Our Work Plan

Center on Instruction Year 7 Work Plan Summary 2011-2012

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and School Improvement Grants (SIG) Literacy, Mathematics, Special Education, English Language Learners	Products Spelling research summary Student Center Activities guide to support Common Core State Standards implementation Teacher Routines guide to support Common Core State Standards implementation Report on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for students with disabilities Website to highlight COI resources that support Common Core State Standards implementation, implementation of SIG activities, quality of extended learning time, and instruction for English language learners and students with disabilities Technical Assistance Resources addressing algebra readiness, students with disabilities, and English language learners in CCSS Meetings with RCC staff to discuss issues around Common Core State Standards implementation Consultations with RCCs and state departments of education on Common Core State Standards implementation
Response to Intervention (RTI)	Products Update RTI CTRL database self-assessment tool for states Technical Assistance Resources to support implementation of RTI Regular meetings with RCC staff to discuss RTI issues in their states. Consultations with RCCs and state departments of education on conceptualization and implementation of instruction in an RTI setting
Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM)	Products Brief addressing the meaning of a "STEM program" Technical Assistance Resources to support science and math instruction and implementation of STEM programs Regular meetings with RCC staff to discuss STEM issues in their states Consultations with RCCs and state departments of education on STEM program conceptualization and implementation
Special Education	Products Brief on the implementation of intensive interventions for significantly struggling students and an accompanying tool to outline the features of intensive interventions Technical Assistance Meetings with RCC staff to discuss special education issues in their states
English Language Learners	Products Linguistic Accommodations for ELLs online module Update of Practical Guidelines for English Language Learners: Research-based Recommendations for the Use of Accommodations in Large-scale Assessments Technical Assistance Resources to support instruction for English learners Regular meetings with RCC staff to discuss ELL issues in their states Consultations with RCCs and state departments of education on instruction to support English learners
eLearning	Products eModule on online learning for decision makers Technical Assistance Resources on online instructional programs, professional development programs, and tools that will help states, districts, and schools make good decisions about incorporating eLearning into teaching and learning Consultations with RCC staff to discuss eLearning issues in their states
Early Learning	Technical Assistance Resources addressing early learning environments and activities Consultation with RCCs and state departments of education on instruction for students birth to PreK

Examples of Technical Assistance Activities at the Center on Instruction

Every year, COI receives requests for technical assistance from Regional Comprehensive Centers and state departments of education. Requests that COI has responded to include:

Created a curriculum audit (for district use) and an instruction audit (for school use) for the Southwest Comprehensive Center and a state in their region. The audits' questions focused on English Language Arts, RTI, special education, and English language learning.
Led a conference call on Common Core Standards for members of the Pacific RCC. The discussion covered issues around implementation of and support for the Common Core Standards in the Pacific territories and Hawaii.
Guiding New York in developing a process to identify schools with exemplary performance based on their percentage of English language learners.
Provided feedback on several states' literacy plans.
Supported MC3 on a webinar about developing a state literacy plan.
Provided initial support to the Great Lakes West Comprehensive Center on one of their states to help a large district move out of corrective status and ensure the integrity of the math content in STEM program.
Assisted the California Comprehensive Center prepare for its annual Algebra Summit. COI helped to set up a panel for the sharing of issues and concerns in articulating precisely the math knowledge that intermediate grade teachers need to know.
Supported the Texas Comprehensive Center and TEA in aligning their pre-K migrant education standards to their K-12 standards.
Led discussions for RCCs on the Common Core Standards and implications for students with disabilities and English language learners.

Other Selected Highlights in Technical Assistance from the Center on Instruction

Community of Practice sheds light on secondary-level academic literacy

The Center on Instruction formed a Community of Practice on the topic of academic literacy, an area identified as a high need by RCCs in their work plans. The Academic Literacy Community of Practice offered an interactive learning process on best practices in adolescent literacy, including differentiated instruction for students with language needs, struggling students, and students with disabilities. The community generated ideas for getting information and resources to SEAs to improve their professional development offerings in literacy.

New COI document and database support TA in adolescent literacy assessment

COI published Assessments to Guide Adolescent Literacy Instruction, a book that explains the types of assessments used to improve secondary literacy instruction. The publication became the centerpiece of a COI-led institute for RCC and SEA representatives on developing plans to implement the document's concepts and guidance. In New England, COI and NECC used the book in a webinar with four states. Partnering with the Mid-Continent Comprehensive Center, COI created an electronic knowledge database on classroom assessment and followed up with an on-line community of practice with 76 mid-western educators.

Two-pronged support for a state's adolescent literacy efforts

COI and the North Central Comprehensive Center pooled their resources to support a state's initiative to build a framework for aligning literacy practices across the state. The framework effort was guided by a pilot school project that used student data and research-based literacy information to identify effective literacy instruction practices. COI and NCCC continue their support this state as it refines its framework and disseminates these best practices to other schools.