Stuart Ciske & Stephen Sanders, DPI
Not really ready to go yet, will talk about plan to do so. The standards are legislative and a longer process than they thought it would be.
English & Math are close to recommendations for revised standards. Social Studies are started. Not much done on ITLS. Stuart has done some alignment with NETS, AALS and Partnership for 21st Century.
We are signed on to te American Diploma Project as well as Partnership for 21st Century. Both are working to change education to make it more relevant to present and future. Object is that when students graduate from HS and go to college they do not need to take any remedial classes or ready to go to work.
Probably the final set of recommended math and English one will come out this summer. They will need revision to fit with the various partnerships.
As committees go thru standards think about the P21C and others.
ITLS probably will start this year in terms of revision.
Social Studies: originally looked at the existing standards and came up with curriculum plan/sequence (what is taught in what grade). Called this grade level foundations. They tend to be concept based (16 concepts and 3 study areas). Civic literacy, global literacy and economic literacy. They wrote focussing questions for each grade level. Reframed focus to get students literate in those three literacies. Broke up into 5 skill areas: knowledge/information skills, communication skills, interpersonal and self-directional skills, reflection skills, inquiry/critical thinking and problem solving skills. Tied to the standards. Hopefully ready this summer. A draft form is available upon request.
Also looking at new NETS-Students for alignment. Handed out tables of alignment. A lot of terminology used by ITLS are now support or secondary standards. ISTE is more process or global standards. There will be fewer standards in number but wider in terms of scope after refresh. Finding common themes and terminology. Want to develop that across all the Model Academic Standards. Need to develop a common cause and realize part of a greater whole. Will have all alignments done by time of regional meetings in fall. This doesn’t tell teachers what they have to do–need to make sure these are done as well–performance indicators. The bullet points in the original were supposed to be suggestions, not all that is required. So that level of detail is really the responsibility of schools and school districts. That will make and nutso result throughout the state. Would be better in my opinion if had a standard curriculum across the state. But DPI wants to give schools flexibility which doesn’t really help with students transferring across districts. Still an issue about the state tests for content–will students know what is tested at a particular grade level.
ITLS existing. Standard A is really original NETS-Students. Again, bullets are examples of how to achieve the A.4.4 (the performance standards). Mostly computer skills. That’s what ISTE got rid of in their refresh. Standard B is information and inquiry. Do we really need Standard A? Is Standard A implied by all the other standards?
Where go next? Do something at the regional meetings in fall. Maybe local control is less of an issue now because of standardized tests. Maybe more state guidance would be appreciated by local schools.
