Archived -- Part II -- Guidance for Reviewers for Reviewing Comprehensive Plans Developed Under the Goals 2000: Educate America Act

A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

Part II -- Guidance for Reviewers for Reviewing Comprehensive Plans Developed Under the Goals 2000: Educate America Act

REVIEW CRITERIA

Criterion 1: The plan holds reasonable promise of helping all students achieve at the high levels called for in the Act.

The intent of this criterion is that the State improvement plan realistically and thoughtfully describe comprehensive strategies for enabling all children to reach challenging academic standards. Each plan should reflect a clear analysis of the State's needs related to improved teaching and learning; a compelling vision of what schools must do in order for all children to attain the State's challenging standards to be prepared for further learning, work, and productive citizenship; and a coherent, step-by-step set of strategies for realizing that vision. An effective plan will have pieces so interrelated that the actions in their entirety will be more than the sum of its parts. To meet Criterion 1, a plan must include the following:

Goals and Objectives

What is the State's vision of schools and the education system necessary to help all children reach challenging standards of achievement and how does that vision reflect the State's evaluation of its current education system? (Section 302(a), Section 306(k))

Some examples of evidence to demonstrate goals and objectives might include:

a mission statement and description of shared goals;
an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the State education system;
a description of the historical context for education reform in the State and the research base influencing the design of the plan;
a listing of the State policies, statutes, rules, and guidelines that reflect the State vision.

Teaching, Learning, Standards and Assessments

The Goals 2000 Act requires that each State improvement plan include strategies for meeting the National Education Goals by improving teaching and learning and students' mastery of basic and advanced skills in core content areas, such as English, mathematics, science, history, geography, foreign languages, the arts, civics and government, and economics.

At the heart of improved teaching and learning are high expectations and challenging academic standards. These high standards must be reinforced by all aspects of the education process including curriculum, assessment, and professional development. Reviewers should ask the following questions in reviewing this aspect of the improvement plan:

Development of Standards

Does the plan provide a process for developing or adopting content and student performance standards across the State for all students?

Will the standards developed through this process be challenging academically?
Will these standards encourage the development of systems of standards and measures that are coordinated with the standards developed under section 115 of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act?
Will the standards be challenging for all students -- including economically disadvantaged students; students with limited English proficiency, disabilities, or other special needs; and gifted and talented students?

(Section 306(c)(1)(A), 306(n)(2)(A))

Some examples might include:

a description of the broad-based process that was or will be used to select the core academic subjects and the content students should know and be able to do in those subjects;
an explanation of how any new standards will improve upon previous standards and be inclusive of students with diverse learning needs, such as bilingual students or those with disabilities;
the criteria and process that will be used to determine if State and local content and performance standards apply to all students and are challenging for them;
an explanation of how technology will be used to support the achievement of State performance standards by all students;
a description of how specific content areas within academic and broad occupational skill standards will be integrated to advance high achievement by all students.

Clarification Note on Standards

Must State content and performance standards be uniform statewide? Must they be applied uniformly to local educational agencies and school districts within a State?

Goals 2000 requires that participating States develop or adopt challenging content and performance standards. It does not require that there be a single set of content or performance standards that are applied uniformly to every local educational agency within the State. A State may choose to develop or adopt model standards or criteria against which locally-developed standards would be measured and approved.

Reviewers examining State plans will be looking for evidence that:

all students within the State will learn to standards that are challenging, even if the standards are not identical from district to district;
the State has a way of determining that the standards are challenging, including review and approval of standards set locally;
The State plan addresses how assessment, professional development, curriculum and instructional resources will be aligned with State or locally-developed standards;
the State plan addresses how the State will prevent districts with large concentrations of disadvantaged students from setting less challenging standards than other districts in the State, such as by comparing local standards with model State standards.

Many States will establish content and performance standards that will be applied uniformly to all school districts and schools within the State. In those States, regardless of which school district a student attends, he or she will be expected to meet the same content and performance standards.

Other States may develop model standards, and permit or require local school districts to establish their own standards, by adopting or adapting the State model, by developing their own standards, or by exceeding the State model standards. The State would then determine that the local district has established challenging standards.

Must State standards apply to all children?

Whether standards apply statewide, district-wide, or school-wide, all students within that State, district or school should be held to the challenging standards that are adopted for that State, district or school. Thus:

All students are expected to learn the same general high- quality content, rather than separate (and often watered-down) content for certain students. (For a small number of significantly disabled children, the standards might be different and their instructional program might focus on functional skills and valued lifestyle experiences. For these children, some method of assessing individualized student performance should be developed for accountability.)
All students are held to the same high standards of performance, regardless of the assessment instrument used.
Students can and will still vary in their performance levels -- some students will learn more than others. However, the performance levels students need to reach in order to "meet the standard" will be set much higher than at present.
Some students may require more time, different methods of teaching, or adaptations in assessment, but all will be exposed to challenging material and expected to reach a high level of performance.

Development of Assessments

Does the plan provide a process for developing and implementing valid, nondiscriminatory, and reliable State assessments that:

are aligned with the State's content standards;
involve multiple measures of student performance (note: multiple measures can include assessments developed by individual teachers for use in their own classrooms);
provide for the participation in assessments of all students with diverse learning needs, with the adaptations and accommodations necessary to permit such participation;
are consistent with relevant, nationally recognized professional and technical standards for such assessments;
are capable of providing coherent information about student attainments relative to the State content standards;
support effective curriculum and instruction; and
include a process for monitoring the implementation of such assessments and the impact of them on improved instruction for all students?

(Section 306(c)(1)(B))

Some examples might include:

a description of how assessments will be (or have been) developed that employ multiple measures of performance aligned with State standards;
a plan for helping parents and the general public be aware of and understand the process used for selecting assessments and State/local assessment results;
an explanation of how the assessment system effectively measures the progress of all students and accommodates the special needs and abilities of students, such as limited English proficient students and students with disabilities;
a description of the uses of technology in developing and implementing State/local assessment programs;
a description of the ways assessment results may be used to improve student learning, such as through identifying exemplary practices, providing financial or technical support, informing professional development for teachers, and continuous improvement efforts of schools, etc.;
a process for monitoring and improving the effectiveness of assessments, such as through early and frequent pilot testing and by soliciting comments from teachers on test construction and validity.

Clarification Note on Assessments

Must State assessments be uniform statewide?

Goals 2000 requires that participating States provide a process for developing and implementing State assessments that are aligned with the State's content standards. If a State has uniform statewide standards, it would develop a set of assessments aligned to those standards. If, instead, a State approves standards that are developed by local school districts, consistent with the preceding clarification note on State standards, such districts would be able to use assessments approved by the State as aligned to their standards, as long as the assessments meet the other requirements for assessments in Goals 2000.

Alignment of Curricula, Instructional Materials, and Assessments with Standards

Does the plan incorporate a mechanism for aligning State or local curricula, instructional materials, and State assessments with the State content and student performance standards? (Section 306(c)(1)(C))

Some examples might include:

strategies to help the SEA, LEAs, or schools develop, adopt, or update curricula, instructional materials, and technology- based resources to assist students in achieving State standards;
a process for gathering and using input and feedback from teachers and students regarding the alignment of curricula, instructional materials and techniques, and assessments with academic and broad occupational skill standards.

Familiarizing Teachers with Standards

Does the plan provide a process for familiarizing teachers with the State content and student performance standards and developing the capacity of teachers to provide high quality instruction within the State content areas? (Section 306(c)(1)(D))

Some examples might include:

strategies to involve teachers, including those who work with special-needs students, in the development of standards, assessments and curriculum;
on-line networks and other means that will facilitate communication among teachers about instructional practices that enable students to achieve to high standards;
strategies for providing appropriate and effective professional development that is tied to affirming the ability of diverse learners reach high standards;
strategies for encouraging the development of effective partnerships between K-12 districts and postsecondary education institutions in order to build high standards into teacher education, accreditation and licensing, and advanced teacher certification;
encouraging and providing time for school faculties to review and comment on the State content and performance standards;
identifying benchmark teachers/schools with successful training programs or demonstrated success in student performance.

[Part I] [Part III of Guidance for Reviewers for Reviewing
Comprehensive Plans Developed Under the Goals 2000]