PALM BEACH COUNTY PARENTS
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So What Changed? |
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Are you unsure about what the changes were for this 09-10 school year? I have compiled a bunch of resources and information here from various places on the district websites to help explain the new structure currently in effect in Palm Beach County Public Schools. **NEW LINK** Here is a link to the PDD day vodcast from Art Johnson and Hernandez This is a link to the Department of Curriculum Home Page: http://www.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/cao/cao/index.htm The 2 main points of the change this year include: Excessive testing and assessments labeled "Embedded Assessments" regularly throughout the year. Link on assessments. Rumor has it 5 WEEKS of class time are taken up with testing alone!! Pacing - this is where each classroom should be working at the same pace regardless of level... it should be noted they recently released a new message on this that states differently so we'll see how that goes...(SEE HERE FOR THE GIFTED FAQ- mind you as of yet our gifted teachers have not been able to work this way, and there are no "enrichments" posted for them to use.) Listed below are the general Questions and Answers porpaganda that has been released today... but if you speak with your teachers and your children I don't know that you will find the information provided to be accurate. (Mind you I am a parent, not an employee or a teacher at the school. While this site does provide my opinions in some way, I am providing the information directly from the school board as well as link for you to make up your own mind.) CURRICULUM FRAMEWORKS and EMBEDDED ASSESSMENTS Questions and Answers (as of 9-21-09)
Questions revised or added since 9.8.09 posting - #1, #5, #16, and #30 and beyond.
1. What is the purpose of Embedded Assessments? Who was involved in the development of the Embedded Assessments? NEW as of 9.8.09 – The Embedded Assessment were developed to establish where learners are in their learning, establish where they are going, and establish how to get there. The assessments are formative assessments, meaning that they are used to inform the teacher about student progress and help drive instruction. These assessments provide “just-in-time” data that will provide teachers with individual student data. From this data, teachers will know whether to remediate, proceed, enrich, or accelerate instruction per the student’s need. The District did not mandate nor suggest that the students be given a “letter grade” based on their performance on these assessments. It is left up to the professional judgment of the teachers and school-based administration to decide how the students’ performance/outcome should be utilized.
The Department of Curriculum Development and School Improvement in collaboration with the Department of Assessment and CORE K12 developed the Embedded Assessments.
2. Are the Embedded Assessments the primary tool for classroom assessments? Students will be assessed using a variety of measures, one of which will be Embedded Assessments. Embedded Assessments are to be used for holistic evaluation of students. It is left to the professional judgment of teachers and school-based administration to decide how students’ performance on Embedded Assessments should be utilized.
3. Who was involved in the development of the Curriculum Frameworks? Are the Curriculum Framework lesson plans mandatory? Teachers, and members from the Department of Curriculum Development and School Improvement and the Department of Capacity Development and School Reform Accountability developed the Curriculum Frameworks.
While use of the district-developed lesson plans are not mandatory, it is highly suggested that they are regularly reviewed as a resource to clarify the specific targeted benchmarks/standards contained in the Curriculum Frameworks and assessed on the various Embedded Assessments.
4. What is a Bellringer, Problem of the Day (POD), or Warm-Up? All three terms refer to an exercise that can be used at the beginning of a class period. Implementing these opening routines will expose students to tested benchmarks.
5. What are assessment windows? How long are they? Are they the same for every subject area? When can teachers access the Embedded Assessments? NEW as of 9.21.09 - All subject area Embedded Assessments have a five day testing window. While it is a good practice to administer the assessment on day one and use another day for enrichment and remediation, this period of time may be used in the manner that best meets teacher and student needs. If, for example, the teacher chooses to administer the assessment on day three, the teacher would remediate or enrich while continuing with the next lesson. Teachers are responsible for pacing instruction accordingly to ensure that all benchmarks are taught within a cycle.
Embedded assessments are available to principals (only) in the Educational Data Warehouse (EDW). To access the embedded assessment test booklets in the New EDW, principals should use the following path: § Families>>Test Results and Other Assessment Info>>Embedded Assessments>> Embedded Assessment Tests – Student Version.
Teachers can access Embedded Assessments in CORE K12 after 4:30 p.m., two days prior to opening of the administration window. If you are experiencing difficulty printing the student version of the Embedded Assessment, please contact Carla Kendall at 969-5822.
6. How are the Embedded Assessments aligned to the Curriculum Frameworks? Who takes the Embedded Assessments?
Elementary (All Subjects) In elementary, the Embedded Assessments cover the benchmarks that were taught from the course Scope. They directly align with the Scopes and lesson plans for each subject and grade level Curriculum Frameworks.
Secondary Reading and Social Studies The Embedded Assessments cover the benchmarks that were taught from the course Scope. They directly align with the Scopes and lesson plans in the Curriculum Frameworks.
English/Language Arts (Middle School) The Embedded Assessments cover the Next Generation SSS tested benchmarks that are identified in each cycle of the ELA scope. All students in language arts classes and SpringBoard language arts classes take the middle school (grades 6-8) Embedded Assessments for English/Language Arts (ELA).
English/Language Arts (High School) The Embedded Assessments cover the Next Generation SSS tested benchmarks that are identified in each cycle of the ELA scope. All students in English classes and SpringBoard English classes take the high school (grades 09-10) Embedded Assessments for English/Language Arts.
All FCAT Reading Retake students (grades 11 and 12) in English classes take the grade 10 English Embedded Assessment.
Mathematics (Middle School) The Embedded Assessments in grade 6 cover annually assessed benchmarks in the order in which they appear in the (6th grade) Regular Mathematics (MJ 1) Scope. All students in 6th grade, regardless of the mathematics course in which they are enrolled, take the 6th grade Embedded Assessment.
The Embedded Assessments in grade 7 cover annually assessed benchmarks in the order in which they appear in the (7th grade) Regular Mathematics (MJ 2) Scope. All students in 7th grade, regardless of the mathematics course in which they are enrolled, take the 7th grade Embedded Assessment.
The Embedded Assessments in grade 8 cover annually assessed benchmarks in the order in which they appear in the (8th grade) Regular Mathematics (MJ 3) Scope. All students in 8th grade, regardless of the mathematics course in which they are enrolled, take the 8th grade Embedded Assessment.
Mathematics (High School) Embedded Assessments in grades 9-10 will always align to the grade specific Sunshine State Standards regardless of what course content is taught. This knowledge is necessary in order for students to be successful on the annual assessment (FCAT). In high school mathematics, due to the variety of courses students can take, lesson plans have been developed for middle school courses and select high school courses.
Mathematics (High School) The Embedded Assessments in grade 9 cover annually assessed benchmarks in the order in which they appear in Algebra 1 Regular Scope and fair game items. The Problems of the Day have been aligned, when possible, to reflect course content that is also an annually assessed benchmark. Additional PODs reflect continual exposure to fair game items. All annually assessed benchmarks will be addressed prior to the Spring 2010 FCAT. All students in 9th grade, regardless of the mathematics course in which they are enrolled, take the 9th grade Embedded Assessment.
The Embedded Assessments in grade 10 cover annually assessed benchmarks in the order in which they appear in the Informal Geometry Scope and fair game items. The assessments are aligned to the benchmarks found in the Informal Geometry curriculum that matches the expectations for the 10th grade annual assessment. The Embedded Assessment includes these items as well as “fair game” items. The Problems of the Day have been aligned, when possible, to reflect course content that is also an annually assessed benchmark. Additional PODs reflect continual exposure to fair game items. All annually assessed benchmarks will be addressed prior to the Spring 2010 FCAT. All students in 10th grade, regardless of the mathematics course in which they are enrolled, take the 10th grade Embedded Assessment.
The Embedded Assessments for high school credit courses, beginning with Algebra 1, will include prerequisite skills, content, and a range of fair game items (see question below).
7. What is “The Fair Game Principle” in mathematics? Mathematics is sequential in nature. As a result, no student can progress in mathematics without necessary foundational knowledge. “The Fair Game Principle,” in reference to the Secondary Mathematics Curriculum Framework, refers to the mathematical concepts that students have been taught in previous years. Due to the continual development of mathematical building blocks, students are expected to retain prior knowledge and build upon that knowledge in future coursework. For example, students have learned the distributive property prior to Geometry. The distributive property is not explicitly taught in Geometry and yet students are expected to understand this property in order to be able to perform higher skills. These fair game items are included on Embedded Assessments, but not included on the Scope.
Science (Middle School) The Embedded Assessments in grade 6 are aligned to the course Scope and lesson plans, and cover the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards. In middle school, all 6th grade students will take the 6th grade science Embedded Assessment.
The Embedded Assessments in grade 7 are aligned to the course Scope and lesson plans and cover the current Sunshine State Standards. This assessment is focused on the annually assessed benchmarks (these benchmarks are tested on FCAT Science each year). All 7th grade students will take the 7th grade science Embedded Assessment. The Embedded Assessments in grade 8 are aligned to the 8th grade regular science Scope, lesson plans, Bellringers, and Essential Labs. This assessment does not align with the Integrated Science I Honors course content. It aligns with annually assessed benchmarks that will be assessed on FCAT Science in 8th grade. In order for teachers of Integrated Science I Honors to prepare their students for the 8th grade Embedded Assessments and FCAT Science, they must conduct Bellringers and Essential Labs that were written to prepare students for the 8th grade Science FCAT. All 8th grade students, even those taking Integrated Science I Honors, will take the 8th grade Embedded Assessment.
Science (High School) The Embedded Assessments for Integrated Science I (Regular or Honors) is aligned to the course Scope and lesson plans and covers the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards. Students (at any grade level) taking Integrated Science I (Regular or Honors) will take the Integrated Science I Embedded Assessment.
The Embedded Assessments for Biology I (Regular or Honors) is aligned to the course Scope and lesson plan and covers the current Sunshine State Standards. This assessment is focused on the annually assessed benchmarks (these benchmarks are tested on FCAT Science each year). Students (at any grade level) taking Biology I (Regular or Honors) will take the Biology I Embedded Assessment.
The Embedded Assessments in grade 11 align with the Integrated Science II Scope, lesson plans, Bellringers, and Essential Labs. This assessment does not align with all 11th grade course content (e.g., Environmental Science, Marine Science, Anatomy and Physiology, etc.), it aligns with annually assessed benchmarks that will be assessed on FCAT Science in 11th grade. In order for teachers of these courses to prepare their students for the 11th grade Embedded Assessments and FCAT Science, they must conduct Bellringers and Essential Labs that were written to prepare them for the 11th grade Science FCAT. All students in 11th grade, regardless of the science course that they are taking, will take the 11th grade Embedded Assessment.
8. If a student is in more than one mathematics and/or science class, does the student take the assessment twice? In science, a student only needs to take a specific Embedded Assessment one time. For example, if a student is taking two science courses in 11th grade (e.g., Integrated Science II and Chemistry Honors), the student only needs to take the 11th grade Embedded Assessment in one of the classes.
In mathematics, the recommendation is made that students take the Embedded Assessment in the regular mathematics course, grades 9 and 10. It is not recommended that students take the Embedded Assessment during the Intensive Mathematics class. For students in two math classes in grades 9 or 10, they only need to take the Embedded Assessment one time.
9. Is the grade 3-5 Embedded Assessment for writing on September 29 the same as the Palm Beach Writes assessment? No, it is an Embedded Assessment for the writing curriculum. Palm Beach Writes will be administered on October 19, 2009.
10. What Embedded Assessment does a student in the Double Block Reading English/Language Arts classes take? Students enrolled in Double Block Reading English/Language Arts classes will take the Reading Embedded Assessment.
11. What Embedded Assessment does a student in English/Language Arts classes take? Students enrolled in full course English/Language Arts classes will take the English/Language Arts Embedded Assessment.
12. Where are writing lessons found in Traditional English/Language Arts? District writing lesson plans are embedded throughout the ELA curriculum. Teachers can access them from the calendar section of the framework.
13. What Embedded Assessment does a student in SpringBoard, English/Language Arts classes take? Students enrolled in SpringBoard English/Language Arts will take the English/Language Arts Embedded Assessment. The SpringBoard curriculum itself provides performance type embedded assessments. Students enrolled in SpringBoard English/Language Arts classes should take the SpringBoard performance embedded assessments.
14. Where are the writing lessons found in SpringBoard English/Language Arts? District writing lesson plans have been provided to support the SpringBoard curriculum. Teachers can access them from the SpringBoard TRAIN U website. 15. What is the Embedded Assessment for a student in a Springboard Critical Thinking class? Students enrolled in SpringBoard Critical Thinking will not take the District English/Language Arts Embedded Assessment as they have already been tested in their English/Language Arts class. The SpringBoard curriculum itself provides performance type embedded assessments. Students enrolled in SpringBoard Critical Thinking classes should take the SpringBoard performance embedded assessments.
16. What Embedded Assessment does students in the Intensive Reading- Read 180 or Edge classes, take? Are the Curriculum Framework Read 180 and Edge lesson plans mandatory? Students enrolled in full course Intensive Reading classes will take the Reading Embedded Assessment aligned with Read 180 or Edge.
NEW as of 9.21.09 - In classrooms utilizing Read 180 and Edge, the program must be implemented with fidelity. The lesson plans included on the Reading Framework are optional, yet they are an invaluable resource teachers may use to ensure fidelity to the Read 180 and Edge programs.
17. Where are the writing lessons found in Read 180 and Edge? District writing lesson plans are embedded throughout the Edge/Read 180 curriculum. Teachers can access them from the writing connection section of specific lesson plans.
18. Where are the creative writing lessons found? Creative writing lessons have been developed that support reading and writing instruction. Teachers can access them from the calendar section of the creative writing framework.
19. Do ESE students use the Curriculum Frameworks? Yes, ESE students should have the same access to the Curriculum Frameworks as all other students.
20. Are testing accommodations allowable for Students with Disabilities (SWD) during the administration of Embedded Assessments? Accommodations allowable during the administration of the FCAT, included in the student’s daily instruction, and captured on the Individual Education Plan (IEP) are allowable during the administration of the Embedded Assessments.
21. Do ELL students use the Curriculum Frameworks? Yes, ELL students should have the same access to the Curriculum Frameworks as all other students.
22. Do ELL students get accommodations during the administration of Embedded Assessments? Yes, the ELL students are provided the same accommodations that they receive in any regular testing situation.
23. Are Social Studies Embedded Assessments located in CORE K12 and will the results be entered in EDW? Why are there more Embedded Assessments for World History and American History than for any other course? No, the social studies Embedded Assessments are not located in CORE K12. They are available on Learning Village and are linked to the Daily Calendar below the Scope. Teachers can score these paper and pencil tests. The data will not appear in EDW.
There are more Embedded Assessments for the World History and American History courses because both courses have a district semester examination requirement. The number of assessment questions are designed to give students incremental practice in preparation for those examinations.
24. Does the IEP supersede the Curriculum Frameworks and the administration of Embedded Assessments (e.g., if a SWD is working on second grade objectives, but in the fifth grade, it seems contradictory to their IEP to attempt the 5th grade curriculum)? The primary benchmark is the key for the first 30 minutes. These essential items do not require the student to read independently, but expose the student to the SSS benchmarks/standards. Differentiation begins when the secondary and third benchmarks are addressed. The purpose is to provide rigor and relevance prior to the administration of the FCAT, considering that the FCAT is their summative performance measure.
Teachers do not teach to the IEP. Instead, the IEP marks the student’s annual goals. The curriculum is the SSS and/or the SSS-Access Points. The Embedded Assessments assess the primary benchmark and the student's readiness for the FCAT on that standard/benchmark.
25. When are the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards used? The Next Generation Sunshine State Standards are the newly adopted standards for the state of Florida. They are being phased in over the next two years. Where utilized, the applicable Curriculum Frameworks and Content Specific Embedded Assessment Charts will reflect their use.
26. Where can teachers find the exact benchmarks that are included on Embedded Assessments? The grade level, Content Specific Embedded Assessment Charts contain the exact benchmarks that are included on Embedded Assessments. These charts are located on the CAO website.
27. Why do the Curriculum Frameworks include lessons on Diagnostic testing days? Lessons are provided on these days because each school conducts diagnostic testing in a different manner. Students do attend classes on these days, thus lessons are necessary. Benchmarks are taught for more than one day and lessons can be combined or compacted to make up class time missed.
28. Should Embedded Assessments be discarded after use or kept in a portfolio? The completed assessment should be used for instructional purposes. As with the Diagnostic Assessments, these are to remain in the classroom and not sent home with the students.
29. If a class has multiple grade levels (e.g., Geometry-grades 9 and 10) taking Embedded Assessments, do the scan sheets need to be printed according to the student’s grade level? It depends on the course whether multiple grade levels need to be printed. Teachers should refer to the Content Specific Embedded Assessments Charts for specific details. If grade-specific printing is necessary, below are the two printing options.
Option 1: Print all the scan sheets according to the grade levels represented in those classes. This would require multiple printings. Only the appropriate grade levels scanner sheets would be used. This method possibly creates a large number of unusable scanner sheets.
Option 2: Carefully select and print students of a common grade level according to their attendance roster number. Repeat this process for each grade level represented in the class. This will eliminate the creation of unusable scanner sheets.
ADDED as of 9.21.09
30. How do the Curriculum Frameworks compare with the approach used last year? The majority of core academic courses had some type of scope and sequence to guide teachers’ instruction. The difference from this year, as compared to previous years, is that the Curriculum Frameworks ensure that state-mandated benchmarks/standards are taught in a pre-determined cycle and the targeted benchmarks/standards are tied to Embedded Assessments. This closed-loop instruction supports and ensures that the Florida Continuous Improvement Model is implemented with fidelity.
31. Are Embedded Assessments new? For years, the District has administered diagnostics and district-wide assessments and has required select schools to administer common assessments. Although the majority of the test items that are part of the Embedded Assessments are not new, the format and requirements for all schools to administer the assessment is new to the District this year.
32. Are the Curriculum Frameworks and Embedded Assessments required by the state? The Florida's Continuous Improvement Model is a continuous process (Plan-Do-Check-Act) in which data analysis determines classroom instruction. The Florida Continuous Improvement Model requires assessing student learning at regular intervals and constant progress monitoring. To meet these requirements, the School District of Palm Beach County developed the Curriculum Frameworks and the Embedded Assessments (in addition to other programs). Embedded Assessments, coupled with other assessments, determine which students have achieved the mastery level and are ready to receive enrichment to challenge them further.
33. Do Embedded Assessments take away any instructional time? Instruction is not provided to students while taking the Embedded Assessment. Depending on the assessment method, instruction can take place with other students who are not involved in the assessment process. Embedded Assessment results actually provide data to drive instruction.
34. Is this a “one size fits all” approach to teaching and learning? No, the Curriculum Frameworks and Embedded Assessments were designed to ensure that all students are taught and master the specific grade-level and/or course benchmarks/standards as set forth by the Florida Department of Education. Teaching and learning (differentiated instruction) are facilitated by the Curriculum Frameworks and Embedded Assessments, not hampered. |
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