dbearly education

Chapters 5 & 6

Week 3 Lecture Notes

Chapter 5 – Teaching, Standards, and You

If we were in a traditional classroom setting, I would bring in state and national standards to give everyone an idea of what is meant by the word, “ standards.” But, since this class is online, I would like all of you to review National and State standards online. You will find links to these under the “Web Links” button. Also, throughout this lecture, you will find web links. 

   This chapter begins by posing the question, "What should I teach?"  That's a very important question because it can have many different responses!  So, how do we know what to teach?  How do we have all children, across the country, regardless of gender or economic status, to have access to the same information?

Standards: statements of what students should know and be able to do; help answer questions about what to teach children and about what they should learn.

What are local, state, and national standards?

· • Local: Refers to the immediate community, your school district.

· • State: Refers to the state’s standards.

· • National: Refers to the standards that are expected of all schools across the country. They are designed to be applicable to all children, regardless of individual state or local standards.

Today, we are moving towards standards-based education (SBE), focusing on basing the curriculum (all of the experiences children have while in school), teaching, and testing on local, state and national standards.  Specifically, states are moving towards using the Common Core Standards.

Foundations of the Standards Movement

Education reform is not new; three federal initiatives played a large role in popularizing our need for standards-based education:

The Reagan Administration’s 1983 report, A Nation At Risk, was the first document that called for such reform. I would like you to familiarize yourself with this document. You will not be tested on it, but it will give you an idea of its historical importance. Please read the sections entitled (click on) A Nation at Risk, Findings and Recommendations http://www.ed.gov/pubs/NatAtRisk/index.html 

Goals 2000 was an act designed to ensure that all students reached high levels of achievement. For a summary of Goals 2000, please visit http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/stw/sw0goals.htm

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was the former federal law affecting education from kindergarten through high school. NCLB emphasizes state and district accountability, mandates state standards for what children should know and be able to do, puts in place a comprehensive program of testing in grades three to twelve, and encourages schools to use teaching methods that have demonstrated their ability to help children learn. Table 5.1 discusses some pros and cons of NCLB.  I am sure you've heard of NCLB; most teachers, as your text states, "love to hate" it!  In particular, due to NCLB, the rise in standardized testing occurred and this, as many educators will tell you, is not an ideal teaching practice.

   I find that many people are confused by the title "No Child Left Behind" and think this means grade retention no longer exists (students repeating a grade).  The title does not mean this at all; please carefully read this section of your text.

Our text does not include President Obama’s education reform plan. This is called “Race to the Top.” If you would like more information on this topic, please refer to http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/fact-sheet-race-top

Standards are important for 4 main reasons:

1. Standards enable you to know what a district expects of its children and teachers. In this regard, they bring CLARITY AND FOCUS to curriculum and teaching. 

2. By knowing what your district expects, you will be able to INTEGRATE CONCEPTS, ideas and skills into your teaching. This is where the idea of curriculum alignment fits in.

3. Standards IDENTIFY WHAT CHILDREN SHOULD KNOW and be able to do.

4. Standards serve as one means by which states and local programs can be ACCOUNTABLE for teaching and learning.

Common Core State Standards (CCSS)

   Common Core is on the rise!  These standards serve to do exactly what is stated: they are to be "common" for all, across states.  Ideally, this is to enable all students in the U.S. to have more common abilities and knowledge.  Your text discusses the U.S. being behind other states when it comes to testing, and although that's true, don't let it fool you either!  There are many reasons as to why this is, not simply because our curriculum is not "good enough."

   The goal of Common Core is to prepare students for college.  Therefore, the focus of these standards is on English and mathematics and, think of them as a continuum in which children are to master skills and learn information... then, build upon those the next year.  Regardless of what you read on social media, it is not a "form" of teaching (so no, there is no such thing as "Common Core Math"), but rather details goals that children must achieve.

Issues Surrounding Standards

Of course, this system is not flawless and has led to some important issues! One of the most well-known is the idea of “teaching to the test.” This means that teachers are teaching exactly what their students need to know, therefore, leaving no room for anything “creative.” Also, standards may not be for all children. Especially the idea that all children will be able to know x,y, & z by a certain age when, in fact, we know that all children develop at different rates.

That being said, there are also positive outcomes of CCSS…

· Support of intentional teaching (teachers are developing lesson plans)

· Enables teachers, students, and families to have shared goals.

· Helps states assess the effectiveness of schools

The CCSS Mission Statement consists of the idea that all students should be prepared to enter college and/or work with the same knowledge.  Remember: a "standard" means that it is achievable for everyone; so, yes, it is the same expectation for all children across the country.  The goal here is that every child in every state, regardless of socioeconomic status and culture, should have the same knowledge.

Please review the MA standards (these resources are provided within this week's Resources folder)

Chapter 6: Observing and Assessing Young Children

"As an early childhood professional, assessment will influence your professional life and will be a vital part of your professional practice."

Assessment is a continuous, on-going process.  You should use assessment practices to, not only understand what children can do, but also to make all your decisions in the classroom.  This involves multiple steps of data collection.

 

Figure 6.1 is a good reference for you; this details the puproses of assessment.  

There are a number of principles that should guide your policies and principles of assessment. Above all, assessment should always be Developmentally Appropriate!

 

What is developmentally appropriate assessment?  That really depends on each child, individually (remember: that's part of what Developmentally Appropriate Practice is!).  As we've discussed, all children are different; therefore, what is appropriate assessment for one child, may not be appropriate assessment for another (and this is where standardized tests become concerning!)

Selecting Developmentally Appropriate Assessment Practices is important. Specifically, notice that the text states that assessment "is conducted in natural, authentic situations."  You want to observe and assess children during their typical, everyday activities.  Remember that assessment should be purposeful.

Reporting to and communicating with parents and families is something that takes practice. Often times, teachers can feel anxious about talking with the parents.  Remember: it's always important to be honest and not sugar-coat anything!  You also want to communicate with parents in a way that they will understand; this means that you want to avoid the use of jargon or specific phrases that only those in education would understand.  Finally, provide the parents with ideas and information that will help them assist their children with the learning process.

Observation: the intentional, systematic act of looking at the behavior or a child or children in a particular setting, program, or situation; sometimes referred to as "kid-watching."

Observations should be done with purpose.  The purposes listed on pages 169 & 170 provide good information for you as to what you should be looking for when you observe young children.

There are four steps for conducting an observation:

1. Plan for observation

2. Conduct the observation

3. Interpret the data

4. Implement a plan

Types of Assessment

Authentic Assessment is very important!  Take a look at Figure 6.3; notice that this type of assessment is the evaluation of children's actual learning.  With this type of assessment, children are expected to demonstrate what they know and are able to do; it has more purpose and meaning to their lives.

Traditional Assessment is the category that the typical standardized test would fall.

Formal Assessments include the traditional assessment, but also includes screenings.  Screenings assist teachers in understanding what children know and are able do do; it indicates a child's abilities.  These are often used upon entrance into kindergarten.

Informal Assessments are assessments of students' learning, behavior, and development through means other than standardized tests.  Observations, anecdotal records, and event sampling are examples of these.

Portfolios are a form of informal assessment.  These are very often used within the early childhood classroom.