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Essential Issues

Zayed University College of Education International Education Conference March 31, 2002 Christopher T. Cross Senior Fellow Center on Education Policy. Essential Issues. How did the standards movement evolve? What do the various terms mean? What standards exist?

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Essential Issues

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  1. Zayed UniversityCollege of EducationInternational Education ConferenceMarch 31, 2002Christopher T. Cross Senior FellowCenter on Education Policy Christopher T. Cross

  2. Essential Issues • How did the standards movement evolve? • What do the various terms mean? • What standards exist? • How do standards relate to curriculum, instruction and assessment? • How do standards affect teaching? • Hurdles, public opinion and the evolving understanding of standards implementation Christopher T. Cross

  3. Goal vs. Standard • A Standard is a specific statement of what students should know and be able to do in a specific subject. A goal is the end that one strives to achieve, e.g. 70 percent of students will be at the proficient level or higher Christopher T. Cross

  4. Types of Standards • Content Standard- Description of what students are expected to know and be able to do in a given subject area. For example, “By the end of grade 3, students should be able to do three digit multiplication and division.” Christopher T. Cross

  5. Types of Standards • Performance Standards – Description of what level of performance is expected by the student. For example, “Students should be able to do 70 percent of problems involving three digit multiplication and division in order to achieve the proficient level>” Christopher T. Cross

  6. Types of Standards • Teaching Standard- Description of the expected quality of instruction, instructional methodology, and learning projects that teachers offer to students . For example, “The teacher should have specific subject matter and pedagogical training on the curriculum being used in that school and be able to apply that instruction to assist students.” Christopher T. Cross

  7. Key Events in Standards Reform • 1983- A Nation at Risk • 1989 First National Education Summit • 1990 – National Education Goals Established • 1994 – ESEA Amendments incorporating standards • 1989-1995- Release of voluntary standards • 1995 – Data on TIMSS released • 1997 – National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future releases report • 2002- No Child Left Behind law signed Christopher T. Cross

  8. Eight Reasons Public Embraced Standards • Federal and state commissions dramatize declines in quality of public education • Students perform poorly on international assessments • Policymakers shift to outcomes measures • Achievement gaps by race and gender publicized • International comparisons reveal US practice of “tracking” students, raising significant equity issues Christopher T. Cross

  9. Eight Reasons Public Embraces Standards (continued) • International economic competition creates more rigorous requirements for the average worker • Health and education are linked with education seen as a public health issue- NICHD work • The educational system becomes a “catch-all” for society. Standards re-center the school’s mission Christopher T. Cross

  10. Why are Standards Important? • ACCOUNTABILITY- Standards provide the basis for holding both students and educators accountable. • EQUITY - Standards address the inequities in teaching and expectations for all students. • RAISE THE FLOOR - Standards increase expectations to a new, higher level. • SYSTEMIC REFORM - Standards are a cornerstone for related reform components, such as professional development, testing, etc. Christopher T. Cross

  11. H.S. A B C D BCC 86 76 66 56 Blair 76 66 57 48 Einstein 63 53 44 35 JFK 79 67 52 33 Magruder 88 76 64 54 Whitman 85 74 64 55 Montgomery Co., MD Algebra I Cutoff Scores by Grade Percentage’s Scores Students Need to Achieve a Grade Level Differs Drastically By School Christopher T. Cross

  12. Yes to a Graduation Test • 70% of adults say that students should have to “pass statewide tests before they can graduate from high school, even if they have passing grades.” • 79% of adults support statewide graduation tests if they know that high school students “could take the test several times.” Christopher T. Cross

  13. Elements in a Standards-Driven System of Education • Establish standards with public input • Align curriculum with standards • Implement aligned professional development • Develop/adopt aligned assessments • Create a system of accountability • Design a system of continuous improvement Christopher T. Cross

  14. A Teacher’s Quote • “Not all schools give passing grades for the same mastery of skills and information…This variation is evident from school to school and from district to district, and to deny the variation would be totally naive.” Susan Schwartz, Physics Teacher, Montgomery, Co, Maryland Christopher T. Cross

  15. A Standards-Driven System Leaves Many Issues for Local Decisions • Staff hiring, firing and evaluation • Length of school day and year • Professional development • Funds allocation • Graduation Requirements • Issues of equity and opportunity Christopher T. Cross

  16. Example of a Strong Standard in English Language Arts • “Locate and analyze elements of plot and characterization and then use an understanding of these elements to compose a short essay on how the qualities of the central characters determine resolution of the conflict.” Christopher T. Cross

  17. Example of a Strong Standard in English Language Arts • “Evaluate the structural elements of the plot (e.g. subplots, parallel episodes, climax), the plot’s development, and how (and whether) conflicts are (or are not) addressed and resolved.” Christopher T. Cross

  18. Criteria for Standards • Important subject matter • Rigorous • Balance of knowledge and skills • Developmentally appropriate • Specific • Measurable • Clear and concise • Can be taught • Created with public support and involvement Christopher T. Cross

  19. State of the State Standards • Ed Week reports that 49 states have standards in the core subjects • Only 17 states have report cards with data that is disaggregated by race • Only 20 states require that report cards be sent home, only 10 have similar school data Christopher T. Cross

  20. State of the States Assessments • 15 States use only test score data • Another 15 states also use other factors (such as portfolios, grades, etc) • For failed schools, 9 states can close that school, 15 others can reconstitute it • 17 states make graduation contingent on exams, only 6 are based on 10th grade or higher performance Christopher T. Cross

  21. Structure of a Standards System Philosophy & Mission Statement Goals Content Standards Performance Standards Assessments CurriculumCourse ObjectivesInstructional Unit Objectives Instructional Activities MaterialsTextsResources District & Class Assignments Teaching Strategies Christopher T. Cross

  22. Students Unruffled by Standardized Tests • Tests ask Fair Questions 80% • Other topics are not neglected 77% • I’m taking the right number of tests 67% • When I take a test I get nervous, but I can handle it 67% Christopher T. Cross

  23. Teachers and Parents See Change • Percentage of parents saying: “In my community the public schools have higher academic standards than the private schools” 1998 - 22% 2001 - 34% Christopher T. Cross

  24. Teachers and Parents See Change • Percentage of teachers saying: “My school automatically promotes students when they reach a maximum age” 1998 - 41% 2001 - 31% Christopher T. Cross

  25. Teachers and Parents See Change (continued) • Percentage of teachers saying: “The number of kids at my school going to summer school for remedial purposes has increased.” 1998 - 28% 2001 - 37% Christopher T. Cross

  26. What should your school district do when it comes to the effort towards higher standards Christopher T. Cross

  27. Students Standards: Major Hurdles and Dilemmas • High stakes politics • Technical design of accountability systems • Public communications and engagement • Coalition building • Impact on one’s own child Christopher T. Cross

  28. Original and Modified Theories of Standards-Based Reform Original Theory Clear & High Expectations for All Guide for Improvement Motivation to Improve AmbitiousStandards Aligned Assessments School Accountability Aligned Professional Development System School Flexibility Better Teaching More Instructional Time for Some Students Higher Achievement for All Christopher T. Cross

  29. Original and Modified Theories of Standards-Based Reform Modified Theory AmbitiousStandards Expectations for Instructional Practice Aligned Prof. Development Aligned Assessment School Accountability School Flexibility Better Teaching More Instructional Time for Some Students Clear & High Expectations for Students Guide for Improvement Motivation to Improve Higher Achievement for All Christopher T. Cross

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