Http://untavatar.org Module 1 1. Overview 2 AVATAR: Academic Vertical Alignment Training and Renewal...

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http://untavatar.org

Module 1

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OverviewAVATAR: Academic Vertical Alignment Training and Renewal


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An African Proverb

It takes a village to raise a child.


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Students

Counselors/Advisers

Parents

Administrators

Community

Campus Staff

Teachers

School/College as a Village


5 Statewide Regional

Partnerships


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1. Rationale2. Partners and Roles3. Critical Conversations4. Use of Data5. Action Plans

This Module will introduce…

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Rationale


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1. Expand awareness of career and college readiness and vertical alignment.

2. Create regional vertical alignment initiatives.

3. Implement strategies to close regional academic course and expectation gaps.

4. Identify processes to assess and celebrate regional progress.

5. Share best practices statewide.

AVATAR Goals


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AVATAR Rationale

The AVATAR Process is built on Critical Conversations between secondary and postsecondary

leaders and educators. The conversation is structured and facilitated in order to achieve course vertical alignment in

content, cross-disciplinary, and college preparatory skills.


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Activity:

Go Round Robin and introduce the team members.

What institution and campus do you represent?

What is your role with students?

Share an experience about the transition of a student from high school to college.

Team Member Introductions


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Partners and Roles

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WHO IS INVOLVED IN AVATAR?

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AVATAR is a Partnership of Regional Leaders From The Following Institutions

High Schools

2 Year IHEs 4 Year IHEs

Regional ESCs

Regional P-16

Councils

S c a ff o l d i n gS t u d e n tS u c c e s s


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Partnerships: Leaders and educators representing regional independent school districts, two- and four-year institutions of higher education, P-16 councils, and education service centers are committed to vertical alignment to support students’ college and career readiness and success.

AVATAR Partners


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Build capacity to improve alignment between regional secondary and postsecondary courses and curriculum

Strengthen regional secondary and postsecondary commitment to and capacity for college preparedness and success for students

Partnership Benefi ts


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Are committed to higher education access and success for all students

Understand content course knowledge and skills

Utilize research-based instructional strategies

Demonstrate strong communication and leadership skills

Are effective team players

Are flexible – able to deal with ambiguity

AVATAR Partners and Team Members…


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Education Service Center (ESC) or Others Who Serve as Facilitators/Coordinators

Convene a vertical alignment team (VAT) Expand or create a regional shared college and career

readiness foundation/understanding among the partnership and team

Support the P-16 council and the partnership in securing and reviewing their regional college and career readiness student data

Facilitate the vertical alignment critical conversations Design and implement with the partnership their vertical

alignment action plan

AVATAR PartnersRoles and Responsibilities


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Independent School District (ISD)

Identify campus or district leaders to participate and support vertical alignment partnership and team

Identify and support discipline specific teachers and leaders to participate in the vertical alignment process

Review and discuss course and instructional practices based on the VAT’s work

Expand and/or develop a campus or district vertical alignment plan for next academic year



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Postsecondary Education: Two- and Four-Year Institutions of Higher Education

General/Core Education Leaders and Faculty

Identify campus, system, or district level leaders who are responsible for core or general education courses to participate in and support the vertical alignment partnership and team

Identify and support discipline specific faculty and leaders to participate in the vertical alignment process

Develop or review course syllabi and based on the VAT’s study of vertical alignment

Expand and/or develop a campus or district vertical alignment plan for the next academic year



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P-16 Council

Provide regional college and career readiness student data and prepare the regional data PowerPoint

Serve as the recorder for the regional vertical alignment team and partnership

Receive and respond to periodic reports on the progress of the partnership



21AVATAR Vertical Alignment Teams

Vertical Alignment Teams (VATs): Educators and leaders representing regional ISDs, two- and four-year institutions of higher education, P-16 councils, and ESCs are committed to addressing discipline specific course and instructional alignment needs to create environments where students can make successful transitions between and among regional educational systems.


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Critical Conversations


23Starting Points for Critical Conversations (What can you add?)

Heard from High School Students

It’s OK. My mom was not good in math either.

Chemistry? Not for me! I’m planning to be a doctor!

Study? Not today! I have to work to keep my car running!

Heard from College Students

Dr. Jones, how can I get some extra credit to make up for my low test score?

Textbook? Why? I never used one in high school!

Me, failing English? No one ever called me in to tell me!


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Critical Conversations Pyramid

Student Success Assessments

Dual Credit, Early College

High Schools Student Support

Services

Educational Policies & Practices

Classroom Instruction, Textbooks Grading, etc. Discipline Specific Course

Curriculum

Texas Essential Knowledge

and Skills

Impact of Developmental Education and Texas Success Initiative

Dual Credit, Early College High Schools

Student Support Services

Educational Policies & Practices

Classroom Instruction, Textbooks

Grading, etc.

Discipline Reference Course Profiles

College & Career Readiness

Standards

Secondary Post-SecondaryGraduate College/Career Ready Graduate Career

Ready


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Use of Data


26Sources of Data Used by VATs

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) produces annually a Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) for each campus, district, and region, and for the state. These reports provide student achievement and college readiness data by gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) produces an annual profile for each public college. Data are available that show what colleges students attend by high school and how they perform as well as admission, transfer, performance, and completion data for each college.


27Examples of Use of Data by VATS

Region 16 Problem: When the VAT

examined THECB data, they found the high school on the VAT did not feed the 2-year college.

Solution: The Regional P-16 Council invited the 2-year college fed by the active high school and the high school to which the active 2-year college was a feeder to join the VAT.

Region 20 Problem: Region 20 formed VAT

s for ELAR and math but found from TEA student achievement data that math was a higher priority concern.

Solution: The Partnership continued the math VAT and engaged the ELAR teachers in a supportive study of uses of language in teaching math. This strengthened the work of the math VAT.


Sample THECB Data: Transfer Students to UT San Antonio from most common feeders, 2012

No Developmental Education

N <2.0

2.0-2.49

2.5-2.99

3.0-3.49

>3.5

Unk EnrollFall‘10

Developmental Education prior to Transfer

Total N <2.0

2.0-2.49

2.5-2.99

3.0-3.49

>3.5

Unk

Enroll Fall 2010

Alamo CCD Vista

434 310

95 53 63 49 39 11 235

Alamo CCD Palo A

72 46

9 8 13 11 5 0 38

Alamo CCS SA 390 260

46 60 48 61 44 1 217

SW TX Jr Coll. 51 26

6 8 6 5 1 0 21Data show that for this cohort, transfer students to UTSA from SW TX JC were least likely to have been enrolled in Developmental Education and those from Alamo College San Antonio were least likely to earn a failing grade.


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Creates and builds relationships through ongoing critical conversations

Uses regional data to make alignment decisions

Develops shared understanding of college and career readiness and success for students

Identifies and implements intentional actions Evaluates, sustains, and shares vertical

alignment work

The AVATAR Process


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Action Plans


31Sample Action Plans

Region 6 After study of vertical

alignment in writing, an ELAR VAT developed the guidebook for alignment of high school and college writing, now available statewide.

Region 12 After study of vertical

alignment inn ELAR and mathematics, both VATs selected craft materials focused on demonstrated areas of student need and employed a lesson study process to develop common understandings and instructional processes.


http://www.untavatar.org/sites/default/files/AVATAR/Bridging%20High%20School%20and%20College%20Writing.pdf



32Sample Action Plans for CPC

College Preparatory Courses Many VATS in 2014-15 will

develop College Preparatory Courses in ELA or mathematics. Study of alignment issues will lead to actions planned for the next offering such as better alignment of tests and assignments to course objectives.

College Preparatory Courses After offering of a College

Preparatory Course, develop an action plan around one or more of the following:

Better student performance

Stronger evidence of college readiness

Better alignment to the next college course in the core curriculum


33Steps toward AVATAR Outcomes

1. Identify key leaders and educators who make up a regional “pipeline” needed for students to be college and career ready and successful

2. Establish shared regional college and career readiness foundation/understandings

3. Use regional data to guide decision-making

4. Design and implement a vertical alignment action plan which will include critical conversations around specific courses needed for students to make academic progress

5. Design and implement a sustainability plan

6. Prepare students for college and career successhttp://untavatar.org

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Recap

Rationale

Partners and Roles

Critical Conversations

Use of Data

Action Plans



35Questions

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Find an inspirational quote to share


Http://untavatar.org Module 1 1. Overview 2 AVATAR: Academic Vertical Alignment Training and Renewal...

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