Standards-Based Teaching/ Learning Cycle

Standards-based education in Colorado is defined as an ongoing teaching/learning cycle that ensures all students learn and master Colorado’s Academic Standards and associated concepts and skills.

In this continuous process of teaching/learning, student achievement is frequently measured through a variety of formats and assessment practices, and students are provided multiple opportunities to learn until they reach mastery. Regardless of content area, course, level, or revisions in standards, this teaching and learning cycle remains constant.

Being standards based means that every teacher, in every classroom, every day, through this continuous teaching/learning cycle, ensures students learn all standards and associated concepts and skills to mastery.

In its simplest terms, a standards-based teaching/learning cycle continually answers four critical questions, adapted from Dufour & Eaker (1998, 2002, 2006):

  1. What do students need to know, understand, and be able to do?
  2. How do we teach effectively to ensure all students are learning?
  3. How do we know students are learning?
  4. What do we do when students are not learning or are reaching mastery before expectation?

 

iReady 

The i-Ready software package delivers student instruction, performance diagnostics and progress reports based on K-12 Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in Mathematics and Reading. Students take the i-Ready Diagnostic and receive differentiated online instruction according to their ability, while schools and districts receive customized reports on student performance and progress throughout the year. Schools purchase licenses per subject, per student with discounts available for district-wide and multi-year packages.

APPROACH

i-Ready consists of a suite of four individual tools:

• i-Ready Diagnostic - offers an adaptive diagnostic in K-12 Mathematics and Reading

• i-Ready Online Instruction - K-8 targeted online instruction based on diagnostic

• iPad apps - games that that support online instruction

• i-Ready Standards Mastery - mini standards-based assessments

 

Ready Common Core Mathematics

Ready Common Core Mathematics helps teachers create a rich classroom environment in which students at all levels become active, real-world problem solvers. Through teacher-led instruction, students develop mathematical reasoning, engage in discourse, and build strong mathematical habits. The program’s instructional framework supports educators as they strengthen their teaching practices and facilitates meaningful discourse that encourages all learners.

Ready Common Core Mathematics:

• Encourages students to develop a deeper understanding of mathematics concepts through the embedded Standards for Mathematical Practice

• Builds on students’ prior knowledge with lessons that make connections within and across grade levels and directly address the major focus of the grade

• Ready Mathematics 6–8, ©2020 Edition provides additional features for supporting English Learners, such as: 

  • English Language Development guidelines on scaffolding language use during instruction to benefit students at different levels of English proficiency

  • Language routines that integrate language and mathematics

  • Concept development activities that allow students of varying mathematical and English language abilities to build on familiar concepts

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Benchmark 

Benchmark Phonics & Word Study Workshop has a research-based scope and sequence that covers all grade-level standards, but also has a built-in review and repetition cycle to accelerate students’ mastery and avoid decayed learning. The scope and sequence charts at the beginning of each teacher’s guide lists the target and review skills, which are included in the weekly lessons.

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Eureka  Math

Eureka Math® is a holistic Prekindergarten through Grade 12 curriculum that carefully sequences mathematical progressions in expertly crafted modules, making math a joy to teach and learn. We provide in-depth professional development, learning materials, and a community of support.

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SuperKids K-2

The Superkids Reading Program builds skills systematically as children progress from kindergarten through second grade, creating confident readers. Decodable Text: As children learn new phonetic elements, they immediately apply these skills to engaging decodable literary and informational text. By second grade, children have learned the phonetic elements necessary to read text that isn't phonetically controlled. Integration: Superkids integrates reading, spelling, handwriting, grammar, and composition into one program. Motivation: Children love the engaging Superkids characters. Each character has a unique personality and interests. The Superkids stories capture the universal experiences of childhood.

 

Leveled Literacy Intervention K-6

The Fountas & Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention System (LLI) is a small-group, supplementary literacy intervention designed to help teachers provide powerful, daily, small-group instruction for the lowest achieving students at their grade level. Through systematically designed lessons and original, engaging leveled books, LLI supports learning in both reading and writing, helps students expand their knowledge of language and words and how they work. The goal of LLI is to bring students to grade level achievement in reading.

 

Fundations K-3/Wilson Reading System

Wilson Fundations makes learning to read fun while laying the groundwork for life-long literacy. Students in grades K-3receive a systematic program in critical foundational skills, emphasizing: Phonemic awareness, Phonics/ word study, High frequency word study, Reading fluency, Vocabulary, Comprehension strategies , Handwriting, Spelling

Fundations serves as a prevention program to help reduce reading and spelling failure. It is integral to a Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) or Response to Intervention (RTI) framework, providing research-based instruction in Tier 1as well as early intervention (Tier 2) for students at risk for reading difficulties. To support the implementation of an MTSS or RTI framework, progress monitoring is built into Fundations. This allows students requiring a more intensive program to be identified early before undergoing years of struggle.

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Orton Gillingham 

The Orton-Gillingham Approach is a direct, explicit, multisensory, structured, sequential, diagnostic, and prescriptive way to teach literacy when reading, writing, and spelling does not come easily to individuals, such as those with dyslexia.  It is most properly understood and practiced as an approach, not a method, program, or system. In the hands of a well-trained and experienced instructor, it is a powerful tool of exceptional breadth, depth, and flexibility.

 

Seeing Stars

The Seeing Stars® program develops symbol imagery - the ability to visualize sounds and letters in words - as a basis for orthographic awareness, phonemic awareness, word attack, word recognition, spelling, and contextual reading fluency.

 

Visualizing and Verbalizing

The Visualizing and Verbalizing® (V/V®) program develops concept imagery - the ability to create an imaged gestalt from language - as a basis for comprehension and higher order thinking. The development of concept imagery improves reading and listening comprehension, memory, oral vocabulary, critical thinking, and writing.

 

On Cloud Nine

The On Cloud Nine® (OCN) program develops the ability to image and verbalize the concepts and processes of math. Concept imagery and numeral imagery are integrated with language to improve both mathematical reasoning and mathematical computation.

 

Thinking Maps K-6

Consistent vIsual patterns linked directly to 8 specific thought processes. By visualizing out thinking, we create concrete images of abstract thoughts. These patterns help all students reach higher levels of critical and creative thinking- essential components of 21st Century Education and provides consistent language for learning across Larkspur.

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Project Learning Tree

Project Learning Tree is an award-winning environmental education program designed for teachers and other educators, parents, and community leaders working with youth from preschool through grade 12.