Standards-Based Education in Texas TEKS for Teachers Standards-Based Education in Texas

Welcome Welcome to the Region 10 Education Service Center online professional development session, TEKS for Teachers.

Training Goals The objective of this training is to provide you with foundational information relating to standards-based education in Texas Following the presentation of the material, you will take an online quiz. Upon satisfactory completion, you will print a certificate of completion for the training and give it to your administrator.

Three Sections This online staff development is divided into three sections: Section 1: Standards-based Education and the TEKS Section 2: Accountability Connections Section 3: Special Circumstances

Section 1: Standards-based Education and the TEKS What’s it all about? Section 1: Standards-based Education and the TEKS

Section 1 Objectives After completing this section you will be able to: Identify the basic principles of standards-based education Differentiate between content and performance objectives Identify and define the parts of the TEKS document Explain the meaning and implications of alignment as it relates to the TEKS

Introduction Standards-based education has been a driving principle of educational change for more than a decade. Central to the concept are high-stakes testing, accountability and high expectations for all students to achieve established standards.

Introduction The pervasiveness of standards has been further reinforced by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, which requires states to establish standards for student learning and to measure student progress using assessments aligned with those standards.

Do you agree? With which of the following premises would you agree? Teachers should clearly know what content and skills they are responsible for teaching. Students and their parents should know what content students are responsible for learning. Assessments should align with content taught. There should be accountability of teachers and schools for student achievement.

Three Principles Most educators would agree with all the statements presented. Together, the premises help to define three foundational principles of standards-based instruction: Standards Assessment Accountability

Standards-Based Education As we consider the meaning and implications of standards-based education, we must first consider a fundamental question… What is a standard?

A standard is… High expectations or goals Minimum acceptable requirements or expectations That against which we measure A model or example of what is valued A means for determining what should be

In other words… Standards are what we work toward. They are what “should be” and therefore help us to define high expectations, and Allow educators to work toward commonly agreed upon goals.

These multiple definitions of the word “standard” provide a foundation for our definition of standards-based education.

Standards-Based Education Is a process for planning, delivering, monitoring and improving academic programs in which clearly defined academic content standards provide the basis for content in instruction and assessment.

Standards-Based Education Generally Includes agreed upon, high levels of expectation or performance Focuses on the ends, not on the means Involves some form of accountability Aims for a high and deep level of student understanding

___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ Stop and Think Think about what you might consider advantages of standards-based education. Jot down your answers before clicking to view some of our suggestions. ___________ Teachers know what they are responsible for teaching ___________ Provides a common vocabulary of content expectations ___________ Ensures focus is on important content ___________ Provides a foundation for curriculum development ___________ Content builds from grade to grade ___________ Provides a foundation for accountability ___________ Eliminates gaps and/or repetition ___________ Focuses on high expectations and student success

TEKS Standards in Texas… The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or TEKS, comprise the state-mandated curriculum that establishes what every student, from elementary school through high school, should know and be able to do. TEKS

In Texas… The TEKS provide a clear picture of how students develop academically from grade to grade in order to perform successfully in educational and real-world settings. TEKS

The TEKS DO NOT PROVIDE A complete scope and sequence A course outline or ALL the skills and knowledge students could have THEY DO Outline the most important essential skills and knowledge all students should have

Essential Student Expectations The TEKS provide… High levels of content and Essential Student Expectations

Emphasizing depth of knowledge The TEKS provide… Rigor by Emphasizing depth of knowledge

Standards for content: Standards for performance: The TEKS provide… Standards for content: The understandings or knowledge students must learn and Standards for performance: What must the students do with the knowledge, and what skills must they develop in order to demonstrate their understanding of the content?

TEKS Format Now, let’s look more closely at the TEKS documents and the way they are formatted.

TEKS Format Knowledge and Skills Student Expectations There are four divisions in each TEKS document Introduction Strands Knowledge and Skills Student Expectations

Introduction Introduction The Introduction section provides key contextual information and a brief overview of the essential knowledge and skills for a grade or course. Strands Knowledge and Skills Student Expectations

Introduction Sample: §111.22. Mathematics, Grade 6 (1)  Within a well-balanced mathematics curriculum, the primary focal points at Grade 6 are using ratios to describe direct proportional relationships involving number, geometry, measurement, probability, and adding and subtracting decimals and fractions Strands Knowledge and Skills Student Expectations

Strands Introduction The Strands serve as organizers for the Knowledge and Skills statements. Strands c Knowledge and Skills Student Expectations

Strands Sample: Mathematics Grades K-8 Number, operation, and quantitative reasoning Patterns, relationships, and algebraic thinking Geometry and Spatial Reasoning Measurement Probability and Statistics Problem solving, language, and communication Introduction Strands c Knowledge and Skills Student Expectations

Knowledge and Skills Introduction The content standards in the TEKS are the Knowledge and Skills statements which outline the essential concepts and skills to be learned. Strands Knowledge and Skills c Student Expectations

Knowledge and Skills Sample: Mathematics Grade 6 Introduction (6.6)  Geometry and spatial reasoning. The student uses geometric vocabulary to describe angles, polygons, and circles. Strands Knowledge and Skills c Student Expectations

Student Expectations Introduction The Student Expectations describe what students should be able to do to demonstrate proficiency in what is described in the Knowledge and Skills statement. Strands Knowledge and Skills Student Expectations c

Student Expectations Sample: Mathematics Grade 6 (6.6)  Geometry and spatial reasoning. The student uses geometric vocabulary to describe angles, polygons, and circles. The student is expected to: A)  use angle measurements to classify angles as acute, obtuse, or right; (B)  identify relationships involving angles in triangles and quadrilaterals; and (C)  describe the relationship between radius, diameter, and circumference of a circle Introduction Strands Knowledge and Skills Student Expectations c

TEKS Example: 7th Mathematics Strand Geometry and Spatial Reasoning Knowledge and Skills 7.6 The student compares and classifies two- and three-dimensional figures using geometric vocabulary and properties. Student Expectations use angle measurements to classify pairs of angles as complementary or supplementary; use properties to classify triangles and quadrilaterals; use properties to classify three-dimensional figures, including pyramids, cones, prisms, and cylinders; and use critical attributes to define similarity.

This graphic illustrates the formatting of TEKS documents TEKS Format This graphic illustrates the formatting of TEKS documents

Let’s Review Introduction Strands Knowledge and Skills Key contextual information and a brief overview of the essential knowledge and skills for a grade or course Strands Organizers for the knowledge and skills statements Knowledge and Skills Concepts and skills to be learned Student Expectations Demonstration of the concepts and skills learned

Check for understanding Match the TEKS section with its description, then click to check. Introduction Concepts & skills to be learned Strands Brief overview Organizers Knowledge and Skills Demonstration of concepts and skills learned Student Expectations

Vertical Alignment The TEKS are vertically aligned so that the content (Knowledge and Skills) and performance (Student Expectations) objectives build in rigor and complexity from grade to grade. Insert pictures of students at different grade levels

Alignment means every teacher Understands what is expected of students Understands these expectations within the context of the K-12 program Accepts responsibility for these expectations for all students

Temperature Vertical Alignment Grades K-6 The next slide will show a small sample of the vertical alignment within the TEKS. The student expectations you will examine are from the Measurement strand of elementary mathematics and include only those Student Expectations related to temperature. Notice how the student expectations build in rigor and complexity from Kindergarten to Grade 6. Temperature Grades K-6

Vertical Alignment: Temperature Grade.K&S Student Expectations K.10 (E) Compare situations or objects according to relative temperature (hotter/colder than, or the same as) 1.7 (G) Compare and order two or more objects according to relative temperature (from hottest to coldest) 2.10 (A) Read a thermometer to gather data 3.12 (A) Use a thermometer to measure temperature in degrees Fahrenheit 4.12 (A) Use a thermometer to measure temperature in degrees Fahrenheit and Celsius and changes in temperature 5.11 (A) Solve problems involving changes in temperature 6.8 (B) Select and use appropriate units, tools, or formulas to measure and to solve problems involving …temperature

The standards outlined in the TEKS are non-negotiable

In other words… What do I want my students to know and be able to do after this lesson? The Knowledge and Skills and Student Expectations must serve as the basis for instructional planning so that all teachers first consider what they want the students to know and be able to do as a result of their instruction.

TEKS are instructional anchors In addition to the vertical alignment discussed earlier, the TEKS are meant to be “anchors”, aligning Curriculum Instruction Assessment Instruction Curriculum Assessment TEKS

Vertical Alignment District curriculum is aligned with the TEKS Instruction is aligned with district curriculum A L I G N M E T The TEKS are vertically aligned and foundational to all instruction

Vertical Alignment Classroom-Based Assessment Systems Benchmark Testing TAKS Testing

OYO (On Your On) Click on the link below to access the TEKS document(s) for your subject/grade level. Focus Questions: Can you identify the parts of the document? Select one Knowledge and Skills statement and study the Student Expectations that are associated with it at your grade level, the one below and one above. Is the vertical alignment apparent? http://www.tea.state.tx.us/teks/index.html

OYO (On Your On) Click on the link below to access the TEA website “Frequently Asked Questions” about the TEKS. Focus Question: Scroll down to Question 7 and read the clarification provided on the use of the terms “including” and “such as” in the TEKS. http://www.tea.state.tx.us/teks/teksfaq/teksqa.html

Let’s Review Why should you be familiar with the TEKS at grade levels other than the one(s) you teach? What is the meaning of standards-based education? Describe the principle of vertical alignment as it relates to the TEKS documents. Describe the relationship between the TEKS and daily classroom instruction and assessment.

Remember… The more familiar you are with the formal curriculum expectations, the more comfortable and creative you can be in planning effective teaching-learning cycles. Could insert picture of teacher planning.

End of Section 1 This concludes Section 1 of TEKS for Teachers online staff development.