Bay City Tribune

As students spend their last few days of summer break preparing to return to school, teachers have already begun preparing with a new curriculum that will change the face of learning at Bay City schools from kindergarten through 12th grade.

The district will join about 500 schools across the state in implementing the CSCOPE curriculum with its number one aim at providing a systematic, vertically aligned method of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) mastery.

"The primary reasons Bay City ISD has chosen to purchase and implement CSCOPE in our district is to align the curriculum in our core subject areas from 12th grade all the way to kindergarten so our students will be better prepared for TAKS End-of-Course exams by being exposed to all of the (TEKS) in a systematic manner," said Janice Popp, Bay City ISD curriculum director.

CSCOPE was developed by Texas Education Service Centers team of content experts and focuses on providing a consistent system of learning using common language and teaching methods from kindergarten through 12th grade.

"Vertical alignment," a key term used with CSCOPE, ensures that students learn using the same methods, only interchanging age appropriate content, or grade-level TEKS, from the day they start school as five-year-olds until they graduate from high school.

Popp said the lessons in CSCOPE are based on the 5E Model of Instruction.

The five E's are engage, explore, explain, elaborate and evaluate.

"It's based on the belief of tell me - I forget, show me - I remember, involve me - I understand," said Popp.

"We want more students to score at the commended performance level on TAKS (test)."

"When more students score at the commended performance level on TAKS, that tells us that the students have an 'application level' of understanding of their grade level TEKS and will be better prepared for the next grade level as well as college or the workplace," she said.

Popp said the theory behind CSCOPE might translate in real class work as more challenging to students at first while they acclimate to the lessons that will be aimed at all learning styles.

This curriculum presents the TEKS in a concept manner with students investigating, manipulating and discovering concepts that develop into skills, according to Leigh Anne Glaze, San Saba ISD superintendent, in a column published in the San Saba News and Star.

"This type of learning keeps students engaged as they learn by doing and applying knowledge," said Glaze.

"The curriculum is student centered, rather than teacher centered."

The actual lessons are more interactive and will require increased use of manipulatives.

"With the initial implementation this first year, CSCOPE will require more preparation, planning and collaboration on the teacher's part," said Popp.

"We expect to see a reduction in these activities next year as the teachers become more familiar with CSCOPE."

As they begin developing their resources, CSCOPE will demand more preparation time from teachers.

Much of the preparation will be assembling lesson kits and while teachers will be provided plenty of planning time, parental and volunteer involvement will be a welcome help.

Popp said she plans to hold a community meeting towards the end of September for all Bay City ISD parents to come and learn more about CSCOPE and ask the questions that may have come up during the first few weeks of school.

Plans for the meeting have not been finalized but will be posted on Bay City ISD's Web site at www.bcblackcats.net and via take-home letters.

"We have a lot of great teachers in our district that are looking at this as an opportunity to enrich their teaching skills," said Popp.

"I'm excited about it and really think it will be a good thing for our district."