I know whether my students have acquired the requisite knowledge, skills, and

understandings?

(to assess student progress toward desired results)

Stage 2:Determine Acceptable

Evidence How will I know whether my students have acquired the requisite knowledge, skills, and

understandings?

(to assess student progress toward desired results)

Stage 3:Plan Learning Experiences and

InstructionWhat will need to be done to provide my students with multiple opportunities to

acquire the knowledge, skills, and understandings?

(to support student success on assessments,

leading to desired results)

Stage 3:Plan Learning Experiences and

InstructionWhat will need to be done to provide my students with multiple opportunities to

acquire the knowledge, skills, and understandings?

(to support student success on assessments,

leading to desired results)

Skills and Knowledge

AIW:As they design balanced assessments, teachers ask:What kinds of assessment would require students to construct knowledge, demonstrate in-depth understanding of important disciplinary concepts, and elaborate on their understandings?

AIW:As they design balanced assessments, teachers ask:What kinds of assessment would require students to construct knowledge, demonstrate in-depth understanding of important disciplinary concepts, and elaborate on their understandings?

AIW:As they plan tasks and units, teachers ask: Does this task/unit require students to organize and interpret info in addressing concepts, problems, or issues relevant to the discipline? To elaborate on their understandings? Does it have a connection to students’ lives?

AIW:As they plan tasks and units, teachers ask: Does this task/unit require students to organize and interpret info in addressing concepts, problems, or issues relevant to the discipline? To elaborate on their understandings? Does it have a connection to students’ lives?

Aim High:Aim High: The Importance of Taking a Proficiency View of Students

Key principle of curriculum differentiation – When in doubt, teach up!

What might happen if . . . . . . we intentionally took a proficiency view of all

students? . . . we intentionally sought and taught toward their

strengths? . . . we really believed that we could develop in many

children the abilities that we used to believe existed innately in only a few?

Advantages of Aiming High As a Starting Advantages of Aiming High As a Starting

Point of Instructional PlanningPoint of Instructional Planning Best way to maximize chances for:

• meaning making rich ideas• high-level thought relevance• intellectual rigor connectivity• creativity application and extension of skills and

ideas

Compliments the capacity of all learners Improves quality of conversations for all learners More beneficial for all learners to scaffold for upward

movement Puts focus on expertise rather than adequacy Teacher growth in capacity to provide high-end

instruction Promotes both equity and excellence

A Pedagogy of PovertyA Pedagogy of Poverty

Giving information Asking right answer

questions Giving directions Giving low level tasks Monitoring seatwork Reviewing Giving tests

Going over tests Assigning homework Going over homework Settling disputes Punishing

noncompliance Grading papers Giving grades

(Haberman, 1991)

A Pedagogy of Plenty (Hodges, 2001)A Pedagogy of Plenty (Hodges, 2001)

Authentic tasks Meaning-driven

curriculum Literacy-rich

environment Quality resources Connecting school with

home, culture and community

Problem-focused learning

Varied social configurations

Cognition and metacognition in the context of purposeful activities

Collaborative work on issues of deep concern to the students

Engagement in substantive dialogue, discussion, debate about the essence of content

Making meaning

At first glance . . .At first glance . . .

. . . it may seem that more rigorous academic demands are appropriate in higher-level classes. After all, the students assigned to advanced classes have higher achievement at the beginning of the year.

A closer look, however, shows that variance in academic demands between the tracks contributes to an expanding achievement gap. Moreover, when low-track students have an opportunity to respond to more rigorous academic work, they make more progress than when they encounter diluted academic standards (Valli, 1990; Gamoran, 1993).

American Educational Research JournalVol. 40, Number 3, Fall 2003

Differences Between High and Low-Differences Between High and Low-Performing StudentsPerforming Students

. . . on average, after initial differences among them are taken into account, low-performing students increase their grasp of advanced skills at least as much as their high-achieving counterparts when both experience instruction aimed at meaning and understanding. And for both groups, this approach to instruction produces results superior to those of conventional practices.

Relevant Research for School Decisions: Academic Challenge for the Children of Poverty, Educational Research Service, Arlington, VA, p. 27

Why Rigor for AllWhy Rigor for All??

Students enrolled in lower-level courses were more likely to earn a D or F in those courses despite their ability. (SREB, 2004)

Students are more likely to pass high- level courses than low-level courses. (Brookings Institution, 2002)

Why Rigor for All?Why Rigor for All? A high school program of high academic intensity

and quality is the single best predictor of college success.

ALL students benefit from schools that genuinely challenge them with rigorous courses, even after controlling for differences in SES, aptitude, and prior achievement.

The impact of rigorous high school curriculum was far more pronounced for African-American and Latino students than was any other pre-college indicator of academic success.

(Adelman, 1999)

Learning to Differentiate: Renovating Teachers’ Visions

The Metaphor of the House

Imbeau (University of Arkansas) Carolyn Callahan, Catherine Brighton & Holly Hertberg (UVA)

Teacher Responses to Differentiation Initiatives

Resistors Accessorizers Redecorators Renovators

Resistors Overt Resistors Covert Resistors (Creative

Avoidance) Diverse forms, but each

communicated a conflict between the teacher and initiative goals, methods

Demonstrated strong avoidance behaviors, fabricated elaborate excuses why deadlines couldn’t be met, assessments completed, etc.

Accessorizers Intermittent involvement with initiative Motivation: pleasing supervisors,

improving personal position No tolerance for ambiguity; strong need

to retain sense of competence Misunderstandings about instructional

innovation Strong command of classroom

management Provide moderate challenge to students Personal definition of success as

teacher; students well behaved, strong parental approval; high status in school

Accessorizers often feel that they are differentiating when they are not.

Redecorators

Targeted implementers, focusing efforts in specific areas of the curriculum, incorporating only those practices that align with deeply held beliefs about teaching and learning

Generally possess strong command of their discipline and are effective classroom managers

Most are veterans – average greater than 20 years in teaching

Generally less showy than Accessorizers’ classrooms – no “dog and pony show” for visitors

Seem to harbor a belief that they know better than innovators/leaders about what is most appropriate for their classrooms

Technically accurate interpretations of selective components of innovations (e.g., differentiation, performance assessment)

Traditional, mostly effective teaching practices

Renovators Seek comprehensive understanding of

innovation

Constantly trying to implement and improve innovation

Motivated by feeling of responsibility to students and personal need to grow

Strong command of content, pedagogy, and classroom management

Believe that all professional educators must constantly learn

Understand that risk taking, discomfort and failure are part of growth process

Why Teachers Resist Change State/Administration mandated the change. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. If I need to change, then I must be wrong. (I believe

what I’m doing is right.) Fear of rejection or the perception of incompetence Basic insecurity (particularly about classroom

management) Don’t have the time Lack of knowledge and understanding of different

methods

Calling on teachers to change their practice invites them to experience “the humiliation of becoming a raw novice at a new trade after having been a master craftsman at an old one.”

Kauffman in The Human Side of Change, p. 36 (1996)

As instructional leader, where do you begin to

leverage change?

Articulate clear vision, definition, expectations. Don’t be in such a hurry to establish the practices

that you neglect to discuss a variety of related concerns, implications, e.g., fairness issues related to having students doing different work.

Changes in beliefs and understanding are the foundation for achieving lasting reform.

The New Meaning of Educational Change, Michael Fullan

As instructional leader, where do you begin to leverage change?

Recognize stages of teachers’ willingness and ability to embrace emphasis on rigor and provide matching support.

You have to change enough quickly enough so that gravity doesn’t drag you back.

Invest heavily at the outset in teachers whose skill and will make them likely to change.


Resources: training, time, assistance, materialsWhat encouragers are in place to support

change for more rigorous classrooms? (e.g., time for planning, multi-specialty team members, training, knowledgeable building-level leaders who are in classrooms)

What discouragers are in place to work against change for rigorous teaching? (e.g., initiatives that pull teachers in many directions, restrictive pacing guides, grading policies)


Persist! A long trail of abandoned “reforms” have caused

teachers to be suspicious of change and to adopt a wait-it-out mentality; it is better not to attempt change and to accept the status quo than to once again set out on a course we will not keep.

A quick fix increases the likelihood of a slow death.

As instructional leader, where do you begin to

leverage change?

Articulate clear vision, definition, expectations. Recognize stages of teachers’ willingness and

ability to deliver a more rigorous curriculum and provide matching support.

Resources: training, time, assistance, materials Persist!

All students should be engaged in Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW), i.e., work that requires them to: construct knowledge, demonstrate in-depth understanding of important disciplinary concepts, and elaborate on their understandings.

The work should have a clear connection to students’ lives.

Authentic curriculum calls on students to work and be increasingly more like experts.

Rigorous Rigorous CurriculumCurriculum for All Students for All Students

Preparation for High-End Differentiation Preparation for High-End Differentiation (Rigor)(Rigor)

Begin small. Start with one lesson a week and gradually increase the frequency.

Start with favorite and familiar topics. Select your favorite unit or content area as your starting point to increased rigor.

Consider working in teams. Teams give support and encouragement to the individual teacher and greatly add to the knowledge and experience base.

High Expectations for ALL Students!High Expectations for ALL Students!

All students should have access to curriculum that:

evokes meaning, stimulates curiosity, necessitates grappling with

issues, results in knowledge construction, and opens doors to promising

futures.

Tomlinson, 2006

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Rigor in a Standards-Based Classroom: What It Looks Like and How To Get It!