Resource Guide for the Standards and Rubric for School Improvement

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Standard One:
School and District Leadership



Standard Two:
Curriculum, Instruction, And Professional Development

2.1 Alignment With Standards
2.2 Monitoring Curriculum
2.3 Communication With Stakeholders
2.4 Common Academic Core
2.5 Monitoring and Evaluation
2.6 Instructional Planning
2.7 Instructional Materials
2.8 Technology Integration
2.9 Differentiated Instruction
2.10 Research-Based Strategies
2.11 Long-term Professional Growth
2.12 Teachers Role in Student Success
2.13 Continuous Professional Development
2.14 Evaluation Process
2.15 Content Knowledge



Standard Three:
Classroom And School Assessments



Standard Four:
School Culture, Climate, And Communication



ADE Calendar of Events



Best Practices Academies

2.4 Common Academic Core

A comprehensive curriculum and access to academic core standards are offered to all students.

The people of the United States need to know that individuals in our society who do not possess the levels of skill, literacy, and training essential to this new era will be effectively disenfranchised, not simply from the material rewards that accompany competent performance, but also from the chance to participate fully in our national life. A high level of shared education is essential to a free, democratic society and to the fostering of a common culture, especially in a country that prides itself on pluralism and individual freedom.

National Commission on Excellence in Education,
A Nation at Risk

Suggested Evidence
  • Scope and Sequence (K-12)
  • Course description guide
  • Master course schedule
Level of Performance: Exceeds Standards
  • The scope and sequence for grades K-3 Reading clearly defines and addresses all five components of Reading (i.e., phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension) reported by the National Reading Panel, 2000.
  • Master schedule offers flexibility for all students to access any course/class. Information about all available classes is widely circulated and communicated to all students, families, and stakeholders.
  • Course offerings are sufficient for all students to have the opportunity to learn the AZ Academic Standards concepts and performance objectives. A variety of academic supports are used as appropriate.

Related Resources

Articles
NEW! The Forgotten Middle: Ensuring that All Students are on Target for College and Career Readiness before High School   
This article discusses the importance of the middle grades in ensuring students are prepared for college.
Publication Date: 2008
Publisher: ACT

Crisis at the Core: Preparing All Students for College and Work   
This article advocates for a more rigorous core curriculum in secondary schools in order to better prepare students to enter college or the workforce.
Publication Date: 2004
Publisher: American College Testing

Literacy Instruction in the Content Areas: Getting to the Core of Middle and High School Improvement   
This report contends that increased expectations are best met by providing added instruction that corresponds with the specific reading and writing requirements of each academic course in middle and high school.
Author: Rafael Heller and Cynthia Greenleaf
Publication Date: 2007
Publisher: Alliance for Excellent Education

Reading Next: A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy   
The authors outline 15 key elements of an effective literacy intervention, and call on public and private stakeholders to invest in the literacy of middle and high school students today, while simultaneously building the knowledge base.
Author: Gina Biancarosa and Catherine Snow
Publication Date: 2004
Publisher: Alliance for Excellent Education

Writing Next: Effective Strategies to Improve Writing of Adolescents in Middle and High Schools   
Writing Next: Effective Strategies to Improve Writing of Adolescents in Middle and High Schools, commissioned by Carnegie Corporation of New York and published by the Alliance for Excellent Education, discusses eleven specific teaching techniques that research suggests will help improve the writing abilities of the country’s 4th- to 12th-grade students.
Author: Steve Graham and Dolores Perin
Publication Date: 2007
Publisher: Alliance for Excellent Education

“Bumping Into Spicy, Tasty Words That Catch Your Tongue”: A Formative Experiment on Vocabulary Instruction   
This article describes the vocabulary program and the outcomes of a study based on increasing student vocabulary.
Author: James F. Baumann, Donna Ware, and Elizabeth Carr Edwards
Publication Date: 2007, October
Publisher: International Reading Association




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