Using professional learning to develop a standards-aligned curriculum at Saint Edmond's Academy
Date
2022
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Saint Edmond’s Academy is a small, independent, Catholic school in Wilmington, Delaware. Students in Grades 4 to 7 are falling below their peers in other independent schools on standardized tests in mathematics, specifically the Educational Advisory Company Comprehensive Testing Program assessment. Within the scope of this work, my goal was to better understand factors that could be influencing students’ performance and to design supports for the school to create the necessary changes in the department. ☐ The primary focus of this project is to develop a better understanding of how the choices of written curricular materials being used within the school may be influencing student achievement. The artifacts support this process by providing an overview of the written materials, including how they address the standards within the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and how they address the suggested vertical alignment of content within standards. This understanding of the written materials is intended to be further developed through the creation of a professional learning module. This module utilizes the expertise of teachers within the school to further analyze and evaluate whether the current written materials meet the needs of their students, in regard to their coverage of the standards, or if an adoption of new materials should be considered. ☐ Additional artifacts were designed to support the current Administrative Team at the school to move beyond the professional learning module created. These include resources that will help them to identify whether their written materials incorporate tasks that promote the development of problem solving skills for students, a skill that became evident was of concern for the student body during the process of this project. An observation tool (Artifact 6: Observation Tool) was also developed to help them to understand trends in classroom instruction that support these skills. Information from this tool can be used to develop plans for future professional learning for teachers beyond the work of this ELP. ☐ In an initial review of the written materials, absent from the work of the teachers in the professional learning module, it was determined that the existing materials fail to meet the requirements of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (see Artifact 3: Scope and Sequence- Standards Alignment and Artifact 4: Scope and Sequence- Standards Alignment Reflection). Recommendations are provided to the current Administrative Team as to how the department can use the expertise of teachers to consider new materials for courses in Grades 5-7.
Description
Keywords
Curriculum, Professional learning, Standards, Textbook