ALCA Members PLC Domains Data Standards Map Plan Curriculum Assessment Strategies
Course Title: Rigorous Curriculum Design Book Study
 
Audience: ALCA Board Members, Staff, and Friends
 
Schedule: January - May 2011, Beginning the week of January 3rd.

Each task will take one week. When you turn in an assigned task, the next task will automatically be assigned. It will be important that for each unit, all tasks are completed in time for the scheduled Reflections Webinar.  Scheduling of each webinar will be fluid to maximize the number that can participate. The webinars will be captured for viewing later.
 
Overview: Larry Ainsworth has just written the book, Rigorous Curriculum Design: How to Create Curricular Units of Study that Align Standards, Instruction, and Assessment. This text provides a comprehensive, systemic-oriented model for engaging most all activities teachers and administrators must address in teaching and professional growth.

RCD is currently the only development model that addresses all the ALCA services (Comprehend Data Services and the Arch Learning Community Management System). The RCD Book Study provides an overview of RCD and its relationship to ALCA's Seven Steps Forward.
 
Goals: The goals for this book study were developed using this form having these results.
  1. To develop a working understanding of the entire Rigorous Curriculum Development (RCD) process by the completion of the book study in May so that each participant can discuss with others the various RCD elements and how they relate to each other.
     
  2. To develop and articulate how the RCD tasks and processes map to those of ALCA's Seven Steps Forward by the completion of the RCD Book Study in May so that participants can facilitate and provide feedback for the ongoing improvement of ALCA's services.
     
  3. To identify and pilot work flows and features essential for v.5 of Arch by April during the RCD book study so that v.5 is highly usable for mass implementation in August.
     
  4. To develop and pilot a rigorously developed unit of study by the end of the school year in May so that we can generate unit-specific data, artifacts, work flows, and resources for use during ALCA's Summer Conference.
Note: In general, the discussion topics for the RCD Book Study will focus on these goals.
 
Unit  1: Seeing the Big Picture Connections First

Reflections Webinar

1.01 What Is Rigorous Curriculum Design?
1.02 How This Model Came to Be
1.03 Connecting Curriculum Design to the "Big Picture"
1.04 Overview of Curriculum Design Sequence

Reflections Webinar
   
Unit  2: Building the Foundation for Designing Curricular Units

2.05 Prioritize the Standards
2.06 Name the Curricular Units of Study
2.07 Assign the Standards — Priority and Supporting

Reflections Webinar

2.08 Prepare a Pacing Calendar
2.09 Construct the Unit Planning Organizer

Reflections Webinar
   
Unit  3: Designing the Curricular Unit of Study — From Start to Finish

3.10 Select a Unit of Study and Identify Matching Standards
3.11 "Unwrap" the Priority Standards; Write Big Ideas and Essential Questions

Reflections Webinar

3.12 Create the Unit Assessments — Pre-, Post-, and Progress-Monitoring Checks
3.13 Plan Engaging Learning Experiences
3.14 Recommend Effective Instruction, Differentiation, Intervention, Spec Ed, and ELL Strategies

Reflections Webinar

3.15 Detail the Unit Planning Organizer
3.16 Write the Weekly Plan; Design the Daily Lesson

Reflections Webinar

3.17 Implement the Unit of Study (Consider implementing after review of Unit 4)

Reflections Webinar
   
Unit  4: Organizing, Monitoring, and Sustaining Implementation Efforts

4.18 West Haven's Comprehensive Redesign of Pre-K-12 Curricula
4.19 Bristol's Established Process for Curriculum Development and Revision
4.20 Advice to Administrators from Administrators

Reflections Webinar

Rigorous Curriculum Design

Unit 2 Activities

Unit 1 Activities

Applied Discussions

Unit of Study

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