title: Integration of Precision Teaching Instructional Materials for Levels K-6 State of Utah Core Curriculum Standards and Objectives in Math: A Directory for Computer Managed Instruction/Decision Making
Creators: name: Christner Williams, Nancy Joanne
Publisher: name: Utah State University
Year: 1986

description: The State of Utah's Department of Education has developed an objective/outcome based education model, K-12 grade levels, based upon effective teaching research. The model components are 1) a core curriculum consisting of the basic elements essential for every student's educational program; 2) curriculum instruction based upon the mastery of educational outcomes at an appropriate level in accuracy and fluency, with a variety of options for learning; and 3) management systems which eliminate redundancy in the educational process. Two technological systems which have been piloted with some implementation through collaborations are the MID--Project developed at Utah State University and the CORVUS--Project being networked between Murray School District, Uintah School District, Edith Bowen Laboratory School at Utah State University, and the Utah State Office of Education.
This creative component for a Master's of Education Degree at Utah State University addresses the need for facilitating the use of technology in educational settings by integrating several precision teaching material banks to the State of Utah Core Curriculum Standards and Objectives, K-6 levels. A Master File of these Materials was organized to represent a developmental sequence of test probes, diagnostic probes, and probes which can be used as slice backs for remediation and/or instructional tools for skill development. The organizational schema for these materials was concerned with balance between and among the components in relation to the whole developmental sequence of the Core Curriculum, K-6. The vertical organization was concerned with sequencing (1) levels of content and (2) stages of processes. Horizontal sequence was concerned with sequencing within (1) a level of content and (2) a stage or process. An effort was made to ensure the compatability between the learning processes of the curriculum and the test probes and/or the diagnostic probes. This free standing management system of materials can be correlated to a Basal Math Curriculum. Support will be available to the Edith Bowen Laboratory School, as well as other districts, to integrate this Directory of Resource and Assessment Materials with Basal Math Programs (i.e., Edith Bowen Laboratory School --Open Court, 1986 edition, Math Program). A "Directory" was developed to facilitate this integration process. The "Directory" listed the materials in a developmental sequence with the Core Curriculum Standards and Objectives for Levels K-4. This listing included for each probe a reference code, a 27 character abbreviated probe descriptor, and a probe descriptor which specified the input and output modes for student and responses to the probe items and a description of the skill/task. The reference code and the abbreviated probe descriptor was recorded on each probe in the Master File. State Core Curriculum Standards and Objectives were identified in this "Directory" in bold print. The Core Objectives were assigned a reference code and an abbreviated, 27 character, descriptor. Answer sheets were developed for the probes.
The Master File of integrated precision teaching banks of approximately 700 probes -established at Utah State University, in the Special Education Department. Concurrently, a Master File is being replicated in the Media Center at Edith Bowen Laboratory School. Subsets of the Master File are being developed for each classroom for each grade level at Edith Bowen Laboratory School (EBLS). The "Directory" will probably be integrated into the CORVUS system at EBLS. The "Directory" will be shared with Dr. LeRoy Linderman, State of Utah Office of Education and Dr. Bryant Farnsworth, Murray School District, Utah, in response to their interest.
This resource is being implemented in conjunction with the Edith Bowen Laboratory's pilot of the MID-Project, a computer management decision making system. A "Fast Start" Master File of tool skill probes was developed as part of this creative component. This is being used by the Edith Bowen Laboratory Staff and Practicum Students from USU College of Education as they utilize the MID-Project computer management/decision making process. Assistance and support is being provided to facilitate a precision teaching model for outcome based education. As students master the tool skills from the Fast Start File they are being paced into the developmental sequence of probes in their classroom Master File. As student needs for additional instruction in the tool skills are identified, probes from the classroom Master File are being selected which break the skills down. These are being used for instruction and/or additional practice. The Test Probes and Diagnostic Probes are being used to assess skill mastery, to determine instructional levels, and to monitor and validate progress in skill mastery. Anecdotal records are being kept of the implementation process. Probes are being edited. Format adaptations are being studied. The management strategies for implementing outcome based education in math utilizing precision teaching with the MID-computer management/ decision making system and this Master File and "Directory" of instructional resources are being fine-tuned to grade levels at Edith Bowen Laboratory School. Since there are areas of the Core sequence of Standards and Objectives which do not have materials in this Master Resource File, the MID staff, along with the EBLS staff are developing probes for the gaps.
The outcome products of this project include 1) a carefully conceived Master File of curriculum and instructional materials, test probes, and diagnostic probes coded to the State of Utah Core Math Curriculum Standards and Objectives, K-6; 2) A Fast Start Tool Skill Master File; 3) a "Directory" of the Master File, K-4 Levels; 4) a "Directory of Specifications", and 5) an "Index with teacher questions and answers regarding the use of the "Directory" to the Master File.