HISD Power Objectives Initiative
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MEMO |
10/24/07 Memo to Principals: HISD Power Objectives
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 BURNING QUESTIONS . . .
During the 2007 Summer Leadership Institute, an
awareness session on Power Objectives was presented as part of the break out session,
Standards Based Curriculum. Since there was limited time for questions during the session,
participants were invited to write burning questions on sticky note and place them on a
burning questions mat. The sticky notes were collected at the end of the session and later
answered by the Departments of Elementary and Secondary Curriculum, Instruction, and
Assessment.
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HISD Power Objective Initiative PowerPoint presentation
from Sam Houston High School
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How are
the Power Objectives different from the CLEAR Objectives?
The HISD objectives are aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge
and Skills (TEKS). They are clarified and sequenced by the HISD CIA departments to assist
teachers in the planning of instructional units. The HISD Power Objectives will be a
subset of the HISD objectives in each grade level and content area. The suggested criteria
for selecting HISD Power Objectives were leverage, endurance, and readiness for the next
level of learning. Initial recommendations for the identification of HISD Power objectives
were determined by HISD teachers in July of 2007. Additional opportunities for feedback
and review will be provided to regional content specialists, academic departments, and
other stakeholders. back
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With the Power Objectives, will teachers have
flexibility to address an objective prior to or subsequent to the sequence in the
Horizontal Alignment Planning Guide?
All of the HISD objectives at a given grade level and content
area are relevant and important. The HISD Power Objectives are the safety net of
objectives that serve as a mechanism to help teaches separate the critical elements of a
curriculum from learning objectives that are less important. The scope and sequence of
objectives have been determined by the CIA department. An individual teacher has the
flexibility to vary the order within a two to three week period but must ensure that all
students learn the power objectives by the end of a six or nine weeks grading period. HISD
will have six or nine week curriculum benchmark tests to measure the validity of the
curriculum and assist campus learning teams in answering the question “how do we know
if a student has learned the state required knowledge and skills at a given grade
level.” back
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How does the Power Objective Initiative relate to
the PLC concept of teachers picking the most important objectives?
A guaranteed and viable aligned curriculum is the number one
factor that determines student success K-12. HISD encourages campus Professional Learning
Communities to have professional dialogue regarding the district HISD objectives to both
plan instruction and assessment across grade spans as well as provide feedback on the
draft of HISD Power Objectives. The district CIA departments will seek feedback from the
learning teams to determine a final draft of HISD Power Objectives. back to top
Is HISD going to revise the secondary guidelines
about grading practices which do not support this model of assessment?
Campuses are encouraged to use Rick Stiggins’ work on
assessment. Each region has a set of administrators and specialists that are trained in
best practices for assessment. Our emphasis over the past year has been on assessment for
learning. Teacher grading practices should not be punitive but rather measure real
progress and learning on the HISD objectives. back to top
As the district commits to creating the Power
Objectives, we really need to look at how we will roll these out to teachers and what they
expect is vital. Are the Power Objectives going to be developed only in July or all
year long?
The Summer Power Objectives Workshop involved over 600 teachers
from across HISD at every grade level, in the four content areas, and from various support
and elective groups. Special Education, Career Technology Education, and Multilingual were
just a few of the additional groups represented over the four days where the process
developed by Larry Ainsworth was used in the initial identification of HISD Power
Objectives. This first draft of Power Objectives will be published on the CIA website.
There will be other groups that will review the draft over the course of this school year.
Content specialists, department chairpersons, grade level and team leaders, and even
outside experts will have an opportunity to review and make recommendations. As
professional learning teams at the campus level use the HAPGs, the HISD Power Objectives
should be incorporated into instructional decision making. back to top
If these Power Objectives are emphasized
instructionally, then will there be new Power Objectives in other areas due to a shift in
focus?
The focus on power standards will be consistent across the
foundation and enrichment areas. The safety net concept is applicable regardless of the
content area. It should be emphasized that the focus on teaching HISD Power Objectives is
derived from the guiding question, What do your students need for success - in school this
year, next year, (leverage: readiness for next levels of learning) in (endurance) and on
the TAKS?”
The development of curriculum is a continuous process. The state will revise TEKS on a
regular schedule. The TAKS test at the high school level will be replaced by End of Course
tests. The district will have to continually evaluate the HISD Objectives AND the HISD
Power Objectives. District teachers should collaboratively study the data each year and
modify the implementation of the Power Objectives based on the needs of the students in
the classroom. back
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Are we using the “assessment” to
determine Power Objectives?
Part of the process for identifying which objectives should be
power objectives includes reviewing multiple sources of data. We will utilize school and
district item analysis reports of the TAKS to inform the HISD Power Objectives
identification process. This data provides insight to the type and frequency of items
tested. Objectives that reflect these tested items can then be identified so that
stakeholders can identify whether or not they need to be included in the HISD Power
Objectives. back
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What defines an objective as powerful?
Objectives are considered to be powerful when they prepare
students for life, when they are highly tested on standardized assessments, and when they
provide readiness for students for the next grade level. back to top
Will the Power Objectives be selected and ready
for implementation in August 2007?
Power objectives will be drafted in August; however, teachers are
encouraged to engage in conversations in PLC’s about the draft of HISD Power
Objectives. Power objectives will not be ready until they have been vetted through
stakeholders such as lead teachers, department chairs, instructional specialists, etc.
Once we receive feedback and input from these groups, power objectives will be posted in
their final form as well as embedded in our Horizontal Alignment Planning document for
teacher and PLC planning purposes. back to top
Who will identify the Power Standards? The
Curriculum Dept? Schools? Will this be done in a timely manner
before school starts?
The first layer of power objective identification comes from the
end users, our teachers. They are the experts who understand the reality of delivering
instruction in HISD. However, the process of identifying HISD Power Objectives provided
teachers with the opportunity to have vertical, K-12 conversations, about instruction by
content area which informs an alignment of objectives. Teachers are encouraged to talk
about and plan from the draft version of HISD Power Objectives that will be posted on our
CLEAR website. It is important to note that the draft of HISD Power Objectives is not
final, so caution should be applied to applied when planning in Professional Learning
Communities. back
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How will HISD clearly define Power Objectives?
Power objectives will be clearly defined through an ongoing
process that is informed through teacher analysis of what HISD Power objectives should be
in collaboration with the Departments of Elementary and Secondary Curriculum, Instruction
and Assessment. The next phase of analysis by stakeholders such as lead teachers,
department chairs and instructional specialists will provide an affirmation and refinement
of the selection of standards. back to top
The gurus say that teachers should determine
Power Objectives. Why is Curriculum for HISD doing this?
HISD Power Objectives will provide equity and consistency across
the district and will serve as a common focus for instruction. It is recommended that each
district develop its own set of power standards with teacher participation. Dr. Doug
Reeves uses the metaphor of an accordion with its outward and inward motion to illustrate
involving educators in the identification of the power objectives. The HISD Power
Objectives Initiative is sponsored and facilitated by the departments of CIA. The first
steps in gathering wisdom from the field took place in July with seven hundred teachers
representing all regions and grade levels PK-12, participated in two days of power
objectives work. The recommendations from this group of teachers will serve as the draft
for others to review (accordion out). Feedback and suggestions for revision are sent back
to the district so suggestions can be incorporated into the next draft (accordion in). A
draft for each foundation area will be posted online for all to access with opportunity to
provide feedback. When HISD Power Objectives are formally adopted they will be reflected
in the Horizontal Alignment Planning Guides. back to top
What do you do when students don’t want to
learn?
Rick Stiggins says teaching is a calling with the potential to do
enormous good for students. We must work to motivate the unmotivated, restore the desire
to learn, and encourage students to keep learning. The first steps to making this happen
is building relationships with students to let them know we care about them and are here
to help them. Reading the work of Rick Dufour on professional learning communities will
build background for answering this question. back to top
The achievement gap is a systems issue, but how
can a school close this gap when the entire school population is part of it as a system?
Control and focus can lead to improvement. Through PLCs the
district is focused on strong leadership, assessment for learning, a guaranteed and viable
curriculum, intervention and acceleration plans for individual students, improving teacher
capacity through researched-based professional development, and collaboration across the
organization. The newest phase of research on effective schools provides compelling
evidence that best practice overcomes barriers within a system. We must internalize what a
standards-based accountability system means and take collective responsibility for
teaching practice and student learning. back to top
How will power objectives help align student
expectations to learning outcomes?
By state law we must teach the state framework. HISD Power
Objectives will prioritize what is critical for student success. We must move away form
teaching an inch deep and a mile wide and emphasize depth over breadth. Power Objectives
will be taught in-depth to support retention and will require students to use higher order
thinking skills to integrate present learning with prior knowledge. Students will be
better prepared for school, life and various testing programs. back to top
Are HISD objectives going to use the same
numbering system as the state SE’s?
HISD curriculum objectives have been reviewed and revised to
ensure a tight alignment to the TEKS student expectations. Based on feedback from the
field, the TEKS student expectations numbering from the state has been incorporated into
the HISD numbering system. HISD objectives are based on the state standards, mirror the
language of the student expectations, and provide additional specificity in
teacher-friendly language to ensure all teachers understand what students must know and be
able to demonstrate for each grade level content area and course. back to top
So WHY so many standards?
In the past decade, legislation and policies have caused more
dense curricula in an effort to place enormous accountability pressure on everyone
involved. However, standards are here to stay and have the potential to significantly
sharpen and focus curriculum, instruction and assessment. Their effective implementation
will be the result of professionals collaborating at the local level to prioritize and
apply the standards in a practical classroom setting. back to top
Are we watering down the curriculum?
A good set of HISD power objectives will cover about 88 percent
of the items on the state test, and although this is not 100%, it is wiser to have
students proficient at 88% of what will likely be on the test rather than have them
exposed to 100% of what could be on the test. back to top
Why not take them from national standards?
While national standards provide a framework for state and local
student learning standards, most are not specific enough to provide clear and precise
objective for teaching and learning in the classroom. Thus, it is imperative that local
districts develop Power Objectives that will provide students equal access to the learning
implicit in national and state standards and the assessments through which students are to
demonstrate the knowledge and skills learned. back to top
Are we following a deeper, wider model?
Some HISD Objectives are more important than others. The more
important HISD Objectives will become HISD Power Objectives that will be a prioritized set
of objectives. By emphasizing teaching the more important objectives in depth, we can help
students retain what they have been taught, prepare them for the next grade level, and in
life as well as provide learning experiences around a prioritized set of
standards. back to
top
How will the identification of HISD power
objectives impact student achievement?
The state standards are too voluminous to be taught effectively
within the number of instructional days each year. HISD Power Objectives will provide a
district- wide strategy for managing the volume of standards rather than each teacher
“picking and choosing” the ones they believe will most benefit students. HISD
Power Objectives will be a very limited set of objectives organized for each grade and
subject and will become the “Safety Net” curriculum that every teacher should
ensure that every student knows. National experts agree that by teaching fewer objectives
in depth, students will be more successful in college bound culture. back to top
How can we cut down on the load of objectives to
be taught?
By identifying approximately one third of the total number of
objectives within one content area for a particular grade, teachers can focus on
instruction and assessment to ensure a depth of understanding. back to top
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