Thursday, May 31, 2012

How to Tackle Initiative Overload

Many game-changing programs are under way or in the works in Massachusetts, and district leaders feel overloaded and unsure how to prioritize.

Followers of this space know that Massachusetts expects 'near full' implementation of the 2011 Curriculum Framework (Common Core) in the upcoming school year. Race To The Top districts roll out the Model System for Educator Evaluation this fall, with all other districts following suit in the next year. Many districts will spend this summer planning to implement the Massachusetts Tiered System of Supports. And one cannot overlook the implications of the new ELL approaches and proficiency standards (RETELL and WIDA) and the Massachusetts Teaching and Learning Platform (edwin).

What are some points of intersection among these initiatives? Each initiative provides a part of the answer to the Dufours' questions:
  • What do we want our students to learn?
  • How will we know if our students are learning?
  • What will we do when students don't learn?
Or to this related question:
  • How do we know our teaching is effective?
Answering these questions can guide us in crafting a sensible, manageable implementation plan.

More to come; please comment below.

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