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As shared in many of these comments, alignment is a critical pathway for our students’ success.  Ensuring that students' experiences in the same class are similar but not exactly the same is very important for consistency and for vertical movement.                                                                     We have been working on alignment in one way or another for the last 16 years, if not longer.                                                          First, we began working on horizontal alignment within course/course teams.  We then moved on to best instructional practices.  Finally, we approached assessment, as we knew that this would be the most difficult area to address.  As we have worked on assessment, other factors have floated to the top - equity, accessibility, skills-based assessments and more.                                        This work will never be completely DONE.  As we grow and adapt to new curricula, learning objectives and the needs of our students change, we will need to continue to adapt and change how we approach our alignment work.                Our goal in this conversation is to ensure that all students have access to a top-quality education that focuses on incorporating 21st Century skills while using content to create opportunities for students to meet and/or exceed our learning objectives and standards.  We want students' experiences to be similar in content and expectations in the same classes while supporting teachers to use their unique personalities, strengths and “magic in the classroom” to create welcoming, inclusive, caring learning experiences for all students.                                                                          

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As shared in many of these comments, alignment is a critical pathway for our students’ success.  Ensuring that students' experiences in the same class are similar but not exactly the same is very important for consistency and for vertical movement.                                                                     We have been working on alignment in one way or another for the last 16 years, if not longer.                                                          First, we began working on horizontal alignment within course/course teams.  We then moved on to best instructional practices.  Finally, we approached assessment, as we knew that this would be the most difficult area to address.  As we have worked on assessment, other factors have floated to the top - equity, accessibility, skills-based assessments and more.                                        This work will never be completely DONE.  As we grow and adapt to new curricula, learning objectives and the needs of our students change, we will need to continue to adapt and change how we approach our alignment work.                Our goal in this conversation is to ensure that all students have access to a top-quality education that focuses on incorporating 21st Century skills while using content to create opportunities for students to meet and/or exceed our learning objectives and standards.  We want students' experiences to be similar in content and expectations in the same classes while supporting teachers to use their unique personalities, strengths and “magic in the classroom” to create welcoming, inclusive, caring learning experiences for all students.                                                                          

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These are topics we've been focused on for several years here at LAHS.
First, vertical alignment means we've identified skills we want students to master by the end of a level/grade so that they're ready for the next level/grade in a specific discipline. That way all students, regardless of their individual teacher, will be prepared for the subsequent curriculum.
Next, we want our assessments to be equitable, so all students are able to succeed on them and demonstrate their knowledge/mastery of the material. This is generally done by having a variety of assessment practices.
Lastly, our RECS are our goals for students' learning. to be Responsible citizens, Effective communicators, Critical thinkers, and Self-Directed learners.

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In PE we constantly modify for individual skills and levels of abilities instead of having a baseline standard that all students need to meet in order to receive credit in the class. We assess on growth and effort as opposed to just bench mark fitness and skill levels. We prioritize 21st century skills (ie collaboration, teamwork, individual responsibly, preparedness) while still teaching the PE standards and content.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

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Regarding equitable assessments: Assessing what (i.e. HOW MUCH) students have learned is an important part of an overall assessment. Effort should be part of the equation. But a certain level of skill and mastery should also be part of an assessment. If a student comes in with a "disadvantage" (i.e. has a lower level of mastery), we are not helping them by just assessing them for amount learned (effort), vs. amount AND content.   If we continue to pass students without making sure they have the content and skills necessary, then we are contributing to and perpetuating the "disadvantage."  As a course team/school we should decide what skills we want students to have and/or those that we feel are essential for success. If we eliminate certain skills, are we removing them because too many students can no longer achieve them, OR because they are no longer relevant to a 21st century world?  Removing them for latter reason would be acceptable.  For example, memorizing the periodic table would be an unnecessary skill since we can now look it up on Google for quick reference.  Being able to predict periodic trends, or compare and contrast properties of elements based on their atomic make-up IS a skill that teaches and enhances critical thinking. I worry that in trying to "fix" the problem, we would be actually contributing to it if we  were to lower the skill component of our assessments so that all students could pass them. But of course, this does not solve the problem of HOW we bring up the skill level of all students.  I would suggest as one part of the solution that course teams and/or departments use certain ACT periods to have "skills workshops" where peer tutors could come in to help along with the teacher.

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The goal of Special Education is to work ourselves out of a job. We do or review standardized assessments every three years to determine if students can successfully access general education coursework. LAHS has more rigorous courses than other schools where you may have worked before. Hence, it is a delicate balance of understanding classes within the department and general education regarding vertical alignment, equitable assessment, and skills that will support employment after graduation to make solid recommendations for our kids.

That’s a pretty lofty goal; therefore, we will spend some time discussing these ideas in practice. Vertical alignment means students are building on skills and concepts year after year. In SpEd, we do vertical alignment within our curricular areas (i.e., SAI World History to SAI CWI to SAI US to SAI Econ/Civics), AND we try to align with our general education counterparts so when students have the skill sets needed, they can transition to Gen Ed classes.

I’m sure you have seen the graphic about equitable and equal where three kids of different heights are standing on crates, and two can see over a fence, but one cannot. This represents equal access, where everyone has the same. Another panel shows the tallest child on the ground. Another stands on a crate, with the shortest standing on two crates representing equitable access to see over the fence. In other words, you provide the scaffolds to ensure a similar vantage and playing field. Essentially, this is the function of special ed. Regarding equitable assessment, we have to ask what is needed to support students to show what they know about a content area using various assessment tools. These tools may include different forms of paper/pencil or typed tasks, discussions, visual representations, etc. For instance, unless you are specifically looking for the ability to spell words correctly, why would you grade spelling for a student with dyslexia? It’s an unfair practice and possible discrimination based on what some researchers have said is a genetic predisposition of visual accuracy and phenomenological discernment. Suppose you have a presentation project where students must respond to other students’ presentations. Can a student with profound hearing impairment be graded the same for responses as hearing-proficient students when they can only hear 20% of the time? No, it is inequitable. Special education needs to support gen ed teachers to consider alternative assessments, so all students see over the fence.

Several attributes encompass 21st-century skills, such as critical thinking, analytical, problem-solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and digital literacy skills, including information and media literacy, as well as Soft Skills that may include career and life skills, such as flexibility and adaptability, initiative, social and cross-cultural interaction, work ethic and a sense of responsibility (WASC 2020-21 goals). We must be mindful of and incorporate these skills with each lesson and assessment we create. These skills apply to all academic and social/emotional ability levels and curricular domains. They also apply well to the IEP transition goals.

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For larger departments, in particular it is so important to have conversations across grade levels. We need to know what expectations are for the levels above a particular course and those upper levels need to also have a clearer sense of what students are able to accomplish. The learning loss from the pandemic is still continuing to be evident and we need to reset expectations. Taking the time to have these conversations and have a realistic picture of what's going on is one way to ensure equitable outcomes for our students.

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Sarah's responses explain the specific terms and concepts very well. I would add that the root of this work, in addition to the desire for equitable learning experiences for all students, is the principle that sustainable, substantial improvement in our practice requires the ongoing collaborative work of the professionals. Decisions about teaching and learning should be made by teachers, with teachers. What that means in practice is that teachers must work together to examine their practice, student learning outcomes, current research/ thinking and decide TOGETHER what makes sense for our students. There is sometimes a tension between different individual teachers on these important questions. Our process presumes that they will ultimately work together to improve their practice because they believe in the importance of outstanding AND equitable learning for all of  our students.

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Sarah's responses explain the specific terms and concepts very well. I would add that the root of this work, in addition to the desire for equitable learning experiences for all students, is the principle that sustainable, substantial improvement in our practice requires the ongoing collaborative work of the professionals. Decisions about teaching and learning should be made by teachers, with teachers. What that means in practice is that teachers must work together to examine their practice, student learning outcomes, current research/ thinking and decide TOGETHER what makes sense for our students. There is sometimes a tension between different individual teachers on these important questions. Our process presumes that they will ultimately work together to improve their practice because they believe in the importance of outstanding AND equitable learning for all of  our students.

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So - a bit of context. As a school, LAHS has been focusing for several years on how best to provide an equitable learning experience that is also relevant to 21st Century learning. As you know, we are big on alignment at LAHS. We want students to have similar experiences regardless of the teacher the student has (so across course teams) and we want skills to build as a student progresses through grades 9-12 (i.e. vertical alignment). We are also exploring what 21st Century learning looks like - and if you take a look at the Vision Poster in your classroom, you will see the 21st Century Learning goals listed there. Finally, we are exploring equitable assessment: how do we design assessments in our courses that fairly and equitably allow students to demonstrate their mastery of skills? How can we have a VARIETY of assessment practices so that students have multiple opportunities to learn skills and demonstrate those skills? So, putting that all together, we are exploring the question of how to have equitable assessment practices of 21st Century Learning goals as a student progresses through our department grades 9-12. The question I am asking the department is what should we do with our Professional Learning time to help meet this goal? As a new teacher, what do you think would be most helpful to you?

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There are advantages to students having consistency in their educational experience; 1) amongst their peers in the same course but with a different teacher and 2) as they move from level to level within a department.

Site and department time can be used for groups (whole department + course teams) to plan, align, review collected data, discuss, decide, implement, monitor, and evaluate the progress of equitable assessment practices.

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Equitable is not equal. Instead it looks at leveling the achievement gap for minority students who have been disproportionately disadvantaged by our education system. This is not a conversation about AP students or most white students. We are trying to create alignment through our course teams in our departments, specifically with grading and assessments, that allows for more equitable access to the curriculum. Another way to look at this question would be to ask: How can we as course teams and departments change how we assess students to provide better opportunities for students with systemic disadvantages to show what they have learned in our classrooms?

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Alignment IS our effort to provide a similar experience and outcome for all students in classes of each particular course team, regardless of which teacher they take the class with.  This means class process and systems need to be the same when they have the most direct impact on a student's access and ability to "succeed" in the class.  Examples are grade category weights, length and type of summative assessments, late homework and classwork policies, etc.

Alignment IS NOT a requirement for teachers to be 100% in step with each other on a day to day basis, or even necessarily a weekly basis.  Teachers within a course team can agree to one teacher trying something new for a unit or even a year, with the expectation of taking observations and any relevant data back to the course team to decide if it should be implemented across all classes in a course team.  So long as the class characteristics that have the most impact on a student's success are not causing substantial variations.  For example changes should not result in one teacher suddenly giving twice as many A's or D's and F's without full data to support.  If a change genuinely caused more kids to master the material and earn A's, that is great and clearly that change should be implemented course team-wide, but the dramatic increase in A's should not be because of a generic change that did not actually impact student learning.

Vertical alignment strives to meet the same description above, but between course teams that lead into each other (sophomore to junior English for example). Science may want to work towards improving lab report writing by focusing on different lab process and writing skills each consecutive year, building on the previous class until seniors can write a full lab report with complete data analysis and mathematical reasoning.

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To understand what this questions is asking, I would explain some context to new teachers.

(1) Several years ago LAHS started discussing alignment to make courses, no matter who teaches them, more equitable. For example, a student in one teacher's class for a course wouldn't have to do as many assignments/assessments as a students in another teacher's class for the same course.

(2) Since 2018 LAHS as defined what we mean by 21 st century learning skills we would like courses to provide opportunities to students to develop and gain some mastery in - these are the RECS, published and posted on the Vision posters around campus.

(3) The past few years we have targeted our focus, practices, and professional learning around equity. Diving into what does equity mean in our school, our departments, our courses teams. Many course teams review and updated their assessments to be more equitable in evaluating students skills.