Checking Lessons to Determine the Alignment to the College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education

Hi,

Achieve has partnered with the Teaching Channel for a series of videos that focus on  EQuiP (Educators Evaluating the Quality of Instructional Products). EQuiP is an initiative designed to identify quality materials aligned to the Common Core Standards.  The videos illustrate how teachers have used the EQuiP Rubric to examine lessons in Mathematics and English Language Arts.  If you would like a further explanation of these videos, click here.  You will find many helpful resources on this page.  Check it out.  I hope that it is helpful for you.

Meryl Becker-Prezocki, SME

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

Greetings,

Recently I was involved in a meeting that focused on reviewing lessons for adult students.  I made the recommendation that it was important to start out with a quality rubric that accurately defines the guidelines for the lesson.  I referred the group to the EQuIP Rubrics for developing, improving, or evaluating lessons to determine the alignment to the standards.  Is anyone familiar with this?  If so, can you tell us just how you are using the rubric?  If you are using a different rubric, can you share how it was developed?

I will be interested in passing on your comments to the group that I am working with.  Thanks.

Meryl Becker-Prezocki, SME

 

 

Hello Meryl!

I would like to get into using the EQuIP rubric with other teachers to evaluate resources for adult education.  I think at this point, our field needs to strengthen their understanding of the CCR to make the best use of it.  There are, however, ways to make use of it while we build our collective understanding:  evaluate our own lessons, receive high-quality feedback from the Peer Review Panel, and use the Exemplars as a resource.

I discovered the EQuIP rubric for math this summer and decided to submit a unit to the EQuIP Peer Review Panel.  As the Teaching Channel videos show, they annually select a team of teachers to review submitted materials.  These teachers read through materials, meet with the team, and use the feedback form to make suggestions for improvement.  Usually resources are submitted by organizations.  In order to submit to the panel, you are expected to evaluate the materials yourself.  That experience alone made me take a hard look at what I was using and make improvements before I submitted the unit.  The feedback I received from the Peer Review Panel was clear, specific, and on target.  It helped me see aspects I hadn't considered, and I made further improvements.  They helped me create a better unit than I could have on my own.

EQuIP keeps a collection of units they have evaluated as Exemplar if Improved or Exemplar on their web site under EQuIP Exemplars.  These resources include the completed feedback forms with the narrative by the Review Panel.

:-)Connie

Kudos to you, Connie.  I would like to offer my praise to you for presenting a math unit to the EQuIP Peer Review Panel.  It sounds like you have learned a lot from following the process setup by EQuIP.  I have no doubts that you feel more confident about the quality of the unit now.  What words of advice would you offer to other adult educators who contemplate sending their lessons to the review panel at EQuIP?

Meryl, SME

 

 

The reason I had lessons polished enough to send along was because of the support of the YouthBuild, USA Teacher Fellows' program last school year and other math teachers who took a look at the unit for me the first time I submitted it.  Before I even got to that point, I taught the unit with three different classes throughout the year.  I made changes based on students' responses and included new pieces to remediate common misunderstandings.  This was the really culmination of a year's worth of professional development and instructional time.  It's one of the core units I will turn to with future classes, making it worth the effort.

I wonder if teachers from Massachusetts, New York, or Rhode Island have anything to add since the rubric was developed from their Tri-State Rubric?  Is the rubric being used in adult education in your state?

 Hi Connie and others,

I have to tell you that I am sure that the time and effort spent on this unit was probably extremely valuable professional development for you.  So many times, I hear from instructors that they want their professional growth to be relevant to the work that they do everyday.  

I was wondering what was the time duration for the unit?  How often do you anticipate using it with future students?

I know that Kentucky looked at the EQuIP Rubric.  I believe that they will be using a rubric that they developed to match their lesson plan format.  I would like to hear from those in Massachusetts, New York, or Rhode Island about the Tri-State Rubric.  What can you tell us about it?  Are you still using it currently?  

Meryl, SME 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, the unit I was talking about just went up on the EQuIP site today.  To see it (and answer your question about length), go to the "EQuIP Exemplars" tab, and then scroll to the very bottom of the list of Exemplar links.  They added a section for Adult Education!  I had thought they would put it under 6th grade because of the CCR Standards addressed in the unit, but I'm am so pleased that they recognize that there are differences in the needs for Adult Education lessons.

You asked how often I'll use it.  That really depends on what class of students I see in front of me after registration, but I anticipate fitting it in once per year with each GED-level class I'm teaching.  I will also be using it as the topic of my proposed session for COABE and at our state conference.

So, this discussion thread isn't about just this unit.  I want to use the EQuIP rubric with other adult educators.  I'm wondering who else is already doing that and what advice they have.