Authorized district users can create Instructional Focus Document (IFD) components from scratch, using their own district-defined TEKS alignments and resources.

These components can then be published and made available to all district users.

REQUIRED ROLE: District Content Creator

SITE ACCESS: System Management > District Content

 

Click on the System Management drop-down in the site's main navigation menu, and select the District Content option.

The default landing page for this section is the Manage District Instructional Focus Documents page.

 

Begin creating the IFD by selecting the Create New IFD button.

 

After reviewing the warning text, enter a Title for the district IFD. Click the Continue button.

 

Enter a Suggested Duration in Days and/or Suggested Duration in Minutes to designate approximately how long it should take to teach the unit.

 

Use the drop-down menus to select a Grade, Subject, Course (if applicable), Course Version (if applicable), and Unit.

 

Enter a Unit Overview to provide a description of the unit's focus.

NOTE: If this field is left blank, users will not be able to find the IFD in Search or View; however, it will be available to align to a district IFD.

 

Enter the Overarching Understandings and Questions specific to the unit. Click the Edit Section button to open a modal that will allow you to type or paste text. 

Click the Save button when you are finished.

 

Next, enter the Unit Understandings and Questions and Overarching Concepts and Unit Concepts by clicking each Edit (pencil) icon, respectively.

 

To align Performance Assessments to the IFD, click into the first cell in the PA column.

 

 

This will enable the alignment tool. Click the Manage Alignments button.

Select the appropriate Grade and Subject Area within the Search Criteria and select Search. 

 

Select items by clicking the Add button next to the appropriate PA. Selected items appear in the list on the right. Click Save to confirm the selections.

 

Confirm choices by clicking on Save again. 

Selected items appear in the first column of the Performance Assessment section. 

 

Enter the Misconceptions/Underdeveloped Concepts related to the content in the unit being taught.

 

Unit Vocabulary can be added directly to the IFD, using the basic formatting tools, in either a list format or using a table (as seen below).

 

Note: to add a table, right click and then select Insert/Edit Table, then fill in 'General Properties' as needed for your vocabulary for the IFD.

 

If your district has a separate document containing the unit vocabulary list, you can store the list in District Tools > My Favorites and then use the Add From My Favorites option in the editor to create a link to the document.

 

If there are district assessments available for alignment, use the Manage Alignments tool in the Unit Assessment Items section to create a link to the district-created assessment related to the unit.

 

The tool will pull any district-created assessment that has been published for district use. Click the Add button to select the assessment, and then click Save.

Note: if assessments do not appear in the search results, it's possible that none have been published through the District Content tool. Confirm assessments are published in order to select.

 

If you prefer not to align any assessments, but some are available, select the checkbox to have the default message appear in place of links to assessments. This will alert users as to how they can find the assessments.

If there are no assessments created, leave the checkbox unchecked and this section will be hidden from the IFD.

 

The System Resources section allows the option to align TCMPC-created resources. Click the Manage Alignments button and use the filters to search for available resources.

Once items have been selected and saved, a link to the TCMPC resource will be displayed.

 

To add district-created resources or URL links, use the Other Resources section. Here, you can use the hyperlink tool or the Add From My Favorites option to add external resources.

Note: if there are published resources in the District Resources folders, they must be added to a My Favorites folder in order to be linked here. Currently, there is no direct link to the custom IFD from the District Resources folders.

 

The Instructional Components section is available, to provide a templated matrix for additional TEKS alignments and Formative Assessment Examples for ELAR/SLAR IFDs only.

To access this feature, click the Add Templated Matrix button.

 

This will enable the Instructional Components chart, allowing you to click into each cell to add appropriate ELAR/SLAR content (Example from a TCMPC English II IFD shown).

Note: If you are not creating an ELAR or SLAR IFD, then ignore this step and move on to the next section.

 

To display the College Readiness and SLAR ELPS statements on the IFD, select the checkboxes next to either of the statements.

 

The College Readiness statement can be viewed at the top of the TEKS section.

 

The SLAR ELPS statement can be viewed at the bottom of the page, below the ELPS section.

 

To align TEKS to the IFD, click the Manage Alignments button in the TEKS section to enable the alignment tool.

 

Use the filters provided to find the appropriate TEKS. Click the Add button to select the item, and then click Save.

 

After selecting and saving the TEKS selections, each selection will appear in the designated position with options to Modify or Move within the grid.

 

 

A Footer Date can be found at the bottom to indicate when the IFD was created.

 

 

Once all content and alignments have been entered, click Save in the upper, right corner of the IFD page.

 

The IFD will now be on display on the District IFD page, and can be published for district use.

 

Click here to learn more about publishing district content.

 

You can download a PDF version of this page by clicking the link below: