1. Raising the Bar & Closing the Gap! Guiding teachers in how to use standards so that students succeed in every grade level!

2. Quick fun fact Fata Morgana means mirage.

3. What are standards? Standards spell out what students are expected to learn in each grade and each subject. These standards become the basis for what is on state standardized tests that students are required to take (regardless of their language abilities.)

4. Why are they important? Standards are our guideposts! We use them as a tool to focus on what students are expected to learn.

5. Let’s Learn a Bit More about Common Core This three-minute video explains how the Common Core State Standards were designed to help students achieve at high levels and help them learn what they need to know to get to graduation and beyond. Watch at: http://www.corestandards.org/read-the-standards/http://www.corestandards.org/read-the-standards/ or http://vimeo.com/51933492 (English) http://vimeo.com/51933492 http://vimeo.com/51947947 (Spanish)http://vimeo.com/51947947

6. So…? Without standards, we don't have concrete goals to shoot for, just vague ideas of what students ‘should get’ out of what we’re teaching.

7. Key to Unlocking… By matching our approach to the topic to the standards in each subject area, we know what we should be teaching, what students should be learning, and what they will be tested on.

8. ‘Why not just teach them English? That’s what they really need…’ We are, but there’s no just about it! Gaining language and vocabulary skills is not simply a linear task and (any) graders are tested on far more than just their ABCs. Languages are vast and even native speakers are constantly learning new words. Students can learn language and retain it better when they have context and connections. For example, what does Fata Morgana mean?

9. Fata Morgana http://vimeo.com/34165189