Capitol Collegiate Academy

4. 
   Designing Learning Experiences and Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter
   

	Not Observed	Developing Proficiency	Proficient	Excellent	Exemplary
4.1 Design short- and long-term plan to facilitate and promote student learning and connections to the material	Teacher Actions: Does not have or attempt to make a unit plan Plans have little to no relation to long-term goals and has little recognizable structure As Student Actions Students are not able to make connections between material within a unit Students are not able to identify any trends in the material In Reflection: Explains why it is important to have a year-long plan that aligns goals, standards, and objectives ahead of time	Teacher Actions: Attempts to create a unit plan, break down standards into measurable objectives, and schedule these objectives on a calendar Uses curriculum provided and does not consider alignment to Big Goal or make connections to yearly plan Few resources are used in planning of units Each unit is not planned in full before the start of the unit (assessment created, standards broken down, objectives created, and resources identified) Student Actions Students make a few connections between material within a unit, but may have trouble identifying the purpose or alignment of content Students are able to identify a few trends within a unit In Reflection: Generally explains why it is important to have a year-long plan that aligns goals, standards, and objectives ahead of time	Teacher Actions: Uses standards to plan individual units with an assessment and clear, measurable goals, though the units are not aligned and work as independent plans Schedules objectives from the planned unit on a calendar while teaching the unit Uses an external source of data to create plan or does not modify plan to fit into specific classroom needs Units are planned one at a time, but do seem to consider connections throughout the year Student Actions: Students make some connections between material within the unit Students are able to identify some themes and trends within a unit In Reflection: Explains why it is important to have a year-long plan that aligns goals, standards, and objectives ahead of time	Teacher Actions: Logically groups standards into units (with assessments) that identify clear, measurable, rigorous expectations for student learning Break down standards into measurable objectives and sequence them in a way that will lead to mastery of the Big Goals and plots these on a calendar Allocates time appropriately based on the content that needs to be covered Uses multiple sources to create plan All units are planned on a calendar in a way that relates to the Big Goal and promotes connections between units Student Actions: Students make connections between material within the unit Students are able to identify themes and trends within a unit In Reflection: Explains why it is important to have a year-long plan that aligns goals, standards, and objectives ahead of time	Teacher Actions: Logically groups and clearly organizes standards into units (with assessments) that build upon one another conceptually and identify clear, measurable, rigorous expectations for student learning Breaks down standards into measurable objectives that build students to higher order thinking and plot these objectives onto a calendar ahead of time Includes time for contingencies, remediation, and enrichment in planning Uses multiple sources to create plan and works to align plans across teams, subjects, and grades All units are planned on a calendar in a way that fosters critical thinking, relation to the Big Goal and investment Student Actions: Students make connections between units Students are able to identify themes and trends between standards and easily build their conceptual understanding In Reflection: Accurately explains why it is important to have a year-long plan that aligns goals, standards, and objectives ahead of time
4.2 Plan rigorous, objective- and data-driven lessons that will lead students to mastery of the objective and progress towards the Big Goal	Teacher Actions: Does not attempt to create rigorous lessons Lessons do not align to the assessment or assessment is not created Expectations are not constructed for progress towards meeting the standard and no connections across disciplines are made Student Actions: Students are not likely to be engaged in the lesson and state that they continue to feel challenged but able to meet those challenges In Reflection: Does not think aligning lessons with objectives and goals can improve and increase student achievement	Teacher Actions: Attempts to create rigorous, objective-driven lessons that aligns to the objectives and assessments, but may not know how to do so Attempts to create lessons that can be completed in a given time frame, though lessons are likely to be too short or too long Provides limited opportunities for students to make continued progress toward meeting the standard Plan does not include any differentiation based on ability Student Actions: Students are likely to be somewhat engaged in the lesson and state that they continue to feel challenged but able to meet those challenges In Reflection: Generally explains how aligning lessons with objectives and goals can improve and increase student achievement	Teacher Actions: Ensures that the lesson generally align to the objective and assessment Designs activities that technically align with the steps of the lesson, but may not work together to promote student learning Lessons can be completed in a given time frame Provides some opportunities for students to make continued progress towards meeting the standard Plan includes limited differentiation in the form of increasingly difficult tasks or similar Student Actions: Students are likely to be engaged in the lesson and state that they continue to feel challenged but able to meet those challenges In Reflection: Explains how aligning lessons with objectives and goals can improve and increase student achievement	Teacher Actions: Ensures that the lesson aligns to the assessment, objective, and long-term goals Designs activities that align with and accomplish the purpose behind the lesson Timing in the lesson supports learning and is clearly delineated Lessons provide opportunities to make progress towards meeting the standard and makes connections across disciplines Plan includes some clear differentiation for students Student Actions: Students are likely to be engaged in the lesson and state that they continue to feel challenged but able to meet those challenges In Reflection: Explains how aligning lessons with objectives and goals can improve and increase student achievement	Teacher Actions: Consistently ensures that the lesson connects the assessment, objective, and long-term goals Lesson plans are innovative and student-centered that effectively and efficiently lead to student mastery by using prior knowledge, highlighting key ideas, anticipating misunderstandings, and infusing scaffolded activities Lessons are feasible and support students in mastering the objective Lessons provide opportunities for students to make continuous progress towards meeting and exceeding standards and makes connections across disciplines Plan includes clear differentiation based on need or ability variation in class Student Actions: Students are likely to be engaged in the lesson and state that they continue to feel challenged but able to meet those challenges In Reflection: Explains how aligning lessons with objectives and goals can improve and increase student achievement
4.3 Developing, sequencing, and designing instructional activities to maximize student learning and facilitating learning experiences and developing student understanding through instructional strategies	Teacher Actions: Uses instructional strategies that are ineffective and/or inappropriate for the instructional goals Instructional strategies do not engage the students and/or are not geared to make the content relevant Curriculum is not organized and rarely demonstrates concepts, themes, and skills Curriculum rarely supports student understanding and rarely values different perspectives Learning experiences are directed by the teacher and does not permit student autonomy, interaction, and choice Student Actions: Students feel that they never have autonomy or choice in their work In Reflection: Teacher may not think that it is necessary or helpful to include different perspectives into the curriculum	Teacher Actions: Uses a limited range of instructional strategies that are effective, appropriate, and somewhat accessible, but may not be challenging Instructional strategies are partially appropriate and engage some students Curriculum is loosely organized and inconsistently reflects concepts, themes, and skills Curriculum supports an understanding of concepts with some students and may occasionally value different perspectives Learning experiences are directed by the teacher and allows limited student autonomy, interaction, and choice Student Actions: Students feel that they rarely have autonomy and choice in their work In Reflection: Teachers attempt to find ways to incorporate different perspectives, but may not know how	Teacher Actions: Uses instructional strategies that are effective, appropriate, and challenging Instructional strategies are often geared to make content and concepts relevant Curriculum is organized and sequenced Curriculum supports an understanding of core concepts and values different perspectives Learning experiences are created to promote constructive interactions, autonomy, and choice and to encourage student learning Student Actions: Students feel that they have autonomy and choice occasionally in class In Reflection: Teachers consider ways that they can more effectively include more perspectives	Teacher Actions: Uses many instructional strategies that are effective, content-appropriate, accessible to most students, and challenging Instructional strategies are geared to make content and concepts relevant Curriculum is organized and sequenced in a way that demonstrates concepts, themes, and skills Curriculum supports a thorough understanding of core concepts that values different perspectives Learning experiences are created to promote constructive interactions, autonomy, and choice to support student involvement in learning Student Actions: Students feel that they have some autonomy or choice in their work several times per week In Reflection: Teachers consider ways that they can more effectively include more perspectives in their classroom	Teacher Actions: Uses a broad range of multiple instructional strategies that are effective, content-appropriate, accessible to all students, and challenging Instructional strategies are geared to engage all students in meaningful learning Curriculum is organized and sequenced in a way that demonstrates concepts, themes, skills, and the relationships between them Curriculum is designed to ensure that all students develop a deep understanding of core concepts that values a broad range of perspectives Learning experiences are created to promote a variety of constructive interactions, autonomy and choice to support significant involvement of learning Student Actions: Students feel that they have choice and autonomy daily in their work In Reflection: Teachers consider ways that they can more effectively include more perspectives and autonomy in their classroom and links that directly to student achievement
4.4 Differentiate and modify plans to accommodate more comprehensive learning and provide structure to ensure that all students maximize their learning	Teacher Actions: Plans are not modified, in spite of evidence that modification would improve student learning Does not attempt to provide differentiated instruction for the class Student Actions: Students have no awareness of the ways in which they best learn In Reflection: Does not know the purpose and benefits of differentiation or may not believe that differentiation is appropriate or necessary	Teacher Actions: Modifications to instructional plans are superficial aspects of the lesson Attempts to differentiate for class needs Student Actions: Students are aware of some of the ways in which they learn best In Reflection: Explains the purpose and benefits of differentiation	Teacher Actions: Instructional plans are generally modified to enhance student learning Designs content applicable to the general group of students while still complying with requirements for those students on Individual Education Programs (IEP, Special Education Plans) Student Actions: Students are aware of the contexts in which they are most likely to understand the material In Reflection: Generally explains the purpose and benefits of differentiation and when it is most effective for students	Teacher Actions: Instructional plans are modified as needed for sub-groups of students Designs content, process, and products that differentiate material for sub-groups of students with different needs and interests Student Actions: Students are aware of accommodations they need or the contexts in which they are most likely to understand the material In Reflection: Explains the purpose and benefits of differentiation and when it is most effective for students	Teacher Actions: Instructional plans are modified as needed for individual students based on formal and informal assessments or student-driven requests Designs content, procedures, and products that are customized for individual students Student Actions: Students are aware of the accommodations they need and the contexts in which they are most likely to understand material Students make suggestions and/or work with teacher to create these productive learning environments In Reflection: Explains the purpose and benefits of differentiation and when it is most effective for students