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.html
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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.html
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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.