Curriculum and Instruction - SAS-WASC

Curriculum and InstructionShanghai American School Self Study Report 1

“Administration and teachers, studentsand parents working together … a senseof family.” - In Young Ro, SAS parentand member of the Student ProgramsCommittee.2Shanghai American School Self Study Report

Curriculum and InstructionThe ProcessTeachers across both campuses – in all subject areas and at all grade levels – workedcollaboratively to gather data and respond to the guide questions that form the basisof the curriculum and instruction portion of the self study.They had plenty of challenges. Rapid growth at SAS, as we entered our self study,was key among those challenges. Three of six principals were new to the region andto WASC processes. Over 90 faculty members were new to the school. One goal wasto help those new-hires become familiar with SAS curricular expectations throughthe self study process. To that end, team and department teacher leaders played aninstrumental role. They attended facilitator seminars that allowed the educationalprograms office to ensure that instructions were consistent, that teacher leaders hadexemplars for creating team norms and for protocols that made looking at studentlearning productive and positive. This was most successful where principals or viceprincipals were full participants in the seminars.Note: For more information about how we help new faculty come on board with SAScurriculum, please see new hire mentor materials in the Appendix.Because of the size of the school, the volume of data collected, and the desire forevery teacher to be involved, it was decided to house as much data on Atlas as wecould. Many teachers posted their evidence and notes from discussions on Atlas;this resource is important to understanding our progress in the area of curriculumdevelopment and documentation. That said, since full uploading of the curriculumonto Atlas is not yet complete, and because not all teachers are fully comfortablewith the analysis functions of Atlas, this data source is supported by a hard copySubject Area Evidence Binder. These binders for each subject area can be found inthe evidence room on each campus and with each subject area teacher leader.The Subject Area Evidence Binders include the following:1. Sources of the recently adopted standards and benchmarks2. Atlas audit of the units completed for the subject area – by grade level3. Areas for strength and areas for follow-up identified by teachers in theirsubject area groups4. The continuum that guided conversations about progress along thecontinuum towards best practice, identifying areas of strength and areas forfollow-up. Continuum items include:• WASC guide questions• Essential teaching agreements, based on best practice, thatteachers have written for grade levels inelementary school grade level teams andfor subjects under program review• Selected NSSE Quality Schools items5. Data considered for the discussions, including:• Student and Community Profile (with ITBS, ERB, SAT andother data)• NSSE survey data• Atlas analysis of assessment types• Atlas analysis of EAGLES coverage• Assessment data templates• Sources of assessment• How students learn templates• Artifacts of learningShanghai American School Self Study Report 73

During professional development days and in two Wednesday after-school meetingsper month, teacher release time was provided for this process. Discussions occurredacross the school on a variety of topics ranging from assessment (“what kind andhow often is appropriate?”, “what exactly do we mean by common assessment?”,“how do we best use formative and summative assessments?”, “what is authenticassessment?”) to curriculum delivery (“are we addressing various learningstyles?”, “what has worked well – or not so well in delivering this lesson?”). Theconversations varied in depth according to where teams and departments are in theirdevelopment as teams, in their own learning on assessment and delivery and whetheror not their subject area is under review. It should be noted that not all questions wereraised in all teams.Standing next to the work of teachers in all subject areas, sits the more detailedwork of four subject area curriculum task forces. Currently, 6-12 mathematics, 6-12science and 6-12 language arts are in the review stages. PK-5 language arts is in therenewal stage, as is 6-12 Chinese. Reports on the progress and accomplishmentsin these subject areas comprise the third section of the curriculum and instructionchapter of this report.Overview of Curriculum and Instruction at Shanghai American SchoolCurriculum reviewIn response to recommendations from the midterm report, SAS has established aconcrete curriculum review cycle through the efforts of a school-wide curriculumcommittee and the administration. The process was adopted by the Student ProgramsCommittee in May, 2006. Steps in curriculum review are as follows:1. Convene a subject area program review task force2. Year 1 – Review: The task force looks at what is currently in place – toreview standards and benchmarks and map what is taught in the subjectarea and to gather data from students, teachers, parents, as well as frombenchmark schools. In this stage, the task force also conducts a literaturereview and makes recommendations about the program content, delivery,and assessment practices.3. Year 2 – Renewal: the task force, in consultation with administration, act onthe recommendations brought forward by the review. They broadly analyzedelivery, identify resources, and professional development necessary toimprove delivery and use recommended resources.4. Year 3 – Implementation: the task force conducts pilots, analyzes findingsand identifies resources and methodologies for implementation. They workwith the professional development committee, the educational programsoffice and building administration to oversee the implementation, ensuringthat professional development of teachers is linked directly to curriculumimplementation.5. Monitoring of the implementation through continued analysis of studentlearning data is conducted at the building level with oversight by principalsand subject area coordinators and the educational programs office.Looking at student learning, while not fully in place in all subject areas ordivisions, is on the increase. It is empowered through the work of teachers,administrators, and CFG community leaders trained in critical friendsapproaches to the analysis of data and student learning.As part of establishing a full curriculum review cycle, the deputy superintendent ledthe administration and a school-wide curriculum committee through a process todelineate the principles that guide curriculum work at SAS. The Principal’s TrainingCenter (PTC) work was a major resource in this work; the process is set out in theCurriculum and Professional Development Handbook (p 13, ‘The BIG Picture’) andthe principles summarized here:We believe that . . .74Shanghai American School Self Study Report

• Curriculum is best designed by teachers who work together to develop andreview scope and sequence and establish uniform curriculum for all subjects.• It provides the framework for what is taught, why it is taught, and how it istaught.• It must translate into student success• The design, review and revision of curriculum is an open-ended process.• Curriculum review contributes to the self renewal of the school and is itselfcyclical and recursive. It promotes professional growth and stimulateslearning.• Enables the school to be accountable for teaching what students should learn.The process of curriculum review at SAS is interactive by design and the goal isshared understanding of the content and method of what is taught. Though cyclicalin form, the aim is developmental in process. That development takes, in most cases,three years, though in reality, some subjects are taking longer and some not as long –again depending on the nature of the subject, the extent of the progress made towardalignment and collaboration across campuses, and the professional learning requiredto fully engage teachers in the data-gathering and analysis process of the review.Challenges for even progress in curriculum review include the number of newfaculty members that need to be brought on board in these years of growth, differentstages of development of the two campuses and the two distinct campus cultures thatprovide the context for the work.Four subject areas were in the stages of review or renewal in school year 2007-2008: PK-12 language arts, 6-12 Chinese, 6-12 mathematics, and 6-12 science.The challenge of addressing this number of areas to review was not taken lightlyand an explicit decision was made to proceed based on the urgency expressed bothby teachers and the community (e.g., 6-12 Mathematics, Chinese and Science).Further, the data indicated that PK-5 language arts, literacy in particular, neededurgent attention. Elementary campuses would not be able to sustain curriculumreview in more than language arts and since the urgencies expressed for attention tomathematics, science and Chinese concerned middle and high school, the task forceswere limited in scope to these levels. Further work to articulate curriculum betweenPK-5 and 6-12 in language arts, mathematics, science and Chinese is an importantarea of attention.Two areas entered the implementation stage in 2007-2008: English as a SecondLanguage and Academic Support. Also in 2007-2008, library/media and technologystandards and benchmarks were reviewed and a curriculum framework for K-12technology was refined and reviewed. Reports on the program review progress ofthese areas are found in Support for Student Personal and Academic Growth chapterof this report.As an example of the process, in 2005-2006, ESOL and academic support researchedbest practices and gathered data on their programs; in 2006-2007, they pilotedplacement tools, continuing to gather and analyze data, and made recommendationsfor implementation. Recommendations were addressed by administration so thatin 2007-2008, implementation could begin. In 2007-2008, a full professionaldevelopment plan for training faculty across the campus in best-practicedelivery strategies for English language learners was designed and is poised forimplementation in 2008-2009.Documenting the CurriculumIn 2005-2006, standards and benchmarks were set into place for all subject areas andscope and sequence of benchmarks was established in the fall of 2006. The stage wasset for the school to begin documenting its full curriculum on Atlas Rubicon.Shanghai American School Self Study Report 75

Standards and benchmarks have been posted on Atlas and are now accessible toteachers as they document what they are teaching through written and posted unit plans.In November 2007, 90 % of faculty survey respondents reported that the curriculumat SAS is based on clearly defined learning standards. Nevertheless, the areas ofstrength and areas for follow-up in the Subject Area Evidence Binders points tocontinued desire for improvement in various subject areas.One concern in the curriculum work of the school has been how to ensure a closelink between what is actually being taught and what is posted as our curriculum onAtlas. To establish and maintain that link, the expectation for teachers in postingunits on Atlas has been to post what they actually teach as they teach it. Withindivisions, teachers teaching the same courses are expected to collaborate and, ina number of cases, cross campus collaborations have helped to align curriculumdelivery. Continued attention to collaboration as a common, consistent expectationand practice at all divisions will improve the continuity of the curriculum, itsdelivery, and its assessment.As the Atlas audits of June, 2008 show, significant progress has been made towarddesigning and maintaining a fully documented, living curriculum that has the focusto define common content for all and the flexibility for differences in approach,methods and supplementary materials to attain desired common outcomes.The same audits will show that the work is not complete. Here, as with programreview, the progress is uneven across campuses and divisions. The challenges areparallel: the number of new faculty members that need to be brought on board inthese years of growth, the different stages of development of the two campuses andthe two distinct campus cultures that provide the context for the work.With about 45 % of the faculty at SAS new to the school in the past three years andthree new principals in school year 2007-2008, helping staff familiarize themselveswith SAS curriculum expectations and structures has been particularly challenging.Central office educational programs administration split their time between twocampuses and 342 faculty members (2007-2008), and further, with the growth of theactual facility at Pudong, a number of teachers have moved classrooms three yearsrunning. Progress has been substantial nevertheless. Additionally, the campuses arein different stages of development: with one more established than the other and oneeager to make its own distinct traditions and culture (both part of the One SchoolTwo Campus Vision), discussions about change are impassioned.Professional development in Atlas mapping and in unit plan writing has beenprovided to teachers at several junctures (August 2006, October 2006, February2007, August 2007, October 2007, February 2008), and will continue to be the casein order to maintain focus, provide further training for veteran staff and train overseventy new staff members who join SAS in 2008-2009. In addition in 2007-2008,a school-wide Atlas coordinator was appointed to address the needs of teachersand subject areas with particular concerns and questions. At each division, teacherexperts in Atlas functions have been identified and stand ready to offer support totheir colleagues through the process of uploading unit plans.Atlas unitsPudong campusPuxi campusCollaborative Pudong/PuxiTotal2006-2007expectation: to collaborate on one unit per semester acrosscampuses79 units uploaded142 units uploaded29 units loaded251 units loaded76Shanghai American School Self Study Report

Pudong Elementary SchoolPuxi Elementary SchoolPudong Middle SchoolPuxi Middle SchoolPudong High SchoolPuxi High SchoolTotal2007-2008expectation: to diary map what is actually taught in one preparationfor a full year57% reached the expectation88% reached the expectation63% reached the expectation75% reached the expectation82% reached the expectation87% reached the expectation77% reached the expectationWith the One School Two Campuses vision in mind and the reality of Pudong middleand high schools in different stages of their development than Puxi middle and highschools, the Atlas goals for 2006-2007, were to collaborate on the creation of scopeand sequence, unit plans and common assessments for one unit per semester. Atthe end of the year, several circumstances caused the educational programs office tochange the direction of its expectations for teachers to post units on Atlas:• While there was and is valid global copying happening as part of trulycollaborative efforts, one mis-perception that surfaced was that collaborationmeant simply global-copying units created by Puxi colleagues who had beenat SAS for longer, simply because they had been around for longer.• There was an even greater increase in new faculty and students across theschool coupled with a desire to benefit from the rich experiences and skills ofboth veteran and new hires.• There was a desire to forge strong links between what is posted on Atlasand what actually is happening in the classroom for the purposes of accurateprogram assessment and review.• There was a desire to make the curriculum a rich, collaborative documentunder ongoing revision -- a living online curriculum.In 2007-2008, the expectation was to record the year’s units reflecting what wasactually taught. In 2008-2009, when teachers add reflections in their unit revisions,verifying the link between what is recorded and what is taught should be clearer.Walk-through observation data and teacher portfolio evidence would also strengthenthe link between the documented curriculum and what is actually happening in theclassroom.It was also clear that, while the SAS unit plan template contained what is eventuallyto be posted, some faculty members are not yet adequately trained in eitherassessment practices or essential question-writing. These are important areas forfollow-up.Mr. Alfred Olivas sees his classroomas a ‘Café of Science’. Studentsin grade six science class wereworking on a frog mummificationproject. They were connecting thisidea to a broader perspective bylearning about Ancient Egypt intheir humanities and history courses.Students were writing a fictionalpiece about the fate of their frog, hadit been an Ancient Egytptian. Latitia,grade 6, said “It’s really fun! I havenever been able to do somethinglike this before, it’s totally new.”What Students LearnGuide Question:To what extent does SAS provide a challenging, coherent and relevant curriculum foreach student that fulfills the school’s purpose and results in student achievement ofthe ESLRs through successful completion of the course of study?Nearly 80 % of parents surveyed agree or strongly agree that the education SASoffers students is of high quality. Not surprisingly, 92 % of teachers agree. Over90% of students agree or strongly agree that they are provided with opportunities tolearn important knowledge and skills in each subject and nearly 80 % believe theirteachers challenge them to do their best work.The clear focus on developing and fully documenting all aspects of curriculum thatgrew out of recommendations from the midterm report, has enhanced the coherenceand relevance of the curriculum at SAS. This may be one explanation for stable andrising trends in ITBS scores in several categories beginning with 2005 scores. AtlasShanghai American School Self Study Report 77

Rubicon, as supplement to that process, has focused the school-wide expectation todocument what is taught and learned in the classroom. Though it is not happeningacross the board yet, Atlas has made it possible for teachers to collaborate not onlywithin buildings but across campuses, bringing the One School Two Campus visioninto the learning of every student at the school. Though in the emerging stages atthis time, this collaboration should improve as we progress and teachers have furtheropportunities -- through online forums, video conferences and face-to-face time (aconstant request from teachers) -- to examine teaching practice as well assessmentdata.“There is evidence of literacyeverywhere: from teacher bulletinboards in hallways to student workdisplayed in classrooms, to classdiscussions and presentations,to teachers’ instruction,” statedMichael Siu, an Eagles observerduring Data in a Day.The school offers an array of courses to meet the needs and interests of a diversepopulation of students. It is resource-rich in materials and opportunities for discoveryand inquiry learning in varying subject areas and grade levels, and though continuedimprovement is the goal, teachers report positive impact on student learning. Inscience, art, mathematics and Chinese, according to home group studies and 6-12program review task force data, the progress is impacting learning.At the same time, enough flexibility of the curriculum is in place for teachers withparticular areas of expertise to capitalize on those strengths within the parameters setby standards and benchmarks. This expertise is also available to other staff membersthrough professional development. Examples include faculty with particularexpertise in music, environmental concerns, and published writing who use thoseskills in whatever courses they teach, thus benefiting student learning. Additionally,parents offer their expertise to students as guest experts (e.g., the Passport Club atPuxi elementary).Standards and benchmarks have been adopted in all subject areas, though work inthis area for a few grade eleven and twelve IB courses has not been completed andis slated for attention in program review task forces beginning in 2008-2009. Thegroundwork is laid for equity of access to the same curriculum on both campusesfrom pre-kindergarten through grade twelve. Further, Atlas supports the efforts ofcurriculum program review through mapping coverage of benchmarks, highlightinggaps and redundancies in vertical scope and sequence.EAGLESSchool-wide learning results, the EAGLES, were adopted in May 2007. Throughthe 2007-2008, the EAGLES have had a high profile. In many classes, however,the school is early in the emerging stages of integrating EAGLES as part of what istaught. Units posted on Atlas show incorporation of EAGLES in some units, but thatintegration needs refinement and focus.Professional development has supported the school goal of housing the curriculumon Atlas. It has further supported the work of curriculum program review. Examplesinclude the focus on writing process (through Lucy Calkin’s Writers Workshop, theEast Asia Writers Workshop) and assessment (through 6+1 Writing Traits assessmentand Rick Stiggins’ Assessment Training Institute) that are one focus of professionaldevelopment beginning in June 2007 and continuing through 2009. Other taskforces are identifying professional development needs tied to program review work,including differentiating instruction in middle school mathematics.SAS provides students with challenging curriculum at all levels as shown byuniversity admissions and also by external examination results, including ITBS,ERB, PSAT, SAT, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate scores.78Shanghai American School Self Study ReportAreas of Strength: (tied to SAS Vision points)• SAS teachers, experienced, knowledgeable in their content area, andpassionate about their profession, are strengthened by their diversity.Create programs, assessments and experiences that serve to unite the school andto celebrate the distinctiveness of each campus community.• The SAS standards and benchmarks are articulated in most subjects andgrade levels.• Review and revision of standards and benchmarks are part of the regularcurriculum review cycle.SAS has made progress in the documentation of the

written curriculum using Atlas curriculum mapping software.•SAS students demonstrate strong results in external tests.• Students have access to a variety of courses to meet the needs of a range ofstudents.• The school is resource-rich in materials and opportunities that impact studentlearning.Engage and support teachers, administrators, and staff in a unique professionallearning community that provides opportunities to grow, develop, and learntogether in all aspects of their professional lives.• Professional development supports the curriculum work of the school.Areas for Follow-up: (tied to SAS Vision points)Create programs, assessments and experiences that serve to unite the school andto celebrate the distinctiveness of each campus community.• Review and refine the articulation of curriculum vertically across gradelevels and divisions.• Continue attention to collaboration as a common, consistent expectation andpractice at all divisions for the improved continuity of the curriculum, itsdelivery and its assessment.• Continue the work begun documenting curriculum, ensuring thatdocumentation occurs in all divisions and that the linkage between what istaught and what is documented is monitored.• Continue to use best practice research as a foundation for curriculum reviewand revision.• Finish writing and posting standards and benchmarks for those IB coursesnot yet documented.• Finish the alignment work with regard to creating equal access to learningfor students on both campuses, for example, aligning subject area contacttime and course offerings.• Refine and focus integration of the EAGLES into unit plans school-wide.Engage and support teachers, administrators, and staff in a unique professionallearning community that provides opportunities to grow, develop, and learntogether in all aspects of their professional lives.• Provide faculty with professional development on the writing of essentialquestions that will deepen learning of the benchmarks in unit plans.How Students LearnGuide Questions:To what extent do the teachers at SAS use research-based knowledge about teachingand learning?To what extent do the teachers at SAS design and implement a variety of learningexperiences that actively engage students at a high level of learning consistent withthe school’s purpose and ESLRs?Shanghai American School Self Study Report 79

SAS is emerging as a stronger school from an intensive three years of curriculumdocumentation and alignment. The role of professional learning in this progresssince the midterm report is significant and wide-ranging and provides the researchbasedknowledge about teaching and learning that helps to guide the work.In subject areas and grade levels where there are clear teacher leadership structuresin place (elementary grade level teams and the core subjects of mathematicsand language arts are good examples), the professional learning is vibrant andcollaboration on unit plans and common assessments is evident, though not fullyimplemented. In other subject areas, the leadership structures have not kept pace withthe rapid growth of faculty numbers (e.g., visual and performing arts is an example).To address this area of need, teacher leadership structures and teacher leadershipjob descriptions were revised in the spring 2008 to ensure that all subject areas atSAS have teacher leaders to coordinate subject area efforts towards shared goalsand to ensure clear communication between and among grade levels, divisions andcampuses. Moving forward, the school will want to continue to review these roles toensure the structures allow clear lines of communication and effective coordinationof the work of teaching and learning.“There is a great desire amongALL constituents to make this agreat school.” - Kirk Mitchell, highschool counselor and member ofthe Student Programs Committee(SPC).In 2006-2007, the school implemented Curriculum Wednesdays – two after-schoolmeetings each month devoted to professional learning and work on curricular goals,including technology integration, in departments and teams. The main focus of thosedays in 2007-2008 was the self study and recording units on Atlas. In 2008-2009, thefocus of one after-school Wednesday meeting per month will be looking at learning.In these Look @ Learning meetings, as well as in selected team and departmentmeetings, faculty will tune unit plans, moderate assessments, look at student work inlight of our goals to further integrate differentiation, the EAGLES, technology andbest practices in assessment into the daily teaching and learning at SAS.ConsultantsDeveloping deeper relationships with outside consultants and a scholar-in-residenceover a longer term has helped nurture the growth of a positive school culture. SASis gradually emerging as a learning community in the early stages of looking at howstudents and adults learn together. An example of how consultants have contributedto this development includes analyzing how curriculum is delivered in classrooms.Scholar-in-residence Dr. Peter Relic, in his time at SAS during the fall 2005 andspring 2006 and fall 2006, visited every classroom, offering feedback to teachers andadministration on the nature of curriculum delivery he observed. In another example,Dr. Frances Hensley of the National School Reform Faculty, is conducting trainingon an ongoing bases, helping to train SAS staff to continue and expand the work oflooking together at student and adult work. As a result, reflection on practice anddiscussions of student learning are beginning to emerge with the help of Dr. Hensleyand Critical Friends Training (fall 2006, summer 2007, fall/spring 2007-2008 andongoing). A third example, Bambi Betts (who leads the Principal’s Training center)has returned to the school over the past two years to offer teacher leadership trainingas well as specialized work with developing essential teaching agreements based ofbest practices research (fall 2006, fall 2007).At the writing of this report, teachers trained under Hensley, are working incollaboration with administration and using Bambi Betts’ leadership materials as thefoundation, to design teacher leadership training for all team and department leadersin 2007-2008.Specialist TeachersSpecialist teachers in academic support and in ESOL provide an example of thepower of specialist teachers to provide professional learning in their areas ofexpertise. As an example, the ESOL program review resulted in offering ESL inthe Mainstream, recently redesigned and named Teaching English to Students in80Shanghai American School Self Study Report

Mainstream Classes (TESMC) to teachers on both campuses (spring 2007 andspring 2008)*. In addition, ESOL subject area coordinators on each campus havecollaborated in the development of an embedded professional development plan toengage all teachers school-wide in ELL-friendly strategies across the curriculum.Similarly, academic support teachers and counselors offer teachers strategies forinterventions and support for academic and emotional needs. The support teams arestrongly collaborative, not only in their support of students directly, but also in theirprofessional learning support of teachers.*Note: EASL in the Mainstream was offered at SAS in 2003, but in 2006-2007,course designers updated the content and SAS sent two ESOL teachers to be trainedas tutors in order to offer the professional development to faculty who have not yettaken the course.Teachers Teaching TeachersTeachers who have expertise in school-wide initiatives linked to the school’svision such as Atlas, Chinese, and wellness, as well as in stated program reviewprofessional development needs such as Writers Workshop teach their colleagues intime provided during professional development days, and Wednesdays set aside forlooking at learning and curriculum. In addition, new teachers are supported in theirlearning about teaching and learning at SAS through the buddy system and the newhire mentoring program (see Appendix for detail).Plymouth State PartnershipA partnership with Plymouth State University (PSU) offers teachers credits towardgraduate degrees for work on school initiatives such as curriculum review, criticalfriends training, curriculum mapping, teacher leadership, reflective teaching, andso on. Through this program teachers from across the school participate in researchand reflection, discuss their learning in meetings and online forums, and engage withvisiting Plymouth State faculty in courses like Theories of Learning and CognitiveDevelopment and Educational Philosophy as they are teaching. In the second year ofthe partnership, the PSU forums show an impact on the conversations participatingteachers are having about their own learning and that of their students.Program Review Task ForcesAs curriculum program review task forces and teaching teams and departmentsdevelop subject area and team principles of learning and essential teachingagreements, they are having conversations about the nature of the experiencesthey want for the students they teach. They are looking explicitly at methods ofcurriculum delivery for that purpose.Teachers at SAS design and implement a variety of learning experiences that activelyengage students at a high level of learning consistent with the school’s purpose andEAGLES. Through the work of the self study, all teachers were asked to identifyand discuss the range of strategies they use to deliver their curriculum (See SubjectArea Evidence Binders). Walk-through observations would provide ongoing data fordiscussions about instructional strategies and their impact on student learning – avaluable area for follow-up.Just over 77 % of students report that their teachers use a variety of teachingstrategies and learning activities to help them learn (NSSE Survey). That said, ESOL,academic support, 6-12 mathematics, 6-12 language arts and 6-12 Chinese taskforces agree that there is a need to offer focus in identified subject areas on methodsthat help all students access the learning, thus ensuring access to the learningfor students representing a range of abilities. Training faculty in differentiatingcurriculum for these students would impact student learning and is an area forfollow-up.Shanghai American School Self Study Report 81

EAGLESThe delivery of school-wide learning results, the EAGLES, showed good progressthrough 2007-2008, the first year of their implementation. Momentum seemed togrow, particularly for the global-minded, literate, and skilled inquirer EAGLES asevidenced by the Data in a Day observations described in the assessment sectionbelow. The Atlas analysis of EAGLES integration in each subject area shows thatdelivering the EAGLES curriculum in the context of classroom curriculum still needswork.Unit-plan developmentAs teachers develop and post unit plans on Atlas and teaching practice is becomingmore public, task forces are discovering a need for school-wide training in theunderstanding of some of the components of the Understanding by Design model theschool has followed. One of these components, the essential question, is a powerfultool in governing how students learn. There is a need school-wide for broadenedunderstanding in the creation and use of essential questions as a way to deepenstudent learning. This could also provide framework for delivery and assessment ofthe EAGLES.Emerging unit plans are also showing a further need to look at ways to embed theEAGLES into core units and to look for ways to assess the impact of their integrationon enriching and personalizing student learning.“Sportsmanship and inclusivenessare the first values we teach.”- Steve Smith, middle school PEWhile NSSE student survey data shows that students in grades 6 - 12 believe theyare receiving a high quality education at SAS and that they are provided withopportunities to learn important knowledge and skills in each subject, the numbersare lower for those who believe they are learning skills to deal with issues andproblems they will face in the future, and lower still for those who see a relationshipbetween what they are studying and their everyday lives. Focus on both essentialquestions and EAGLES as frameworks for curriculum delivery could improve theseresults.Another area for focus reflects debate in the larger world of educational research andreform. The debate between skills and content is an issue, particularly at the highschool level in subjects like science and social studies. While the courses themselvesmay also be skills-based, there is a tension inherent in maintaining balance betweenfocus on the skills and on the content. External examinations that affect collegeacceptance continue to be content heavy, though new IB syllaba are on the horizon toaddress this issue, and AP audits are adding a further measure of control. This is anarea for our continued attention. SAS needs to look at classes that are not IB or APto see how skills and content are balanced. For middle and elementary students theschool needs to maintain the balance as well – a particular challenge in the contextof our high numbers of East Asian heritage families and the educational traditionsof that heritage that place greater emphasis on content. There may be a link here toconcerns from teachers about emphasis on grades over learning. Students, in middleand high school student government forums, report stress over pressure to make highgrades and discussions about concerns over student stress are ongoing (for more,please see the Organization for Student Learning section of this report).TechnologyThe integration of technology at SAS has shown an impact on student and adultlearning across the school as a survey of the forums housed on the SAS Moodle siteshow. Students and their teachers have taken their discussions and thinking beyondthe classroom and into forums and blogs with their peers both at SAS and across theworld. The sites listed in the Support for Student Personal and Academic Growthsection of this report, while by no means all-inclusive, provide examples.82Shanghai American School Self Study Report

AlignmentAligning divisions across campuses through the curriculum has progressed steadilyover the past two years with the help of Atlas, common standards and benchmarks,and both time and technology that has allowed for greater collaboration amongteachers. Another area for alignment that impacts curriculum is the time allotted tosubjects. In the elementary and high school divisions, the discrepancies betweencampuses continue to be successfully addressed.In the spring of 2008, the middle school alignment committee took up the chargeof aligning middle school campus schedules to ensure equal time for specials oneach campus – necessary if standards and benchmarks are going to be taught andlearned in the same way. Their aim is to create a common middle school vision andphilosophy as well as to align schedules to provide equal time for subjects. Theirstudy is not complete and will continue into 2008-2009, aiming for implementationin 2009-2010 (see the middle school alignment report appended to the Organizationfor Student Learning chapter of the self study). The cross campus alignment ofmiddle school schedules will be critical to student equity of access to learning,particularly in specialists’ areas such as music, drama, art, health and physicaleducation.Engaging StudentsTeachers at SAS design and implement a variety of learning experiences that engagestudents at a high level of learning consistent with the EAGLES. The range of theseactivities is indicated in Subject Area Evidence Binders, where students draw, write,discuss, role-play and listen their way to meaning, using strategies that nurture avariety of learning styles. There are many examples in day-to-day teaching. A fewhighlights occurring beyond the classroom include Pudong’s posting of TOK lessonson YouTube for the world to learn from and Puxi students’ research at the SeatruTurtle Research site of the University of Terranganu in Malaysia. In the middleschools, activities such as the Puxi’s grade six “Notables” or the Pudong’s gradesseven and eight Great Race stand as examples. In the elementary schools, Pudong’sgrade four students are fully engaged in a terra cotta warrior archeological dig andPuxi’s grade four Chinese Exhibition project.“Language arts, social studies, andscience were all integrated intotheir invention convention.” - CodyHowitt, elementary school teacherAreas of Strength: (tied to SAS Vision points)SAS teachers are skilled practitioners who involve students in a variety of authenticand meaningful learning experiences.Engage and support teachers, administrators, and staff in a unique professionallearning community that provides opportunities to grow, develop, and learntogether in all aspects of their professional lives.•Collaboration within divisions is emerging.• SAS has dedicated time through Curriculum Wednesdays to professionallearning and work on curricular goals in departments and teams.• Developing deeper relationships and using outside consultants and a scholarin-residenceover a longer term has allowed for growing emphasis onpositive school culture and looking at how students learn.• SAS teachers are leaders of professional learning through Teachers TeachingTeachers.• Learning support staff, including ESOL and academic support teachers andcounselors, work collaboratively with classroom teachers.• The partnership with Plymouth State University shows meaningful impact onthe conversations participating teachers are having about their own learningand that of their students.Shanghai American School Self Study Report 83

•SAS is a well-resourced school where teachers and students have theappropriate equipment available to best support learningAreas for Follow-up: (tied to SAS Vision points)• Embed the EAGLES into core units and look for ways to deliver the skillsinherent in each to enrich and personalize student learning.Create programs, assessments and experiences that serve to unite the school andto celebrate the distinctiveness of each campus community• Continue to review teacher leadership roles to ensure the structures allowclear lines of communication and effective coordination of subject-areaefforts towards shared curriculum goals.In grade one displays of “TheRainbow Rule” and the “Bossy E”promote an understanding of wordpronunciation and spelling. “TheRainbow Rule means the first voweltalks and the second vowel walks.Like in “eagle.’ - Gus Nordmeyer,grade one• Find ways to build in common planning time with department colleagues forall teachers and particularly for high school teachers.• Build in time and opportunity for teachers to work together collaboratively,both face to face and through video and digital means, across campuses andbetween divisions.• Align time structures for curriculum delivery across campuses to ensureequity of access to standards and benchmarks.Serve, with honor and respect, a broad range of children as identified througha fair and well-defined admission process and complementary learning supportprograms.• Offer professional development that helps all students, including Englishlanguage learners access the learning, e.g., language acquisition theory andstrategies, differentiation and inquiry-based learning.• Find ways to provide ongoing data for discussions about instructionalstrategies and their impact on student learning (e.g., through walk-thoroughobservation data).• Broaden understanding school-wide in the creation and use of essentialquestions as a way to deepen student learning and provide framework fordelivery and assessment of the EAGLES.How Assessment is UsedGuide Questions:To what extent is teacher and student use of assessment frequent and integrated intothe teaching/learning process?To what extent are the assessment results the basis for measurement of each student’sprogress toward the ESLRs?Though much of the work on curriculum in the past three years being focused ongetting standards and benchmarks established and unit plans posted, assessment hascontinually been part of the professional dialog at SAS. It has sparked conversationsfor administration and teachers across the school. Topics have included:• Common assessments• Standardized Assessments• Formative and summative assessments• A school-wide assessment philosophy• Review of reporting student progress84Shanghai American School Self Study Report

These discussions have, in part, arisen from the One School Two Campuses visionthat requires common curriculum – and therefore, common assessments. In thepast two years, much discussion has happened around how we define commonassessment. Program review task forces are identifying parameters of commonassessment for their subject areas and determining frequency and curriculum strandsto be assessed. Many subject areas now have common assessments through gradeten – some subjects are using portfolios for that purpose, others use examinations ororal presentations. Most subject areas with common assessments in place are using avariety of assessment types to commonly assess student learning. Continued attentionis needed to ensure that all subject areas develop common assessments, that commonassessments in place be refined, and that time for moderation of those assessments beallotted across campuses.Standardized AssessmentsIn addition to common assessments, SAS uses standardized assessment tools likethe Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), the ERB writing test, Developmental ReadingAssessment (DRA), DIBELS, International Baccalaureate exams (IB) and AdvancedPlacement exams (AP), Rigby and WAP-T.Through IB and AP preparation and external examinations, most grade eleven andtwelve courses also have common rubrics and assessments. The exceptions are thosecourses that are neither IB nor AP courses or are singleton courses. At present, thereare no external assessments to measure student progress in grades nine and ten.The midterm recommendations call for focus on disaggregating assessment data.This is an area the school is beginning to address through curriculum review taskforces. In addition, some teachers report using external data to inform instruction(see Subject Area Evidence Binders), but the practice is more prevalent in some gradelevels and some subject areas than in others. One area for attention is consistentdisaggregation of data across the school to inform teaching. The school is in the veryearly stages of this work; there is much to do.In addition, the school needs to review the external assessments it uses to determineif they are the best match for our students, e.g., ITBS or other instruments. It isimportant, not necessarily to access all data, but to gather that which has the mostimpact student learning. Included in this work is a review the external assessmentdata gathered in grade nine and ten to determine what data to gather to enhancelearning without further raising stress levels in an already academically highpressuredenvironment.Lin Chang in grade 11, talks to MsManassa, during her IB art critique.“I think it is actually much more fun(to explain and reflect upon my art)than to slave over the painting.”She says that reflection helps herplan her future work. Ms Manassa,a high school science teacher,encourages Lin to describe herprocess.Formative AssessmentIn some subject areas and grade levels, kindergarten and music, for example,formative assessments are integrated into the teaching and learning process, withstudent participation through the use of frequent formative feedback. In somedepartments and subject areas, however, formative assessment is not in generalpractice. There is need for professional development on formative assessment forthese groups.Assessing the EAGLESIn the fall of 2007 the SEARCH Assets survey was aligned to the SAS EAGLES inan effort to find a way to quantitatively measure our progress. The most recent surveyresults, which arrived in August 2007, were used as a baseline for measuring ourprogress toward achieving the EAGLES. A committee of teachers and administratorsanalyzed the results, which, in summary, identified EAGLES areas of strength toinclude:• Adaptable self motivated learners• Skilled inquirers who strive for academic excellenceThe Survey indicated EAGLES areas for follow-up include:Shanghai American School Self Study Report 85

••Empowered to interact with the world around them (consistent with theNSSE results);Ethical human beings who demonstration citizenship and generositythrough authentic community service and actions.The SEARCH Assets data was gathered in 2006, prior to the adoption and focus onthe EAGLES. Examples include a continually expanding and vibrant communityservice program that invites all students to participate) for more detail on communityservice at SAS, see the Support of Student Personal and Academic Growth sectionof this report). Continuing to track the data should give an indication of the progresstoward the integration of the school-wide learning results.Because our EAGLES are difficult to measure through quantitative means alone,in March 2008 the school conducted a Data in a Day exercise to gather baselinequalitative data about the progress we are making with imbedding the EAGLESin our day to day learning (See the Data in a Day Report in the Appendix). Teamsof parents, teachers and students on each campus observed a representative schoolday to create a snapshot of each of the EAGLES in action. Areas of strength theyobserved were the following:• Global-minded – in particular, “the SAS community engages responsiblyin the world’s problems.” Students and staff demonstrate a high level ofinvolvement in clubs and activities which demonstrate global-mindedness,e.g., Habitat for Humanity, Model United Nations, Bob the Builder, Rootsand Shoots, Art for Arts, community service programs. Class materials andlessons show an awareness of international environmental issues, history andfuture planning.• Literate – “The SAS community communicates articulately throughreading, writing, speaking, listening and artistic expression.” A sampling ofevidence observed includes extensive visual arts displays from all divisionsat both campuses, student podcasts and participation in forums, blogs andwikis at the school Moodle site, student publications: the Pudong Word andPuxi Voice, The Puxi middle school grade eight Great Debates and middleschool Shakespeare Cup as well as the Pudong rehearsals for the productionof Grease. Student projects and posters on visiting authors posted at bothelementary schools, and students in classes reading listening, discussing.Observers also found parents engaged in learning through discussions withDr. Michael Thompson on supporting their children in school.• Skilled Inquirers – “The SAS community strives for academic excellence.”Students and teachers have high expectations which are supported by excellentresources and a high standard of care. Evidence details the level of supportprovided through student volunteers, mentors, peer feedback, individualconferencing, teacher collaboration and after school help for SAS students.Areas that the Data in a Day observers identified for further investigation includedthe EAGLE, “ethical human beings.” At that time, observers reported limitedevidence illustrating understanding of the outside world and the issues affecting othercultures and communities. In the time since, all divisions have been very involvedwith SAS Responds, disaster relief for victims of both the Myanmar typhoon and theSichuan Province earthquake. Teachers, students, parents, and administration raisedUS$79, 633 in relief funds. The issues have been discussed in classes, in clubs, onemail, and in their families, powerfully demonstrating citizenship and generositythrough this community service activity.The second descriptor for “ethical human beings” is more difficult. Intervieweesraised the issue of theft to Data in a Day observers. Follow-up research found thattheft has been reported at all divisions and is an area of concern that the school needsto take a careful look at.86Shanghai American School Self Study Report

Finally, the question of academic honesty has been raised by students and teachers.Measures are in place to encourage academic honesty, including the use of turnitin.com, a web-based plagiarism site to which student submit their written work. Thereis also a set of consequences outlined in student handbooks. The issue remains,however, and is an area for continued follow-up as we look at teaching and assessingthe SAS EAGLES.While some decisions about what baseline data to gather to measure our progresstoward achieveing the EAGLES, further refinement is called for. Continued analysisof both qualitative and quantitative evidence will be necessary to track SAS’sprogress in this area.Assessment School-wideThe school has identified assessment as an important need school-wide, beginningwith developing a school-wide assessment philosophy. A two-year plan to addressthe need, beginning in 2008-2009, is published in the Curriculum and ProfessionalDevelopment Handbook.In fact, however, the work on assessments has already begun. In 2007-2008, commonassessment parameters were addressed in language arts and Chinese program reviewtask forces. PRC teachers in the Chinese department undertook initial professionaldevelopment in formative and authentic assessment and how that looks in languageclassrooms. Formative assessment is built into units the group has drafted and willpilot in middle and high school in 2008-2009.In addition, in summer 2008, the school sent eighteen teachers and administratorsto the Assessment Training Institute in Portland to begin the work of establishinga coherent assessment framework across the school, beginning with establishing aschool-wide assessment philosophy. This core group, representing all six divisionsand administration, will flesh out the plan for the school’s progress on assessmentand lead the process. The school is on target with its published plan, but needs todevote continued attention to assessment practices school-wide as we move forward.Areas of Strength (tied to SAS Vision points)Create programs, assessments and experiences that serve to unite the school andto celebrate the distinctiveness of each campus community.••••The school consistently shows positive external assessment resultsCollaboration on common assessments within each division is emergingacross the school.In many subject areas teachers use a variety of assessments to gauge studentprogress.Decisions in program review are based on student learning data.Areas for Follow-up (tied to SAS Vision points)Create programs, assessments and experiences that serve to unite the school andto celebrate the distinctiveness of each campus community.• Ensure that all subject areas develop common assessments and that commonassessments in place are regularly moderated, refined, and used to instructcurriculum delivery.• Provide consistency across the school in the assessment protocols andpractices governing common assessments, and the variety and range ofShanghai American School Self Study Report 87

• Provide consistency across the school in the assessment protocols andpractices governing common assessments, and the variety and range ofassessments used to inform learning.•Allot time for moderation of common assessments across campuses.• Review existing external testing tools to ensure that they best meet the needsof SAS students, have the greatest impact on learning and offer feedbackthat can inform learning for all grade levels.• Devote continued attention on the work of refining and aligning school-wideassessment practices.• Embed the EAGLES into core units and continue to track the data forEAGLES for which instruments have been identified.• Look for ways to assess the impact of EAGLES integration on enrichingand personalizing student learning, with particular attention paid to“Empowered” and “Ethical”.Engage and support teachers, administrators, and staff in a unique professionallearning community that provides opportunities to grow, develop, and learntogether in all aspects of their professional lives.• Address the need for professional development on assessment acrossthe school to ensure that assessment impacts student learning: includedeveloping a school-wide assessment philosophy, building assessmentliteracy, as well as disaggregating assessment data.Data SourcesSAS Atlas Rubicon – web-based curriculum-mapping siteUnit plansTask Force notesTeam minutes and notesSubject Area Evidence BindersProfessional development calendarCurriculum and Professional Development HandbookTeachers Teaching Teachers PD ProgramPlymouth State University Course GuideProfessional development recordsStudent workITBS scoresERB scoresNSSE Survey ResultsClassroom displaysIB/AP ScoresSEARCH Assets Survey Results and ReportData in a Day Report88Shanghai American School Self Study Report

Program Review Progress ReportsLanguage Arts PK – 5 Program Review ReportWHAT CURRICULUM IS TAUGHTReview of Standards, Benchmarks and Unit PlansAt the end of the 2006-2007 the PK-5 language arts task force completed the reviewof the standards and benchmarks. In the fall of 2007, with the documentation inorder, the process of building curriculum maps began with designation of whichstandards and benchmarks were to be taught in each of the quarters. In grade levelteams, decisions were made to align these for each campus, and the work of thelanguage arts task force for PK-5 began.An Atlas audit of elementary language arts noted some progress over the pasttwo years. In the Midterm Report, little was documented in terms of the writtencurriculum, including standards, benchmarks, scope and sequence, assessments. Allof these are now fully documented, or are in process of being documented at Atlas.The main area of focus is in the linking of the curriculum to the assessments and theEAGLES, which are not fully integrated into units as of yet. Atlas data will begindisaggregation in the SY2008-2009.The PK-5 language arts task force developed a five-year language artsimplementation plan which is supported by an ongoing professional developmentplan. The components of the plan focus on common assessments, essential teachingagreements, readers’ and writers’ workshop and word study.Essential Teaching AgreementsThe essential teaching agreement were written and adopted by the PK-5 languagearts task force school wide and were developed to support the readers’ and writers’workshop model:We teachers of PK-5 Language Arts at Shanghai American School will . . .• Use common and ongoing assessments to inform, guide and differentiateinstruction, and to provide early intervention to meet the developmentalneeds of all students.• Clearly communicate learning objectives and provide regularopportunities for students to self assess, reflect and set goals to guidetheir learning.• Provide regular opportunities for students to learn in a variety ofgroupings including working in partnerships, small groups, large groupsand individually.• Provide a balanced literacy program that includes explicit and systematicinstruction in reading, writing, listening and speaking and word study.Kindergarten students in Ms. Bryan’sclass formulated questions underthe topic “travel”. John, “How dopeople make jet skis?” Talia, “Howdo you make a house?” Daniel,‘How do people make elevators?”Next, they will research to try tofind the answers. Students willpresent their knowledge through aperformance, a model, or writing.The last piece of the unit will beto go and actually visit one of theplaces researched, such as a trainstation.HOW CURRICULUM IS TAUGHTWriter’s Workshop ModelStudents in the PK-5 language arts program will be taught the skills and content ofreading and writing through a workshop approach. The writers’ workshop is defined asan approach to teaching writing that invests students into writing and the writing process.The workshop consists of a writing period that includes daily mini-lessons,individual, group and peer conferencing, and common sharing period to addressa variety of writing strategies. Students will be instructed using a variety ofinstructional genres for both reading and writing and the qualities of writing andreading will be supported through age and developmentally appropriate text andwriting strategies. This approach aligns with the teaching of writing in grades 6-12.Shanghai American School Self Study Report 89

Reader’s Workshop and Guided ReadingThe reader’s workshop approach invests students into reading and the readingprocess, with similar strands of instruction as the writer’s workshop incorporatedwith use of guided reading. In guided reading a group of students read a text thathas been selected by the teacher, and explore the text together through discussion,with the teacher supporting the students’ use of appropriate reading strategies. Theteacher’s role is crucial. The teacher selects the text, based on the learning needs ofthe students. The teacher introduces the text, sharing with the students the purposeand the learning outcomes and guides the students as they talk, read, and think theirway through the text. The key objectives of a guided reading session are:• An appropriate text is chosen with appropriate learning needs and contentthat will interest and engage the students.• Identify challenges that the text might present and decide how these will beaddressed• The learning intentions and the success criteria for the session are selected(and shared with the students). These are referred to throughout the lessonand returned to at the end of the guided reading session.• The reading is introduced• New vocabulary is discussed with the students• Texts are read and discussed by studentsWord StudyConsistent with grades 6-12 the vocabulary results on the ITBS tests arelower compared to other areas covered in the language arts section by the test.Additionally, there have been pockets of parent concern in this area. The ITBSresults have improved slightly over time as the curriculum has been more effectivelyimplemented, but a program that can meet the needs of the elementary students whilealso addressing effective integration into the writer’s and reader’s workshop modelcould not been established during 2006-2007. This is an area of follow-up for 2008-2009. Pilot materials are being tried out in each grade level and instruction to thestandards and benchmarks will be focused upon during this transitional year.HOW CURRICULUM IS ASSESSED and HOW ASSESSMENT IS USEDInitial disaggregation of standardized test data occurred in spring 2006 withthe analysis of ERB and ITBS scores in grades 3-8 in reading and writing. Thisinformation was analyzed and used in the curriculum development process for PK-12language arts task force.Common AssessmentIn the fall, the task force focus shifted to common assessments for formativeinstruction, and the teachers on each campus agreed to a common set of assessmenttools. The decisions focused on the use of DIBELS in the early grades, the useof MAZE tests at the upper grade levels, and the DRA throughout the elementarygrades. Additionally, each grade level piloted materials for word study and writingassessment. Through the school year data was gathered and tracked. The assessmentagreements K-5 were as follows:Kindergarten:• DIBELS September and February• DRA2 September for some students and all in April.• As a common writing assessment (aligned K-12), we will use the 6-Traitassessment rubric to grade specific (and to be determined) benchmarkpieces in the fall and spring. (Eventually we will apply the 6-traits rubricassessments for speaking and presenting as well)90Shanghai American School Self Study Report

1 st Grade• PM benchmarks assessment in August• DRA2 Letter naming- August• Spelling Inventory- August- Jan- May• DRA2 September and April• Any student identified at risk through PM or spelling inventory tocomplete DRA2 word analysis• As a common writing assessment (aligned K-12), we will use the 6-Traitassessment rubric to grade specific (and to be determined) benchmarkpieces in the fall and spring. (Eventually we will apply the 6-traits rubricassessments for speaking and presenting as well)2nd Grade• PM benchmarks assessment in August• Spelling Inventory- August, Jan, May• DRA2 September and April• Any student identified at risk through PM or spelling inventory to completeDRA2 word analysis• As a common writing assessment (aligned K-12), we will use the 6-Traitassessment rubric to grade specific (and to be determined) benchmarkpieces in the fall and spring. (Eventually we will apply the 6-traits rubricassessments for speaking and presenting as well)Grade 3-5• DRA’s: administered by end of Sept. and End of Aprilo Quarterly cross campus discussions with a focus on DRA Mediationmeetings• The Maze assessment will be used by grade 3-5 the first week of school only,as baseline.• Teachers in the upper grades will conduct ongoing Reading Assessment with“just right” books in their workshops. Teachers in grades K-2 will use the PMBenchmark Kit to conduct ongoing reading assessment.• As a common writing assessment (aligned K-12), we will use the Six Traitsplus One writing assessment rubric to grade specific (and to be determined)benchmark pieces in the fall and spring. (Eventually we will apply the SixTraits plus One rubric assessments for speaking and presenting as well)Next Steps:- Set Atlas goals for 2008-2009 for elementary language arts- Integrate EAGLES, essential questions and reflections into unit plans.- Implement five-year language arts implementation plan and 5 year languagearts professional development plan- Work with elementary principals to ensure assessment agreements andessential teaching agreements are followed PK-5- Collect assessment data and establish school-wide protocol for storage andreporting of school-wide common assessment data- Evaluate word study models to workshop model instruction and adoptcommon materials in grade level bands PK-5Language Arts 6 – 12 Program Review ReportWHAT CURRICULUM IS TAUGHTReview Standards, Benchmarks and Unit PlansEarly in 2007-2008, the task force was convened and began its work with a reviewof the standards and benchmarks. An Atlas review of units posted and discussionamong teachers revealed that the media strand of the standards was not being evenlycovered. The essential teaching agreements that were originally drafted coveredreading, writing, listening and speaking – and were amended in May to includeresearch and viewing and media to ensure that all strands were covered by all 6-12language arts teachers as appropriate for the grade level taught.Shanghai American School Self Study Report 91

An Atlas audit of English and language arts units on Atlas revealed progress madeover the past two years. At the WASC midterm report very little was documented interms of language arts written curriculum. This includes standards and benchmarks,scope and sequence, assessments, all of which are now either fully documented or inthe process of being documented on Atlas. The work is in progress and maintainingstrong links between what is posted and what is taught will be critical. The EAGLESare not fully integrated into units yet, nor are essential questions and reflections.Task force members agreed to share the Atlas data and progress with teams anddepartments.1. Essential Teaching Agreements were written and adopted for Language Arts 6– 12 school-wide. Essential teaching agreements were organized around curricularstrands and are intended to support best practice in the classroom:Teachers of Language Arts/English/Humanities Grades 6 through 12 at ShanghaiAmerican School will ensure that . . .Reading:• Through the course of the school year, students will read literature formatleast four of the following five genres: novel, short story, drama, poetry andnon-fiction• In any given year of language arts study at SAS, students will be exposedto a variety of texts of value through reading literature from a variety oftime periods and cultural backgrounds.Writing:• Students will experience the full writing process, including pre-writing,writing, peer response, and revision at least three times per year.• Each semester student will expand their literacy through expression in arange of writing genres such as exploratory writing, (e.g., free-writing /journaling /online forums) narrative, descriptive, expository and analyticalwriting.Speaking and Listening:• In each unit, students will be empowered through opportunities to discusstopics raised in class in seminar and/ or smaller groups.• Students will do a minimum of two oral dramatic presentations per year inhigh school and two per semester in middle school.Research:• Students will develop a question and investigate it through electronic andlibrary resources and document it using MLA style.Viewing and Media:• Through the course of the school year, students will be exposed to and havean opportunity to analyze visual / media text.2. The GiverTeachers discussed texts used at each level and identified the teaching of The Giver ingrade 6 on Pudong and grade 8 on Puxi as problematic due to the transfer of studentsbetween campuses. Teachers were consulted and the text was assigned to Grade 8 onboth campuses beginning in 2008-2009.3. Word Study – External Assessment Data and Parent Feedback:Vocabulary results on the ITBS, while high compared to other schools with similarESOL populations, are lower than in other areas of language arts covered by thetest. In addition, parents have expressed concern. An analysis of the results wasconducted.The ITBS results have improved corresponding with the adoption of the standardsand benchmarks which specifically address vocabulary teaching in the middleschool. In 2006-2007, Pudong middle school used the Houghton Mifflin vocabulary92Shanghai American School Self Study Report

consumables. Puxi adopted them in 2007-2008 at the same time as Pudong gradeeight incorporated vocabulary from the text into their humanities units. In 2008-2009,grades six through eight on both campuses will use the content of the vocabularytexts, though integration into units will differ as appropriate language arts skillsand content taught in a humanities context at Pudong and a language arts context atPuxi. In keeping with research on greatest impact on vocabulary acquisition, gradelevel teams will choose how to integrate the vocabulary study into units. Monitoringimplementation of this decision will be important as new faculty come on board atPudong and units are revised and created.Data for improving word study in high school could be gathered through the Moodleglossary (used to show the number of hits students made in their blogs/forumpostings). My Access will also help with vocabulary by providing specific feedbackand piloting teachers will want to track that feedback for further study on how to loopthe data gathered back into instruction. In addition, high school students use SATstudy sites for vocabulary building.Next Steps:• Set Atlas goals for 2008-2009 in 6-12 language arts.• Ensure continued Atlas and Unit Plan professional development• Integrate the EAGLES, essential questions and reflections into unit plans.• Communicate essential teaching agreements to teachers, students andadministrators.• Establish individual and department teaching goals for 2008-2009 aroundessential teaching agreements• Work with building administrators and team leaders for support in ensuringessential teaching agreements are kept consistently across the departments andteams and across campuses• Grade six teachers on each campus will research potential texts to replace The Giver.• Evaluate data on improvement of performance on word study in internal andexternal assessments at the middle school level• Further refine of the scope and sequence of research and the nature of theresearch taught in language arts• Expand Houghton Mifflin vocabulary study into all middle school grade levels onboth campuses• Gather data on vocabulary acquisition via Moodle and My Access to inform nextsteps in improving vocabulary acquisition in high schoolHOW CURRICULUM IS TAUGHT1. Instructional StrategiesExtensive discussion about instructional strategies in use in 6-12 language artsclassrooms led to construction of a comprehensive list of instruction strategies thatteachers could access in designing unit plans. Strategies offer a variety of meansfor students to build meaning and are based on a range of bet practices resources,including Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences. Many of the strategies applyacross disciplines and offer a range of options for teachers to guide students into thecontent – options applicable for ELL students, gifted students, and those with varyinglearning styles. The task force recommended adding the list to Atlas for easy accessas units were designed and posted.2. My AccessFollowing research of two web-based writing tools for students, and a fulldemonstration of the tools that aligned with SAS language arts standards andbenchmarks as well as assessment tools (e.g., ERB, Six Traits writing assessment),the task force moved to pilot My Access in grades seven and nine and AP Languageand Composition classes on both campuses. This web-based writing program offersShanghai American School Self Study Report 93

students immediate feedback on writing conventions and supports writing across thecurriculum using common assessment vocabulary and common prompts. It furtherfrees teachers to address organization and content issues. My Access codes went outin May 2008 to piloting teachers. The task force will design an evaluation tool for thepilot early in 2008-2009.Next Steps:• Post instructional strategies on the Atlas site for teachers to access as theywrite units• Provide professional development to teachers on instructional strategies(e.g., through Teachers teaching Teachers)• A sub-committee will convene early in the fall to determine metrics for theeffectiveness of the My Access pilot.HOW CURRICULUM IS ASSESSED and HOW ASSESSMENT IS USEDInitial disaggregation of standardized test data occurred in spring 2006 withthe analysis of ERB and ITBS scores in grades 3-8 in reading and writing. Thisinformation was analyzed and used in the curriculum development process for PK-12language arts task force.“It was good to have cross campusconversations that were creativeand productive. It was great toestablish where we are and toincrease communication.” - MichaelEaston, middle school language artsteacher, reflects on the languagearts program review.3. Common AssessmentsAgreements were drafted and adopted for grades 6-10 on both campuses followingthe review of the high school common assessment agreement document, whichdefines the purpose, the nature, the number, and the grade levels to which theagreement applies. It was further agreed that the assessments should match thestrands assessed and should include oral presentations or projects as appropriate andagreed-upon – not only written examinations. Formative assessment was mentionedbut not fully explored and needs more attention in next years discussions.4. Six + one Writing Traits AssessmentThe 6-12 Language Arts task force recommended renewal of the Six Traits plusOne writing assessment model school-wide. The recommendation was echoed bythe PK-5 language arts task force. The model aligns with My Access and ERB, andits language is easily integrated into IB metrics. It is currently in use through thesecondary school, but needs renewal and training for staff who have come new to theschool since the last training several years ago.o Gr 8 PX – used widelyo Gr 7 PX– used widelyo Gr7 PD – began to use this year as preparation for ERBo HS PD – the categories and vocabulary are used widelyo HS PX – some faculty not entirely familiar with it, though rubricsare already in place for common assessmentsThe Task Force recommends re-adoption the Six Traits plus One writing assessmentmodel for grade 6 – 12 and the professional development to support said adoption.During the February Teachers teaching Teachers day, the training was offered butpoorly attended as the task force recommendation had not yet been made.5. Speech AssessmentThe task force briefly discussed the need for an assessment tool for speaking thatwould offer a common assessment vocabulary grades 6-12. Further investigation isneeded, and the task force will look into the Oregon State speaking Traits (CORE)and other tools in 2008-2009.Next Steps:• Calendar common assessment moderation time• Identify and post on Atlas anchor papers and exemplars for commonassessments for those courses who do not yet have them94Shanghai American School Self Study Report

• Ensure a variety of types of assessment that reflect the standards assessed.• Investigate the nature and use of formative assessment as it applies tolanguage arts instruction at SAS• Organize professional development associated with Six Traits plus Onewriting assessment model with the goal that the model will be used writingevaluation tool across the curriculum.• Investigate various speaking rubrics that could provide common language forthis curricular strand (e.g., Oregon state speaking 4 traits: COLE)Mathematics 6-12 Program Review ReportWHAT CURRICULUM IS TAUGHTReview Standards, Benchmarks and Unit PlansThe 6-12 mathematics task force reviewed standards and benchmarks. Algebra Ibenchmarks for grade 8 and grade 9 were aligned. The remaining standards andbenchmarks were in order. The task force determined that not enough units wereposted at the beginning of the year to do an Atlas analysis of benchmarks covered,and tabled that analysis until 2008-2009.As with language arts, at the WASC midterm report very little was documented interms of mathematics written curriculum. This includes standards and benchmarks,scope and sequence, assessments, all of which are now either fully documented or inthe process of being documented on Atlas. The work is in progress and maintainingstrong links between what is posted and what is taught will be critical. The EAGLESare not fully integrated into units yet, nor are essential questions and reflections.Task force members agreed to share the Atlas data and progress with teams anddepartments.Principles of LearninThe task force drafted and adopted principles of learning to guide the work ofmathematics teaching and learning across the school.Mathematics Principles of Learning:• Mathematics is essential for success in a range of present and future careers• Mathematics equips students with thinking skills and problem-solvingstrategies that apply to authentic, real-life learning experiences, fosteringcuriosity and risk-taking, motivation, persistence and self-confidence.• Mathematics should provide all students challenge, equity and opportunity forsuccess.• Mathematics is a means of understanding the world through multicultural,historical, scientific and aesthetic perspectives.2. Essential Teaching Agreements were written and adopted for Mathematics 6 – 12school-wide. Agreements are intended to support best practice in the classroom:Mathematics teachers at SAS will ensure that students• Experience regular differentiated instruction according to individual learningneeds to enable each to reach his or her fullest potential.• Experience frequent authentic learning opportunities.• Have access to mathematics support outside of class.• Are continually encouraged to strive for excellence in mathematics throughboth processes and content.• Experience ongoing collaborative and reflective learning environments thatreinforce and apply previously-learned mathematics skills and knowledge.• Are assessed regularly through a variety of tools that help them constructmeaning.Shanghai American School Self Study Report 95

Next Steps:• Set Atlas goals for 2008-2009 in 6-12 mathematics• Communicate essential teaching agreements to teachers, students andadministrators.• Ensure that all 6-12 mathematics teachers fully understand the essentialagreements so that they can ensure their students have the experiences describedthere-in.• Establish individual and department teaching goals for 2008-2009 aroundessential teaching agreements• Work with building administrators and team leaders for support in ensuringessential teaching agreements are kept consistently across the departments andteams and across campuses• Integrate EAGLES and essential questions for mathematics in unit plans postedon Atlas.HOW CURRICULUM IS TAUGHT1. Instructional Strategies and DifferentiationIn a survey of teachers during the data-gathering phase of the self study, teachersreported that some 67% of class time in high school is spent in teacher talk and inmiddle school that ratio is 45 %. (see Mathematics Subject Area Evidence Binder).The task force has not yet studied this data to determine if it is significant in terms ofbest practices and subject area. This is an area to look at in the work next year.Differentiation is the norm at both middle school campuses, though it may be defineddifferently on each campus. More work is needed to come to common understandingof the scope and nature of differentiation and the task force has recommendedprofessional development in mathematics differentiation to refine definitions,strategies and expectations.2. Grade 8 Mathematics (which follows the Algebra I standards and benchmarks)A further important issue for the task force has been how to best address the needsof two differing student and faculty populations on the two middle school campuses.On Puxi, both populations are relatively stable; on Pudong, there is much growth.Transfers often occur and the trend is for Pudong students to transfer to Puxi. ThePudong campus has a much higher rate of students transferring in from outsidethe school and a wide range of students in terms of skills and mathematics coursescompleted. Teachers report a strong need for leveled coursework in mathematics atPudong. While there was no longitudinal performance data to inform the discussions,the sense of urgency and the data that shows the differences in student and facultypopulations is significant and merits urgent attention. On the Puxi campus, grade 8student performance data gathered longitudinally through grade 12 in mathematicsshows that differentiated instruction without leveled coursework in grade 8mathematics has resulted in higher performance on that campus since the inceptionof the program four years ago. For data, see data the Mathematics Subject AreaEvidence Binder.After much debate the task force determined that leveled coursework was needed atleast on Pudong, but asked administration to carefully consider the decision so as notto compromise what was already working well at Puxi. Please see the administrationposition paper on the decision in the Mathematics Subject Area Evidence Binder. Insum it allows for the Algebra 1 benchmarks to be covered in one year or two years –at either grade eight or grade nine. Principals will determine whether numbers meritscheduled leveled coursework or for the benchmarks to be covered in differentiatedmulti-leveled classrooms.96Shanghai American School Self Study Report

A subcommittee of the task force comprised of grade eight and grade nine teachers ofAlgebra I standards and benchmarks agreed to a common text to be determined earlyin 2008-2009.Next Steps:• Professional development in mathematics review topics, including best practicescurriculum delivery and differentiation (e.g, NCTM could be a good resourcehere).• Implement grade eight mathematics decision as best fits data picture at eachcampus• Name course in grade 8 mathematics• Look at implications for reporting student performance• Construct grade 9 follow-on courseHOW CURRICULUM IS ASSESSED and HOW ASSESSMENT IS USEDCommon AssessmentOne of the difficulties in determining how to move forward with programmatic change,including the grade 8 mathematics change, is securing meaningful data to informdecisions. That assessments common to both middles school campuses are not yet inplace has made the work of the task force all the more difficult. The grade 8 and grade9 mathematics teachers from both campuses began designing common assessments. Inaddition, they selected an algebra-readiness online instrument that can be triangulatedwith the teacher-designed common assessments and ITBS scores to help track studentprogress moving forward. The readiness instrument has been ordered and will beready to use in the fall to help determine the need for leveled coursework. A commonassessment for the first unit has been designed. In the fall, the work on commonassessments and unit plans will continue, to include face-to-face time for teachers tomoderate the assessments, establish anchor papers and post them. With this data andthe discussions that ensue through moderation a more accurate ongoing monitoring ofhow the program is serving students on both campuses will be possible.Aside from review of the standards and benchmarks, review of assessments in othermathematics courses and grade levels will be undertaken in 2008-2009. Commonassessments need to be reviewed and moderated, or set in place for several courses.The goal is to be able to look at teacher-created assessments, ITBS results and prioryear performance in order to gain a more accurate picture of what students arelearning and how instruction can be adjusted to enhance that learning.Next Steps:• Gather and disaggregate mathematics performance data on students participatingin leveled courses work to inform instruction.• Continue to build common assessments for all levels of mathematics 6-12.• Pilot the Algebra readiness instrument to determine if this will be a long termsolution.• Set aside time for face-to-face moderation of common assessments.Chinese 6-12 Program Review ReportWHAT CURRICULUM IS TAUGHTThe Chinese language program at Shanghai American School is comprehensiveand stretches from grade one through grade 12. The grade levels under review, sixthrough twelve, are divided into two tracks: Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL)Shanghai American School Self Study Report 97

through twelve, are divided into two tracks: Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL)and Chinese Literacy (CL). At the middle school levels courses are named as such; athigh school, Chinese levels one – four are geared toward beginning and intermediateChinese language learners, levels five and six serve advanced language learners, andlevels seven through twelve are geared toward students who are near-native or nativespeakers. Always present in the thinking about Chinese language acquisition is thechallenge of literacy. A number of SAS students are relatively fluent in oral Chinese,but unable to read and write in Chinese. To address the needs of these students, SASalso offers Intensive Chinese Reading and Writing (formerly called “Bridge”), acourse that focuses on increasing written literacy of Chinese.The Program ReviewIn the years prior to 2006-2007, focus for improvement of the program was on theelementary school program, and to some degree, the middle school program. Muchwork was done on program delivery (see below). It was decided, therefore, to beginthe program review in 2006-2007 with grades six through twelve. Particular goals ofthe review included increasing building principal involvement with the program attheir building level and training Chinese language faculty in western pedagogy.Many PRC faculty members new to SAS have little or no experience learning orteaching in settings that would be familiar to westerners, as evidenced, in part, bywork with the Chinese as Foreign Language department of East China NormalUniversity through a joint internship program. As part of the internship program,in partnership with university faculty, SAS offered weekly seminars in westerneducational practice and thinking – including introducing Bloom’s taxonomy.Planning and conducting these sessions offered insights into teacher training inChina. Teaching practices in China are reflective of differing expectations and goalsof education than found in the west. Other evidence is present in reflections written inPeer Sessions, a professional development activity required of new Chinese facultywho joined SAS in August 2007. Reflections described the learning and teachingsituations participants had experienced – and the contrasts were significant betweendescriptions in the reflections and what and how we expect our teachers to teach (Thetraining guides teachers through the first hour, day and week of students at SAS. Itincludes the first communication to parents as well as basic unit plan construction,an introduction to essential questions, and the use of reflections as one aspect offormative assessment.). It is indicative of the dedication and passion for their workthat several veteran faculty members signed on for this particular training – whichcontinues into August 2008. Given the evidence, it is no surprise that induction ofnew Chinese faculty to the SAS teaching and learning community is particularlyimportant. Covering an appropriate amount of material in line with colleagues andusing texts as resources for covering the SAS standards and benchmarks rather thanas lock-step guides in lieu of standards and benchmarks are particular challenges fornew hires. Continued close work with veteran colleagues through peer observations,collaborative planning and unit-writing will smooth the transition of new staff intothe SAS learning community and enhance learning for new and returning teachersand students alike.In the past two years, professional development that leads to a masters’ degree fromPlymouth State University in Teaching Chinese Language in International Schools(offered to Chinese language faculty at 80 -100% support) has included courseworkin education philosophy, theories of learning and cognitive learning, writing process,assessment, critical friends coach’s training, and so forth (See SAS Plymouth StateUniversity Course Booklet). In consultation with the university, the degree has beendesigned specifically to meet the needs of the Chinese language teachers at SAS.Another indication of the dedication to learning the Chinese faculty demonstratesis the nearly twenty PRC teachers who have taken on the challenge of the master’sdegree. While opportunities for professional learning have been plentiful andfocused, and many teachers have participated, more work is necessary to ensure that98Shanghai American School Self Study Report

the training is applied in the classroom. At present, many can discuss the theories andpractices studied, and are beginning to evidence their learning in practice.Principles of Learning and Essential Teaching AgreementsThe principles of learning and essential teaching agreements drafted and adopted bythe Chinese language teachers served both as an exploration of western pedagogy andof expectations of teaching and learning at SAS as well as a record of discussions andprofessional development conducted through task force work. That said, the essentialteaching agreements are in the emerging stages in several classrooms, part of dailylearning in some, and not yet in evidence in others. Work remains for buildingadministrators to guide staff in continued growth in this area.The task force drafted principles of learning in 2006-2007 and they were vetted withdepartments, then adopted in 2007-2008:The study of the Chinese language . . .• Inspires a lifelong love of learning.• Promotes respect and mutual understanding of other individuals and cultures.• Develops in students a global view and critical thinking skills.• Stimulates interests in language learning.• Offers an authentic, integrated exploration of Chinese language and culture.• Builds the bridge to Chinese culture in order that students can comprehend andappreciate it.Essential Teaching Agreements were written for Chinese language 6-12 in 2006-2007 and adopted in 2007-2008 school-wide. Agreements are intended to supportbest practice in the classroom. An expanded group of the task force – including mostof the grade 6-12 Chinese teachers – unpacked the essential agreements adoptedby the departments and created a rubric for themselves and their principals to useto determine what the essential agreements would look like in action (See ChineseSubject Area Evidence Binder). The Essential Agreements:We Chinese language teachers at Shanghai American School will• Create a positive and interactive environment for the study of the Chineselanguage and culture.• Help students to connect Chinese language and culture to other subjects andareas of their lives with each unit we study.• Provide opportunities for students to explore their interests and apply whatthey have learned in the classroom to real world contexts at least once perunit.• Differentiate Chinese language tasks and difficulty levels according to eachindividual’s unique experience pattern and technique for learning.“Language is only the vehicleof a culture. Even if you masterperfect pronunciation, you havenot truly learned the language.We encourage problem solvingskills, not just teaching languagefor language sake.” - Ms Young,Chinese TeacherStandards and Benchmarks - Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL)The work began with reviewing and refining CFL standards and benchmarks.To begin aligning the work, the first levels – middle school levels one throughfour and high school levels one and two – were leveled against IB Ab Initiotopics and performance requirements, with Ab Initio years one and two beingthe most challenging courses. One challenge in aligning CFL classes is ensuringthat expectations of student learning are similar in like classes. There have beenvastly differing expectations of literacy, for example, in beginning CFL classeswhere language acquisition theory tells us that listening and speaking should havea significant focus over writing – particularly when writing includes learning anentirely new system. This is of particular concern at the high school level. As yet,there is not full understanding of how the early levels of CFL differ. In the comingyear, as teachers design lesson plans around the pilot units in the non-Ab Initiocourses, identifying clear performance indicators for all middle and high schoollevels will be critical.Shanghai American School Self Study Report 99

When the standards and benchmarks were revised, particular attention was paidto ensuring that the Chinese language learning reached across a variety of subjectareas and topics – allowing integration with other subject areas in the school’scurriculum (e.g., the language of mathematics, the language of science, and so forth).In the lower levels, ensuring that benchmarks called for practical application of thelanguage was paramount.The Chinese department was the first to have units posted on Atlas – but units werewritten in Chinese. While this was quite helpful to the Chinese teachers, it did notlend itself to integration and sharing of practice with teachers of other subject areasand it was not possible for building administrators, whose charge was to evaluateteachers in their buildings, to review the curriculum work accomplished. Movingforward, unit plans based on the revised standards and benchmarks will be written inEnglish – with linguistic content written in Chinese – in the same manner as Frenchand Spanish unit plans.The task force articulated units for common proficiency levels that span divisionsthrough high school level 2 (aligned through MS CFL 4) and identified themesand topics for units through high school level 4 (aligned with MS CL 3) shownin the chart below. The task force will complete this work in the fall, addressingredundancies and gaps, adding essential questions for each theme/unit and identifyingage-appropriate themes for middle school in the MS CL courses.MiddleSchoolMS CFL 1MS CFL 2MS CFL 3MS CFL 4MS CL 0MS CL 1MS CL 2MS CL 3Common Units and ThemesGreetings, Personal Information and Self-introductionFamilyDaily Routines (dates and time)Free Time: Visiting Friends, Dining, Making Reservations,AccommodationFree Time: Hobbies, Sports, Interests, Entertainment,MediaSchool LifeShopping: Clothing, Food (quantity and weight)Climate and its Effects (including weather, vacations)Public Transportation, Asking DirectionsSchool: Maps, Calendars, Facilities, Locations, DirectionCommunication ( telephone conversations, email, internet,etc) and Public Service (bank, post office)Festivals, celebrations, Seasons, Gift-givingFitness and Health (exercise and balanced lifestyle);Sickness and Injury (doctors and hospitals)Emergencies, Repairs, Accidents, Loss and TheftTravel, Physical Geography, Countries, Continents,Environmental concernsTown services, Markets, Shops, PurchasesArriving on CampusAt the RestaurantChinese Food CultureShoppingMS: TBD HS: Dating – boyfriend/girlfriendInterests – My Dream CareerPopular Culture: Music, Celebrities and IdolsSocial Influence of Television, Movies, MediaTravelChinese FestivalsSportsFamilyMS: TBD HS: Gender EquityMS: TBD HS: EducationAnimals and Human BeingsProtecting the EnvironmentHighSchoolHSLevel 1HSLevel 2HSLevel 3HSLevel 4(APChinese)100Shanghai American School Self Study Report

In 2008-2009, the articulation needs to expand to include the remaining levels ofboth Chinese literacy and Chinese as a foreign language. Clear articulation willsupport and clarify placement decisions both for incoming students and for studentstransitioning between divisions.Next Steps:• Set Atlas goals for 2008-2009 in 6-12 Chinese.• Review and revise standards and benchmarks for Chinese literacy in middleand high school.• Complete alignment of performance indicators for CFL with HS levels threeand four and MS CL one through four.• Align performance indicators for middle school Chinese literacy five througheight and high school levels five and six.• Continue the work of articulating the all levels of Chinese language proficiency(CFL and CL) in middle and high school.• Identify clear performance indicators for all middle and high school levels.HOW CURRICULUM IS TAUGHTInstructional StrategiesTeachers report that student learning happens in a variety of groupings from wholeclass to individuals and pairs. At the lower levels, there is more teacher talk – butas student proficiency with the language grows, so does student talk time in class.Individual teachers employ a range of instructional strategies in delivering curriculumto students. Blaine Ray’s Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Story-telling(TPRS) and James Asher’s Total Physical Response (TPR) enliven and enhancelanguage learning in many CFL classrooms. There are new faculty who have not yet,but should receive training in curriculum delivery.Going beyond the limits of the textbook, teachers employ collaborative activities,video-taping and online classroom discussions on Moodle. Some are using multimediatechnology, especially at the beginning levels. Some teachers are beginning todifferentiate according the individual students’ unique experiences and learning styles(examples can be seen in student portfolios), but more professional developmentis needed to ensure that Chinese language teachers across the school know how todifferentiate. The evidence of expanded instructional strategies speaks to the resolveof individual teachers of Chinese. While practical applications are still difficultfor many (classroom management and careful planning to include a variety ofinstructional strategies are particular challenges) and continued training and learningin daily teaching practice is called for, progress is evident.“I observed a Chinese class theother day, and what I saw was someof the best teaching I have seenin any classroom.” – Mary Lane,Puxi campus elementary schoolprincipalNext Steps:• Continue a comprehensive best practices pedagogical professionaldevelopment program for the PRC faculty (e.g., curriculum literacy: unitplan writing, authentic assessment, instructional strategies, and classroommanagement).• Continue to provide professional development in instructional strategies andcurriculum delivery (e.g., TPR and TPRS).• Ensure support and guidance of building administration in realizing essentialteaching agreements in classroom practice.HOW CURRICULUM IS ASSESSED and HOW ASSESSMENT IS USEDPlacement and Common AssessmentsA particular concern of the Chinese language task force has been to determine howto place students from one level to the next. Historically, all students were given aplacement test in the spring of the year, then placed according to their performanceon the testing instrument. Some students attempted to place lower than their actualShanghai American School Self Study Report 101

proficiency levels in order to ensure high grade point averages as they moved intohigh school. Though elementary Chinese faculty and to a lesser degree middle schoolfaculty had full support of a full-time Chinese Language Coordinator, Chinese facultyat the high schools often faced student and parent pressures with little administrativesupport. As a result, students were not always placed according to their proficiencylevels. Widely varying skill-levels were represented in the same class – a situationthat seemed unfair to students and families. In addition, without clear articulation ofperformance indicators, and no real moderation of placement tests, consistency inplacement decisions from teacher to teacher was difficult. Finally, the situation wasexacerbated by giving the placement test each year, rather than upon initial entry intothe Chinese language program.Several steps have been taken to ameliorate the problem:• A 1-12 Chinese language coordinator has been created for each campus andresponsibilities of that position have been reviewed and revised.• The task of evaluating Chinese faculty has been assigned to buildingadministration.• Placement tests were given in January 2008, but not announced as placementtests to students. All papers were commonly moderated by the Chinesefaculty, with teachers teaching teachers mentorship from ESOL faculty whohave faced and resolved similar placement issues in their subject area (theESOL program review has been underway for a year longer than the ChineseLanguage program review).• The department reviewed the possibility of using student portfolios as aplacement instrument in 2007-2008 – thus allowing a longitudinal view ofstudent proficiency – and portfolios will be more widely piloted in 2008-2009– with four common assessment tasks scheduled through the year designedcollaboratively by teachers teaching the level to be assessed and followingthese general guidelines:o goal-setting early in quarter oneo oral language early in quarter twoo written language early in quarter threeo end of year reflection on progress in Chinese midway throughquarter fourNext Steps:• Expand portfolios to include four assessments (one per quarter). These willbe common assessments where courses are common.• Moderate common assessments for the purposes of alignment and placement.• Continue unit-writing professional development (based on the Understandingby Design model expected of units posted on Atlas) and the writing of pilotunits for middle school CFL 1 and 2 and high school level 1 – specificallyto include essential questions, formative assessment and reflection andinstructional strategies predicated on styles of learning and critical thinking.• Explore ways to put learning into practice in the classroom so thatprofessional development has the greatest impact on student learning(e.g., close work with veteran colleagues through peer observations andcollaborative planning and unit-writing)• Ensure understanding of differentiation between performance expectations ofthe various levels of Chinese as a foreign languageScience 6-12 Program Review ReportWHAT CURRICULUM IS TAUGHT:Review Standards, Benchmarks and Unit PlansThe current standards and benchmarks for science were developed in 2005-2006 aftera review of best practice and a thorough comparison of standards and benchmarks102Shanghai American School Self Study Report

from the United States, including Colorado, California and New York as well asthe National Science Standards. The current SAS standards and benchmarks are acombination of the above. The recommendation from that group who reviewed thestandards and benchmarks was to revisit the scope and sequence in high school toidentify redundancy and overlap of content. The 6-12 science task force work beganwith this recommendation in 2007-2008. Members mapped all science subjectsgrades six through twelve. Redundancies and gaps were identified and reports ofthe findings for each science subject are of file in the Science Subject Area EvidenceBinder.As lead-in to the work of mapping, in 2006-2007, discussions of inquiry-based learningand its relative importance to content learning in high school science education wereundertaken by a science action research team. They conducted a review of literature toreview on topics surrounding science education grades 6-12 and reviewed the currentofferings in science for high school, including grades nine and ten.In both grades nine and ten, students study a trimester each of biology, chemistry andphysics. The science disciplines are taught separately, and at the Puxi campus, bydifferent teachers. Students might take physics first, then biology and chemistry – thetrimesters are designed to be taken in any order. This led to some discussion about thereadiness of grade nine students, in terms of their mathematics skills, to begin withphysics.Puxi campus offered data (as Pudong high school had not yet had a senior class –incomplete grade data and no testing data existed) and an analysis of quantitativedata as regards the current grade 9-10 program (e.g., Puxi data on grades, sciencecoursework taken). The action research team followed a data dialog protocol on thequantitative data. The conclusion of the group was that the program as it stands isresulting in high grades and good scores on IB external examinations (for data, seeScience Subject Area Evidence Binder)In 2007-2008, the work began with mapping, an exercise that engendered discussionsof the difficulty of covering all the standards and benchmarks in all grades. Theconversations hearkened back to the 2005-2006 review, which saw the adding onof skills-based standards to standards that, in the past, had been primarily contentbased.Though all benchmarks are covered, a balance of skills and content withina manageable time frame is difficult to accomplish with the benchmarks and draftessential teaching agreements as they now stand. The argument is that the schedule,grading periods, and the curriculum don’t always give opportunities for teachers tocover them in the depth that is needed to do meaningful assessment. Much of thebest practice literature points to greater need for skills and less emphasis on content– but the data that Puxi high school provided the action research team in 2006-2007,suggests that the content benchmarks are sufficient for students to do well on externalassessments like IB and AP. The question remains: how do science teachers maintainhigh results on critical external exams and balance content with skills as best practicedemands. It may be useful to forge stronger links between content and conceptthemes, which would also help students apply skills and connect their learning. Theschool would benefit from outside expertise in searching for resolution to the content/skills debate and how best to address the balance.AtlasAt the time of the task force’s curriculum mapping for science, there were not enoughunits posted to construct accurate maps. As progress is made in this area, it shouldbecome increasingly possible to see what is actually taught in science classrooms –and that may shed light on solutions to the content/skills debate.Shanghai American School Self Study Report 103

This year standards and benchmarks were drafted for general biology (grades 11 and12) and remain to be finally reviewed and adopted before posting. No standards andbenchmarks are drafted for other grade 11 and 12 science courses, including generalphysics, general chemistry, environmental science and IB and AP Courses. While APcourses are based on syllabi submitted and approved by AP, and IB courses are basedon the IB syllabi and guidelines, it is a high priority to post standards and benchmarksreflected in these syllabi in the interest of transparency to science teachers of all levels.Principles of LearningAt the recommendation from last year, the task force drafted and adopted Principlesof Learning for 6-12 Science:The study of science . . .• Empowers students, through scientific literacy, to evaluate data and proposesolutions to problems outside the classroom.• Develops students’ reasoning and critical thinking skills, allowing them tomake decisions about the validity and reliability of what they observe.• Allows students to realize that scientific knowledge is creative and dynamicand not only requires openness and adaptability to new information but oftenrelies on revolutionary thought• Equips students to recognize their impact on local and global environments.• Relies upon peer-reviewed, reproducible, empirical data.Essential Teaching Agreements were written for 6-12 Science school-wide andrejected by one high school department. Agreements are intended to support bestpractice in the classroom. Interestingly, the full task force, with representativesfor both high schools and both middle schools, was behind the agreements, but indepartment meetings Puxi high school rejected the agreements. Review and revisionare needed.Draft Science 6-12 Essential Teaching AgreementsWe teachers of Science at Shanghai American School will . . .•••••••Ensure that students will be engaged in laboratory/activity-based learning atevery grade level for at least 25 % of instructional time.Provide at least two opportunities per year for students to design anddocument experiments at a developmentally appropriate level.Make ongoing and specific connections between classroom learning and theworld outside the classroom.Select appropriate technologies to enhance student understanding of scientificcontent, processes and skills.Regularly design varied assessments to gauge student mastery of basicknowledge and skills and ability to think like a scientist.Regularly provide students with the opportunity to draw conclusions andmake predictions using authentic data.Continuously build student mastery of a body of scientific knowledge toestablish a meaningful context for scientific literacy and inquiry.In the drafting process, discussions around the essential agreements indicated generalagreement that a greater emphasis needs to be placed on skills development, withoutsacrificing content. Teachers indicated agreement with greater emphasis on skills:“Because the science process standards (standards 3 – 7) are listed at the back of thescience standards and benchmarks, emphasis naturally points to the content, and notthe process. Is this a message that we are comfortable sending new teachers as theycome into the system?” Others are concerned that external examinations such as APand IB, the results of which influence university acceptances, still rely heavily on104Shanghai American School Self Study Report

content knowledge. Teachers are concerned that there seems not to be enough timeto address both – and skills are then compromised, perhaps in part because of thepressures of high performance on external exams.MappingThe task force undertook the mapping of the science curriculum content area bycontent area. Standards and benchmarks are currently content-driven and thoughskills benchmarks do follow the content standards on Atlas task force membersagreed that the debate between covering skills and content needs to be resolved.This may best be resolved through the facilitation of an outside audit by experts inscience education who are also knowledgeable about AP and IB science examinationcontent requirements. (See Science Subject Area Evidence Binder for specificrecommendations).Next Steps:• Adopt standards and benchmarks for grade 11 and 12 courses in science.• Set Atlas goals for 2008-2009 in 6-12 science, ensuring that units reflect what istaught, not what one hopes to teach• Revisit and adopt essential teaching agreements• Seek outside input in the form of a science audit to determine how a balancebetween content and skills might be achieved without compromising IB and APperformance.• Explore the benefits and drawbacks of each: teaching the science process throughthe content or the content through the science process.• Review the requirements of a lab program and determine what scheduling andprogrammatic models might best deliver such a program.• Ensure that the planned scaffolding of the curriculum, intended to build on thelearning in previous years, is actually occurring.• Ensure alignment and collaboration between campuses – including commonassessments.HOW CURRICULUM IS TAUGHTGrade 9 and 10 Trimesters/SemestersIn grades nine and ten, science is divided in to trimesters, each addressing biology,chemistry and physics benchmarks. At Puxi, there are very few students who transferin mid-year – and those who do are from the SAS Pudong campus. At Pudong,however, there is a much higher rate of students who transfer in and those studentsoriginate from other schools from around the world – many of which are Americanschools that offer distinct science subjects in each year. Another hurdle was that lowerstudent numbers in Pudong meant that the same teacher could teach all trimesters– and with that, integrating the standards and benchmarks across science subjectsseemed only natural to those teaching the course – and such integration is supportedby literature in science education that suggests an integrated approach helps studentsto deepen learning by creating stronger connections across the science subject areas.The passionate views held on both sides of the integration debate, as well as thehigh expectations of parents on both campuses and the pressure on Pudong campusfor high external examination results (the first of which will come in July 2008)comparable to Puxi’s, suggest seeking an outside audit of the science program ingrades nine and ten.Transfer to other schoolsIn response to parent concern, research with the school registrar and counselors wasundertaken to determine if the trimester system has any impact on students whotransfer back to the United States from Shanghai American School. Data gatheredfrom the high school counselors and school registrar has revealed no impact ontransfer students. In two instances, receiving schools asked for further explanationof the SAS grade nine program and awarded credit upon receipt of the explanation.The school will continue to monitor transfer data to ensure ease of transfer of sciencecredits for grade nine and ten students who leave us.Shanghai American School Self Study Report 105

Instructional StrategiesInformation about instructional strategies in science has been gathered throughthe facilitator seminars and resides in the Science Subject Area Evidence Binder.Instructional strategies have not yet, however, been discussed by the program reviewtaskforce. The auditors’ visit will be a good opportunity for further data collection oninstructional strategies.Next Steps• Seek outside input in the form of a science audit to further investigate theinstructional strategies used in SAS science classroomsHOW CURRICULUM IS ASSESSED and HOW ASSESSMENT IS USEDCommon AssessmentsCommon assessments have been developed for grade nine and ten courses based onstandards and benchmarks for biology, chemistry and physics. In 2006-2007, theywere offered each trimester on both campuses. As Pudong grew, it became evidentthat the program as designed for Puxi presented particular difficulties for Pudong.In addition, as common assessments for the trimesters occur very soon after newstudents enroll in January. In 2007-2008, the Pudong campus, saw larger numbersof new students transferring in (e.g., In January 2007, Puxi’s grade 10 had no newstudents whereas Pudong had 17).To ease the transition for new students at Pudong, the assessments – at Pudong only –were adjusted and given at semester and trimester common assessment was no longershared across campuses. This will need to be reviewed in the coming year to see howstandards and benchmarks can be commonly assessed across campuses in grades nineand ten.Common assessments for grades six through eight need to be reviewed and written toensure alignment across campuses.Next Steps:Look at assessment and how it can support learning in Science 6-12a. Investigation: what does formative assessment look like in grades6-12?b. Action plan for implementing formative assessment in Sciencegrades 6-12.c. Implementation of formative assessment.106Shanghai American School Self Study Report