Fifth-graders at Anson Jones Elementary School flipped through Chapter 4 to read about Mayan beliefs and looked for vocabulary words like “sacred” and “nurturing.”
Teacher Adrian Martinez walked around the classroom holding a thick book that served as a guide for how the lesson should proceed and what would happen next. She had post-its lined up on the page.
Lessons were organized. Students were allotted 5 minutes for “word work.” They focused on her one vocabulary word, “bring up,” and said it out loud together. Next they considered definitions. The students then provided examples of things in their lives that they need to cultivate in order to grow. The entire lesson was outlined.
Across Dallas ISD, it was expected that all fifth graders would be looking at the same activity books and lessons these days. These are key elements of a new district-wide curriculum (called Amplify) introduced this year to ensure students receive engaging instruction at grade level that aligns with state standards. That's what I mean.
Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde said before DISD combined language arts classes under one curriculum, the quality of instruction students received varied across DISD. Teachers used different materials and taught at different paces, which was especially difficult for children who changed schools mid-year.
The consistency that Amplify provides is aimed at ensuring that all students, not just some, have access to high-quality learning materials, she said.
But teachers have mixed feelings about the new approach, with some concerned that lessons are moving too quickly and could be difficult for students who are falling behind, Dallas Alliance-AFT said. said Lena Honea, president of the teachers' union.
Martinez, a veteran educator, said she can use the lessons as a foundation and add more. Her school was one of the campuses where she piloted Amplify ahead of district-wide implementation.
“Once you do it for a year, it gets easier,” she said. “You can start adding more of your own touch.”
Officials said the district spent about $14 million to implement Amplify.
Schools across Texas use a wide variety of learning materials, which raised concerns among lawmakers about quality. They were concerned that many classes did not meet state standards and that students could leave school unprepared for college or the workforce.
Under the new law, state education officials are currently developing a rubric to define what constitutes “high-quality instructional materials.” This law provides additional state funding if schools use approved teaching materials.
In the DISD and Amplify approaches, students are talking to each other in class, leading in small groups, and doing learning activities, but not passively filling out worksheets, Elizalde said. Told.
She said she wants a level of uniformity for students, but she doesn't want teachers to become robots.
Amplify was chosen in part because of its spiral development in other topic areas. For example, in a fourth grade class, students are working on reading comprehension, and the theme of their writing could be tectonics, which aligns with science standards.
On the other hand, DISD has a high intra-district mobility rate. Students who have already left campus mid-year have to deal with new teachers, new friends, and a new home. Elizalde said allowing students to work from the same lesson plan lowers the hurdle.
That was the case in Martinez's class. One of her students has transferred from another of her DISD schools since the school year started. Martinez said the activity books and materials were all the same, so the children were able to pick up on them quickly.
Elizalde said a district-wide curriculum should also make teachers' lives easier. Too often, she says, educators spend their downtime Googling and creating their own lesson plans and materials.
“We want to simplify that because teachers need to be able to focus on what they really want to do: engage and engage students in class,” Elizalde said.
But some educators are struggling with the new developments, Honea said. Much of the frustration, she says, has to do with the pace of the lessons.
“They have a schedule to adhere to,” Honea said. “It's a whole new way of teaching. … Some kids are having a hard time understanding it. I have to say, 'Don't worry, I'll come back and pick you up.' ”
Alliance-AFT plans to conduct a survey soon to obtain feedback from a broader range of educators.
Elizalde said the purpose of Amplify is to become the Stepford wife of the curriculum, not to get everyone on the same page at the same time, but to act as a guide to keep the class on track. DISD officials say pauses and assessments are built into the curriculum to adjust to the needs of students.
“But by the end of the nine weeks, you should have completed all the lessons in these units so that you can be confident that you are at least maintaining this pace,” she said.
The DMN Education Lab deepens our coverage and conversations about pressing education issues that matter to the future of North Texas.
DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative supported by Bobby and Lottie Lyle, Community Foundation of Texas, Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Dee Dee Rhodes, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, Meadows Foundation, Murrell Foundation, and Solutions. I am receiving support. Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Sidney Smith Hicks, University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control over Education Lab's journalism.
