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Big Idea Toolkit

Pretti-Frontczak, K., Jackson, S., McKeen, L., Schuck, E., & Stackhouse, J. (2005). Big Idea Toolkit. Kent State University (kprettif@kent.edu).

• What is the Big Idea Toolkit? The Big Idea Toolkit is one of three ways in which programs can show alignment to Ohio's Early Learning Content Standards (ELCS). The Big Idea Toolkit contains the Big Idea Glossary, procedures for aligning a curriculum framework with the 25 Big Ideas, and procedures for ensuring a high quality curriculum framework is implemented.

  • Click here for a copy of the Big Idea Toolkit.

  • The following are hyperlinks to individual pieces of the Big Idea Toolkit

    • Big Idea Glossary

    • PDF Versions of Alignment Summary Forms - Assessment/Progress Monitoring     Activities/Interventions

    • ***NEW*** (as of 4-2-06) Word Versions of Alignment Summary Forms - Assessment/Progress Monitoring     Activities/Interventions

    • Implementation Rubrics and Implementation Scoring Form

    • Definition of Key Terms

    • Action Options

    • References

   

• What is in Appendix A and do I need all of the files? Appendix A contains five (5) matrixes. The first matrix (All indicators) shows how all ELCS indicators align with the 25 Big Ideas. In case it is easier for some, we also created four separate files that show how indicators from particular content areas align with the 25 Big Ideas. You can use either the All Indicators file or the four separate content area files. They contain the same information.

  • All Indicators

  • English Language Arts

  • Mathematics

  • Science

  • Social Studies

• Handouts related to selecting a high quality curriculum framework

  • ***NEW*** (as of 4-2-06) Eight steps handout to selecting a high quality curriculum framework

  • ***NEW*** A revised version of Appendix B is now available (posted 4-2-06). Appendix B contains four examples of completed curriculum frameworks.

  • ***NEW*** Three examples of how to complete three different alignment tools are also now available (as of 4-2-06).

    • Indicator Level Example

    • Category Level Example

    • Big Idea Level Example

• Link to the Curriculum-Based Assessment Rubric. This rubric was developed to assist teams in selecting a high quality curriculum-based assessment that not only links various purposes of assessment (e.g., eligibility, IEP development, intervention planning, progress monitoring) but also provides a direct link to intervention and is a key part of a curriculum framework. Contact Kristie Pretti-Frontczak (kprettif@kent.edu), Dana Kenneley (dkenneley@adelphia.net), or Laura Vilardo (lvilardo@kent.edu) with questions or comments.

• What is the AEPS®? The AEPS® is a comprehensive system that ties together assessment, goal development, intervention, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation. The test components of the AEPS® yield educationally relevant, meaningful, and functional information that can be used to formulate developmentally appropriate goals/outcomes and objectives/benchmarks for children. These goals and objectives, in turn, link directly to intervention content and procedures offered in the curricular components of the AEPS® . The test and curricular components of the AEPS® form a comprehensive and linked system that permits using assessment results to develop intervention content and to monitor child progress. The AEPS® will eventually have cut off scores (based upon item response theory) to allow teams to make systematic decisions regarding child progress that can be used for accountability purpose (i.e., to meet OSEP mandates for Part C and Part B).

• What is the AEPS® matrix? ***NEW*** (as of 4-2-06) The Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System (AEPS®) Matrix shows how the AEPS® (items from both the birth to three and the three to six levels) aligns to Ohio Early Learning Content Standards via the 25 Big Ideas. Even if providers are not using the AEPS®, they may wish to see how a curriculum-based assessment, such as the AEPS® can be aligned to Big Ideas.

  • A matrix showing the alignment of the AEPS® at the category level has also been developed along with a sample of how teams might copy and paste menu items for columns 3, 4, and 5.

Writing Rubric