Using DesCartes Instructional Ladders to Plan for

Differentiated InstructionSara Reiter, Kansas City Kansas Public Schools

Jan Brunell, Central Minnesota Educational Research and Development Council

Fusion NWEA Summer Conference June 27-29, 2012

To what degree have you utilized the DesCartes in your instructional planning?

“IT’S COMPLICATED”

I know how to access the

DesCartes, but I rarely do.

“IN A RELATIONSHIP”

I understand what the three columns of the

DesCartes represent.

“ENGAGED”

I regularly use the

DesCartes to plan

differentiated lessons that

include flexible

grouping.

DesCartes Status

Purpose & Outcomes

• Purpose: To enrich differentiated lesson planning through the use of the DesCartes and multiple data points

• Outcomes:

• Recognize how MAP ladders are transformed from DesCartes and how to interpret a MAP ladder

• Use a MAP ladder to differentiate a lesson plan

• Identify other data that can inform lesson planning

Kansas City KS Public Schools

•45 schools; 20,000 students

•42% Hispanic, 37% African American, 14% White, 5% Asian

•32% ELL, 16% SPED

•86% free or reduced lunch

•60+ different languages spoken

•6 years of MAP implementation (4 yrs. Primary MAP, 1 yr. Web-Based MAP, next yr. Common Core MAP)

•4 years of Viewpoint implementation

cmERDC

• Central Minnesota Educational Research and Development Council

• Non-profit, educational cooperative established in 1965

• Design, development and delivery of cost-effective, innovative software solutions for school districts across the country

• Customer districts ranging in size from under 100 students to more than 200,000 students

* Figure 3.1 from Taking the Lead by Killion & Harrison (2006)

The DesCartes to Ladder Transformation

Each sub-goal represents one

ladder.

Learning statements transform from a horizontal

continuum to a vertical ladder.

MAP Ladder Interpretation

• Three columns of the DesCartes (pg. 2)

• enhance, develop, introduce

• Three rungs of the MAP Ladder

• refresh, meet, push

• How might the vertical perspective influence instructional planning?

MAP Ladders as a Springboardto Differentiation

• Differentiation -- what it is, what it is not

• Differentiation by Readiness:

• Content - what a student should know, understand, and be able to do as a result of the lesson

• Process - Activities designed to help the student come to make sense of or “own” the content

• Product - How the student will demonstrate and extend what she has come to know, understand, and be able to do

Using a Ladder to Create a DifferentiatedLesson Plan -- Formulating the Plan

• Looking at the example of the math MAP ladder (pg. 5):

• What do you notice about the student scores?

• How are the concepts changing as you climb the ladder from the bottom to the top?

• Lesson Objective: Solve one- and two-step real world problems.

• How might teachers plan to differentiate process for students in 191-200 and 231-240? (pg. 3-4)

Using a Ladder to Create a Differentiated Lesson Plan -- Setting the Stage

• Professional development will have to be differentiated as well, based on prior knowledge of differentiation

• Working smarter, not harder

• It is best to begin differentiation work as a grade level or content team (PLC) -- include SPED & ELL support staff

• Narrow focus:

• One content or one class period

• One mode of differentiation (content, process, or product)

• Differentiate for three groups of students

Follow-Through and Support

• Once teachers have completed their differentiated lesson plan (pg. 4), a member of the leadership team observes the lesson.

• Teachers should have the opportunity to reflect on the lesson with the observer (pg. 3).

• Maintain the data cycle so that teachers are able to connect changes in practice to changes in student achievement.

* Figure 3.1 from Taking the Lead by Killion & Harrison (2006)

Additional Benefits of MAP Ladders

• Other data can be used to help pinpoint an appropriate ladder to focus on (district or state data) (pg. 6)

• Ladders can be used across multiple contents

• ELL and SPED support staff use ladders to write individual student plans

• Students use ladders to set academic goals (pg. 7)

What Other Data Might Be Useful?

• MAP Growth Data - use to set goals and check in on goals (pg. 7)

• Test Performance - college readiness, district goals, state performance (pg. 8)

• Student Performance - trend data, multiple measures (pg. 9-12)

Viewpoint Features

• User-friendly and flexible data warehousing and reporting

• Nightly updates on teacher/student schedules and other data

• Ability to easily group/regroup students

• Comparisons to other data (national, state, local assessments, attendance, discipline, grades, interventions, etc.)

• Electronic instructional ladders report

• Ability to run reports (growth, norms, ladders and more) on any size population – district, school, grade, classroom, etc.

Avoid Getting Stuck on the Escalator

• Equip teachers with multiple ways of looking at their data (class, groups, student)

• Assist teachers in understanding how to look at multiple data points

• Transition teachers from analyzing data to making instructional decisions based on data

• Share a takeaway from today that will help your teachers get “unstuck”

Contact

• Sara Reiter, Project Manager, Kansas City Kansas Public Schools, sareite@kckps.org, 913-627-2422

• Jan Brunell, Viewpoint Senior Product Manager, cmERDC,jbrunell@erdc.k12.mn.us,651-286-8952 or 651-334-9672