​​Legacy Learning Framework

Katy ISD Strategic Design

Strategic Design & Legacy Learning Framework

The Legacy Learning Framework is a tool that provides structure and guidance for educators during the planning and learning process to ensure learner outcomes are attained in alignment with the District Strategic Design

Common Vocabulary

Term	Definition
Analyze	Critically investigating information
Apply	Transferring learning into action
Assessment	A formal or informal evaluation of learning
Design	Creating a purposeful, aligned plan and process for learning
Educator	One who creates and facilitates purposeful learning experiences
Elements	Components of the Legacy Learning Framework (Analyze, Personalize, Design, Apply, and Evaluate)
Evaluate	Assessing, measuring, and refining learning through feedback and reflection
Expectation	A set of purposeful behaviors that align to best practices
Framework	A tool that provides structure to guide the teaching and learning process
Instructional Cornerstones	Skills embedded in the Katy ISD Curriculum (Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, Information Literacy, Problem Solving, and Social Contribution)
Learner	One who continually grows by acquiring and transferring new knowledge and skills
Learner Engagement	The level of investment in the learning
Learning Goals	The intended outcomes of the learning process
Mastery	Attaining a depth of understanding that allows for application of learning
Personalize	Inspiring ownership of meaningful and purposeful learning with consideration of interests, strengths and needs

Analyze

Definition:
Critically investigating information

 

Guiding Questions:
What tools are needed to effectively analyze information? How is information used to infer relationships, determine patterns, and/or draw conclusions? What tasks and/or experiences are necessary to achieve the learning goals?

 

Learner Description ​		Educator Description ​
The learner critically evaluates and examines information to determine next steps. ​		The educator facilitates opportunities for learners to critically investigate and synthesize information to infer relationships, determine patterns, and/or draw conclusions. ​
Learner Expectations ​		Educator Expectations ​
The learner will: understand the value of critically investigating information; ask questions to guide and clarify learning; investigate ideas and curiosities that are relevant to learning goals; select a variety of resources; identify patterns and make connections; and justify conclusions based on evidence. ​		The educator will: create an environment of inquiry, critical thinking, and problem solving; provide opportunities and open-ended questions to make connections; and guide the resource selection process to encourage the use of a variety of tools to synthesize information. ​
Instructional Cornerstones Connections ​ ​ ​
Critical Thinking	Information Literacy​		Problem Solving

Personalize

Definition:
Inspiring ownership of meaningful and purposeful learning with consideration of interests, strengths, and needs

Guiding Questions:
Who are the learners? What is their prior knowledge? What are their experiences? What are their strengths and needs? What are their interests? What supports are needed? How do learners find meaning and purpose?

Learner Description ​ ​			Educator Description ​
The learner reflects and takes ownership of learning to develop and achieve goals. ​ ​			The educator designs opportunities for learners to develop their own learning experiences. ​
Learner Expectations ​ ​			Educator Expectations ​
The learner will: reflect on strengths, needs, and interests; engage in a collaborative process to establish learning goals; engage in learning experiences that facilitate growth towards learning goals; and utilize multiple resources to achieve learning goals.​			The educator will: build relationships to develop an understanding of learner strengths, needs, and interests, including cultural backgrounds, through daily observation and interactions; design meaningful and purposeful instruction that supports learner needs; facilitate self-management and organization for learners to achieve their learning goals; and select and provide resources aligned to the learner's strengths, needs, and interests. ​
Instructional Cornerstones Connections ​ ​ ​ ​
● Collaboration	●      Creative Thinking	●      Critical Thinking​	●      Social Contribution

Design

Definition:
Creating a purposeful, aligned plan and process for learning      

 

Guiding Questions:
What strategies, structures, resources, and assessments best support learning goals? What opportunities are created to allow for progress along the Katy ISD Instructional Cornerstone Continuum?

 

Learner Description ​		Educator Description ​ ​
The learner uses a variety of resources, methods, and assessments to achieve the learning goals. ​		The educator considers the desired learner outcome and uses a variety of strategies, structures, resources, and assessments to design learning experiences. ​ ​
Learner Expectations ​		Educator Expectations ​ ​
The learner will: purposefully choose from a variety of resources and methods throughout the learning process; engage in collaborative, consistent, and effective communication throughout the learning process; and construct appropriate evidence of learning. ​		The educator will: create authentic challenges that meet the anticipated and diverse needs of all learners; purposefully select strategies, structures, resources and assessments that support the learner in achieving the learning goals; and create a culture of collaborative, consistent, and effective communication. ​ ​
Instructional Cornerstones Connections ​ ​ ​ ​
Collaboration	Communication ​	Creative Thinking	Critical Thinking
Information Literacy	Problem Solving	​ Social Contribution

Apply

Definition:

Transferring learning into action

Guiding Question:

How will the learner transfer learning in authentic, real-world situations?

Learner Description ​		Educator Description ​
The learner responds to authentic, real-world situations by synthesizing information, skills, and processes with persistence and innovation. ​		The educator provides opportunities and support for learners to articulate learning and demonstrate knowledge and skills through authentic, real-world experiences. ​
Learner Expectations ​		Educator Expectations ​
The learner will: select and utilize the appropriate resources to achieve learning goals; actively engage in varied learning opportunities; continuously reflect on learning goals and progress; develop products of learning that demonstrate an understanding of information, skills and processes; and exercise flexibility and willingness to accomplish a goal. ​		The educator will: provide learners with a selection of appropriate and diverse resources; facilitate varied learning opportunities; use probing questions to pique curiosity and inspire learning; adjust instruction and activities in response to learner interests and needs; monitor learner engagement and involvement, participation, or performance in the application of learning; and provide guidance and feedback. ​
Instructional Cornerstone Connections ​ ​ ​
Creative Thinking	Critical Thinking	Information Literacy
Problem Solving	Social Contribution	​

 

Evaluate

Definition:
Assessing, measuring, and refining learning through feedback and reflection

 

Guiding Questions:

What variety of assessments could be used to measure learning? How will learners and educators know learning  goals have been reached? How will evaluation criteria be communicated to the learner? How will learning experiences be refined based on data? When will collaboration occur regarding progress toward the learning goals?

Learner Description ​		Educator Description ​
The learner continuously uses feedback and self-evaluation to reflect, refine, and demonstrate progress toward mastery of learning goals. ​		The educator develops and/or uses multiple forms of assessments for learners to demonstrate progress toward mastery of learning goals, thus fostering reflective practice in an environment that encourages individual growth. ​
Learner Expectations ​		Educator Expectations ​
The learner will: select the appropriate resources needed to evaluate learning progress; examine feedback to monitor progress toward learning goals and refine the plan as necessary; recognize that the evaluation process is collaborative, cyclical, and ongoing; and reflect on the effectiveness of resources used to achieve learning goals. ​		The educator will: establish a learning environment where growth is fostered; develop evaluation criteria; clarify evaluation expectations; use various types of assessments appropriate for the learning goals; monitor progress and provide feedback throughout the learning process; assess the learner's level of mastery; recognize that the evaluation process is collaborative, cyclical, and ongoing; and analyze the effectiveness of resources used in the learning process and make necessary adjustments. ​
Instructional Cornerstones Connections ​ ​ ​
Collaboration	Communication	Critical Thinking	Problem Solving

Katy ISD Instructional Cornerstone Continuum

Instructional Cornerstones

 

As a cornerstone anchors a building, the KISD Instructional Cornerstone skills have been identified and developed with the purpose of designing and anchoring curriculum and instruction around meaningful experiences for students. All students should have multiple opportunities to experience each level of the Instructional Cornerstone skills throughout their educational experience. The Instructional Cornerstones were created for students to use with the guidance from teachers who help determine the appropriate cornerstone and the appropriate level for the student learning experience.

KISD INSTRUCTIONAL CORNERSTONE CONTINUUM

CORNERSTONE	Novice	Emerging	Proficient	Exemplary
Collaboration: Work respectfully with others by sharing responsibilities, exchanging and evaluating knowledge and ideas, and building consensus in order to achieve a common goal.	Work respectfully with others within a given set of group norms to complete a task.	Work respectfully with others to accomplish a task by actively listening, responding appropriately to alternate viewpoints, sharing responsibilities, and exchanging information.	Work respectfully with others to achieve a common goal through local and remote networking by sharing responsibilities and exchanging and evaluating knowledge and ideas.	Work respectfully with others to establish and honor group norms, achieve a common goal (define roles, assign responsibilities and build consensus), and consult with peers, experts, and others through local and remote networking.
Communication: Convey information and ideas to effectively engage the audience using a medium appropriate to the topic and purpose.	Share information and ideas in a given medium so that the main points are relevant to the purpose and audience.	Convey information and ideas clearly by selecting from a variety of media to effectively engage an audience.	Convey information and ideas clearly by strategically selecting an appropriate medium that engages the target audience for a desired result and assess the effectiveness of the communication.	Choose the appropriate medium and skillfully use it to impart information and ideas to engage the audience, elicit a desired response, assess the effectiveness, and (if possible) adjust in real time.
Creative Thinking: Generate a range of ideas through a meaningful process (structured or unstructured) that inspires the development of original or innovative products, performances, or solutions.	Use a given process to explore and connect ideas, events, techniques or data to create or modify products, ideas, performances or solutions.	Use a given process to connect and extend ideas, events, techniques or data to create or modify products, ideas, performances or solutions that are relevant and engaging.	Identify and use a process to generate questions and elaborate upon ideas to develop, modify or create innovative products, ideas, performances or solutions that address an existing need/problem or evoke an aesthetic response.	Develop an innovative and inspirational product, performance, or solution that addresses an existing need/problem or anticipates a need/problem and evokes a powerful aesthetic response.
Critical Thinking: Analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information, ideas, or objects to make inferences and predictions, and draw conclusions.	Identify information, ideas or objects to make predictions or inferences based on background knowledge, observation, or personal experiences.	Analyze information, ideas or objects to make inferences and predictions, and draw conclusions.	Analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information, ideas or objects to make inferences and predictions in order to develop and defend a position/point of view using credible evidence.	Analyze, evaluate and synthesize information, ideas, and/or objects to examine alternate perspectives, refine points of view, and defend a position using credible evidence.
Information Literacy: Utilize an inquiry process to locate and evaluate a variety of information sources based on accuracy, authority, and point of view in order to accomplish a task.	Given a set of sources and a guiding question, select relevant information to answer the question.	Formulate questions (with appropriate scaffolding) and navigate within an expanded set of sources to identify, analyze, and organize relevant information to accomplish the task.	Formulate questions based on a self- generated hypothesis/thesis; access and evaluate self-selected sources for relevance, authority, and accuracy; identify conflicting information; and synthesize to accomplish the task.	Formulate questions based on a self-generated hypothesis/thesis; access and evaluate self-selected sources for relevance, authority, and accuracy; clarify reasons for conflicting information and conduct additional research to resolve the conflict.
Problem Solving: Identify, define, and/or explore a problem or situation, work through a process to determine and evaluate solutions.	Given a problem or situation, apply a given procedure to arrive at a solution(s) and evaluate its reasonableness.	Given a problem or situation and set of parameters, select and apply an appropriate procedure to arrive at a solution, evaluate its reasonableness, and identify next steps, if necessary.	Identify and define a complex problem or situation, its underlying assumptions and relevant information; apply a procedure; arrive at a solution or conclusion; evaluate its effectiveness; and identify next steps, if necessary.	Identify and define a meaningful complex problem or situation, its underlying assumptions and relevant information; apply a procedure; arrive at a solution or conclusion; evaluate its effectiveness; identify next steps; consider possible ramifications; and based on that process, refine and repeat.
Social Contribution: Contribute to the betterment of one's community through service.	Based on a given need, take actions for an individual, family, group, or organization.	Identify a need, make decisions, and take actions for an individual, family, group, or organization; self-reflect on the contribution.	Identify a need, make decisions, and take actions to benefit one's community; continuously monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of decisions/actions; adjust actions based on the evaluations.	Demonstrate ongoing commitment to social concerns by initiating and sustaining solutions; continuously monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of decisions/actions; adjust actions based on the evaluations.

Katy ISD Curriculum & Unit Plans

In support of our call to action, the Katy ISD written curriculum, in the form of unit plans, includes the components needed to plan learning experiences for students. It is expected that professional learning communities use the Unit Plans alongside the Legacy Learning Framework to guide conversations about the most effective instruction for student achievement and success.

 

Course Title:	Unit Title:	​	​	Length of Unit
Unit Summary: ✔ Clear description (both title and summary) framed in what the students will accomplish as a result of their time on this major topic, process, theme, or performance. ​ ​ ​
Understanding ✔ Framed as an understanding of the lasing and universal importance of a given topic, theme, process or text ✔ Insight that derives from inquiry that requires discovery or processing ✔ Understanding can be observed in "real time" and/or measured in performance/product using established criteria ✔ Transferrable to a variety of contexts, topics and/or disciplines ​		Essential Questions ✔ Frames and provokes thinking and dialogue written in student targeted language ✔ Promotes inquiry and exploration rather than straight-forward answers ✔ Links the classroom to the outside world ✔ Draws on prior knowledge to challenge and/or develop thinking and create new knowledge ​
Knowledge & Skill Objectives ✔ Excerpted from TEKS / AP Standards ✔ Assessed within a unit ✔ Feasible with existing time frame and resources ​		ELPS ✔ Excerpted from ELPS framework to ensure every learner is supported (accessible, achievable challenge) ​
Critical Vocabulary ✔ Prioritized list ✔ Requires students to provide a basic definition and an example/non example ​ ​ ​
Cornerstone Focus   ✔ Collaboration ✔ Communication ✔ Creative Thinking ✔ Critical Thinking ✔ Information Literacy ✔ Problem Solving ✔ Social Contribution	Sample Performance Task(s)   Requires transfer to a new or sufficiently complex context Authentic application Measures the Enduring Understandings. ​ ​ ​		Other Sample Evidence   Efficient measurement of knowledge and skill objectives