A Reflection on Standards Driven Learning

Standards in education remain a critical component to the academic growth of students. For individual educators, school building and districts alike, standards provide clear targets for instruction, useful tools for assessment and informative means for data collection to drive further instruction. “Attention to standards is not option: as employees of the state, teaching to a state’s standards is a must for public school educators” (Zimny, 2017).

Though I have always appreciated the standards for the reasons mentioned above, this course has taught me that I can play a role in how these standards are taught and assessed within our special education department. Before this course, I struggled with overtly implementing Common Core State Standards (CCSS) during instruction due to the cognitive delays of my students. After being taught the flexibility that CCSS affords me as a special education teacher, my views have changed in that I can use them more fluidly as I instruct and guide students across five different grade levels (K-4). “The CCSS may be common, but they do not necessitate common execution” (Riley, 2013, p. 26). This statement resonated with me in that I learned that I can channel the structure that the standards offer just as general education teachers do and that is indeed within the standards that I have the flexibility to work towards them and students’ IEP goals simultaneously. The development of these standards has impacted my role as a special education provider in that I can use the platform of CCSS to steer instruction and fuel assessments. I appreciate the clarity the standards provide and the frameworks with which I can design lessons. With this knowledge about standards driven learning, I will improve the performance of students at the classroom, school and district levels by promoting deeper thinking and stronger metacognition. “The standards are designed to deepen critical thinking and emphasize application of knowledge and skills” (Riley, 2013, p. 25).

One strategy I intend to implement across all content areas that I teach is the instruction of academic vocabulary. Developing a strong and useful vocabulary in both English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics will lay the foundation for solid learning which will in turn promote metacognition, as well as translate over to different contextual settings – including the annual high-stakes state tests. I will carefully design lessons by embedding viable vocabulary terms to specifically apply to lesson’s learning target. Zwiers, O’Hara & Pritchard (2014) explain “

A good rule of thumb is to use just enough language teaching to support the depth and clarity of the communication happening in the activity or task – without reducing the engagement levels. In most cases, upping the amount (and quality) of language development in a lesson or activity will actually increase the engagement because it reinforces the clarity of the complex concepts (pp. 5-6).

Using this strategy of language and vocabulary development embedded into the intended curricula will help ground the lesson to the learning target while laying the foundation of the ever-important vocabulary acquisition, especially academic vocabulary. I will measure the results using formal diagnostic, formative and summative assessments. Additionally, since the use of language and vocabulary is omnipresent, I will collect observational data by engaging in dialogue with the students. Every moment can be a teachable moment when the intentions are targeted, deliberate and purposeful. Ideally the students will exit the lesson with attained curricula that fosters critical thinking and deepens their understanding of the learning target.

The knowledge that I gained about standards-driven learning will help me become a more effective teacher leader in my school by keeping in the forefront of my mind that we have defined and directed learning targets in CCSS. By keeping CCSS as a universal language, I can contribute meaningfully to team meetings. As educators, we are responsible for our students’ learning and academic growth. As a teacher leader who focuses relentlessly on that growth by using CCSS as an instrument for this growth, I will define my practice by these parameters. By keeping my instructional practice aligned to CCSS, I offer “opportunities for student inquiry, press for depth of understanding and teach conceptual understanding” (Ottmar, Rimm-Kaufman, & Larsen, 2013, p. 436).

Specifically, the leadership role that I can assume could include membership to a content team. Currently I serve on the literacy content team where I intend to apply my new knowledge about standards-driven learning to this team that already follows the direction of CCSS. The book Common Core standards in Diverse Classrooms (Zwiers, O'Hara, & Pritchard, 2014) offers a multitude of ideas for lessons and processes to implement them. Using this source as a framework for study, I intend to implement a focus on vocabulary acquisition and academic language. My collaboration strategies and contributions will add momentum to an already forward moving agenda that focuses on CCSS. The professional development opportunities that I can bring to the table include training colleagues how to align CCSS when instructing diverse learners, specifically learners with IEP’s.

In conclusion, standards-driven learning is and should be the focus of all educators. Without standards, we have ambiguous measures of student growth and understanding. Standards provide the instructional targets toward which educators can direct teaching and learning. As an individual educator, I can use the standards to collaborate with the general education teachers in my building to ensure we are delivering instruction that aligns with CCSS. When we use CCSS as the instrument that it is intended to be, we can ensure success for all learners at our school.

References

Ottmar, E. R., Rimm-Kaufman, S. E., & Larsen, R. A. (2013). Does the responsive classroom approach affect the use of standards-based mathematics teaching practices? The Elementary School Journal 113(3), 434-453.

Riley, C. (2013). The common core, aligned assessments and the 21st-century classroom: Lessons learned from educators. Techniques, 24-28.

Zimny, J. (2017). Standards-Driven Learning Module 1: The Role of Standards in Education. Part 1: Defining Standards. Indianapolis, IN: American College of Education.

Zwiers, J., O'Hara, S., & Pritchard, R. (2014). Common core standards in diverse classrooms: Essential practices for developing academic language and disciplinary literacy. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.