Data-Driven Instruction Plan
One consistent cycle across all four PLTW Biomedical courses. Every assessment, formative or summative, feeds the same data. Hermes analyzes it, a dashboard shows it, and the results decide the next lesson, so we keep our pace while reteaching exactly what a skill, content point, or standard needs.
The objective, and the loop that gets there
Every lesson produces a hinge exit ticket; every unit a CFA; every ~4-5 weeks a blueprint-weighted benchmark; week 1 a pretest, ~week 15 a full dress rehearsal.
Hermes ingests pseudonymous item responses (period + code, never names). Computes per-item difficulty + discrimination; demotes items with D < 0.20. Computes per-domain mastery and projected readiness = Σ(mastery × weight). Names the dominant distractor on each missed item → a shared misconception. Ranks reteach-library rows by (1 − mastery) × blueprint weight. Drafts a See-it / Name-it / Do-it brief to Notion for teacher approval.
Tomorrow's spiral do-now targets the top-ranked miss (reteach at no pace cost). The unit's CFA gaps get a same-week WIN/flex station from the library. After each benchmark, one reserve flex day runs tiered reteach (T1 spiral, T2 small group, T3 pull-out). Pace holds: new content continues while review is folded into do-nows and WIN blocks.
Mastery is shown as growth from the pretest, class-aggregate and pseudonymous; students see their own domain bars and the path to the next band.
Lessons → Skills, Content, Standards (all four courses)
The measurable factors behind the plan. Each lesson lists the assessable skills, the content, and the WebXam blueprint standards it feeds, plus the evidence it produces. Switch courses and export any course (or all four) as a spreadsheet.
Administered in SY2025-26. It had been labeled the Biomedical Innovations exam, but 072110 is the Principles of Biomedical Technology assessment, which aligns to this foundational course.
| Wk | Lesson | Skills (assessable) | Content | Standards · Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Course Launch: Safety & Lab Foundations |
| Lab safety · Chain of custody · Experimental design · Descriptive statistics | Handling, Preparation, Storage and DisposalBiotechnology Research and Experiments PLTW PBS Launch Evidence: Safety/SOP practical + baseline micro-check |
| 2 | Unit 1.1 Investigating the Scene |
| Forensic documentation · Trace evidence · Biometrics · Control samples | Handling, Preparation, Storage and DisposalBiotechnology Research and Experiments PLTW PBS 1.1 Evidence: Scene sketch + evidence log |
| 3 | Unit 1.1→1.2 Evidence & Biomolecules |
| Macromolecules · Toxicology · Cause vs manner of death | Biotechnology Research and Experiments PLTW PBS 1.1-1.2 Evidence: Trace/biometric analysis + mini-CER |
| 4 | Unit 1.2 Master the Morgue |
| Histology · Organ systems · Homeostasis · Mechanism of death | Biotechnology Research and Experiments PLTW PBS 1.2 Evidence: Autopsy evidence table |
| 5 | Unit 1.3 Open Investigation |
| Evidence synthesis · Reliability · Expert testimony | Biotechnology Research and Experiments PLTW PBS 1.3 Evidence: Evidence board + autopsy report |
| 6 | Unit 2.1 Talk to Your Doc |
| Vital signs · Homeostasis · Patient privacy | Biotechnology Research and Experiments PLTW PBS 2.1 Evidence: Patient interview + vitals chart |
| 7 | Unit 2.1 Clinical Data |
| Blood glucose/cholesterol · Chronic disease · Telehealth/wearables | Biotechnology Research and Experiments PLTW PBS 2.1 Evidence: Bloodwork interpretation + care plan |
| 8 | Unit 2.2 Decoding a Diagnosis |
| Transcription/translation · Mutation · Genes and alleles | Biotechnology Research and Experiments PLTW PBS 2.2 Evidence: DNA-to-protein model |
| 9 | Unit 2.2→2.3 Genetic Risk |
| Karyotype · Inheritance · Carrier/pedigree | Biotechnology Research and Experiments PLTW PBS 2.2-2.3 Evidence: Genetic-risk explanation |
| 10 | Unit 2.3 New to the Practice |
| Differential diagnosis · Evidence synthesis · Lab tests | Biotechnology Research and Experiments PLTW PBS 2.3 Evidence: Diagnostic workup packet |
| 11 | Unit 3.1 Nosocomial Nightmare |
| Chain of infection · Pathogens/transmission · Aseptic technique | Handling, Preparation, Storage and DisposalBiotechnology Research and Experiments PLTW PBS 3.1 Evidence: Chain-of-infection diagram |
| 12 | Unit 3.1 Outbreak Evidence |
| Epidemiology · Incidence/prevalence · Epidemic curve | Biotechnology Research and Experiments PLTW PBS 3.1 Evidence: Line list, map, and curve |
| 13 | Unit 3.2 Emergency Response |
| Triage/stabilization · Pharmacokinetics · Medical surge | Biotechnology Research and Experiments PLTW PBS 3.2 Evidence: Triage/stabilization protocol |
| 14 | Unit 3.2→3.3 Surge & Public Health |
| Surge capacity · Surveillance · Usability | Biotechnology Research and Experiments PLTW PBS 3.2-3.3 Evidence: Surge/mobile response design |
| 15 | Unit 4.1 Innovation, Inc. |
| Prototype/constraints/criteria · CAD · Iteration | Biotechnology Research and Experiments PLTW PBS 4.1 Evidence: Device test plan + data table |
| 16 | Unit 4.2-4.3 Innovation Synthesis |
| Innovation · Therapeutics · Story map / GIS | Biotechnology Research and Experiments PLTW PBS 4.2-4.3 Evidence: Final innovation pitch |
Assessment cadence (every check feeds the data)
| Assessment | When | Format | Produces | Informs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EOC Pretest (baseline) | Week 1 | 20-item WebXam-style, blueprint-weighted | Per-domain baseline mastery; growth denominator | Where the class starts; which domains to front-load |
| Spiral Do-Now | Daily (5 min) | 3-5 retrieval items, mostly prior units | Rolling per-standard retention; flags decay | Free reteach: tomorrow's do-now targets yesterday's miss |
| Hinge Exit Ticket | Every lesson (last 5 min) | 1-3 items on the lesson's hinge concept | Per-lesson mastery %, distractor pattern | Reteach now vs proceed; tomorrow's opening |
| Common Formative Assessment | End of each unit | 8-12 items, blueprint-aligned | Per-standard mastery; item difficulty/discrimination | Unit-level reteach before the benchmark |
| Benchmark Checkpoint | ~Every 4-5 weeks (3/semester) | 20-item cumulative, blueprint-weighted | Projected WebXam readiness; growth vs pretest | Reteach flex day + small-group tiers |
| WebXam Dress Rehearsal | ~2 weeks out | Full 40-item, timed, WebXam interface | Readiness projection; stamina/timing | Final targeted reteach; test-day logistics |
| WebXam End-of-Course | Testing window | Official 40-item form | Pretest→posttest growth; passing rate | Next cohort's front-loading + plan revision |
Benchmark checkpoints (single-semester arc)
Establish per-domain starting mastery and the growth denominator
Covers: All blueprint domains (light)
First reteach inflection; verify Unit 1 foundations held
Covers: Unit 1 + launch/SOP domains
Mid-semester course-correct; tier students for WIN blocks
Covers: Units 1-2, heaviest-weight domains
Pre-final gap close; confirm projected readiness ≥ target
Covers: Units 1-3 cumulative
Full-length, timed; final targeted reteach list
Covers: Full blueprint (40 items)
Official end-of-course; growth + passing measure
Covers: Official blueprint
What the dashboard measures
correct / attempted, per WebXam domain (class-aggregate)
Read it: ≥80% mastered · 60-79% watch · <60% reteach
Drives: Which domain becomes this week's spiral + WIN focus
Σ (domain mastery% × blueprint weight)
Read it: ≥ course target = on track · below = front-load heaviest-weight gaps
Drives: Whether pace holds or a flex reteach day is inserted
current mastery − pretest mastery, per domain
Read it: Positive and tracking to target · flat = intervention
Drives: Confirms reteach is working vs needs a different delivery
share of students correct on an item
Read it: 0.30-0.85 healthy · >0.90 too easy · <0.30 too hard/mis-taught
Drives: Flags content genuinely missed vs a bad item
top-third correct − bottom-third correct
Read it: ≥0.35 good · 0.20-0.34 fair · <0.20 or negative = demote item
Drives: Removes misleading items before they distort mastery
most-chosen wrong answer on a missed item
Read it: A wrong answer chosen by >40% = a named, shared misconception
Drives: Maps directly to a reteach-library row
exit-ticket/CFA mastery vs benchmark on same standard
Read it: High = formatives predict; low = formatives mis-calibrated
Drives: Tunes which quick checks to trust between benchmarks
How Hermes turns responses into the next lesson
- Hermes ingests pseudonymous item responses (period + code, never names).
- Computes per-item difficulty + discrimination; demotes items with D < 0.20.
- Computes per-domain mastery and projected readiness = Σ(mastery × weight).
- Names the dominant distractor on each missed item → a shared misconception.
- Ranks reteach-library rows by (1 − mastery) × blueprint weight.
- Drafts a See-it / Name-it / Do-it brief to Notion for teacher approval.
- Tomorrow's spiral do-now targets the top-ranked miss (reteach at no pace cost).
- The unit's CFA gaps get a same-week WIN/flex station from the library.
- After each benchmark, one reserve flex day runs tiered reteach (T1 spiral, T2 small group, T3 pull-out).
- Pace holds: new content continues while review is folded into do-nows and WIN blocks.
Hermes runs read-and-recommend: it drafts the See-it / Name-it / Do-it brief and the next spiral do-nows for approval, never auto-publishing. Data is class-aggregate and pseudonymous (period + code, never names). The live numbers render on the gated teacher dashboard.
Reteach library (standard · skill · content)
Each row is tagged on all three axes so it can answer any weak signal. Hermes ranks rows by (1 − mastery) × blueprint weight, so the heaviest-weighted gaps surface first. Starter set below; new misconceptions slot straight in.
| Course | Target | Misconception | Tier | Delivery → check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MI | BLAST interpretation Bio-Molecular Technology | Reads % identity as the match instead of E-value/coverage | T2 | Small group: annotated BLAST hit table + 3 graded examples ✓ Correctly ranks 3 hits by E-value on an exit ticket (20 min) |
| MI | ELISA controls / sensitivity vs specificity Bio-Molecular Technology | Confuses a false positive with low sensitivity | T2 | Station: 2x2 outcome grid + plate-map sort ✓ Classifies 4 results (TP/FP/TN/FN) correctly (15 min) |
| MI | Gel band interpretation Bio-Molecular Technology | Reads larger fragments as travelling farther | T1 | Spiral do-now: ladder + 2 lanes for 3 days ✓ Orders fragments by size from a gel image (5 min) |
| MI | Aseptic technique Culturing | Treats contamination as a result, not a procedure error | T1 | WIN block: technique checklist + re-plate ✓ Identifies the break in a contaminated-plate scenario (20 min) |
| MI | Outbreak epidemiology / line list Biotechnology Research and Experiments | Confuses signs with symptoms, or reads total cases as incidence | T1 | Spiral do-now: same outbreak dataset, line list + curve ✓ Builds a line list and names the likely agent from a scenario (5 min) |
| MI | Lab safety, notebook, and dilution SOPs Laboratory Standard Operational Procedures | Skips PPE/labeling or mis-orders a dilution/standard-curve procedure | T1 | WIN block: SOP sequencing card + safety practical ✓ Sequences a lab SOP and a serial dilution correctly (15 min) |
| BI | Incidence vs prevalence Microbiology Testing and Technology | Uses total cases for incidence (ignores new vs existing) | T1 | Spiral do-now: same dataset, both measures ✓ Computes incidence and prevalence from a line list (5 min) |
| BI | Transformation + antibiotic selection Bio-Molecular Technology | Thinks colonies on a selection plate means the gene is expressed | T2 | Small group: control plate logic walk-through ✓ Predicts growth on 4 plate/antibiotic combinations (20 min) |
| BI | Sterile technique + selective growth Culturing | Treats contamination as a result or misreads selective growth | T1 | Spiral do-now: sterile-technique check + plate-growth prediction ✓ Predicts growth on a selective plate and names a contamination break (5 min) |
| BI | Design + research process, variables/controls, basic stats Laboratory Standard Operational Procedures | Confuses IV/DV/control, or correlation with causation, in a design/research SOP | T1 | Spiral do-now: name variables + controls and pick the right graph in 3 scenarios ✓ Labels IV/DV/control and chooses a valid graph for a new study (5 min) |
| HBS | Negative feedback loops Human Body Form, Function, and Pathophysiology | Labels the response as the stimulus | T1 | Spiral do-now: glucose loop fill-in for 3 days ✓ Completes a blank feedback loop with correct direction (5 min) |
| HBS | Directional terms / body planes Medical Terminology | Swaps proximal/distal and sagittal/transverse | T1 | WIN block: label-the-body station + quiz ✓ Labels 8 terms on a body diagram (15 min) |
| HBS | Interpreting body-system data (EMG, ROM, spirometry, EKG) Evaluate Body Systems | Reads a sensor/data trace backwards or ignores the baseline | T2 | Small group: annotated data-trace set with guided interpretation ✓ Correctly reads 3 body-system data traces (20 min) |
| HBS | Study design, variables/controls, model organisms Laboratory Standard Operational Procedures | Confuses IV/DV/control or skips controls in a study design | T1 | Spiral do-now: name variables + controls in 3 study scenarios ✓ Labels IV/DV/control for a new model-organism study (5 min) |
| HBS | Plaque assay + pathogen risk Microbiology Testing and Technology | Misreads plaque counts or confuses viral with bacterial growth | T2 | Station: plaque-count practice plates + risk-tier sort ✓ Counts plaques and assigns a risk tier correctly (15 min) |
| HBS | Electrophoresis / urinalysis interpretation Bio-Molecular Technology | Misreads what gel electrophoresis separates by, or a urinalysis result | T1 | Spiral do-now: read a gel/urinalysis result in 3 scenarios ✓ States what a gel separates by and reads a urinalysis finding (5 min) |
| HBS | Sterile technique Culturing | Treats an open/contaminated plate as a result rather than a procedure error | T1 | Spiral do-now: name the sterile-technique break in 3 scenarios ✓ Identifies the contamination break in a plate scenario (5 min) |
| PBS | Variables and controls Biotechnology Research and Experiments | Calls the control group the independent variable | T1 | Spiral do-now: name IV/DV/control in 3 scenarios ✓ Identifies all three in a new experiment (5 min) |
| PBS | Aseptic technique / specimen handling Handling, Preparation, Storage and Disposal | Skips PPE/labeling steps as optional | T1 | WIN block: SOP checklist + practical ✓ Sequences a specimen-handling SOP correctly (15 min) |
Reteach is built so it never costs forward pace: distributed retrieval lives in the daily 5-minute do-now, targeted reteach lives in WIN/flex blocks and the three reserve days already in the calendar (one after each benchmark). New curriculum keeps moving on the single-semester sequence; review spirals underneath it.
WebXam standards spine (readiness math)
Projected readiness = Σ (domain mastery% × blueprint weight). These weights make every benchmark a real forecast of the end-of-course exam.
Research foundation
Assess → Analyze → Act → Culture, and the See-it / Name-it / Do-it data meeting. The backbone of this plan.
Hinge questions and exit tickets: where the learner is going, where they are now, how to close the gap.
Common formative assessments and the four questions, especially 'what do we do when they haven't learned it?'
0-4 mastery scales so a standard reads as a level, not just a percent.
Retrieval practice, distributed practice, and interleaving: the daily spiral do-now is reteach that costs no pace.
Tiered reteach (T1 spiral, T2 small group, T3 pull-out) in WIN / flex blocks.
Difficulty, discrimination, and distractor indices separate a real content gap from a bad test item.