Prioritizing Standards

How do we decide what matters most?

Day 2 ObjectivesO Teachers will identify priority

standards for English Language Arts to guide their instruction and support student learning

-BY-O evaluating and analyzing standards,

and coming to consensus on priorities for each grade level.

WOWs-WondersO Process

O How do we determine priority standards?O Can we have more priority standards in one area than another?O Will the priority standards be the same across grade levels and

the district?O What is the difference between readiness and assessment?

O AssessmentO Will the CRT’s and other assessments reflect priority standards?O How will this help with test scores that we are held to?

O ApplicationO Will the process work and will our teaching be more clear?O How do Special Education teachers incorporate the priority

standards for student achievement?O Why?

O Why doesn’t the curriculum department do this for the whole district?

WOWs-One Ah-Ha!O Process

O The core is going to be less overwhelming after determining the priority standards.

O Super nice to be able to focus attention to priority areas.O It is difficult to determine whether the details are

important or the central message.O Application

O Don’ t have to teach the whole thing.O Appreciate knowing things can be focused on.O Priority standards are not key concepts.

O Why?O This will make the core more manageable.O Nice to know we can synthesize most important tasks

to focus on in-depth instead of surface teaching.O We can decide what our students need at our school.

WOWs-WishesO Process

O More direction and clear instructions on selecting priority standards.

O Wish we would have had this opportunity sooner.O Application

O Wish the vocabulary wasn’t so lengthy in all subjects because students have very little background.

O Why?O Wish it was quicker and easier, but I understand that

it is worth the time.O Wish we could see the District priority list first.

It is a process not an eventIt is a marathon not a sprint

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“Priority Standards” are the foundation upon which daily instruction needs to be focused.

“Supporting Standards” are curricular standards which bind and connect the Priority Standards.

You have to teach them all, but some are more important than others.

Determining Priority Standards Graphic Organizer

Endurance: Lasting beyond one grade or course; life concepts and skillsLeverage: Cross-over application within the content area and to other content areas

Readiness for the next level of learning: Prerequisite concepts and skills students need to enter a new grade level or course of study.

External exams: Benchmarks, state and national, college and career entrance

You have to teach them all, but some are more important than others.

Determining Priority Standards Graphic Organizer

6/10 = 60%

Floor and CeilingNo more than

70%

No less than 40%

Today’s Work

Cross SchoolGrade Levels

Roosevelt

Roosevelt

Lincoln

Grade Levels

Grade Bands K-2

Step 1: Grade Level O Work in your grade level by school site. O Examine ELA- UCSS for your grade.O Start with Reading for Literature .O Individually check standards as L, S and/or A .O Talk to your team and share the standards you

pickedO Note where you agree, disagree or where you’re

not sureO The goal is to reach an initial consensusO Record your thinking on the Determining Priority

Standards Graphic Organizer.

Step 2: Cross School O Meet with cross school grade level.O Schools do not have to have the

exact same priority standards O Discussion Points:

O Compare and contrast the standards you have checked as L, S and/or A.

Step 3: Collaborative Grouping

O Work together as a grade band simultaneously. O Start with the highest grade in the band you are sitting with.O You may not have selected the same priority standard for

each grade level.O Discussion Points:

O Do priority standards support and build on one another; look for vertical alignment within the grade span.

O Identify gaps, overlaps and omissions between grade spans.

O Have a recorder mark the colored sheet for each grade level.O Turn in your colored sheet when completed. So we can map

out the entire school.