Engaging Classroom Assessments Series: Power Standards
What are the BENEFITS of this seminar?
Participants will learn:
- “Unwrapping” the Standards is a powerful practice that K-12 educators can use to effectively impart the academic content standards to their students.
- Thorough understanding of the process through explanation combined with illustrative examples of “unwrapped” standards
- Sufficient opportunity during the seminar to deepen personal understanding of the process by practicing and applying the methods
- Personal confidence to share the “unwrapping” process with colleagues not present at the seminar
- Time and opportunities to discuss how to “work smarter, not harder” by involving all educators in the “unwrapping” standards process
- Practical strategies to immediately implement in the K-12 instructional program
This one-day seminar shows participants how to identify the “Power Standards” by distinguishing the “essential” standards from those that are “nice-to-know,” align them vertically K-12, and then develop an action plan for involving all educators in an entire school and/or district.
Power Standards are prioritized standards that are derived from a systematic and balanced approach to distinguishing the standards that are absolutely essential for student success from those that are “nice to know.” Power Standards are a subset of the complete list of standards for each grade and for each subject. They represent the “safety net” of standards that each teacher needs to make sure that every student learns prior to leaving the current grade. Students who acquire this “safety net” of knowledge and skills will thus exit one grade better prepared for the next grade.
Once the Power Standards are identified through school and/or district consensus, educators agree to teach these particular standards for depth of student understanding. Curriculum is developed toward that end in each grade level and content area. Meaningful classroom, school, and district assessments are aligned to the Power Standards. These assessments provide the evidence of student attainment of the Power Standards, and students are given multiple opportunities to demonstrate proficiency. The resulting data are systematically collected, examined, reported, and used to improve instruction.
What are the LEARNING OBJECTIVES of this seminar?
During this interactive seminar, participants will:
- Discover the rationale and a proven process for narrowing the academic content standards to the Power Standards.
- “Unwrap” these standards and determine the Big Ideas or enduring understandings from them.
- Write Essential Questions to guide instruction and assessment.
- Discuss ways to “work smarter, not harder” by involving all educators in the “unwrapping” process.
Contact us today to book this seminar in your area.