Resource Guide for the Standards and Rubric for School Improvement

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Standard One:
School and District Leadership

1.1 Learning Community
1.2 Systems Focus on Student Achievement
1.3 Vision and Mission
1.4 Teacher Leadership
1.5 Communication
1.6 Growth Plans
1.7 "Reculturing" Around Accountability Systems
1.8 Data as Part of Planning
1.9 Instructional Materials
1.10 Time
1.11 Allocating Resources, Monitoring Progress
1.12 Use of Resources
1.13 Fiscal Resources



Standard Two:
Curriculum, Instruction, And Professional Development



Standard Three:
Classroom And School Assessments



Standard Four:
School Culture, Climate, And Communication



ADE Calendar of Events



Best Practices Academies

2.15 Content Knowledge

Teachers exhibit sufficient content knowledge to foster student learning.

It is a truism: To teach content, the teacher should know that content well.

Zalman Usiskin,
Teachers Need a Special Type of Content Knowledge

Suggested Evidence
  • Certification by content/grade level or documentation of expertise/degree in content area and grade level, AND
  • Documentation of expertise in professional knowledge
Level of Performance: Exceeds Standards
  • All teachers are certified and/or meet requirements to teach in their assigned areas and/or grade levels.

Related Resources

Tools
NEW! AZ READS: Resources and Publications for Reading Instruction   
This link connects to the AZ READS portion of the Arizona Department of Education's webpage. Many resources are listed.
Publisher: Arizona Department of Education

Teacher's In-Depth Content Knowledge: Definition & Checklist   
This tool provides a checklist based on Lee Shulman's Model of Pedagogical Reasoning. The "observable behaviors" which teachers should demonstrate for good teaching include comprehension, transformation, instruction, evaluation, reflection, and new comprehensions.
Publication Date: 2000
Publisher: INTIME: Integrating New Technologies Into the Methods of Education, University of Northern Iowa

The Library of Congress- Teacher Resources   
More than 10 million digitized historical artifacts are available on the Library of Congress' web site ranging from ancient manuscripts to Civil War maps, from classic blues recordings to Coca-Cola commercials, from Dust Bowl photographs to Thomas Edison's first films. These unique primary sources are the raw materials of history, and bring students into close personal contact with the people, places, and events of our nation's past. Lesson plan are also available.
Publisher: Library of Congress


Articles
NEW! Academic Literacy Instruction for Adolescents: A Guidance Document from the Center on Instruction   
This document developed by the Center on Instruction's Reading, Special Education and ELL Strands makes recommendations for improving literacy-related instruction in the content areas or across the entire school day, interventions for students reading below grade level, and recommendations for supporting literacy development in adolescent English language learners.
Author: Joseph K. Torgeson et al.
Publication Date: 2007
Publisher: Center on Instruction

NEW! Foundations for Success: Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel   
On March 13, 2008, the National Mathematics Advisory Panel presented its Final Report to the President of the United States and the Secretary of Education. This report contains information for parents, teachers, policy makers, the research community.
Publication Date: 2008
Publisher: U.S. Department of Education

NEW! Interventions for Adolescent Struggling Readers: A Meta-Analysis with Implications for Practice   
This report focuses on interventions designed to improve students' use of reading comprehension strategies. It also considers the impact of interventions that target improved reading vocabulary, accurate decoding of unfamiliar words in text, and increased reading fluency.
Author: Nancy Scammacca, Greg Roberts, Sharon Vaughn, Meaghan Edmonds, Jade Wexler
Publication Date: 2007
Publisher: Center on Instruction

NEW! 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

Building Reading Proficiency at the Secondary Level   
This article summarizes the research on what struggling secondary readers need in order to build reading proficiency. The discussion is organized around four factors: (a) the motivation to read, (b) the ability to decode print, (c) the ability to comprehend language, and (c) the ability to transact with text.
Publication Date: 2003
Publisher: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL)

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

Teacher’s In-Depth Content Knowledge   
This article summarizes research on the importance that a teacher's knowledge of the subject matter taught plays in instruction.
Publication Date: 2000
Publisher: INTIME: Integrating New Technologies Into the Methods of Education, University of Northern Iowa

Teaching Science: Meeting the Academic Needs of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students   
This article discusses ways for teachers to address the academic needs of students who are culturally and linguistically diverse.
Author: Lynne E. Houtz
Publication Date: 2004
Publisher: HighBeam Research

Using Research and Reason in Education: How Teachers Can Use Scientifically Based Research to Make Curricular and Instructional Decisions   
The authors argue that research-based and reason-based evidence, as well as formal testing results, must be used to assess the effectiveness of instructional methods. This paper is intended to help educators evaluate instructional research and practice to recognize that evidence.
Author: Paula J. Stanovich and Keith E. Stanovich
Publication Date: 2003, May
Publisher: National Institute for Literacy


Useful Links
NEW! Educational Java™ Programs   
This site was started in November of 1997 with the purpose of providing Java™ Applets that can be used as tools to help and enhance the education of children both at school and at home.(Description take directly from the site)
Publication Date: 1997-1999
Publisher: Arcytech

NEW! NCTM Illuminations   
This site provides dozens of virtual math manipulatives with lessons divided by grade level and aligned to NCTM standards. Lessons are detailed and include activity sheets.
Publication Date: 2000-2008
Publisher: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

NEW! Science Resource Page   
This page provides links to help teachers implement the Arizona Science Standard, including links to the Science Standard, AIMS information related to science, ADE professional development opportunities, state and national organizations, and resources for science teachers.
Publisher: Arizona Department of Education

Academic K-12 Standards   
This page displays the ADE Standards by area and level.
Publisher: Arizona Department of Education

Acronyms in Education   
This is a list, arranged alphabetically, defining education acronyms
Author: Schools Moving Up
Publication Date: 1995-2007
Publisher: WestEd

Glossary of Reading-Related Terms   
An open source document created by the Reading Coherence Initiative at SEDL to increase understanding of the terminology related to the cognitive foundations of reading and to reading instruction. Suggestions for additional entries or modifications to existing entries can be entered at the site.
Publisher: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, SEDL


Other Resources
Research-Based Methods of Reading Instruction, Grades K-3   
This book discusses how science-based reading research can inform instruction and provides activities based on successful classroom practices and research for teachers to use with their own students. It is noted that the activities are appropriate for any students who need additional reading instruction, including those with special needs. The Introduction and Chapters 1, 3, and 7 can be read online.

Note: The book is available for purchase from the ASCD Web site. Use the URL above to locate the book.
Author: Sharon Vaughn and Sylvia Linan-Thompson
Publication Date: 2004
Publisher: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)




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