Slide Notes for MS CURRICULUM COMPACTING-March 2009

1 / Presenter: Modify (only) slides 12-19 for specific content area or grade level.
2 / So far this year we’ve examined differentiation strategies of Grouping Options and Tiered Lessons. Today we will focus on Compacting Curriculum.
As with the other strategies, we will give an explanation and then you will decide how this strategy may be put to use in your own school/classroom.
3 / The challenge of meeting the needs of all learners is still the same: students come to us with different readiness levels; rates and styles of learning; and varying interests and needs.
4 / Compacting is a differentiation strategy that specifically addresses the RATE of learning for students, whereas the other differentiation strategies focus primarily on level. Although this strategy can be used for all students, it primarily focuses on the rapid learner or high ability student, who may at times need alternate activities.
5 / Refer to the Word Association handout from the IF meeting
Participants take a moment to think about the term “Compact” and then draw a picture to represent the term.
Share images
6 / Read slide
7 / Curriculum Compacting is: Read the first and last bullet.
Remember that compacting specifically pertains to a student’s RATE of learning.
Refer to articles- What is Curriculum Compacting? By Carolyn Coil
More Strategies that Differentiate Instruction- Curriculum Compacting
Please find the article “What is Curriculum Compacting?” by Carolyn Coil on pages 5 and 6 of your hand-outs.
Read the section entitled “What does the Research Say?” on the second page of this article.
Then turn and talk to your neighbor about what the research says about compacting curriculum.
Share out: We would like you to share some of their discussion about the research.
FYI: These are the facts that are in the article to help with the discussions:
Research shows that gifted students should have the opportunity to show mastery and be given opportunities for more challenging work:
-Dr. Karen Rogers (2002) cites current studies that found 75-85% of average and above average elementary school students can pass subject pretests with 92-93% accuracy.
-The United States Department of Education's National Excellence Report (1993) found that gifted and talented elementary school students knew 35-50% of the entire curriculum in the five major subject areas at the very beginning of the school year.
-Renzulli and Reis directed a comprehensive national study that found elementary teachers could eliminate as much as 40-50% of the grade level curriculum for the top 10-15% of students, with no negative effects on their achievement.
8 / Hand-out: 8 Steps in Compacting- p. of hand-outs
First you would identify learning objectives and find a way to assess those objectives.
Then pre-assess students to determine mastery.
Eliminate Drill and Practice for those demonstrating mastery of skills.
Streamline instruction of Content for those showing mastery of content.
Provide enrichment or acceleration.
Maintain records and documentation of individual work.
9 / Read this slide.
10 / Read this slide
11 / Read this slide
12 / Read this slide.
13 / Use at your discretion
14 / The compactor is a teacher planning tool developed by Joseph Renzulli.
Remember: It is not suggested to compact every concept for an individual student.
15 / We will show you 3 examples of situations in which compacting might be used.
16 / Another example of a skill that can be compacted, but the student might choose from a menu of alternate activities.
17 / CDs available in TAG Office for check out.
18 / Read the slide
19 / These are characteristics which may indicate that compacting would be appropriate for a particular student.
Notice that the non-teacher-pleasing behaviors may be indicative of the need for compacting.
Compacting is usually used for a rapid reader, rapid learner, very knowledgeable, very proficient, or as a strategy for an underachiever who has any of these qualities.
20 / I imagine you are thinking: “How do I manage this in my classroom?”
We are sharing these resources with you because they help your students become more Autonomous Learners. Students need explicit instructions, guidelines, and criteria to complete their independent projects.
handouts
Management Tools
-Student Planning Guide
-Daily Log of Extension work
-Working Conditions for Alternate Activities
-Personal interest independent study project agreement
21 / When some previously bright, but underachieving students realize that they can economize on regularly assigned material and earn an opportunity to demonstrate proficiency with some self-selected items or with items that are more engaging, their motivation to complete some of the regular assignments increases. As one student put it “ Everyone understands a good deal!” …..from Curriculum Compacting by Sally M. Reis & Joseph S. Renzulli