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7/28/2019 Journey Through the Standards
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Journey through the Standards: A Personal Reflection
By Consuelo Frausto
Tezcatlipoca: A reflection, a moment of reconciliation of the past with the possibilities of the futurenot a vision of
light but an awareness of the shadow that is the smoke of lights passing.
-Tupac Enrique Acosta
When it was decided as a district we would focus on essential standards to
raise student achievement, a smile crossed my face as well as a sense of relief
For the past 12 years, teachers were given the daunting task of improving test
scores in the midst ofRIFFs, learning new curriculum, unpacking
standards, restructuring, backwards planning, developing common
assessments, analyzing data, and sharing data through collaboration.
As educators, we were immersed intoThe No Child Left Behind Actof
2001. We were hurled into the political battle field and expected to correct
what many deemed a failing system. Standards based education reform
and measurable goals became a part of our daily lives. Back to basics teaching
was the answer for creating successful high school graduates who would be
prepared to become productive and contributing members in our society.
Only it didnt happen that way. As more and more students were identified as
needing remediation, educators were faced with the challenge of how to and
who should remediate. The short term answers were to first, ensure we were
all highly qualified, and pass outCLADcertificates to anyone who had ELL
students in their classroom, next the Arts were cut out of the curriculum andreplaced with an extra hour of either Language Arts or Math, and if that
wasnt enough students were placed in an intensive reading program
designed for 4th
graders, who if successful, could exit after two years of
instruction. However, many would spend the rest of their school career
struggling to attain those basic skills only to realize they had failed and
dropped out of high school altogether, an unfortunate trend seen throughout
the entire state of California. (High School Dropouts)
NCLB, coupled withProposition 227which in 1998 ended bilingual education
in the state of California was the beginning of a bleak era in education. Aseducators we were put to the test. Abandon a way of teaching which
embraced child developmental needs and replace it with scripted lessons,
and ready or not curriculum. The result, according toSir Ken Robinson: the
Death ofCreativity. Ironically, creativity is now whatThe Partnership for 21st
Century Skillsadvocates:In an increasingly complex, demanding and competitive 21st century
students need to learn more than the 3Rs they are tested on in school. Its
Happy Hunger Games, and may the
odds be ever in your favor-
Effie Trinket
Sir Ken Robinson
Do Schools Kill Creativity?
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/index.htmlhttp://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/index.htmlhttp://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/index.htmlhttp://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/er/elteachersfaq.asp#HQThttp://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/er/elteachersfaq.asp#HQThttp://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/er/elteachersfaq.asp#HQThttp://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/er/elteachersfaq.asp#Authorizationhttp://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/er/elteachersfaq.asp#Authorizationhttp://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/er/elteachersfaq.asp#Authorizationhttp://www.kidsdata.org/data/topic/map/high_school_dropouts.aspx?tf=37&dtm=192&loc=2,127,347,1763,331,348,336,171,321,345,357,332,324,369,358,362,360,337,327,364,356,217,353,328,354,323,352,320,339,334,365,343,330,367,344,355,366,368,265,349,361,4,273,59,370,326,333,322,341,338,350,342,329,325,359,351,363,340,335,1095http://www.kidsdata.org/data/topic/map/high_school_dropouts.aspx?tf=37&dtm=192&loc=2,127,347,1763,331,348,336,171,321,345,357,332,324,369,358,362,360,337,327,364,356,217,353,328,354,323,352,320,339,334,365,343,330,367,344,355,366,368,265,349,361,4,273,59,370,326,333,322,341,338,350,342,329,325,359,351,363,340,335,1095http://www.kidsdata.org/data/topic/map/high_school_dropouts.aspx?tf=37&dtm=192&loc=2,127,347,1763,331,348,336,171,321,345,357,332,324,369,358,362,360,337,327,364,356,217,353,328,354,323,352,320,339,334,365,343,330,367,344,355,366,368,265,349,361,4,273,59,370,326,333,322,341,338,350,342,329,325,359,351,363,340,335,1095http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_227,_the_%22English_in_Public_Schools%22_Initiative_(1998)http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_227,_the_%22English_in_Public_Schools%22_Initiative_(1998)http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_227,_the_%22English_in_Public_Schools%22_Initiative_(1998)http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_227,_the_%22English_in_Public_Schools%22_Initiative_(1998)http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_227,_the_%22English_in_Public_Schools%22_Initiative_(1998)http://sirkenrobinson.com/skr/watchhttp://sirkenrobinson.com/skr/watchhttp://sirkenrobinson.com/skr/watchhttp://www.p21.org/tools-and-resources/abovebeyond4cshttp://www.p21.org/tools-and-resources/abovebeyond4cshttp://www.p21.org/tools-and-resources/abovebeyond4cshttp://www.p21.org/tools-and-resources/abovebeyond4cshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=iG9CE55wbtY#t=70shttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=iG9CE55wbtY#t=70shttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=iG9CE55wbtY#t=70shttp://www.p21.org/tools-and-resources/abovebeyond4cshttp://www.p21.org/tools-and-resources/abovebeyond4cshttp://sirkenrobinson.com/skr/watchhttp://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_227,_the_%22English_in_Public_Schools%22_Initiative_(1998)http://www.kidsdata.org/data/topic/map/high_school_dropouts.aspx?tf=37&dtm=192&loc=2,127,347,1763,331,348,336,171,321,345,357,332,324,369,358,362,360,337,327,364,356,217,353,328,354,323,352,320,339,334,365,343,330,367,344,355,366,368,265,349,361,4,273,59,370,326,333,322,341,338,350,342,329,325,359,351,363,340,335,1095http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/er/elteachersfaq.asp#Authorizationhttp://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/er/elteachersfaq.asp#HQThttp://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/index.html7/28/2019 Journey Through the Standards
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time to help them go above & beyond, by embracing the 4Cs communication, collaboration, critica
thinking and creativity.
What reformers at the time failed to ask was how can we take the thematic and
integrated lesson on Dinosaurs and align it with standards? What changes need to
occur in teacher training programs to promote success amongst our ELLs? How can
we work towards measurable outcomes without losing the creativity educators
must possess to engage student learning?
Overall, it appears that the agents for change failed to ask the most knowledgeable
people about how to increase student achievement; teachers, students, and
parents.
Had they asked a teacher, we might have shared the 1990s debate between
phonics instructions and whole language. Recall when we went from one extreme
to the other only to learn both are necessary to create fluent readers and writers.
In 2010, President Barack Obama released the following letter along withA
Blueprint for Reform, The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act:
My Administration's blueprint for reauthorization of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act is not only a plan to renovate a flawed law, but also an
outline for a re-envisioned federal role in education.
Today, more than ever, a world-class education is a prerequisite for success
America was once the best educated nation in the world. A generation ago, we led
all nations in college completion, but today, 10 countries have passed us. It is not
that their students are smarter than ours. It is that these countries are being
smarter about how to educate their students. And the countries that out-educate
us today will out-compete us tomorrow.
So now that we agree that NCLB was flawed and President Obama has required a
world class education for success, enter the National Governors Association and
Council of Chiefs State School Officers-creators ofCommon Core Standards!
Common Core gives us an opportunity to get back to the Art of Teaching, as
exemplified below:
Our best understanding of what works in our schools comes from the teachers
who teach in our classrooms every day. That is why these standards establish what
students need to learn, but do not dictate how teachers should teach. Instead, the
standards enable schools and teachers to decide how best to help students reach
the standards. Florida Commissione
of Education Dr. Eric J. Smith
A Blueprint for Reform
The Reauthorization of the
Elementary and Secondary
Education Act
A complete education. Students
need a well-rounded education
to contribute as citizens in our
democracy and to thrive in a
global economyfrom literacy
to mathematics, science, and
technologyto history, civics,
foreign languages, the arts,
financial literacy, and othersubjects. We will support states,
districts, school leaders, and
teachers in implementing a
more complete education
through improved professional
development and evidence-based
instructional models and
supports.
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/publication_pg2.htmlhttp://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/publication_pg2.htmlhttp://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/publication_pg2.htmlhttp://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/publication_pg2.htmlhttp://www.corestandards.org/http://www.corestandards.org/http://www.corestandards.org/http://www.corestandards.org/http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/publication_pg2.htmlhttp://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/publication_pg2.html7/28/2019 Journey Through the Standards
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As educators one of our challenges is not to succumb to the clich of the pendulum. Standards and measurable
outcomes are important factors in planning instruction. How then do we incorporate our districts mission, trainings we
have attended, and strategies we have learned with the Common Core Standards? As teacher leaders we must self-
reflect and think about where we are in our Professional Learning Community journey as an individual, team, staff, and
district. Our transition must be planned with a focus on where we are and where we want to be.