First-Time Regional Conference to Bring Popular State-Level Curriculum Training to Central Texas Educators
More than 300 from area schools expected for Aug. 8 conference

WACO, Texas – More than 84 percent of school districts in the central Texas area are combining curriculum and assessment with technology, in order to help students meet and exceed state standards and increase college and career readiness, by taking advantage of a system offered throughout the state called CSCOPE.

Education Service Center (ESC) Region 12 is bringing the latest professional development for this curriculum management system to Waco with the first regional CSCOPE conference, from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., August 8, at 2101 W. Loop 340.

CSCOPE, a comprehensive online curriculum management system offered by Texas education service centers, organizes the legislatively mandated Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) that the state requires students to learn each year as they progress through school. This conference seeks to provide teachers and administrators with the latest strategies and information on how to effectively apply and deliver CSCOPE curriculum in their schools.

Many districts in the region that are using this program expressed a need for state-level training on the curriculum management system to be provided in the local area to save time and money by avoiding high travel and registration costs. With more than 300 participants registered from 28 school districts and one charter school in the region, the conference is at full capacity.

“CSCOPE allows teachers to work smarter, not harder,” Becca Bell, director of CSCOPE Services for ESC Region 12, said. “The teachers no longer have to focus on writing curriculum and instead can focus on designing instruction to meet the needs of their students. They also have the option to use sample lesson plans as a model of instruction or to combine with other resources.”

CSCOPE provides guidance through a comprehensive schedule called the Year at a Glance. This document shows the materials students are required to learn throughout the year to reach the readiness standard. Because CSCOPE curriculum is aligned with the state learning standards (TEKS), it assists in preparing students for the concepts that will be covered on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test for their grade level by providing their teachers with an organized method in which to cover each of those concepts.

Successful and smooth implementation of CSCOPE is vital to a district or school’s ability to use the program successfully. In order to ensure that implementation occurs smoothly, ESC Region 12 continually offers leadership training for administrators, and shares tips and best practices with educators through ongoing meetings and trainings, including the regional conference. That preparation includes assessments integrated in the system to determine whether students have mastered the material teachers have covered, so they can either move forward in instruction or focus on the material with which students are still struggling.

“The assessments are my favorite part of this system. It gives the students a way to judge their performance, as well as the teachers, to judge how well they are teaching the material,” Cheri Borchardt, director of Curriculum and Instruction at Lorena ISD, said.

Jennifer Meka, vice president of educational systems development at 3rd Learning, will begin the event by providing information about the new CSCOPE technology platform and the importance of curriculum alignment. Breakout sessions will include presenters from districts in the region, including Connally, Corsicana, Killeen, Lampasas and Marlin. A full list of districts with registered participants is below.