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As stated in Tenet #1, a standards-directed system needs to have as a basis a list of standards and benchmarks for each of the content areas. An up-to-date compilation of national standards and benchmarks is maintained by McREL and available on their website. After the initial selection of standards and benchmarks by the department members (or designated representatives), content representatives will occasionally reference this compilation for possible changes to the district list. The need for changes will come as a natural process as teachers work with the originally selected statements. It will be important and necessary to schedule regular department meetings for discussions that would support both vertical articulation and horizontal coordination of the implementation of standards and benchmarks. It is at this point that veteran teachers realize that they no longer are an “independent contractor” of their students’ education. A standards-directed education system dictates that members of a department (and system) have an agreed upon list of expectations for the knowledge to be acquired by a student in a particular grade level or course. A standards-directed system has team members using a common vocabulary as they work on a common focus and result.
There will be several editions of the district standards and benchmarks before it is considered to be more than a “draft.” After the initial draft of standards and benchmarks, and teachers have had the opportunity to integrate them into their classroom instruction and assessment, it will be beneficial to have K-12 content committees discuss questions such as: Are the benchmarks placed under the appropriate standard? Do the standards serve as organizing statements for the content? Is the significant knowledge and skills included? Are the benchmarks placed in developmentally appropriate levels? Does everyone commonly understand the meaning? Is the grade level or course expectations clearly stated?
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