DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of the Secretary

Statutory Authority: 14 Delaware Code, Section 122(d) (14 Del.C. §122(d))

14 DE Admin. Code 502

PROPOSED

Education Impact Analysis Pursuant To 14 Del.C. Section 122(d)

502 Alignment of Local School District Curricula to the State Content Standards

A. Type of Regulatory Action Required

Amendment to Existing Regulation

B. Synopsis of Subject Matter of the Regulation

The Secretary of Education seeks to amend 14 DE Admin. Code 502 Alignment of Local School District Curricula to the State Content Standards. The amendments reflect process changes related to the demonstration of alignment of local school district curricula to the state content standards. This reduces the burden on the districts as well as the Department and also provides for flexibility based on the uniqueness of each district related to the development of local curricula.

Persons wishing to present their views regarding this matter may do so in writing by the close of business on or before February 5, 2014 to Susan Haberstroh, Associate Secretary, Department of Education, at 401 Federal Street, Suite 2, Dover, Delaware 19901. A copy of this regulation is available from the above address or may be viewed at the Department of Education business office.

C. Impact Criteria

1. Will the amended regulation help improve student achievement as measured against state achievement standards? The amendments are intended to provide for the demonstration of local curricula alignment that should result in improvement of student achievement as measure against the state content standards.

2. Will the amended regulation help ensure that all students receive an equitable education? The amendments are intended to provide for an equitable education for all students.

3. Will the amended regulation help to ensure that all students’ health and safety are adequately protected? The amendments are related to the local curricula and not specifically the health and safety of all students.

4. Will the amended regulation help to ensure that all students’ legal rights are respected? The amendments are intended to continue to ensure all students’ legal rights are respected.

5. Will the amended regulation preserve the necessary authority and flexibility of decision making at the local board and school level? The amendments preserve the necessary authority and flexibility of decision making at the local board level.

6. Will the amended regulation place unnecessary reporting or administrative requirements or mandates upon decision makers at the local board and school levels? The amendments are intended to minimize any unnecessary reporting or administrative requirements or mandates upon the local board and school levels.

7. Will the decision making authority and accountability for addressing the subject to be regulated be placed in the same entity? The decision making authority and accountability does not change with these amendments.

8. Will the amended regulation be consistent with and not an impediment to the implementation of other state educational policies, in particular to state educational policies addressing achievement in the core academic subjects of mathematics, science, language arts and social studies? The amendments are consistent with and not an impediment to other state educational policies.

9. Is there a less burdensome method for addressing the purpose of the regulation? The amendments are intended to reduce the burden on the districts.

10. What is the cost to the State and to the local school boards of compliance with the regulation? The regulation is in response to State Code. The amendments are intended to minimize the impact on personnel resources at the local board and school levels, while maintaining the purpose of the law.

502 Alignment of Local School District Curricula to the State Content Standards

1.0 Purpose

1.1 The purpose of this regulation is to provide a process through which all Delaware school districts demonstrate the alignment of their local curricula with the State Content Standards in the content areas specified in the 14 DE Admin. Code 501.

2.0 Definitions

“Adoption” means to accept a set of standards as the basis for curriculum and assessment alignment across the state according to a timeline established and disseminated by the Department of Education.

“Alignment Index” means a co relational measure of alignment between the Survey of Enacted Curriculum in a specific content area and the state standards used for comparison. The Wisconsin Center for Educational Research automatically calculates and reports the alignment index to schools and districts that use the surveys.

“Content Map” means a graphic depiction of local curriculum alignment automatically reported to schools and districts as part of the analysis of teacher survey data by the Wisconsin Center for Educational Research.

“Department” means the Delaware Department of Education.

“Evidence” means certification by the district that their curriculum is aligned to the state content standards, which is supported by documentation maintained by the district.

“Grade Level Expectations” means the documents created and officially released by the Delaware Department of Education for English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies which detail student learning objectives in each content area for kindergarten through grade twelve.

“Recommended Statewide Uniform Curricula” means one or more of the following documents: Academic Content Standards, Clarifications and Grade Level Expectations posted to the Delaware Department of Education website. The Department may update the document(s) based on changes to the State Content Standards in 14 DE Admin. Code 501.

“Scope and Sequence” means a curriculum plan, usually in chart form, with a range of instructional objectives and skills organized according to the successive levels at which they are taught.

“Statewide Recommended Curriculum Frameworks” means the Delaware Recommended Curriculum documents comprised of Academic Content Standards, Clarifications and Grade Level Expectations posted to the Delaware Department of Education website.

“Survey of Enacted Curriculum (SEC)” means the alignment survey sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the Wisconsin Center for Education Research. The SEC is a teacher survey tool based on scientifically based research which yields detailed information about the alignment of classroom instruction to state academic standards and state assessments. The survey is available for English language arts, mathematics, and science at the present time. A survey for social studies is in development. An analysis of results by grade level, school and district is completed by the Wisconsin Center for Educational Research with formal reports provided to the participating schools and districts.

“Tile Chart” means a graphic depiction of local curriculum alignment automatically reported to schools and districts as part of the analysis of teacher survey data by the Wisconsin Center for Educational Research.

“Unit Summative Assessment” means a performance measure of skills and knowledge mastered by students at the end of a unit as a result of classroom instruction. Examples of unit assessment measures include but are not limited to teacher constructed unit tests and commercially published measures such as those provided by curriculum publishers.

3.0 Alignment Requirement

3.1 All school districts shall provide evidence to the Department that their school district curricula are aligned with the State Content Standards. State Content Standards exist in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, World Languages, Visual and Performing Arts, Health, Physical Education, Agriscience, Business Finance and Marketing Education, Technology Education, Skilled and Technical Sciences, and the Family and Consumer Sciences. Content standards as developed adopted by the Department in the future shall also be included under this section

12 DE Reg. 216 (08/01/08)

4.0 Use of the Statewide Recommended Curricula Frameworks

4.1 School districts shall utilize the Statewide Recommended Curricula Frameworks including the State Content Standards, Content Area Clarifications and Grade Level Expectations as guides to the development or revision of their local curricula, syllabi, and Scope and Sequence in the content areas listed in 3.0.

54.0 Documentation of Curriculum Alignment

5.1 Evidence of curriculum alignment to the State Content Standards shall be submitted to the Department no later than twelve (12) months following the official release by the Department of the Statewide Recommended Curriculum Frameworks in each content area.

5.2 Documentation of alignment of school district curriculum to the State Content Standards shall be submitted through evidence provided by the school districts on forms as developed and required by the Department .

5.3 Evidence of curriculum alignment submitted by school districts shall be subject to Department review during on site monitoring visits.

4.1 Alignment of school district curricula to the State Content Standards shall be certified annually by the district through an assurance in the consolidated grant application.

4.2 Documentation of alignment of school district curricula shall include: unit plans, lesson plans, and assessments; and may be subject to Department review during on-site monitoring visits. Included in the documentation shall be a description of the method and level of involvement in the alignment process by building administrators, teachers and specialists.

4.3 Documentation for Agriscience, Business Finance and Marketing Education, Technology Education, Skilled and Technical Sciences, and the Family and Consumer Sciences shall follow requirements through 14 DE Admin. Code 525 for Career and Technical Education.

5.0 Documentation for Specific Student Populations

As part of its documentation, the district shall explain modifications or enhancements to curricula for specific subgroups such as students with disabilities, gifted students, English learners or any other special population of students and certify alignment to the State Content Standards.

6.0 Criteria for the Evaluation of the Alignment

6.1 School districts shall be required to submit evidence of local curriculum alignment for English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, World Languages, Visual and Performing Arts, Health, and Physical Education content areas for each grade cluster K to 2, 3 to 5, 6 to 8 and 9 to12 from at least two of the permissible categories of evidence in 6.1.1 through 6.1.5. One of the two categories shall be the evidence described in 6.1.1. The second required category and any additional submitted evidence shall be selected by the district from categories 6.1.2 through 6.1.5. The school district may choose to vary the choice of the second category of evidence by grade cluster level. School districts shall be required to submit evidence of local curriculum alignment for Career and Technical Education content areas (Agriscience, Business Finance and Marketing Education, Technology Education, Skilled and Technical Sciences, and the Family and Consumer Sciences) from the permissible category of evidence in 6.1.6. Evidence of alignment to each standard in a given content area shall be submitted.

6.1.1 Category 1 is a narrative describing the local curriculum alignment evidence and the extent to which it addresses all student subgroups. For English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies, a required element of this narrative shall be an analysis of school district disaggregated student performance data on state assessments over the most recent three year period of available state assessment data.

6.1.2 Category 2 is the Grade level result (all teachers in at least one grade per grade cluster K to 2, 3 to 5, 6 to 8 and 9 to12 of the Survey of Enacted Curriculum for the content area under consideration. The SEC results shall demonstrate an Alignment Index of .50 or higher, and include a graphic summary including either a Tile Chart or Content Maps.

6.1.3 Category 3 is three (3) units of study from a specific grade cluster, accompanied by the corresponding summative unit assessment and scoring rubric, and matrix table detailing applicable content standards, grade level expectations and course expectations for all students served in the grade cluster.

6.1.4 Category 4 is an external formal curriculum alignment report detailing a review of local instruction and documentation of standards alignment. The district is required to submit three (3) sample units and three (3) corresponding unit summative assessments, and a narrative detailing how all students served in the grade cluster receive standards aligned instruction. The district is required to submit the curriculum audit contractor's credentials.

6.1.5 Category 5 is a formative assessment benchmarking system with grade cluster Scope and Sequence, including three sample units from the grade cluster. The district is required to submit (1) a narrative detailing evidence of alignment of formative student assessment or assessments to the State Content Standards and (2) sample assessment items in the content area.

6.1.6 Category 6 is curriculum alignment evidence specific to Career and Technical Education content areas. Evidence for Agriscience, Business Finance and Marketing Education, Technology Education, Skilled and Technical Sciences, and the Family and Consumer Sciences shall be submitted as required through 14 DE Admin. Code 525 for Career and Technical Education.

6.2 Required documentation for specific student subpopulations

6.2.1 As part of its submitted evidence, the district shall make detailed comments on the extent to which any modification or enhancement of the instructional program for specific subgroups such as students with disabilities, gifted students, English language learners or any other special population of students is aligned to the State Content Standards in the content area where there have been modifications or enhancements.

12 DE Reg. 216 (08/01/08)

7.0 Participation of Building Level Staff

7.1 All school districts shall describe and document to the Department the method and the level of involvement in the alignment process by their building administrators, teachers and specialists.

86.0 Subsequent Review of Alignment

8.1 Each district shall be required to present evidence of certify curriculum alignment if there are major changes to a content area in the approved curricula. The district shall only be required to submit evidence documentation of curriculum alignment in the affected content area upon request by the Department. Further, districts placed under school improvement may be required to submit evidence documentation of aligned curriculum in the assessed content area or areas which form the basis for the any school improvement rating.