Module 3.2 State Standards

State Standards
  • Brief history of the standards movement
  • Why we have standards
  • Where to find the standards
Technology Standards The National Technology Standards for students and teachers were created in 1999 and are generally the guiding principles for technology use in the classroom. This is especially true in states such as California which have not drafteded specific technology standards.
Information Literacy Standards Information literacy refers to "a set of competencies that an informed citizen of an information society ought to possess to participate intelligently and actively in that society"
Teaching Standards California requires that two levels of specified technology skills be achieved as part of the teacher credentialing requirements.
Standards Readings and Resources

 

State Standards

Why Do We Have Standards?

The creation and adoption of academic standards achieves the overarching educational goal of high academic standards for all students. This is an important milestone in American education because high academic standards for student skills will help provide educational equity. As educators, we need to assure that all students can attain these standards.

The current "standards movement" in American Education is based on the concept of high academic standards for all students in order to help provide educational equity and bridge the achievement gap.

Before the Standards Movement

In 1983 the National Commission on Excellence in Education published a federal report titled, A Nation at Risk) This report stated that at that time, our educational institutions failed to teach the right subjects, and that our students failed to study hard enough, and learn enough. It argued that the standards in public schools were slack and uneven and many teachers were not adequately prepared.  This report was the beginning of the reform movement in American education.

 In 1992, the U. S. Department of Labor established a commission to determine the skills necessary for the new "global workforce." The SCANS (Secretaries Commission for Achieving Necessary Skills) Report created standards for the skills our young people need to succeed in the world of work.  It challenged educators to re-invent k-12 education to create a workforce for the emerging technology-based economy.

According to Challenging the Status Quo: The Education Record, 1993-2000 ( http://www.ed.gov/inits/record/index.html ), our educational system was not graduating students with the skills necessary to be part of the growing knowledge-based economy. Consequently, the U.S. Department of Education initiated a series of school reforms to improve education through benchmarks for measuring student progress and teacher quality. It was believed that our education system had for too long condoned low expectations and low standards for disadvantaged children, and that Federal programs often reflected those expectations.

In 1994, the Improving America's Schools Act re-authorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), and the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, to support state and local school reform efforts to create challenging academic standards and assessments linked to standards.

The Educational Excellence for All Children Act of 1999 re-authorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). encouraging the federal government, individual schools, school districts, and states to promote educational excellence for all children.

State Reform Movements

Since the U.S. Constitution does not mention education, education is the job of state and local governments. In California, task forces were created to suggest reforms.  From 1987 to 1992, these task forces published several documents including: "It's Elementary," "Caught in the Middle," and "Second to None.”  The state developed and revised frameworks for all content areas based on its seven-year textbook adoption cycle.

The Standards Movement

In the mid 1990s, the U.S. Department of Education developed the National Education Standards based on Goals 2000 ( http://www.ed.gov/G2K/ ). Following this, individual states began to develop their own content standards. California's Public Schools Accountability Act of 1999 is attempting to improve education in California by providing rewards and interventions for improving student performance. These standards can be found as pdf files (requiring Adobe Acrobat Reader to download) on the SCORE (Schools of California Online Resources for Educators: http://www.score.k12.ca.us ) Web Site.

Where Can Standards Be Found?

California Content Standards

http://www.clrn.org/home/  

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/

http://www.csun.edu/~hcbio027/k12standards/

California Teacher Standards (pdf)

http://www.ctc.ca.gov/reports/cstpreport.pdf

National Teacher Standards

http://www.nbpts.org/standards/index.cfm

Technology Standards

At the same time, technology standards have been developed. In 1999, ISTE published the National Education Technology Standards ( http://www.iste.org/ ), and California has published its technology standards for teacher credentialing at: ( http://www1.chapman.edu/soe/faculty/piper/teachtech/calstand.htm ).

ISTE has published National Technology Standards for both students and teachers. These can be found at: http://cnets.iste.org/search/s_search.html .    

National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) International Society for Technology in Education

http://www.iste.org/

Teacher Technology Proficiencies

http://cnets.iste.org/teachers/

                       

 

Information Literacy Standards

Why Integrate Literacy Standards?

Projects lend themselves to thematic planning and are generally cross curricular. Since literacy is a main focus in the state of California, literacy standards should be integrated into each project.   The American Library Association has developed nine information literacy standards.

wikipedia definition:    

Information literacy standards are also embedded in the California Language Arts standards. See the chart on the previous page to locate the California Language Arts Standards.

Determining the Standards Your Project Will Meet

  1. Go to California Language Arts standards site and review the LA standards and identify an appropriate literacy standard that you will include in your project.
  2. Go to National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) site and review the five propositions of accomplished teaching.
  3. View the video tape of a teacher in action and write down “evidence”, specific examples of propositions you can identify.
    Propositions of Accomplished Teaching Evidence
    Teachers are committed to students and their learning.  
    Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students  
    Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.  
    Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.  
    Teachers are members of learning communities.  
  4. Go to the National Education Technology Standards for Students (NETS) site and review student technology standards. How are these standards being addressed at your school or in your district?

Teaching Standards - California Teacher Credentialing Requirements For Technology Proficiency

Level 1

General knowledge and Skills:

  • Knowledge of basic computer hardware and software terminology
  • Operation and care of computer related hardware
  • Basic troubleshooting techniques for computer systems and related peripherals
  • Knowledge/understanding of legal and ethical issues
  • Knowledge/understanding of appropriate use of computer-based technology in teaching and learning.

Specific Knowledge and Skills:

  • Uses computer applications to manage records (gradebook, attendance)
  • Uses computers to communicate through printed media. (newsletters w/graphics and charts, student reports, course descriptions)
  • Interacts using email.
  • Familiar with computer-based collaborative tools (newsgroups, listservs, online chat)
  • Examines a variety of current educational digital media and is able to evaluate materials. (multimedia, internet resources, presentation tools, etc.)
  • Chooses software for its relevance, effectiveness, alignment with content standards and value added to student learning.
  • Competence in use of electronic research tools (access Internet to search for and retrieve information)
  • Ability to assess authenticity, reliability and bias of data gathered.
  • Identifies student learning styles, determines appropriate technological resources to improve learning.
  • Considers content to be taught and selects best technological resources.
  • Demonstrates ability to create and maintain effective learning environments using computer-based technology.
  • Analyzes best practices and research findings and designs lessons accordingly.
  • Demonstrates knowledge of copyright issues.
  • Demonstrates knowledge of privacy, security and safety issues.

Level   II

  • Uses a computer application to manipulate and analyze data (database, charts, reports from spreadsheets)
  • Communicates through a variety of electronic media (presentations w/images, sound, web pages, portfolios)
  • Interacts and collaborates w/others using computer based collaborative tools (threaded discussion groups, newsgroups, electronic list management applications, online chat, audio/visual conferences)
  • Demonstrates competence in evaluating authenticity, reliability, bias of data gathered; determines outcomes and evaluates success or effectiveness of process used.
  • Optimizes lessons based on technology resources available in the classroom/other locations.
  • Designs, adapts and uses lessons which address students' needs to develop information literacy and problem solving skills as tools for lifelong learning.
  • Creates learning environments inside the classroom, as well as computer labs that promote effective use of technology aligned with the curriculum.
  • Uses technology in lessons to increase students' ability to plan, locate, evaluate, select and use information to solve problems and draw conclusions.
  • Uses technology as a tool for assessing student learning and providing feedback to students and their parents.
  • Monitors and reflects upon results of using technology in instruction and adapts lessons accordingly.
  • Collaborates with others to support technology-enhanced curriculum.
  • Contributes to site-based planning/decision making regarding use of technology and acquisition of technology resources.

Task: Thematic Planning

  1. Look at the enduring understandings you decided on for your project.
  2. Determine what standards will be met by your project.
  3. Open InspirationTM.. In the Main Idea box type your project title you’re your enduring understanding.
  4. Create a mind map based on the standards you have chosen for your project.
  5. Website resources: Thematic Planning , Thematic planning for ESL, Creating Thematic Plans

 

Standards Readings and Resources

Readings:

 Web Resources:

This Standards PDF document includes the following articles:

  • California Standards for the teaching profession
  • International Society for Technology in Education
  • Leadership in Learning with Technology
  • Commission on Teacher Credentialing
  • American Association of School Librarians

ALA Standards – Literacy

Thematic Planning and Integrated Instruction

Standards - EWYL Resources
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