The document outlines an educational presentation on proficiency-based teaching and learning given to the Oregon Small Schools Association in 2011, discussing shortcomings of the traditional educational model and benefits of a proficiency-based model in preparing students for future careers through standards-aligned learning. Case studies and examples from schools that have implemented proficiency-based models show improved student engagement, performance, and preparation for post-secondary education and careers.

1. Proficiency-Based
Teaching and Learning
The Adventure Approach
Stories From Another Place
OSBA 2011
November 12, 2011

2. The System is Broken
Or, The Emperor Has No Clothes
Part One

3. The Experts in the Room
 How did you teach your children?
 To walk?
 To ride a bicycle
 To talk?
 To tie their shoes?
 Or even ???
 When did you know they could do it?

4. Would you teach those skills like
this?
Watch video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxPVyieptwA

5. Or this?
Watch video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOJEdMIC
mAY

6. How would you recognize good
teaching for those skills?
Question

7. What‟s The Difference?
Or The Ugly Duckling
Part Two

8. What I Know About Kids
 Thirsty for knowledge
 Creative
 School kills that

9. Traditional and Proficiency-Based
Comparing Two Educational Models

10. View of Learners
Traditional Proficiency
 Some will excel, some  All of them can
will do average achieve at high
work, a portion will standards; failure is
fail. not an option

11. Learning Program
Traditional Proficiency
 Time based; learning  Learning based; time
is a variable. It‟s is the variable. It‟s
effective for a portion effective for all
of students. students.

12. Grades
Traditional Proficiency
 Based on various, and  Indicate only what
sometimes student has learned
subjective, points rather (knows and can do)
than proficiencies; may by demonstration of
reflect quantity over proficiency; quality of
quality (such as extra-
work is based on
credit work); may be
used in part to agreements about
punish, reward, or evidence of
control student proficiency.
behavior; subject to  End-of-course grades
inflation reflect student
 Grades are sometimes proficiency at the end

13. Assessment
Traditional Proficiency
 Relies heavily on  Includes summative
summative assessment, but
assessment, including heavily favors
standardized testing. formative assessment
as a feedback
mechanism to
continuously measure
and guide student
learning and to drive
and improve
instruction.

14. Nature & Structure of Schools
Traditional Proficiency
 Often adult-centered  Student-centered in
in practice. practice.
 Self-contained  Home base for flexible
education factories in learning experiences
a management where students can
assume more
hierarchy modeled on
initiative, work in
20th Century industry. teams, and learn in
community
settings, online
venues, and other
education institutions as

15. Curriculum
Traditional Proficiency
 Disciplines are  Based on recognized
independent of one standards. Rigor and
another and content is relevance are driving
independent of criteria. Disciplines
standards for are often integrated.
postsecondary Content is keyed to
success. what students need
for postsecondary
studies and job
success.

16. Student Credentialing
Traditional Proficiency
 Students accumulate  Students are
graded units of assessed to ensure
instruction to graduate they have acquired
through “seat time” high standards of
knowledge and skills
regardless of skill defined by minimum
levels acquired or state diploma
grades assigned, and requirements
a standard diploma is matched to state
regarded as the end standards. This is the
point of the high minimum
school experience. requirement. We work
forward from there.

17. Student Credentialing, continued
Traditional Proficiency
 For students capable  Students with an
of doing more and interest in advanced
advancing while still in certification and
high school, the credits
senior year is often (AP, IB, college
spent coasting to the credits) are supported
finish line. in going beyond
minimum diploma
requirements.

18. Teachers
Traditional Proficiency
 They dispense  They do many of the
knowledge about traditional things, but
also are content
subject matter; lead experts, mentors, resou
class rces, partners in school
discussion, make management, partners
assignments, motivat with community
e students, assign resource
providers, skills
grades. assessment
practitioners, members
of teaching teams, and
members of
professional learning

19. Students
Traditional Proficiency
 They receive or  They envision and
absorb information help plan their
passively, recite when education
asked, achieve on path, partner in their
tests. own progress, learn
by observation and
application as well as
by reading and taking
class notes, and
develop both
individual and group

20. Students, continued
Traditional Proficiency
 Often don‟t know at  From the very
the beginning of a beginning of a
course what course, they know
constitutes successful precisely what
learning. proficiencies
demonstrate desired
attainment of
knowledge and
skills, and they work
to achieve those
proficiencies.

21. Student Performance Data
Traditional Proficiency
 Infrequently collected  Frequently collected
and analyzed, if at all. and analyzed
(currently and
longitudinally) by
teachers, professional
learning
communities, and
curriculum and
instruction
administrators for
program

22. Background Philosophy
 Bloom‟s Revised Taxonomy
 See handout
 What skills align with each level?
 When you scaffold learning, you create student
ownership.
 Tell me, I forget
 Show me, I remember
 Involve me, I understand

23. Teacher to Principal
When I Taught Now as a Principal
 Traditional Model  School Culture
 Forced to push the  Academic
boundaries implementation
 Used student  Change in teacher
performance to role
change my program/  Student responsibility
instruction and self management
 Used formative  Parent responsibilities
assessment data  Community school
regularly

24. One Dad‟s Story
Then Now
 Guiding meant telling  Guiding means asking
how to do it. scaffolded questions.
 I knew the best way.  They come up with
really good ways.
 I decide what‟s right.
 They evaluate
 I point to the goal. whether it works.
 It‟s right when Daddy  Together we find the
says so. goal
 They can make their
own decisions.

25. How are we so different?
Question

26. Showing is Better than Telling
or The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Part Three

27. Think About It
 How to break down in bicycling in terms of skills
(think self)
 How would you deliver/teach those skills? (pair)
 Share with your neighboring pair your skills
(share)
 How many skills did you have? (Raise hands with
number)
 How many learned from another person or pair?

28. The Proficiency Teacher
I Used To Now I
 Write lesson plans  Have modules students
 Grade papers can go through at their
 Create resources own pace.
 Prepare for conferences  Evaluate skills as
students work.
 Teach everyone
 Sometimes revise
 Reteach everyone
modules.
 Reteach again
 Watch students present
 Catch kids up who data at conferences
came to me behind
 Reach each child
 Stay at the front of the
 Teach at one reading or
room
math level at a time.
 Coach among students

29. In the Classroom
 Mini Lessons
 Flipping the Model
 Small- and full-group teaching
 Aides in every classroom

30. What examples can you give of
this in the world of work?
Question

31. Breaking It Down
or Tales of 1001 Arabian Nights
Part Four

32. Common Core State Standard
 Show a CCSS standard, ask for an activity or test
that would fit this.
 Demonstrate a breakdown into skills and
knowledge
 Align with Bloom
 Review the process

33. Typical Standard
 Informational Text
 Grade 4
 Domain: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
 Standard:
 Interpret information presented visually, orally, or
quantitatively (e.g., in
charts, graphs, diagrams, timelines, animations, or
interactive elements on Web pages) and explain
how the information contributes to an understanding
of the text in which it appears.
 http://corestandards.org/the-standards
 How can you test that?

34. Knowledge and Skills
 Interpret information presented
visually, orally, or quantitatively
(e.g., in
charts, graphs, diagrams, timelines,
animations, or interactive elements
on Web pages) and explain how
the information contributes to an
understanding of the text in
which it appears.

35. The Process
 Parse the standards
 Lay out according to difficulty of knowledge or
skill
 Find associated pieces of standards
 Group
 Align to Bloom‟s
 Choose a Theme
 Create Activities
 Write Instructions
 Design rubrics/scoring guides
 Outline roles and responsibilities for
Teacher, Student, Parent

36. The Outcome
 Leslie‟s roll-out plan for level 3 language arts and
social studies.
 A photo here would be great!

37. Which ideas from teaching bicycling
justifies this approach to standards?
Question

38. Is Good Enough Good Enough?
Or Back To The Future
(or The Princess and the Tin Box)
Part Five

39. Today‟s Reality
 What is happening in your schools?
 How will kids be prepared for jobs of the future?
 What does each activity do to prepare them for
life and work?

40. Our Reading Scores
3
2.5
2
Grade Equivalency Growth
1.5
Adjusted**
Expected Growth 1:1
1
0.5
0
1 2 3 4 5 6
3 4 5 6 7
8

41. Our Math Scores
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
Grade Equivalency Growth
0.4 Adjusted*
Expected Growth 1:1
0.2
0
1 2 3 4 5 6
-0.2
-0.4
3 4 5 6 7
8

42. Discipline Data
80
70
60
50
40
30
20 Non-Proficiency
10 Classes
0 Proficiency Classes

43. Success Stories
 Student Engagement
 Level of Performance
 Teacher Perception
 In .2 of the school year, students have made .5
growth. In other words, the progress they had
made by October was where they would normally
be in January (if they were on track).
 In the spring we had two early implementers.
 One teacher‟s discipline issues went down to zero.
 One teacher‟s % of 3rd graders passing the state
OAKS went from 60% the year before to 100% last
spring.

44. Sara‟s Project
 See video here:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE_TNsVJyck

45. What future is your school
preparing kids for?
Question

46. Which Path Will You Take?
Profiles in Courage or Don Quixote?
Part Six

47. Option 1

48. Option 2

49. Your Choice
 Which teaching do you want for your children?

50. “The illiterates of the 21st century will not be
those who cannot read and write but those who
cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn”
- Alvin Toffler

51. A New Skill
 Geomicrobiologist
 Pieces together bits of geology, environmental
science and microbiology to figure how micro-
organisms might help make new medicine or
clean up pollution.

52. Do you want
 Seat Time  Proficient Performance?

53. Which Doctor Do You Want?

54. Which Pilot Do You Want?

55. Question
What are you going to do to make school
relevant in your students‟ lives?

56. The Full Picture
or The Time Machine
Review

57. What Did You Just See?
Presentation Level’s of Bloom’s
Components Revised
1. The System Is 1. Remembering
Broken
2. What‟s the 2. Understanding
Difference? 3. Applying
3. Showing Is Better
Than Telling 4. Analyzing
4. Breaking it Down 5. Evaluating
5. Is Good Enough 6. Creating
Good Enough?
6. Which Path Will You
Take?

58. Resources and Information
or Through The Looking Glass
Resources

59. Essential Differences
 Systems Approach
 No multi-year transition approach
 NOT one teacher at a time
 Not a slow-down approach
 Kids First/Adults Get Paid to Be There
 Know the Students
 Progress Monitor regularly
 Skills are based on turning standards into skills—you
can‟t teach or test a standard
 Teacher-created modules
 Partnerships
 Professional Development
 Fluidity/Flexibility

60. FAQs
 How can you scale it up for larger schools?
 Can you begin with only a few teachers?
 How did you pay for the technology?
 How did you pay for the additional personnel?
 How did special education become student
services?
 How did you get a partnership going?
 Don‟t you have to buy textbooks?
 How can my school do this?
 Who can help?

61. What do I need to accomplish
this?
 A system‟s approach
 The right people in the right jobs
 Courage
 Passion
 A deep understanding of what you want for
children

62. Web 2.0 Resources
 ACCS‟ PBTL LiveBinder
 http://livebinders.com/edit?id=44141
 20 Jobs That Will Not Exist in 20 Years
 http://www.ilookforwardto.com/2010/07/20-jobs-that-will-not-exist-in-20-years.html
 Jobs of the Future
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/jan/09/jobs-of-the-future
 How Do We Prepare Students For Jobs That Don‟t Exist Yet?
 http://edudemic.com/2011/10/students-of-the-future/
 How to Teach Students for Jobs That Don‟t Exist Yet
 http://www.ehow.com/how_7909655_teach-jobs-dont-exist-yet.html
 Star Wars and Bloom‟s Taxonomy
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG52jFCWiac&feature=related
 Bloom‟s Taxonomy According to Pirates of the Caribbean
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjhKmhKjzsQ
 You Can‟t Be My Teacher
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VSymMbMYHA&feature=related
 Education “The times are a-changing”
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuyrP_HhWEg&feature=related

63. Today‟s Presentation Team
Steve Rinda Montgomery
Boynton, Superintendent
Conwell
Arlington Community Assistant Superintendent
Charter School North Central
Education Service District
Leslie
Travis Reeser, Principal
Arlington Community Walborn*, Teacher
Charter School Arlington Community
Charter School
This year‟s
Oregon Small Schools
Association Teacher of the
Year

64. Those who say it can’t be done
should not interrupt those of us
who are doing it.

66. Notes to Presenters
 Leslie: If asked about having to create your own
curriculum as opposed to getting a published
kit, talk about the benefits of going through the
process of breaking down standards and building
modules, how much better you know the purpose
of the activities and the standards.
 Travis: Talk about how it has changed your
approach to the overall view of what education
is, and how it has changed your activities as a
father.
 Rinda: Don‟t talk too much.
 Steve: Go get „em!