Qualities of a Good StandardQualities of a Good Standard

October 8, 2004

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Are your students prepared for Are your students prepared for the rigors of the 21st Century?the rigors of the 21st Century?

American Diploma Project Benchmarks Convened postsecondary faculty

and employers Elicited “must have” math and

English competencies for credit-bering freshman coursework

Take manufacturing, for example. . .Take manufacturing, for example. . .

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Requirements for tool and die Requirements for tool and die makersmakers

Four or five years of apprenticeship and/or postsecondary training

Algebra, geometry, trigonometry and statistics

Average earnings: $40,000 per year

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Requirements for sheet metal Requirements for sheet metal workersworkersFour or five years of apprenticeship

Algebra geometry, trigonometry and technical reading

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Other Possible Measures of Other Possible Measures of Rigor and ComprehensivenessRigor and ComprehensivenessNational Reading Panel ReportNCTM StandardsKeeping America Competitive from the

National Association of ManufacturersLearning for the 21st Century, from the

AOL Time Warner FoundationState’s K-12 concepts and skills

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Qualities of a Good StandardQualities of a Good Standard

RigorousMeasurableSpecificClear and intelligibleUsefulManageableComprehensive and coherent

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Hard to Measure VerbsHard to Measure Verbs

Verbs that measure “internal processes”: activate prior knowledge, develop mental pictures, and monitor one’s comprehension.

Verbs that describe the process of learning: investigate, examine, practice, develop, explore, participate, read, listen.

Verbs that cannot be measured precisely: introduce, increase, expand, extend, begin, continue, improve.

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Not MeasurableNot Measurable

Students exhibit curiosity and the habit of lifelong learning.

Students find satisfaction in computing with numbers and make those activities part of their everyday lives.

Students use integers intuitively.

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Not Measurable (not tied to content) Students demonstrate the ability to think

critically, creatively and reflectively in making decisions and solving problems.

Students use imagination freely and effectively use a variety of complex reasoning processes, including comparing, classifying, analyzing, investigating, and abstracting.

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Too Specific (Activity Level)Too Specific (Activity Level)

Students gather and analyze data from the neighborhood and compare the data with published statistics for the city, state, or nation.

Students create a mathematical real life situation using functions and predict how it is affected by changes in information.

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Jargon, UnintelligibleJargon, Unintelligible

Students apply algebraic and geometric concepts to multiple problem-solving strategies for problems derived from real world situations using a variety of problem-solving strategies.

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Jargon, UnintelligibleJargon, Unintelligible

Students demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the variables influencing the effectiveness of the components of the communication process.

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Useful?Useful?

Students express confusion and a lack of understanding.

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Failure To Demonstrate A Proper Failure To Demonstrate A Proper Progression Of Learning (Not Progression Of Learning (Not Coherent):Coherent): Use a wide range of strategies to comprehend

text (such as posing and answering questions, trial and error, adjusting reading pace). (Level 4)

Use a wide range of strategies to comprehend text. (Level 5)

Use a wide range of strategies to comprehend text (such as brainstorming and question formulation techniques) (Level 6)

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Another example of lack of Another example of lack of progression:progression:Recall prior knowledge.Actively apply prior knowledge. Evaluate prior knowledge.Integrate prior knowledge.

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Weak, General StandardWeak, General Standard

Students read challenging texts written by different authors.

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Strong, Specific StandardStrong, Specific Standard

Students evaluate public documents for the power and logic of the arguments advanced; the author’s insight and foundations of support; the use of persuasive techniques; and the appeal to audiences both friendly and hostile to the position presented.

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Strong, Specific StandardStrong, Specific Standard

Students draw conclusions about the ways in which the content (i.e., key themes, patterns, and ideas) of significant works of literature reflects the perspective of the author and the era during which he or she lived.

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Weak, General StandardWeak, General Standard

Students use the correct forms of personal and public writing for a variety of purposes and audiences.

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Strong, Specific StandardStrong, Specific Standard

Students write a persuasive essay that contains an engaging introductory and clincher statement; presents a definite point of view; and fully develops the view with powerful and pertinent facts, evidence, arguments, and descriptions.

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Weak, General StandardWeak, General Standard

Students represent and solve problems using geometric models.

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Strong, Specific StandardStrong, Specific Standard

Students understand and apply the basic geometric concepts of parallel and perpendicular lines, and explain how their slopes are related.

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Weak, General StandardWeak, General Standard

Students know how to measure geometric objects.

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Strong, Specific StandardStrong, Specific Standard

Students know, use, and derive formulas for the perimeter, circumference, area, surface area and volume of many types of figures including cubes, pyramids, cylinders, cones, and spheres.

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Weak, General StandardWeak, General Standard

Students use rational numbers to solve problems.

Strong, Specific StandardStrong, Specific Standard Students select and use appropriate

forms of rational numbers to solve rate, ratio and proportion problems (e.g., percent mixtures, unit rates, speed, scale drawings, similar triangles).

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Weak, General StandardWeak, General Standard

Students collect, organize, and describe a set of data.

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Strong, Specific StandardStrong, Specific Standard

Students collect, organize, and describe single-variable data choosing appropriate frequency distributions, circle graphs, line plots, histograms, and summary statistics.

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ExerciseExercise

Take the next hour to evaluate a set of standards using the criteria that has been prepared for you.