Introduction to Content Standards Jacqueline E. Korengel, Ed.D.

What are Content Standards?

Content standards (and indicators) define what is important for students to know and be able to do Creating an objective … A, B, C, D –Audience – student –Behavior – knowledge, skills, abilities

(C) Condition & (D) Degree Program quality indicators describe environment of learning Performance standards describe how much knowledge and ability is enough; to what degree

What Do Content Standards Inform?

Standards Clear expectations for educators (and students) Guiding framework Curricula (scope & sequence) Assessment Instructional strategies Professional development Accountability  Higher levels of learning and performance Standards Model Adapted from Testing, Teaching, and Learning: A Guide for States and School Districts (National Research Council, 1999, p. 20)

Importance of Alignment Alignment is the documented connection among goals (standards) and teaching  and learning and performance It is central to fairness in accountability WHY?

Fairness in Accountability ALL students –Same expectations –Assure chance at success –Structure or scaffolding for assessment, curricula, instructional strategies Consistency, continuity

Quality of Good Content Standards: Measurable Specific Rigorous Clear and intelligible Useful Manageable Comprehensive and coherent

Review handout of descriptors.

Hard to Measure Verbs Verbs that –Measure “internal processes” like activate prior knowledge, develop mental pictures, and monitor one’s comprehension –Describe the process of learning like investigate, examine, practice, develop, explore, participate, read, listen –Cannot be measured precisely like introduce, increase, expand, extend, begin, continue, improve

What are some measurable verbs?

Are these good? What do they have in common? Students exhibit curiosity and the habit of lifelong learning. Students find satisfaction in computing with numbers and make those activities part of their everyday lives. Students use integers intuitively.

What’s missing? Students demonstrate the ability to think critically, creatively, and reflectively in making decisions and solving problems. Students use imagination freely and effectively use a variety of complex reasoning processes, including comparing, classifying, analyzing, investigating, and abstracting.

What about these? Students gather and analyze data from the neighborhood and compare the data with published statistics for the city, state, or nation. Students create a mathematical real life situation using functions and predict how it is affected by changes in information.

What about this? Students demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the variables influencing the effectiveness of the components of the communication process.

What about this? Students draw conclusions about the ways in which the content (i.e., key themes, patterns, and ideas) of significant works of literature reflects the perspective of the author and the era during which he or she lived.

Is this a useful standard? Students express confusion and a lack of understanding.

Good standard? Students understand and apply the basic geometric concepts of parallel and perpendicular lines, and explain how their slopes are related.

Good standard? Students read challenging texts written by different authors.

Strong? Weak? Students use the correct forms of personal and public writing for a variety of purposes and audiences.

What Do Content Standards Do? Content Standards Describe what learners should know and be able to do Reflect a shared vision of what should be taught and learned in a content area –Common language Guide alignment of curricula, assessment, instruction, professional development, and performance and accountability

Standards Clear expectations for educators (and students) Guiding framework Curricula (scope & sequence) Assessment Instructional strategies Professional development Accountability  Higher levels of learning and performance Expanded Educational Improvement Model Adapted from Testing, Teaching, and Learning: A Guide for States and School Districts (National Research Council, 1999, p. 20)

Kentucky Content Standards National consortium Advisory committee Writing work groups –Adult educators, postsecondary educators, workforce representatives, content experts American Diploma Project benchmarks or modified benchmarks –Reading, English (writing), and Mathematics Three tiers (performance measure) –Anchor, Essential, Gateway Examples

Kentucky Content Standards (cont’d) Content standards survey to the field Planned: –Focus groups –Curricula and assessment gap analysis –Grant application for assessment development –Request for proposal for professional development