Slides to support the 4/29 presentation at CAS

1. Planning for NEASC
Focus, Measure, & Connect
21st Century Skills
April 29th 2015
http://digitallearningforallnow.com
http://www.slideshare.net/jpcostasr
costa@educationconnection.org
Jonathan P. Costa

2. What do students need to be prepared
to succeed in a world that…
…is digital, connected,
open and pluralistic.
…is unpredictable and
volatile.
…is increasingly
unforgiving to those who
are unskilled.

3. Explicitly Connect Foundational Systems
Mission
Leadership
Focus
Goals
MeasuresPractices

4. The What: High Leverage Goals for Student Learning
Critical & Creative
Problem Solving
Common Core Venn Diagram – 21st Century Skills Crosswalk - Four Highest Leverage Student Skills
https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_waldinger_what_makes_a_good_life_lessons_from_the_longest_study_on_happiness
Analyze &
Construct
Arguments Based
on Evidence
Meaningful &
Purposeful
Communication &
Collaboration
Digital Literacy
& Information
Fluency

5. Finding Focus – Learning Targets and
Success Criteria for Four High-Leverage, Higher-Order Thinking Skills
Jonathan P. Costa
Meaningful and Purposeful Communication and Collaboration Age Appropriate Critical & Creative Problem-Solving
• Learners develop written, oral, graphic and/or electronic media communications that
convey information/opinion/ response/reaction for a variety of contexts and audiences.
• Learners choose a communication format, including the application of digital tools to
create/support it, that is appropriate, efficient and effective for the purpose and
audience.
• Learners clearly and logically communicate content that is well organized so that
listeners/readers/viewers can follow line of reasoning.
• Learners respond to audience comments, reactions and suggestions.
• Learners actively engage in communication and there is strong evidence of the
effectiveness of the communication in achieving its purpose.
• Learners engage throughout the process, demonstrate respect, interact positively with
others, and react appropriately to varying situations.
• Learners use critical, deductive processes to create coherent representations of
problems and identify the most important issues that need to be addressed for the
problem solving process to be successful.
• Learners formulate and ask questions to clarify information to improve responses and
approaches.
• Learners identify creative, potential solutions and then apply criteria or decision
making to narrow the choices to viable potential solutions.
• Learners plan and implement their solutions, monitoring and adjusting the process as
necessary.
• Learners reflect critically on learning experiences and problem solving processes.
• Learners demonstrate resilience and persevere in the process of solving or attempting
to solve difficult problems
Analyzing and Constructing Arguments Based on Evidence Obtaining Digital Literacy & Information Fluency
• Learners distinguish between fact and opinion and identify when the use of each is
appropriate.
• Learners identify an argument’s progression and instances where logic is faulty or
parts are unconnected.
• Learners listen, view or read arguments and render opinions supported by
information, other opinions and/or experiences.
• Learners construct arguments for specific purposes incorporating data, definitions,
and established results.
• Learners present and share arguments using appropriate methods for audience and
purpose.
• Learners question each other’s assumptions and premises and use these interactions to
strengthen their own arguments.
• Learners incorporate a variety of resources, including digital resources, to support
communication, solve problems, and engage in inquiry as pathways to support the
construction of new learning.
• Learners use appropriate search and access strategies are used to acquire information
from a variety of sources to provide a foundation for addressing problems using
inquiry based strategies.
• Learners evaluate, organize, and synthesize information when constructing responses
and can provide a supporting rationale for their actions.
• Learners use digital resources and tools to extend learning beyond the course content
and support their own personalized learning experiences.
• Learners use digital tools and information resources that demonstrate the appropriate
application of the ethical and legal guidelines that define digital citizenship

6. Explicitly Connect Foundational Systems
Mission
Leadership
Focus
Goals
MeasuresPractices

7. Coherence Is Supported
by Assessment
Value
Reliability

8. Costa - Strategic Coherence Planning Focus – Measure - Connect
Measure What You Value…1st Level

9. Costa - Strategic Coherence Planning Focus – Measure - Connect
Item Insufficient – 1 Sufficient - 2 Proficient - 3 Excellent - 4
Use a variety of
thoughtfully selected
communication tools
for a range of
purposes (e.g. to
inform, instruct,
motivate and
persuade) messages,
and audiences.
Is unable to apply media
and techniques that
incorporate the basic
elements and/or principles
of design.
Applies media and
techniques that
incorporate the basic
elements and principles of
design in an attempt to
communicate personal,
cultural, and aesthetic
values.
Applies media and
techniques that
incorporate elements and
principles of design to
communicate personal,
cultural, and aesthetic
values.
Applies media and
techniques that
incorporate sophisticated
elements and principles of
design to effectively or
originally communicate
personal, cultural, and
aesthetic values.
No connection between
communication actions
and/purpose, audience
comments or needs.
Attempts to align some
communication actions
and purpose with
audience.
Most actions are aligned
with purpose/audience
and needs. There is
evidence of response and
adjustment based on
audience feedback.
Highly aligned with
purpose and needs and
very responsive to
audience comments and
feedback
Audience may be
unresponsive to speaker
and message.
There may be some
audience response to
either the communication
or the message.
Some evidence that the
audience relates/connects
to the communication
method and message.
It is clear that the
audience relates to the
communication method
and message.
Measure What You Value…2nd Level

11. Industrial Model Digital Model
It’s not an either or:
it’s a matter of balance and importance.
Information
InformationSkills
Skills
Application
Application
Rethinking the focus of the “What?”

12. Rethinking the focus of the “How”
Industrial Model Information Model
In a factory-based, one-process-fits all environment, those with talents and skills
aligned with the process moved to the right of the bell curve. In Digital environment,
the market and new tools for learning will challenge you to differentiate the learning
environment so that the whole learning curve can move to the right.
Standardized
Processes
LEAD
TO
Variable Achievement
Variable Processes
LEAD
TO
Uniformly
Higher
Achievement

14. It’s About Equity
A device gap
is less objectionable
than an access gap.

15. Align Your Systems With Your Goals for Learning
Type of
Assessment
Required
Subject Area
Responsibilities
Everyone’s
Responsibility
Content
(Declarative)
Facts
Content Skills
(Procedural)
Discrete Skills
4 High Leverage Goals
(Contextual)
CCSS/Digital Learning
Type of
Knowledge
Desired
Type of
Instruction
Required
Lecture, video,
films, assigned
readings and
memory activities.
Classroom or textbook
problems, experiments,
discussions, practice and
repetition.
Complex projects,
real time explorations,
authentic and relevant
skill applications.
Amount of
Time
Required
Discrete units,
spiraled and
predictable.
Ongoing, systemic and
without a finite
or predictable end.
Discrete units,
spiraled and
predictable.
Recall & recognition
based quizzes, tests,
and activities. Multiple
choice, matching, etc.
(SAT/AP/Exams)
Checklists,
analytic rubrics,
or other agreed upon
skill standards
(AP/SB/CAPT/Exams)
Holistic and,
analytic rubrics,
or other agreed upon
standards of rigor
(Portfolios, Exhibitions, SB)

16. Coherence Pathways
G = Goals P = Practices M= Measures Jonathan P. Costa S= Students A = Adults O = District/Building
Leadership
Focus
Engagement
Ownership
Rigor
Alignment
Mission
To prepare every
student for
learning, life, and
work in the 21st
century.

17. Student Data
Driving
Instructional
Practices &
Decision
Making
Instruction
Driving
Improved
Measures
Professional
Practice
Driving
Improved
Measures
Systems
Driving
Improved
Measures
Adult Data
Driving
Professional
Learning &
Decision
Making
Organizational
Data
Driving
Systems
Decision
Making

18. Student
Goals
- Common
Core/21st
Century Skills
& Content
Professional
Goals
Evaluation & support
goals, SLOs, focus
goals & other
Organizational
Goals
Improvement targets
related to DPI,
SPI or other goals
Instructional
Strategies
CC/21CS goal
aligned
teaching
methods
& strategies
Assessing
Learning
SB &
other valued
summative,
formative,
standardized and
non-
standardized
measures
Professional
Growth
Aligned with
high leverage
student goals
and
PL Standards
Professional
Measurement
45
40
Organizational
Plans
District or
building
level plans
or strategies
aligned with PL
Standards
Organizational
Measures
District and
Building level
data
Other…
What Goes Where? GoalsMeasuresPractices

19. Goals for
Learning
Assessment
& Measurement
Policy and
Regulation
Community
Engagement
Instructional
Practices
Resource
Deployment
Leadership
Focus
Supporting Systems

20. The Pareto
Leverage Principle
Vital
Few

21. Weeding the Garden
Our collective failure to
truly align practice with
NEASC standards begins
with our lack of will, ability,
or systemic commitment to
focus on something and
prioritize it’s
accomplishment over
others.

22. Find Your One Thing
Which skill in your
current set of
expectations would
you say is the most
critical to long-term
student success?

23. Coherence
Begins With
Student
Learning
Focus
Universal Skill Set Importance &
Impact
Your Own
Practice
Total Score
Ranking
E1/21 - Demonstrate independence in reading complex texts or viewing
media and writing, speaking or producing content about them.
E2/21 - Build a strong base of knowledge through content rich texts or
other appropriate sources of information.
E3/21 – Use digital tools to obtain, evaluate, synthesize, and report
findings/information clearly and effectively in response to a variety of tasks
and purposes.
M3/E4 - Construct and engage in viable arguments based on evidence and
critique reasoning of others.
E5/21 - Read, write, produce and speak grounded in evidence for a variety
of purposes and audiences.
M1/21 - Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
E6/21 - Come to understand other perspectives & cultures through reading,
listening, and collaborations
21 - Demonstrate innovation, flexibility and adaptability in thinking
patterns, work habits, and working/learning conditions.
E7/21 - Value and demonstrate personal responsibility, character, cultural
understanding, and ethical behavior
Discrepancy Gap Analysis Matrix
Universal Skills – Leverage Points
Jonathan P. CostaCommon Core Portrait Statements / EDUCATION CONNECTION - Costa – 21st Century Skills Crosswalk

24. Putting the Connections Together
Goals Measures Practices
Skill Attribute Evidence Instrument/Scale Content Area Task
Argument
Based on
Evidence
Learners construct
arguments for
specific purposes
incorporating
data, definitions,
and established
results.
Sited data is
accurate, properly
sourced,
associated with
and clearly
connected to
segments of the
overall argument.
Rubric
Beginning,
Developing,
Proficient,
Excellent
American History Create a work that
defends your
summary/
conclusion
regarding the
status of British
Soldiers with your
facts and
evidence.

25.  Systemic
 Predictable
 Controllable
Common
Causes
 Random
 Unpredictable
 Beyond
Control
Special
Causes
Common and Special Causes
One of Deming’s most significant insights.
Mission
Driven
Decision
Making
In-Context
Problem
Solving
85
15