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Curriculum alignment is the first and arguably the most important step in increasing student achievement relative to the state curriculum frameworks and state criterion and norm referenced assessments. Having a straightforward roadmap that links state learning expectations to the textbook and other resources in each district is critical to setting the expectations for instruction and assessment. We operate on the premise that teachers and students should never be surprised by what is on the assessments that we provide. It is absolutely essential that district administrators, principals, teachers, students and parents know which skills are being taught at all times and for which skills they will be held accountable on state tests.
The Learning Institute has developed a fast track curriculum alignment process which is the first professional development activity that districts participate in after joining The Learning Institute. Traditional curriculum alignment can be a long and drawn out process which can be extremely expensive and can take years to complete. This is simply not an option given the immediate accountability demands of NCLB and the need to increase student achievement now.
The TLI curriculum alignment process typically takes three days of intensive work for a district to complete. This may vary somewhat depending on the quality of existing district curriculum documents. Districts leave the three days with scope and sequence documents that identify not only which skills are to be taught when, but that also identify where in the primary text these skills are covered and what supplemental resources are available to teachers as they teach in the classroom. As part of the process, district staff works with the curriculum specialists at The Learning Institute to ensure that they are able to make curricular and instructional decisions that are key to improving student achievement.
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