Archive
component:what.standards
Consortium Points the Way on Proficiency-Based Learning
"David is a great resource for our region," said Nick Donohoe of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, NESSC's primary benefactor. "He has a forward-thinking view of where learning needs to go, related to policies and assessment in particular," and he's particularly good at "summarizing 'edu-ese' for state legislators and local school leaders."
Common Choice: Thin Test Prep or Deeper Learning
Higher expectations and engaging learning experiences are compatible. New college and career ready expectations will yield better preparation for American students if education leaders value deeper learning rather than resorting to stifling test prep.
New Assessments for New Skills
Without measurement the teaching of collaboration is extremely difficult. The current challenge is how to develop Collaborative Assessment tasks, particularly formative assessments that align with local curriculum, contexts and needs.
Calling All Science Teachers! New MasteryConnect App is a Must.
Check out the MasteryConnect goodies page for the view of our suite of apps. Download the Next Generation Science Standards App (as well as MasteryConnect’s other free apps) by searching “MasteryConnect” or “Next Generation Science Standards” in your app store.
PARCC “On Time, On Task”
PARCC chiefs and staff held calls this week to update progress and, in the light of defections, to reassure partners. The message was “PARCC is on time, on task,” and 14 states and the District of Columbia have committed to field-testing the assessment in the spring of 2014.
Achieve Releases State Framework For Competency-Based Education
Achieve, the leading advocate for college- and career-ready standards, posted an important policy resources this week: Advancing Competency-Based Pathways to College and Career Readiness: A State Policy Framework for Graduation Requirements, Assessment and Accountability. Competency-based education has been part of Achieve’s strategic plan for a few years, but this report is the most important action to date.
The Conservative Case for Higher Common Standards
Highlighting the support of most current and many former Republican governors, conservatives launched a website yesterday in support of Common Core State Standards (CCSS).
Next Gen Science Standards 101
The Institute for Science and Math Education at the University of Washington recently offered a crash course on the Next Generation Science Standards. Director of the Institute Philip Bell and a panel of STEM education experts provided a helpful orientation well worth 75 minutes of your time - the presentation should be available on the Institute's website soon. In the mean time, don't forget to check out the resources at the end of this post.
Why We Need Common Standards and Better Tests
It’s testing season--and it’s easy to criticize state tests these days. However, those tests represent an important commitment to equity. The Common Core is a big step forward and so are the tests that come with it.
Top 5 Things to Look for in Common Core Materials
The shift in the typical classroom setup has been underway for a while now. A focus on personalized learning in classrooms whose students have a broad range of skill levels and learning styles has meant teachers have had to become adept with new setups (flipped, 1:1 computing, etc.), methods (small group, whole group, etc.), and tools (handheld devices, online assessments, etc.) to help them differentiate instruction.