Globally Competitive Students Globally Competitive Students through a Balanced through a Balanced

CurriculumCurriculumHelga Fasciano Christie Lynch Ebert

K-12 Curriculum and Instruction Division, NCDPI

Collaborative Conference on Student Achievement, March 21, 2012

GUIDING MISSION

“The guiding mission of the North Carolina State Board of Education is that every public school student will graduate from high school, globally competitive for work and postsecondary education and prepared for life in the 21st Century.”

Goal: NC public schools will produce globally competitive students.

•Every student excels in rigorous and relevant core curriculum that reflects what students need to know and demonstrate in a global 21st Century environment, including a mastery of languages, an appreciation of the arts, and competencies in the use of technology.

•Every student’s achievement is measured with an assessment system that informs instruction and evaluates knowledge, skills, performance, and dispositions needed in the 21st Century.

•Every student will be enrolled in a course of study designed to prepare them to stay ahead of international competition.

Policy and LegislationPolicy and Legislation

•Basic Education Program (§ 115C-81)

The NC Standard Course of Study

Common Core State Standards NC Essential Standards

ResearchResearch

• Connections (Jensen)

• Whole Brain (Zull)

– Gathering

– Analyzing

– Creating

– Acting

• Enriched Environments (Diamond and Hobson)

NC InitiativesNC Initiatives• The Balanced Curriculum

(NCDPI)

• Accountability and Curriculum Reform Effort (ACRE)

• Career and College: Ready, Set, Go ! (GETC)

• College and Career Promise

National InitiativesNational Initiatives• Framework for 21st Century

Learning (P21)

• Skills for Life (CCSSO)

• 7 Survival Skills from The Global Achievement Gap (Wagner)

• Whole Child Approach (ASCD)

Why teach the Whole Child?

Teaching the whole child provides students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to transfer and connect ideas and concepts across disciplines. These students will be successful as measured by standardized tests and other indicators of student success (i.e. preparedness for work and life).

NC Standard Course of Study

• Common Core State Standards

– English Language Arts

– Mathematics

• North Carolina Essential Standards

– Arts Education

– English Language Development*

– Guidance (September 2011)

– Healthful Living (Health and Physical Education)

– Information and Technology*

– Science

– Social Studies

– World Languages

Educating the Whole Child

Discussion:

1. How does this content area prepare students to be future ready?

2. How does this area connect to other content areas?

Sharing: • A spokesperson

should be prepared to report out a synthesis of the group’s discussion.

The Realities

• National: Most districts that increased time for ELA or math also reported substantial cuts in time for other subjects or periods, including social studies, science, art and music, physical education, recess, or lunch.

• State: NC Teachers and Administrators reported heavy emphasis on tested areas and under-emphasizing or not teaching those areas which were not tested (including the arts, physical education, health, science, social studies, and world languages).

The Realities

•large and overwhelming class and student loads for special area teachers;

•underutilization of instructional time

•prevention of attendance in special area classes in order to receive tutoring or special services;

•skills taught in isolation (e.g. “EOG prep”);

•inadequate collaborative planning time, (especially across and between grade levels, special services and special areas).

Teaching to the Test vs. Teaching to the Whole Child

Teaching solely to the test will leave children behind; particularly those who:

• do not speak the English language,

• have disabilities,

• are at risk and unmotivated, and

• are able to demonstrate their understandings in a multitude of ways, but not necessarily on standardized tests.

What Needs to Happen?

• How schools allocate time will in part determine schools’ ability to implement a balanced curriculum.

• Time will not change the practices that are occurring within classrooms.

• How time is utilized will determine whether or not every student is afforded the opportunity to receive a balanced curriculum and to have his or her individual instructional needs met to the fullest extent possible.

What Needs to Happen?

• Schools must genuinely look at research-based practices that clearly provide benefits to students.

Examples:

• A+ Schools Program

• IB Programs

• Dual Language Immersion Programs

• Others

The Whole Child

• Addressing the whole child prepares future-ready students who are competitive for work and post-secondary education and prepared for life in the 21st century.

Points to Ponder

• NC projected % change for enrollment between 2008-2009 and 2020-2021 is 5-20%.

• Today’s Kindergartner will be retiring in 2067.

The Condition of Education, 2011

Contact

Helga FascianoSection Chief, K-12 Programs

helga.fasciano@dpi.nc.gov

Ph: 919-807-3864

Christie Lynch EbertArts Education Consultant and

Liaison to the A+ Schools Program

christie.lynchebert@dpi.nc.gov

Ph: 919-807-3856

CCSS and NCES Resources

• Accountability and Curriculum Reform Effort (ACRE) website: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/

– Standards (all areas)

– Instructional tools (all areas)

CCSS/NCES Resources

• Summer 2011 NCDPI Institute Materials

– Facilitator’s Guide• http://

www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/acre/resources/facilitator-guide.pdf

– Content Sessions• http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/profdev/institute/

– Wiki sites

• All areas: http://www.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/

Resources

• Basic Education Program:

– http://www.ncpublicschools.org/basic_ed_plan/basiced1.pdf

• Framework for 21st Century Learning:

– http://www.p21.org/

• ASCD Whole Child Website:

– http://www.wholechildeducation.org/

• The Condition of Education (2011):

– http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/

Resources

• NCDPI: The Balanced Curriculum:

– http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum-instruction/ (scroll to links for the Elementary and Middle Grades documents)

• Career and College: Ready, Set, Go!– http://www.ncpublicschools.org/readysetgo/

• Center on Education Policy– http://www.cep-dc.org/

• The Global Achievement Gap– http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news_events/features/2008/08/20_wagner.php