Angelique Austin,
Program Specialist for Secondary ELA & AIG
Background and Overview

 Timeline
In 2004, SBE
approved a
framework for
honors level
courses
In 2012, SBE
began revising
the 2004
framework,
addressing the
new standards
In June 2012, the SBE
approved the
framework,
making it mandatory
for all teachers of honors
courses to create an
electronic portfolio
Timeline for ABSS

Fall 2013, the
requirements for
the Honors
Portfolio were
announced
During the
Spring of 2014,
all honors
teachers should
be developing
their electronic
portfolio
Fall 2014
Teachers
will
submit at
the school
level
Winter
2014
School
level will
submit to
the district
level
School Level Needs

 Create an Honors Portfolio Committee
 Suggestions: Principal, Assistant Principals, Academic
Coaches, Guidance Counselors, Department Heads to
review portfolios
 Academic Coach or Assistant Principal to be in charge of
electronic submissions and paperwork
 Deadline for submissions at the school level – October
2014
 Deadline for submissions from schools to the district level
– December 2014
 Deadline for submissions at the district level to DPI –
March 2015
Definition of Honors Level
Courses

Honors courses must be developed and implemented
to:
 be more challenging than standard level courses in
order to foster growth for advanced learners.
 be distinguished by a difference in the depth and
scope of work required
Teacher’s Role

Teachers of honors level courses will:
 possess the skills, knowledge, and dispositions to facilitate an
honors level course with advanced curriculum content.
 have the capacity to develop and implement a differentiated
curriculum based on and above the standard curriculum to
support the growth of advanced learners.
 use a variety of instructional strategies to engage advanced
learners.
 be aware of current curriculum innovations and research in the
subject area in order to develop and implement an honors level
course
 develop and update an electronic honors portfolio for each
honors course taught
School/Administrator’s Role

To support honors level instruction, principals will:
 assign honors level courses to teachers who possess the
skills, knowledge and dispositions to facilitate an
honors level course with advanced curriculum content.
 ensure teachers are using the Honors Level Course
Rubric Framework and the Honors Level Course
Implementation Guide to define honors level
instruction
 ensure teachers have developed and continually
update their honors portfolio for each course taught
District Level Roles

To support honors level instruction, the district will:
 provide training and professional development
opportunities regarding rigor and instructional
strategies
 conduct audits to ensure teachers are using the
Honors Level Course Rubric Framework and the
Honors Level Course Implementation Guide to
define honors level instruction and are maintaining
an Honors Portfolio for each course taught
The Review Process

 The Honors Level Course Rubric and the Honors
Implementation Guide will serve as a framework to guide
teachers, principals, and Local Education Agencies in
developing and locally reviewing honors level courses.
The honors level course review process will occur every
three years.
 Randomly selected Local Education Agencies will be
notified at least one semester prior to the review in order
for effective collection of documentation and artifacts. The
review process is intended to provide comments,
feedback, and support to strengthen honors level courses
for continuous program improvement.
Honors Implementation
Wiki

http://honorsimplementation.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/
Curriculum Content:
Rationale

 This is where you describe your personal pedagogy and
explain how you have adapted and differentiated the
curriculum content for this course for your advanced
learners. This should be an intentional reflection of your
teaching philosophy as it applies to this course and
teaching at the Honors level. Questions to consider: How
is it different than a standard level course? How does it
challenge students through accelerated pacing,
complexity, challenges and creativity? Identify how your
course represents extension, acceleration and enrichment
of the NC SCOS and CCSS.
Curriculum Content:
Standards & Objectives

 Explain how you use the Common Core State Standards
and extend them beyond the standard level to challenge
accelerated learners. Questions to consider: How are
students expected to show greater independence and
responsibility for their learning? How will your
expectations lead to higher quality work, while still in
alignment with the standards? What brief examples can
you include to prove that this is taking place in your
classroom?
Curriculum Content:
Curriculum Plan

 Identify the evidence you are providing in the form of
attachments to this section.







Course Overview
List of texts—informational and literary (can be included
in syllabus)
Syllabus
Pacing Guide
Scope and Sequence
Curriculum Map
Other
Instructional Materials &
Methods: Rationale

 Fill in with rationale and objective for instruction, and how
units/lessons are adapted for advanced learners. In your rational,
make sure to mention instructional strategies that you will use to
manage differentiation, as well as strategies that indicate complexity
above the standard level course, which may include, but are not
limited to: teacher as a facilitator, coach, and model; student led
learning and research; student exchange of ideas; project-based
learning, problem-solving learning, and seminar style learning with a
concentration of writing across all modalities; integration of other
content areas with connections to real-world skills and context; and
use of higher level critical thinking skills and creativity for advanced
learners. Further, make sure your rationale includes key criteria for
text selection, questions and tasks, academic vocabulary, writing to
sources and research, and additional key criteria for student reading,
writing, listening, and speaking.
Instructional Materials &
Methods

 Fill in with instructional materials you will use to
differentiate the Honors course and resources, equipment,
and technology needed for unit/lesson plan, such as:
multiple texts and supplementary materials, use of
computer programs, etc.
Instructional Materials &
Methods: Evidence of Instruction

Identify the evidence you are providing in the
form of attachments to this section
Unit Plans
Lesson Plans
Assignments
Instructional Materials &
Methods: Student Work Samples

 Identify the evidence you are providing the form of
attachments to this section.








Student Portfolios
Individual Assignments
Group Work
Student Work in Real World Settings
Videos
Projects
Websites
Other:
Assessment: Rationale

 Fill in with rationale for assessment practices. In your
rationale, describe what type of assessment you used and
how it was adapted for advanced learners. Provide some
details about the format of the assessment and how it
measured student growth and understanding. Be sure to
explain grading practices, including how rubrics and
scoring guides are used, as well as the specific skills that
you assess throughout the course (for example:
comprehension, citing evidence, analyzing text, applying
knowledge, structural analysis, etc.)
Assessment: Practices

 Fill in with the types of assessment you utilize throughout
the course (pre-assessment, formative, summative) and
how your assessment practices are based on the honors
level blueprint provided in your Standards and Objectives
section. Questions to consider: how do your assessment
practices provide ongoing feedback to the advanced learner
throughout the entire course (with evidence of
differentiated instruction based on feedback); how/why are
your scoring guides and rubrics at the appropriate level;
how do your assessments provide real world and industry
standard feedback to advanced leaners?
Assessment: Samples

 Identify the evidence you are providing in the form of
attachments to this section.








Reflective Questions (ticket out the door)
Class Discussion/Debate
Observation
Rubrics
Scoring Guides
Quizzes
Tests/Exams
Other:
Assessment:
Work Samples

 Samples of student work for each of the artifacts listed
above are included as attachments in this section.
Examples of Differentiation
for Advanced Learners
•
•
•
•
•
•

Use of multiple texts and
supplementary materials
Use of computer
programs
Interest centers
Learning contracts
Compacting
Product criteria
negotiated jointly by
student and teacher
• Tiered sense-making
activities and tiered
products
• Tasks and products
designed with a multiple
intelligence orientation
• Independent learning
contracts
• Complex instruction
• Group investigation
Diversity of Teaching Strategies Indicating
Complexity Above the Standard Level

 Teacher as a facilitator,
 Project-based learning
coach, and model
 Student led learning
and research
 Student exchange of
ideas
 Use of higher level
critical thinking skills
and creativity for
advanced learners
& problem-solving
learning
 Seminar style learning
with a concentration of
writing across all
modalities
 Integration of other
content areas with
connections to realworld skills and context
FAQs

 How will we submit student work electronically?
 Scan student work into a PDF document
 Will this supplement our evaluations?
 Definitely can serve as artifacts




Standard Three – Teachers know the content they teach
Standard Four – Teachers facilitate learning for students
Standard Five – Teachers reflect on their practice
Standard Six – Teachers contribute to the academic
success of all students
FAQs continued…

 Will there be any consequences for not completing the
portfolio?
 It is an expectation from NC DPI. If requested portfolios are not
submitted for state review, principals will be notified and will
be encouraged to consider this in their evaluations; DPI has the
option to disallow honors weight for future semesters
 Who completes the portfolio?
 Individual teachers – not the LEA
 Can teachers work together?
 Yes, collaboration is suggested and expected; however each
teacher’s portfolio will be unique in their use of strategies,
materials, and/or assessments, as well as student work
samples.
http://www.abss.k12.nc.us/Page/24912