This document outlines the backwards design pedagogy process for principals in the Oakland Unified School District. It describes the 8 steps of backwards design which include: 1) analyzing standards, 2) developing assessments, 3) creating scoring guides, 4) designing curriculum, 5) planning instructional strategies, 6) delivering instruction, 7) administering assessments, and 8) evaluating and refining the process. The document provides details and examples for principals to guide teachers through each step to ensure standards, assessments, and instruction are aligned using the backwards design framework.

1. every
student.
every
classroom.
every
day.
A
Backwards
Design
Pedagogy
for
OUSD
Principals
Carlos
F.
Camargo,
Ph.D.

2. 2
Backwards
Design
Begin
with
the
end
in
mind

3. 3
Why
this
ma=ers?
Content
standards
are
of
li:le
value
as
a
guide
for
teaching
and
best
prac=ce
unless
our
assessments
are
closely
aligned
with
the
standards.

4. 4
It’s
about
CHANGE.
Tradi=onal
Table
of
contents
Instruc=on
Assessment
Backwards
Design
Standards
Assessments
InstrucIon

5. 5
What
are
the
Backwards
Design
steps?
1. Analysis of standard/benchmarks (or use state grade-
level expectations).
2. Develop the assessment task.
3. Development of a scoring guide.
4. Design of curriculum.
5. Planning of instructional strategies.
6. Delivery of instruction.
7. Administering assessment.
8. Evaluate/refine your 8-step process.

6. every
student.
every
classroom.
every
day.
Have
your
teachers
had
trouble
determining
exactly
what
a
standard
or
a
benchmark
is
saying?
Then they are not alone.

7. 7
#1.
Analysis
of
Standard/Benchmark
• Purpose:
to
promote
the
collegial
conversa=on
about
the
meaning
of
standards
and
benchmarks
that
result
in
consensus
on
the
knowledge,
skills,
relevance
of
standards
and
benchmarks.

8. 8
In
the
event
that
we
don’t…
…the
prac=ce
of
analysis
of
standards
and
benchmarks
is
an
excellent
one
promo=ng
collegiality
and
deep
understanding
.

9. 9
Analysis
(cont’d.)
• Have
teachers
partner
with
a
colleague
who
teaches
the
same
subject
or
grade
level.
• Go
to
the
math
(or
ELA
or
Science)
content
standards.
• Select
a
strand
and
then
a
standard/
benchmark.

10. 10
Analysis
(cont’d.)
• Focus
on
the
benchmark.
• Silently,
have
them
read
it
slowly.
• Now,
look
at/read
the
P1
form
(
or
their
own
form)
components.
• Fill
in
the
benchmark
you
have
chosen.
• Now
begin
the
analysis
by…

11. 11
Analysis
(cont’d.)
• …asking
themselves,
“What
am
I
asking
my
students
to
KNOW
and
to
BE
ABLE
TO
DO
in
this
benchmark?
• KNOW:
nouns
• BE
ABLE
TO
DO:
verbs…no=ce
the
verbs
you
are
coming
up
with…where
do
they
fall
within
Bloom’s
Taxonomy??
Basic?
Higher
order?
• Relevance…….important!

12. 12
#2
Select
Assessment
Type
…and
actually
create
the
test
before
they
begin
Day
One
of
instruc=on…they
will
clearly
be
more
focused
on
what
must
be
taught…
Op=on
Two…Ques=on(s)
-­‐A-­‐Day
test
crea=on
method

13. 13
No
more
night-­‐before
test
crea=on
crisis.

14. 14
#2
Select
Assessment
Type
• Ask
themselves,
“What
is
the
best
way
for
students
to
demonstrate
what
they
know
and
can
do?
• Paper
and
pencil
test?
• Graph?
Por^olio
work?
Song?
• Chart?
Mul=ple
choice
ques=ons?
• Oral
explana=on?
Drawing?

15. 15
A
few
types
of
assessments
• Mul=ple
Choice
• Enhanced
Mul=ple
Choice
• Jus=fied
Mul=ple
Choice
• Constructed
Response
• Open-­‐ended
• Performance
Assessments

16. 16
#3
Develop
Scoring
Guide
• Purpose? To provide clear
descriptors about how
performance will be judged.
• Their grading will be more
reliable.

17. 17
#3
Develop
Scoring
Guide
• …the
chart
type
which
includes
ranges
such
as
Advanced
Proficient,
Proficient,
Par=ally
Proficient
or
Basic.
• …or…because
TIME is eternally a problem,,,
BORROW,
BORROW,
• BORROW,
BORROW!
• h:p://www.teach-­‐nology.com/
• Then
Teacher
Tools,
go
to
Rubric
Generators,
scroll
to
Math
Rubric
Generator.

18. 18
#3
Develop
Scoring
Guide
• Spend
=me
with
teachers
exploring
the
teAch-­‐nology
site
for
ideas
for
their
classroom.
• Rubric
sites
to
explore…
• rubistar.4teachers.org
– www.rubric.com
– www. TeAch-nology.com

19. 19
#4
Design
of
Curriculum
Purpose:
To
align
curriculum
with
each
of
the
standards/
benchmarks
which
they
are
using.

20. 20
MAKING
CONNECTIONS
• VERY
HIGH
QUALITY
PLANNING
• WELL-­‐DESIGNED
(except
that
the
placement
of
the
assessment
wri=ng
should
be
up
front
as
per
Backwards
Design)

21. 21
#5
Planning
of
InstrucIon
How
will
they
teach
this
standard?
STRATEGIES…
e.g.,
coopera=ve
learning?
Think-­‐pair-­‐share?
mind
mapping?
manipula=ves?
jigsaw?
lecture?

22. 22
#5
PLANNING
INSTRUCTION
TACTICS…
Four
Corners?
Fish
Bone
Diagram?
Inside/Outside
Circles?
Venn
Diagram?
Numbered
Heads?

23. 23
#6
Delivery
of
InstrucIon
TEACH!

24. 24
#7
Delivery
of
Assessment
TEST!
(don’t
forget
to
vary
the
type!)

25. 25
#8
Refine
your
8-­‐step
Process
Encourage
teachers
to
be
reflec=ve
prac==oners.
Step
back
and
look
at
how
they
planned.
Did
it
work
well?
Did
the
students
learn?
How
did
they
score?
What
could
you
have
done
be:er
or
in
a
different
manner?
Add
a
pre-­‐test
next
=me?

26. 26
Bo=om
line….
Backwards
Design
Pedagogy
is
a
method
of
approaching
standards-­‐based
educa=on
(SBE)
which
forces
us
as
teachers
to
focus
on
our
standards
so
much
so
that
we
complete
our
assessments
before
we
begin
instruc=on,
thereby
keeping
the
assessment
foremost
in
our
minds
as
we
teach
our
students
what
they
should
know
and
be
able
to
do
to
become
produc=ve
ci=zens
in
society.

27. 27
In
the
literature…
G.
Wiggins
J.
McTighe
R.S=ggins
www.mcrel.org

28. 28
Resource
Pages
ELA
Math

29. 16
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS
GRADE 1
CCR Anchor Standard CCSS Standard Unpacking
College and Career Readiness Anchor
Standards for Writing
Writing
Text Types and Purposes
1. Write arguments to support claims in an
analysis of substantive topics or texts,
using valid reasoning and relevant and
sufficient evidence.
1. Write opinion pieces in which they
introduce the topic or name the book they
are writing about, state an opinion, supply
a reason for the opinion, and provide some
sense of closure.
First grade students should be able to
express their opinion and demonstrate the
ability to share their opinion with others. In
first grade, students write opinion pieces
that clearly state their preferences and
supply a reason for their thinking. In doing
so, students need multiple opportunities to
express opinions and develop writing
behaviors.
Students need to engage in behaviors (turn
and talk, small group discussion, and
emergent writing and speaking learning
centers) that lead to the expression of ideas
both verbally and in writing: Students will
also need a purposeful focus on choice-
making throughout ELA.
For example, in this grade, students are
expected to be able to select a reason that
supports their opinion and be able to share
their thinking.
First grade students are required to include
both an introduction and a sense of closure
or a closing statement in their writing.
Students will need to build strategies for
introducing concepts (such as beginning
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to
examine and convey complex ideas and
information clearly and accurately through
the effective selection, organization, and
analysis of content.
2. Write informative/explanatory texts in
which they name a topic, supply some
facts about the topic, and provide some
sense of closure.
3. Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, well-chosen details,
and well-structured event sequences.
3. Write narratives in which they recount
two or more appropriately sequenced
events, include some details regarding
what happened, use temporal words to
signal event order, and provide some sense
of closure.

30. 17
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS
GRADE 1
with a fact or question) and concluding
their thoughts (learning to write a summary
statement) when writing. They will begin
to use temporal words (now, when, then)
to show order of events.

31. 18
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS
GRADE 1
CCR Anchor Standard CCSS Standard Unpacking
College and Career Readiness Anchor
Standards for Writing
Writing
Production and Distribution of Writing
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in
which the development, organization, and
style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience.
4. (Begins in grade 3) With assistance from adults and peers,
students should focus their writing on a
topic and be able to respond to questions
and suggestions. In order to do so, students
need to understand how to add descriptive
words to their writing to strengthen their
piece. They also need to develop the ability
to recognize spelling, grammar, and
punctuation errors and have strategies for
correcting these errors with assistance
(during conferences and peer editing).
With assistance, students will use digital
tools to publish their writing independently
and in collaboration with peers (use of
keyboarding and technology). At this grade
level, students will need to be able to “log
on” to programs, computer stations, and
hand-held devices to engage with digital
media.
5. Develop and strengthen writing as
needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach.
5. With guidance and support from adults,
focus on a topic, respond to questions and
suggestions from peers, and add details to
strengthen writing as needed.
6. Use technology, including the Internet,
to produce and publish writing and to
interact and collaborate with others.
6. With guidance and support from adults,
use a variety of digital tools to produce and
publish writing, including in collaboration
with peers.

32. 19
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS
GRADE 1
CCR Anchor Standard CCSS Standard Unpacking
College and Career Readiness Anchor
Standards for Writing
Writing
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7. Conduct short as well as more sustained
research projects based on focused
questions, demonstrating understanding of
the subject under investigation.
7. Participate in shared research and
writing projects (e.g., explore a number of
“how-to” books on a given topic and use
them to write a sequence of instructions).
First grade students are required to
participate in shared research projects.
Students will need to understand their role
(job on the team) and how they will
contribute (work they will do) to the
project from beginning to end. Items, such
as, task charts, check sheets, and graphic
organizers will be helpful to students as
they learn to work together.
At this level, students are working with
provided research. They need to know how
to scan the information provided (words,
pictures, digital sources) and/or recall from
their own background knowledge the
pieces they need to answer research
questions and take notes. Students do this
work with prompting and support.
8. Gather relevant information from
multiple print and digital sources, assess
the credibility and accuracy of each source,
and integrate the information while
avoiding plagiarism.
8. With guidance and support from adults,
recall information from experiences or
gather information from provided sources
to answer a question.
9. Draw evidence from literary or
informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
9. (Begins in grade 4)

33. 20
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS
GRADE 1
CCR Anchor Standard CCSS Standard Unpacking
College and Career Readiness Anchor
Standards for Writing
Writing
Range of Writing
10. Write routinely over extended time
frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single
sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks,
purposes, and audiences.
10. (Begins in grade 3)