Learning Forward
Equity and excellence in teaching and learning.
IDEAS
Put learning in high gear
Coherence accelerates literacy curriculum goals
By Jeremy Avins, Nathan Huttner and Sherrill C. Miller
June 2019
Vol. 40, No. 3
In 2016, the Wake County Public School System in North Carolina, the nation’s 15th-largest school district, confronted two dilemmas common in U.S. education. First, a quality review had revealed weaknesses in its literacy curriculum. Although curriculum can have profound effects on student learning, not all curricula are rigorous and engaging (Steiner, 2017). Second, Wake struggled with professional learning for new literacy standards and practice shifts. Research has found that teaching expertise is the most important factor in school effectiveness, but few teachers believe their professional learning is effective (Wiener & Pimentel, 2017; TNTP, 2015). To address these difficulties, Wake adopted EL Education’s open-source 3-8 language arts instructional model. This model integrates a standards-aligned curriculum aimed at challenging, engaging, and empowering students with paced assessments, detailed
Read the remaining content with membership access. Join or log in below to continue.
Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.
References
Brown, F. (2019). How systems can support high-quality curricula [Blog post]. Available at blogs.edweek.org/edweek/learning_forwards_pd_watch/2018/02/how_systems_can_support_high-quality_curricula.html.
Choi, J., Richman, S., & Dolfin, S. (2018). Sustaining effective teacher practice. Princeton, NJ: Mathematica Policy Research.
Krajcik, J. & Delen, I. (2017). The benefits and limitations of educative curriculum materials. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 28(1), 1-10.
Kramer, P. (2015). Meet East Ramapo’s new schools chief, Deborah Wortham. The Journal News. Available at www.lohud.com/story/news/education/2015/10/08/meet-dr-deborah-wortham/73592866.
National Center for Education Statistics. (2016). 2015-16 Public School District Directory. Available at nces.ed.gov/ccd/elsi.
Steiner, D. (2017). Curriculum research: What we know and where we need to go. Washington, DC: StandardsWork.
Taylor, K. (2015). Team from New York Education Department to study troubled East Ramapo Schools. The New York Times. Available at www.nytimes.com/2015/08/14/nyregion/education-dept-appoints-team-to-study-east-ramapo-school-district.html.
TNTP. (2015). The Mirage. New York, NY: Author.
Wake County Public School System. (2018). District facts. Available at www.wcpss.net/domain/100.
Wiener, R. & Pimentel, S. (2017). Practice what you teach. Washington, DC: The Aspen Institute.
CURRENT ISSUE
Subscribe
Recent Issues
LEARNING TO PIVOT
August 2024
Sometimes new information and situations call for major change. This issue...
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
June 2024
What does professional learning look like around the world? This issue...
WHERE TECHNOLOGY CAN TAKE US
April 2024
Technology is both a topic and a tool for professional learning. This...
EVALUATING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
February 2024
How do you know your professional learning is working? This issue digs...
