Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment – Planning
(60-79%)
Element: 21st Century Skills/Deeper Learning
Description: Curriculum, instruction, and assessment are based on clear expectations that all students will leave the education system well staged for college acceptance or for alternative paths to workplace readiness. These expectations mandate solid grounding in standards-based content, but also intentionally integrate elements of deeper learning, such as critical thinking, creativity and innovation, and self-direction; as well as providing opportunities for authentic learning in the context of today’s digital society.
Possible Next Step: Instructional leaders formally integrate 21st Century skills/deeper learning into all curriculum documents. District leaders develop explicit plans for building the capacity of the system to develop 21st Century skills/deeper learning skills in students. In addition, they develop plans for assessing these skills/ outcomes on an equal footing with content skills.
Element: Personalized Learning
Description: Educators leverage technology and diverse learning resources to personalize the learning experience for each student. Personalization involves tailoring content, pacing, and feedback to the needs of each student and empowering students to regulate and take ownership of some aspects of their learning.
Possible Next Step: District leaders develop plans for promoting and/or expanding opportunities for personalized learning. Policies and access to technology are supportive of these plans.
Element: Collaborative, Relevant, and Applied Learning
Description: In digital learning environments, students do work similar to that of professionals in the larger society. They collaborate with educators, fellow students, and others outside of the school environment on projects that often (1) involve the creation of knowledge products, (2) foster deep learning, and (3) have value beyond the classroom walls.
Possible Next Step: Instructional leaders review all curricula for opportunities for rich, authentic, and collaborative learning and document these opportunities. Initial plans for the adoption and implementation of these curricula are made that include necessary staff training and support.
Element: Leveraging Technology
Description: Educators in digital learning environments integrate learning-enabling technology seamlessly into the teaching and learning process. These educators have the skills to adopt multiple, highly effective learning technologies and adapt to diverse, evolving learning structures to assure that the use of technology adds value to the learning process.
Possible Next Step: Instructional leaders review all curricula for opportunities to apply current technologies to improve teaching and learning in ways that align with research and best practices. They then align and integrate these technologies into all curriculum documents.
Element:Assessment—Analytics Inform Instruction
Description: The district and its schools use technology as a vehicle for diagnostic, formative, and summative assessment. The school system has mechanisms (i.e., processes and digital environments) for using data to improve, enrich, and guide the learning process. Educators actively use data to guide choices related to curriculum, content, and instructional strategies.
Possible Next Step: District leaders have established an initial plan using data to guide choices related to curriculum, content, and instructional strategies. They have identified indicators, metrics, and/or instruments for use in determining student progress over time. They have identified diagnostic assessments, formative, and summative assessments. Policies, budgets, and access to necessary technologies necessary to support these assessments have been identified.