By Rae Bates
There has been a lot of national discussion recently about “learning standards,” “standards based learning,” or “proficiency based learning.”
Yet there has been significantly less discussion about what learning standards specifically are, what they are not, how they actually work in schools, or why they even matter.
In brief, learning standards are concise, clearly articulated descriptions of what students should know and be able to do at a specific stage of their educational journey. For example, a fifth-grade reading standard taken from Maine standards states: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes. A high school Maine writing standard: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to the task, purpose, and audience.
To varying degrees, educators have been using standards to guide lesson designs and instruction for years. But simply ensuring standards are taught by teachers is only the first step – the next step is to make sure that the standards are learned by students.
Standards are not a prepackaged curriculum or course of study although this is a common misconception. Standards are a fundamental set of academic, intellectual, and skill expectations for students, but it is school boards who adopt polices related to standards and administrators and teachers who decide how those standards get taught. Learning standards such as “determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes” do not tell teachers what texts to assign, how to teach students about metaphors and similes, or even how to determine they have achieved the expected standard. Learning goals are consistent and common, but teaching remains a local decision.
Standards draw a line in the sand. In effect, standards stipulate that students must learn a particular selection of critical skills and concepts before they can be considered prepared for the next step in their education. Teachers can teach students more, even far more, but not less. In other words, standards establish a common baseline for what it means to be an educated person in the United States, regardless of where they live, what school they attend, or how advantaged or disadvantaged their families are. The stronger the standards the more students will learn.
Standards facilitate greater collaboration and innovation. With common standards, teachers can share the lessons they develop, the instructional strategies they use, and the learning materials they create. In fact, several national online exchanges have been launched that allow teachers to share their best lessons, ideas, and teaching materials.
When teachers have common standards, it is easier and less expensive to develop textbooks, learning software, and other educational resources. Standards do not stifle teacher creativity – in fact, they can give rise to even greater innovation through the power of collaboration, sharing, and collective thinking.
Rae Bates is the curriculum coordinator for RSU 29. Information for this column came from a briefing series for New England Educational Leaders. To learn more, go to www.newenglandssc.org/leadership_in_action.
