1.  Common reasons resources may be misaligned are: 

• Resources are adapted from other states that use different standards

• Standards depth and breath may not be entirely covered, leaving only part of the standard covered. 

• Student objectives or assessments may not be included. 

2. The GoOpenNC platform can foster productive discussion about different viewpoints regarding resource alignment by having a set rubric that people follow when they review a resource. The current rubric you shared  was easy to use and is a good place to start a discussion. Adding a why to each section might help others understand the rationale behind evaluations. It may also be helpful to know if a person is an expert in the area of the lesson they are reviewing. I also think it would be helpful to know if the lesson has been used or not by the reviewer. Educators are not going to want long drawn out reviews and they definitely are not going to want to partake in discussions that cut into their productivity; however, sometimes having a little more information like a person's reasoning and knowing their field of expertise will promote positive discussions. 

3. As a North carolina educator, I strive to make everything I do align to the NC standard course of study/ essential standards. PLC’s use standard aligned data to guide instruction. Teachers discuss students performance by standard and decide which standards need to be retaught, additional guided practice, etc. Teachers then use this information to build their plans. When looking for resources educators are looking for material that will fit the objective and will best fit the students learning styles.

I like the idea of having a little more information added about the "why", it would let you understand more about what they are thinking. 

1.)  I think many resources hit the surface of the standard and not necessarily the depth of the standard. I think that is why the unpacking guide, thank you NCDPI, is so helpful when analyzing resources because it goes more in-depth of the standard of what it is asking, and not just the surface level of the standard. 

2.) The #GoOpenNC platform can help teachers learn the full level of the standard. Teachers have different years of experience and expertise with the standard. It would be great for our veteran teachers to share their wealth and knowledge of the standard with our new teachers switching grade levels, content areas and/or new to teaching. It would help other teachers from learning from other experiences. 

3.) GoOpen could help teachers to look in one location for resources. The rubric will help teachers to see if the resource is aligned and if it is not, how they can remix the resource to help make it aligned to the standard.

I really like the concept of having one location for resources.  Just like I teach my students to use NCWiseOwl, teachers can use GoOpenNC!

I agree that the standards are so much deeper than what we initially see.  I think having the rubrics really help for evaluating and discussing them as well.

1.  comes from another state; not sure what the whole standard is asking for mastery; teachers that have taught multiple years feel they already know what the standard is asking; out-dated resources 

2. making it easy to see the differing viewpoints of what each feel it is asking; I love the rubric so that everyone is on the same page with understanding; also having mastery teachers help give their knowledge to the younger educators looking for clarification and understanding

3. having a rubric can make sure all in the PLC are consistent; not sure alignment discussions happen in regular planning so just taking the time in a PLC to take one standard and dig deeper together to model what needs to be in a resource.  Teachers could also bring their own resources for the PLC to use with the rubric to see how they correlate. Great discussions will occur around the table. 

Hadn't thought about outdated resources but that is a good point, and probably goes along with a teacher who had been teaching the standard for a long time and hasn't revisited it. I agree that using a rubric will be important in evaluating standards.

Good point with the differing viewpoint comment.  If you do not have much turn over in your department it is good to have a forum to hear what others are saying.

1. Common reasons for misalignment/incomplete alignment
   1. The teacher does not know/understand the standard
   2. The standard is more complicated that the teacher first believed (see number 1)
   3. The school/district bought the incorrect material because it was cheaper and told the teachers to make do
2. As long as teachers keep it civil there can be a discourse about lessons and how to best implement them and align them. All parties have to keep an open mind and All parties have to make all comments are about the lesson and standard and not the teacher, keep comments impersonal so feelings aren't hurt. If people on GoOpenNC know that comments are not personal it becomes a much safer place to give your opinion.
3. We don't use alignment discussions since we don't have a curriculum. However we sit in on PLC's and give advice when asked about technology.

Making sure to keep an open mind and the discussion all about the standard is totally correct. Teachers will take it personally if their resource isn't quality, but the rubric can keep all that focused. 

I agree that using a rubric when discussing alignment can be helpful in keeping discussions focused on the standards.  Rubrics keep discussions  away from personal attacks.

I completely agree that if language used in the comments focus on the lesson and its allignment and not written with agressive language educators will be more likely to partake in productive conversations. 

Regarding your response to #2, the ability to demonstrate and accept constructive criticism amongst staff is mandatory when implementing a growth mindset in both our educators and students.  Using the rubric to constructively alter lessons to better address the standards and create a well-aligned lesson benefits all persons.  Yes, lets "keep it civil".   

1. What are common reasons for misalignment/incomplete alignment of a resource?

I think teachers assume resources are aligned and I also believe teachers are overwhelmed and have less time to learn their standards.

2. How can the #GoOpenNC platform foster productive discussion about different viewpoints regarding resource alignment?

I think the comments teachers write about resources will help foster the discussion.  I also hope encouraging teachers to participate in groups will help them to begin to collaborate and start discussions with teachers across the state.

3. How does (could) your PLC use alignment discussions in your planning cycles?

Our PLCs use data from common assessments and pacing guides to hellp drive our instruction.  Hopefully GoOpenNC will help the teachers with selecting materials which are better aligned to the standards and outcomes we are trying to achieve.

Mary - I agree with you about teachers assuming that resources are aligned. You are exactly right about what teachers say they are feeling and don't have time to do beyond the immediate parts of instruction to truly understand the standards and make sure we are teaching them comprehensively.

1. Resources are aligned to state standards other than our own or teachers misunderstand the standard.

2. Using the rubric will help clarify for everyone whether a resource is aligned or not.

3. Currently PLCs are not discussing alignment, but now we can discuss resources being used, especially when looking at data and determining next steps. If the resources we are using are not aligned to our standards then that will account for students continuing to struggle.

If more teachers can understand the importance of aligning their assignments/resources with standards and actually follow through with doing that, I think more growth will occur. 

1. What are common reasons for misalignment/incomplete alignment of a resource?

Misalignment often comes from pulling resources from other states who have variance in standards and teachers not fully understanding their standards.

2. How can the #GoOpenNC platform foster productive discussion about different viewpoints regarding resource alignment?

The rubric is a great start to fostering open discussion.  It is up to users of the materials to read through the reviews and make their own judgement on what works best for their particular goal of the lesson and what standard they are working to teach.

3. How does (could) your PLC use alignment discussions in your planning cycles?

Constantly referring back to the instructional framework, unpacking documents, etc. is a great start for fostering discussion when planning in PLC's.  Using the backward planning format can help with this tremendously, because the focus is first on the standards and the goals, then on the resources.

When we are searching resources online, we have to make sure they align with the standards in our state.  

It is a challenge to choose learning activities that effectively accomplish learning objectives, but having this type of frameowrk for utilization is beneficial for educators regardless of teaching experience.

The rubric will serve as a beneficial resource in aligning the standards as well as allow teachers to collaborate when additional information may be needed.

1. Incorrect state standards, depth of standard is not being assessed, teachers forget to unpack standard and screen assessment before giving.

2. Allows teachers to search for specific assignments/assessments that connect to a specific standard. With this they can then screen and modify for their classroom needs.

3. We look at assignments and assessments before they are given. We make sure that questions meet the rigor and depth the standard needs to be at. Finally we make any necessary changes to the assignment/assesssment, which then allows for changes within our classroom teaching.

1. A resource may have incomplete alignment simply because it is an activity that doesn't address the entire bredth and depth of the standard. Common reasons for misalignment include a teacher not being completely familiar with the standards, or some of the resources coming from a state where the standards are different.

2. Productive discussion can occur in the comment box if people are respectful of others' opinions and include evidence for their opinion from the standard itself.

3. A PLC could use alignment discussions to look for gaps in instruction that need to be addressed by the current curriculum or activities used to cover that standard.

1. Teachers may not always fully understand a standard.

2. Teachers will be able to use the rubric(s) provided to see how standards should align with resources.

3. My PLC does not typically discuss alignment, but when sitting in on other PLCs, I can offer advice and suggestions on how to align instruction.

I see the rubric as a quick and easy way for teachers to start looking at the quality of the resources they are currently using. I think also it will help them better understand the standard but cause of the focus on breaking it down.

1. Some common reasons for misalignment/incomplete alignment of a resource is not covering the depth and breadth of a standard; not having an assessment piece, or learning objectives.

2. #GoOpenNC fosters productive dicussion by having teachers evaluate resources and putting their findings in the comments section. Also by allowing teachers to rework lessons.

3. Our PLC are doing standard breakdowns and looking for resources to use to teacher it.  I think the concept of looking at the current resources we use and also those found in #GoOpenNC through the evaluation rubric you shared with use will strength the quality of lessons and thus impact the studnets learning and ingagement.

1. What are common reasons for misalignment/incomplete alignment of a resource?

Teachers not knowing how to breakdown the standard and analyze coherence, not knowing indicators or assuming that material used is grade level appropriate because that's "what we've always used"

2. How can the #GoOpenNC platform foster productive discussion about different viewpoints regarding resource alignment?

Because the resources are standard aligned and explained before getting to them, I feel like it pushes teachers to delve deeper to understand not only the standard, but the depth and breadth of the standard, and how their instruction and materials should align.

3. How does (could) your PLC use alignment discussions in your planning cycles?

We have begun looking at standards and how they spiral from grade to grade, but our next step is to go deeper into our focus standards to look at true implications for our instruction and how to align our teaching and resources to the standards better.  We will look at what students should have understanding of in that standard, as well as the nouns and verbs in the standard = what kids will know and what kids will do, to make sure we have rich, focused, engaging, relevant, and rigorous instruction in all areas.

I agree with you Meredith, I think teachers often don't know all parts to a standard.  Often, teachers are teaching what was taught last year.  

1.  One of the common reasons for misalignment/incomplete alignment could be the lack of understanding of the standard.

2.  The platform presents an opportunity for teachers from varied backgrounds to bring their expertise to the table when looking at resource alignment.

3.  We analyze assessment questions for alignment to standards and DOK levels.

1. Sometimes teachers don't always know their standards if standards have been updated or if the teachers changed grade level or subject area.  Lack of time is also against teachers.

2. If teachers have the time do add information, it will become a valid place to foster productive discussions.  Otherwise, I don't feel like many teachers will take the time to add information.

3. Our system does that have schools that invest in data days.  I think even though those teachers are out of the classroom for a day, they are much better prepared and aligned for their curriculum than those teachers who don't have that dedicated time to sit with same grade level. subject area teachers, etc. to move forward. Those who have participated in it for several years would have a clear advantage with resources than those who have not.  

1.  I think teachers don’t have time to fully vett a resource.  They just take it and modify it to meet their curricular needs on the fly.  And if they have changed grade levels, they don’t know their standards as well as their previous grade level.  Some of the resources are old and outdated.

2.  I think that unless an administrator meets with their teachers during a workday/PLC and facilitates a discussion it probably won’t happen. 

3.  I think discussions would benefit our teachers if they meet to gather resources for each quarter that they would use for the next quarter or semester.  

Common reasons for misalignment include unfamiliarity with the standards both within the state of NC and from other states. There is also a comprehensive need for teachers to be given enough time to really "unpack" the  standards so that they understand the content better.

An open discussion forum or possibly meetings held in various locations around the state to allow educators to express and share their viewpoints.

I meet for PLC with my classroom teachers every  other week. These sessions could be used for lengthy discussions about standard alignment.

I think there are many reasons for incomplete alignment. 

1.  We don't often dissect the standard for enough depth and breadth

2.  We don't consider all components of the tasks (time frame, products, student tasks, assessment, etc.

3.  We do not use our unpacking document to ensure we are covering our standard.

I think one big plus to using the platform will come in the form of getting comments up about the standards that follow the rubric and have discussion surrounding those comments.

PLCs would definitely benefit from this.  While PLCs work on the same standards at a time, teachers have some autonomy for specific lessons and this causes some folks to get off track.  By looking at the alignment of a standard, teachers could ensure that all the components of a lesson meet the standards.

1. What are common reasons for misalignment/incomplete alignment of a resource? I believe that teachers are unfamiliar with resources due to time constraints in that their need for constructive PLC's in the manner of in-depth understanding of what's available is mostly inadequate. In so many instances, resources are only examined at the surface thus creating a fragmented and ineffective learning experience. 

2. How can the #GoOpenNC platform foster productive discussion about different viewpoints regarding resource alignment? GoOpenNC platform can provide a framework that enables educators the opportunity to access and examine instructional materials that are conducive to learning thus creating well organized assessments. Educators will be better informed with the rubric as the directional force for material reviews.  

3. How does (could) your PLC use alignment discussions in your planning cycles? The availability of the GoOpenNC framework for material review would be such a positive aspect during PLC discussions. Educators would be more focused and their time spent reviewing materials would be beneficial for old and current materials. The level of engagement would increase significantly.

1. What are common reasons for misalignment/incomplete alignment of a resource? Misalignment may occur due to the resource being taken from other state curriculum standards.  Incomplete alignment may occur when the lesson does not contain objectives focused on the NC standard or is not directed to specific learning goals.    Sometimes the lesson "tags" too many standards and does not fully address those standards mentioned within the lesson.  

2. How can the #GoOpenNC platform foster productive discussion about different viewpoints regarding resource alignment? A productive discussion could be carried out if the rubric was provided each time a lesson was being presented to the group.  

3. How does (could) your PLC use alignment discussions in your planning cycles?  Alignment discussions could be easily used if a lesson or unit were suggested for evaluation, then participants were assigned a section of their choice to evaluate such as obectives.  Finally all areas could be looked at without overwhelming the particpants in PLC.

I like your idea of assigning members of a PLC an assigned section to evaluate.  

1.  Some of the common reasons are not recognizing exactly what verb is being asked in the standard.  This creates a problem for teachers as they know it relates but it does not really answer what is asked for in the standard itself.  

2.  By having the resources in place for the standard takes part of the problems for teachers away as they can then focus on the review of the resource.  There are so many things available if you just google a topic that you spend the time sorting through the list without ever really getting the time to review.  This provides teachers with the time to preview and tweak a resource if needed.

3. PLC's should be a time to discuss resources being used as they are discussing standards being taught.  We are also working on adding resources that we know are aligned to our pacing guides which would then make it easier for teachers to choose during PLC's.  

1) The standards provide a destination, but not a roadmap for how teachers need to reach that destination.  Often, well-intentioned teachers are left to try to figure out how to ensure that all students master the content and skills outlined in the standards which can be very complex and overwhelming. This often leads to them having to pick and choose resources to the best of their ability which they think will align with the standards.  When teachers are clear on what they have to teach, they have more time and the capacity to figure how they want to teach it.

2) The #GoOpen NC platform can foster productive discussion by providing a framework for evaluating and vetting resources.  Having different perspectives and a rubric for analyzing resources will potentially lead to an increase in the use of high quality, standards-aligned and content-specific resources among teachers.

3) Since teachers are increasingly turning to online resources and are actively seeking input from other teachers, PLCs would be a great way to hold these discussions as we try to change teacher practices and what students learn while ensuring that high-quality, standards-aligned content is available to all teachers.

1. What are common reasons for misalignment/incomplete alignment of a resource?  If you have been teaching for a while you may need to revisit the standards especially the unpacking guides.  Things change and get updated. 

2. How can the #GoOpenNC platform foster productive discussion about different viewpoints regarding resource alignment?  It gives you the ability to communicate with great minds across the state. It gives a platform for your voice to be heard.  Often it is one or two teachers in a department making the decisions.

3. How does (could) your PLC use alignment discussions in your planning cycles?  This is a given in our county.  We spend summers working on alignment. 

1. What are common reasons for misalignment/incomplete alignment of a resource?

Folks do not fully read the standard for depth/breadth understanding and then apply that same lens to the actual resource to see if it completely covers every aspect of the standard.  Often, it may cover part of the standard, but not all of it.  In addition, it may not have a learning objective or assessment listed.

2. How can the #GoOpenNC platform foster productive discussion about different viewpoints regarding resource alignment? 

By allowing folks to add comments where they can agree/disagree with standard alignment, it will ensure that people are using resources with a complete understanding of what they are deciding to utilize in their classes. The comment section will also help contributors know how they can strengthen the resource so that it is more completely aligned.

3. How does (could) your PLC use alignment discussions in your planning cycles?

The alignment discussions will help in planning to ensure that teachers fully understand the standard and are being critical consumers of resources in order to utilize the most effective tools in their classrooms.

1. What are common reasons for misalignment/incomplete alignment of a resource?

• shared resources that have been edited and are no longer aligned with the content
• internet resources that were never aligned with NC standards
• reusing outdated resources that are no longer aligned with NC standards

2. How can the #GoOpenNC platform foster productive discussion about different viewpoints regarding resource alignment?

By encouraging us to share a variety of ideas, the message we all receive is that there is not only one way to accomplish a lesson.  Hess's rubrics can be helpful to ensure that standards have depth when remixing.

3. How does (could) your PLC use alignment discussions in your planning cycles?

Discussions should be occurring both horizontally (same grade level, different subjects) and vertically (same subjects, different grade levels).  

1. What are common reasons for misalignment/incomplete alignment of a resource?

Too much flash and not enough substance, like a Pinterest lesson without true depth of standard alignment.  Not getting lesson resources from a quality place, but rather from TPT or other resource.  Not having a true understanding of the standard, inability to properly unpack the standard.

2. How can the #GoOpenNC platform foster productive discussion about different viewpoints regarding resource alignment?

By providing good resources and showing how the a good resource can prop up a good lesson, we can foster better classroom instruction.  

3. How does (could) your PLC use alignment discussions in your planning cycles?

Instructional Coaches in our district are really beginning to focus of unpacking the standards and aligning good resources with the standards.  Planning really has to focus on alignment and making sure standards are adequately covered by lessons.

I agree that most teachers at my school turn to Pintrest and TPT for resources.  To me, this could be a starting place, but these resources should always be evaluated with the standard being taught and they should be adapted to meet the standard. 

I also think instructional coaches must lead and model discussions about the standards and standard alignment.  This needs to be looked at closely when teachers are planning units as well as unit assessments.

1. What are common reasons for misalignment/incomplete alignment of a resource?

* Resources are from various states and websites

* Teachers have not taken the time to break down the standards themselves to understand it.

2. How can the #GoOpenNC platform foster productive discussion about different viewpoints regarding resource alignment?

* Everyone can comment on the same resource and ask questions about the standards alignment.  This discussion can be specific and people can make suggestions to make the task or activity more aligned. 

3. How does (could) your PLC use alignment discussions in your planning cycles?

* If youre PLC is using the Dufour's questions, then question #1 is "What do we expect our students to learn?".  This should be a natual process in the PLC discussion where teachers look at the standards and break them apart to determine what students should know, understand, and be able to do. From there, the PLC would decide waht assignments, tasks, activities would be used to determine standard mastery.

1.

1. Insufficient planning time
2. In-depth training of the standard has not been provided
3. Resources may not be aligned with the NC Curriculum

2.

The #GoOpenNC platform will be a great resource for all educators. Experienced teachers can contribute knowledge and expertise. Beginning teachers can gain a more comprehensive understanding of resource alignment. Educators who switch grade-levels or subjects will have a place to evaluate resources as they acclimate to their new role. This platform will prove to be a valuable tool for all educators!

3.

The pacing guides can be used along with #GoOpenNC to align resources.

1. I think that a common reason for misalignment/incomplete alignment of a resource is that many do not have a good handle or understanding of the standards that they are using. They do not always understand what the standards look like in action. 

2. I think that the #GOOpenNC platform could help foster that productive discussion by having a common understanding and clear rubric to follow for resource review, something that is easy to understand and that isn't time consuming and also trainings and videos of it in action. I feel like just having it available isn't enough. 

3. I will be honest I am not sure how much alignment discussions happen in PLCs. In my position, I do not get to sit in for these sessions with subjects unless asked to assist with projects. 

As educators, sometimes we use a source that we have gotten from someone whose standards are not the same because they are in another system. In addition, we have to be careful not to just "gloss" over the standard without really delving into what the standard is instructing us to do.  

The #GoOpenNC platform can foster productive discussion about different viewpoints regarding resource alignment by having a common rubric for dissecting a standard .

A PLC could use alignment discussions to explory the different levels of the standard and how it could be differentiated for different types of learners.

1. What are common reasons for misalignment/incomplete alignment of a resource?

Common reasons for misalignment are tagging multiple standards, lack of depth, and lack of assessment.

2. How can the #GoOpenNC platform foster productive discussion about different viewpoints regarding resource alignment?

I like the idea of having a rubric to help evaluate the resources and I hope users will use this when commenting so we move past "I like this" to "This is aligned to the standards".

3. How does (could) your PLC use alignment discussions in your planning cycles?

We are discussing having our District Curriculum Design Team use this first to evaluate our own curriculum documents internally to model how teachers should use a watchful eye when choosing resources.

1. Resources are misaligned or incomplete due to a variety of reasons.  They align to something different that what you thought, the standards or curriculum has changed, it was only put out as part of a resource and not complete because of time.

2. GoOpenNC fosters discussion about resource alignment through it's rubrics on reviewing resources.

3. My PLC could use alignment discussions during planning cycles to help create better resources or review resources.

1. What are common reasons for misalignment/incomplete alignment of a resource?

 Possible reasons for misalignment/incomplete alignment of a resources may be due to inexperience teaching standards connecting with that particular grade level and knowledge of how that standard will be assessed. This is reasonable to suggest, especially when considering the field of education has a constant influx of new teachers, as well as teachers changing grade levels.  I also feel that a possibility for perceiving a resource as misaligned/incomplete can be subjective.  The creator of the resource may feel the resource is an important component to the framework of the standard in going forward with instruction or even providing instructional support/differentiation.

2. How can the #GoOpenNC platform foster productive discussion about different viewpoints regarding resource alignment?

As educators we recognize that our students possess unique abilities.  The same is true of our colleagues.  Just as our students learn from each other, the same is true for educators.  The opportunity for productive discussion is extremely important for teachers.  The #GoOpenNC platform expands the opportunities for fellow educators to learn from each other. 

3. How does (could) your PLC use alignment discussions in your planning cycles?

Alignment discussions in PLC reinforces the teamwork system.  These dialogues provide support for all teachers and especially those that are new to a grade level or more importantly to the teaching profession.  It is likely that an educator will not always teach within the same grade level.  These opportunities for alignment discussions help alleviate anxiety and ensure that the instruction is productive and beneficial for the student in student preparation for the subsequent grade. 

1. What are common reasons for misalignment/incomplete alignment of a resource?

I agree with others that often it is because the source teachers in a different state.  However, it doesn't mean it can't be adapted for NC Standards.

2. How can the #GoOpenNC platform foster productive discussion about different viewpoints regarding resource alignment?

The presence of a rubric is a great way to keep discussions productive.  Keeping discussion linked to the resource should ensure productivity.

3. How does (could) your PLC use alignment discussions in your planning cycles?
 

I love the way that continued discussions about if a lesson keep us anchored in our standards as well as helping us explore the depth of them.  It also helps to be aware of your content's "power standards".

1.  A lack of effective available curriculum which forces teachers to search in numerous places (some not research-based) to find content and materials for their lessons.

2.  By having a common place to view, comment, and review in a professional, non-threatening platform.

3.  I would like to see more continuous standards deconstruction being done in vertical and horizontal planning sessions.