How does Standards-based Teaching impact Student Learning?

Posted by PLB (Professional Learning Board)

Standards-based teaching streamlines and eliminates random teaching practices that tap into
the preferences of the teacher rather than the instructional needs of the student. Standards-
based instruction guides the planning, implementation and assessment of student learning. The
use of standards to streamline instruction ensures that teaching practices deliberately focus on
agreed upon learning targets. Expectations for student learning are mapped out with each
prescribed standard and the road map to mastery is clearly defined within the adopted
curriculum.

Teachers align classroom instructions and assessments with the standards, ensuring that their
students will meet these high demands. This approach may be used by teachers to track
student performance and plan focused instructions to meet the specific needs of students.

Often, on the introductory pages of many state-developed standards, there is a further

disclaimer that reads something like the standards serve as the basis for statewide
assessments, curriculum frameworks, and instructional materials, but methods of instructional
delivery remain the responsibility of local educators.

Standards-based teaching streamlines and eliminates random teaching practices that tap into
the preferences of the teacher rather than the instructional needs of the student. For instance,
a classroom teacher would not teach a concept considered not standardized or unrecognized.
Gone are the days when a teacher would teach about something for six months because they
enjoy the topic. Rather, a set curriculum map is followed to adhere to the standards outlined
for each grade level. Teaching to the standards modernizes and levels the playing field for all
learners.

Discuss Here: How can we ensure standards-based teaching instruction in the classroom?

https://k12teacherstaffdevelopment.com/tlb/how-does-standards-based-teaching-impact-
student-learning/
 Integrating Standards in Teaching

Benchmarks? Rubrics? Assessments? Content, Instructional and Performance Standards?

Sample from Integrating Standards Course #5Were told that a standards-based curriculum is
suppose to increase student learning and promote higher student achievement, but what is it
really all about? This course helps educators untangle what turns out to be the not-so-
mysterious-language of todays teaching and learning and put successful strategies into
practice.

Importance of Standards Based Instruction

In order to ensure that the student is given clear and precise instructions, it becomes necessary
to align instruction with standards.1

Standards ensure better accountability holding teachers and schools responsible for what
goes on in the classrooms.1 The practice of aligning learning to standards also helps ensure
that a higher level of learning is attained, guides teachers in the process of assessment and
helps keep them on track.

Standards based instruction helps guide the planning, implementation, and assessment of
student learning. The use of standards to streamline instruction ensures that teaching practices
deliberately focus on agreed upon learning targets. Expectations for student learning are
mapped out with each prescribed standard.

Teachers follow standards based instruction to ensure that their students meet the demands
targeted. Following a standards-based model for classroom assessment and instruction is an
approach teachers use to track student performance and plan focused instruction to meet the
specific needs of students.

From Professional Learning Boards online continuing education course for teachers: Integrating
Standards in Teaching
STANDARDS-BASED
LAST UPDATED: 12.05.14
http://edglossary.org/standards-based/
2014 Great Schools Partnership | 482 Congress Street, Suite 500 | Portland, ME 04101 |
207.773.0505 | greatschoolspartnership.org

In education, the term standards-based refers to systems of instruction, assessment, grading, and
academic reporting that are based on students demonstrating understanding or mastery of the
knowledge and skills they are expected to learn as they progress through their education. In a
school that uses standards-based approaches to educating students, learning standardsi.e.,
concise, written descriptions of what students are expected to know and be able to do at a
specific stage of their educationdetermine the goals of a lesson or course, and teachers then
determine how and what to teach students so they achieve the learning expectations described in
the standards.
In the United States, most standards-based approaches to educating students use state learning
standards to determine academic expectations and define proficiency in a given course,
subject area, or grade level. The general goal of standards-based learning is to ensure that
students are acquiring the knowledge and skills that are deemed to be essential to success in
school, higher education, careers, and adult life. If students fail to meet expected learning
standards, they typically receive additional instruction, practice time, and academic support to
help them achieve proficiency or meet the learning expectations described in the
standards. Standards-based learning is common in American elementary schools, but it is
becoming more widely used in middle and secondary schools.
In most cases, standards-based learning, standards-based instruction, or standards-based
education, among other similar terms, are synonyms for proficiency-based
learning or competency-based learning (two terms that are themselves synonymous). Defining
standards-based learning is further complicated by the fact that educators not only use a wide
variety of terms for the general approach, but the terms may or may not be used synonymously
from place to place. A few of the other common synonyms include mastery-based, outcome-
based, and performance-basededucation, instruction, or learning, among others. In addition,
there is a subtle but significant difference between standards-based and standards-reference
see the explanation below.

Standards-Based vs. Standards-Referenced

The distinction between standard-based and standards-referenced is often a source of confusion
among educators and the publicin part because the terms are sometimes used interchangeably,
but also because the distinction between the two is both subtle and nuanced. In brief, standards-
referenced means that what gets taught or tested is referenced to or derived from
learning standards (i.e., standards are the source of the content and skills taught to studentsthe
original reference for the lesson), while standards-based refers to the practice of making sure
students learn what they were taught and actually achieve the expected standards (i.e., that
students meet a defined standard for proficiency). In a standards-referenced system, teaching
and testing are guided by standards; in a standards-based system, teachers work to ensure that
students actually learn the expected material as they progress in their education.
Another way of looking at it is that standards-referenced refers to inputs (what is taught) and
standards-based is focused on outputs (what is learned).
While a particular course may be standards-referenced, for example, it doesnt necessarily mean
that it is standards-based in the sense that the term is predominately used by educators. However,
all standards-based curricula, instruction, and tests areby necessitystandards-referenced. For
example, all fifty states in the United States have developed and adopted learning standards that
schools and teachers are expected to follow when they create academic programs, courses, and
other learning experiences (before the 1980s and 1990s, states did not have learning standards).
In theory, these educational policies suggest that all American public schools either are or should
be teaching a standards-referenced curriculum. Yet comparatively few public schools are
authentically standards-based in the sense that students are required to demonstrate achievement
of expected standards, and meet defined proficiency expectations, as they progress through their
education. For a more detailed discussion, see proficiency-based learning.
The following examples will help to illustrate the distinction between standards-
basedand standards-referenced:
Assessment: Say a teacher designs a standards-referenced test for a history course. While
the content of the test may be entirely standards-referencedi.e., it is aligned with the
expectations described in learning standardsa score of 75 may be considered a passing
score, suggesting that 25 percent of the taught material was not actually learned by the
students who scored a 75. In addition, the teacher may not know what specific standards
students have or have not met if only the scores tests and assignments are summed and
averaged. For example, a student may be able to earn a passing grade in a ninth-grade
English course, but still be unable to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard
English grammar and usage when writing and speaking or demonstrate understanding of
figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meaningstwo ninth-grade
standards taken from the Common Core State Standards. If the teacher uses a standards-
based approach to assessment, however, students would only pass a test or course after
demonstrating that they have learned the knowledge and skills described in the expected
standards. The students may need to retake a test several times or redo an assignment, or
they may need additional help from the teacher or other educational specialist, but the
 students would need to demonstrate that they learned what they were expected to learn
i.e., the specific knowledge and skills described in standards.
Curriculum: In most high schools, students typically earn credit for passing a course, but a
passing grade may be an A or it may be a D, suggesting that the awarded credit is based on a
spectrum of learning expectationswith some students learning more and others learning
lessrather than on the same learning standards being applied to all students equally. And
because grades may be calculated differently from school to school or teacher to teacher,
and they may be based on different learning expectations (for example, some courses may
be harder and others easier), students may pass their courses, earn the required number
of credits, and receive a diploma without acquiring the most essential knowledge and skills
described in standards. In these cases, the curricula taught in these schools may be
standards-referenced, but not standards-based, because teachers are not evaluating whether
students have achieved specific standards. In standards-based schools, courses, and
programs, however, educators will use a variety of instructional and assessment methods to
determine whether students have met the expected standards, including strategies such
as demonstrations of learning, personal learning plans, portfolios, rubrics,
and capstone projects, to name just a few.
Grading: In a standards-referenced course, grading may look like it traditionally has in
schools: students are given numerical scores on a 1100 scale and class grades represent an
average of all scores earned over the course of a semester or year. In a standards-based
course, however, grades often look quite different. While standards-based grading and
reporting may take a wide variety of forms from school to school, grades are typically
connected to descriptive standards, not based on test and assignment scores that are
averaged together. For example, students may receive a report that shows how they
progressing toward meeting a selection of standards. The criteria used to determine what
meeting a standard means will defined in advance, often in a rubric, and teachers will
evaluate learning progress and academic achievement in relation to the criteria. The reports
students receive might use a 14 scale, for example, with 3s and 4s indicating that students
have met the standard. In standards-based schools, grades for behaviors and work habits
e.g., getting to class on time, following rules, treating other students respectfully, turning in
work on time, participating in class, putting effort into assignmentsare also reported
separately from academic grades, so that teachers and parents can make distinctions between
learning achievement and behavioral issues. See the following example of a standards-based
report card:
 Standards- based assessment based on K-12 Curriculum

https://www.slideshare.net/meriamgudes/standards-based-assessment-based-on-k12-
curriculum

Meriam Gudes, Teacher at Nasah Center For Learning, Inc.

1. Standard-Based Assessment for Effective and Teaching and Learning Using Understanding by
Design

2. Objectives: Define the standard-based assessment as mandated in DepEd Order No. 73,
s.2012 Identify the difference between content and performance standard. Be aware of the
different levels of assessment in the K-12 curriculum.

3. Some Glaring Realities in Philippine Education 1. Students low performance in exams 2. Poor
learning/study habits 3. Poor learning facilities 4. Teacher inadequacy / incompetence 5. Lack or
absence of parental guidance/support 6. Effects of globalization

4. Some Teachers Gripes Most students are not motivated at all. Students easily forget
what they learn. Most students are obsessed with grades, not with learning. They want to
be told every little thing. They hate to read. They dont ask questions. They dont explain.
They tend to simply repeat.

5. What do the following situations suggest?

6. Situation 1 When I was in my last year in Grade School, I could memorize very easily and fast
and so I became the class valedictorian, but I felt embarrassed later that I understand much less
than some other students who cared less about getting good grades.

7. Situation 2 How many buses does the school need to transport 1, 128 students if each bus
hold 36 students? Almost 1/3 of the 5th graders answered 31 remainder 12

8. Situation 3 It is almost at the end of the 4th quarter of the SY, and Ms. Santos hurries up to
finish the subject-matter coverage. She needs to catch up fast to comply with the schools
coverage requirement. She switches to lecture-type of lesson presentation to her pupils.

9. What familiar truths are revealed by the three situations? TEACH, TEST AND HOPE FOR THE
BEST

10. Are we(The Philippines) Educating for Competitiveness? Are we building Competence
(Competitiveness)? What are employees looking for in graduates? Company managers were
asked in studies done by the DAP(Productivity and Development Center) to determine when
certain skills and knowledge should be acquired and the degree of attainment:

11. Skills Educational Level Degree of Attainment Basic writing, reading, arithmetic Elementary
Not quiet Theoretical Knowledge and work Secondary Not quiet skills Practical knowledge and
skills of work Secondary Hard to tell Human relations skills Secondary Somewhat Work habits
Secondary Hard to tell Will to work Secondary Not quiet Sense of responsibility Secondary Not
quiet Social responsibility Secondary Not quiet Ethics and morals Secondary Not quiet Health
and hygiene Elementary Hard to tell The consensus among employers that a high school
diploma with its current coverage is inadequate for their purposes. HS graduates show
deficiencies in their ability to communicate, to think logically and to solve problems. J.M.
Luzon/2007

12. Pres. Aquino signs enhanced Basic Education or K to 12 Act RA 10533 MANILA,
PhilippinesPresident Benigno Aquino on Wednesday morning signed into law the Enhanced
Basic Education Act of 2013, mandating kindergarten and adding two years to secondary
education to place the countrys curriculum on par with international standards. The President
said Republic Act 10533, widely known as the K to 12 Act, would lay the foundations for a
better future for every Filipino child. https://mlephil.wordpress.com/category/enhanced-k12-
basic-education-program/

13. Reasons: make Philippine more globally competitive Place the countrys curriculum at
par with international standards Establish system of education the truly imbues the youth
with the skills they need to pursue their dreams-master concept and skills to create lifelong
learners and prepare them for tertiary education , middle-level skills development,
employment and entrepreneurship.

14. Reasons: the world is becoming smaller due to advanced technology Expansion of
companies into global market where we are competing with people from all over the planet
for spaces in colleges, for money and for jobs. On a global perspective the call for increasing
rigor in the classroom is becoming more and more commonplace

15. They have to be: Quick on their feet, to adapt, and to roll with the punches. In short, they
have to be able to think! Able to analyze and evaluate a situation. Critical thinkers!
Problem solvers! Team players! Possess 21st century skills! Todays students have to be able
to do more than swallow facts and regurgitate them back out!

16. Therefore, what should school ADMINISTRATORS and TEACHERS do?

17. Intensify our INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP

18. Something to think about What do you understand about standards-based classroom
instruction and assessment? How can you be sure that you are doing what you are supposed
to do? As an instructional leader, where do you want to bring your school with this new
approach of instruction and assessment? What opportunities for academic excellence can
arise out of implementing DepEd Order 73? As an instructional leader, where do you want to
bring your school with this new approach of instruction and assessment?

19. Something to think about How do standards look like in classroom instruction? How are
they made concrete in classroom instruction?

20. What are standards? Standards are established norms or benchmarks for learning that
define what students need to know, understand and do.

21. What is a standard-based classroom instruction? Achieve the standard by using the
content as the vehicle. Makes big ideas and enduring understanding act as an umbrella for
the content. Embeds assessment of the attainment of the standards of instructional
strategies. Implements standards that are observable and measurable. Emphasizes on what
students will be able to know, understand and do. Ensures alignments of instructional plan,
assessment and instructional plan, assessment and instruction with the standards. Focuses on
helping students meet the standards. Uses student-centered approach.

22. What is standards-based assessment?

23. What is standards-based assessment? An approach that compares students performances

to the standards, rather than comparing them with other students. The measurement of
students learning performance according to predetermined educational content and
performance standards. (Sana Rafiq 2008) The standards define the skills and knowledge
content which will need to be mastered by each student in a certain time frame. Assessment is
aligned to the attainment of the students through the defined skills or competencies.

24. What is standards-based classroom instruction? In a standards-based classroom, learning

outcomes aligned to content standards are held constant, and all students are expected to
attain proficiency in them. Flexibility is provided in the time and support each students needs
to meet the standard. Teacher follows a cycle of instruction assessment, planning, instruction,
assessment, and re-teaching so all students meet specific, clearly stated and understood, high
academic standards in each content area.

25. standards Standards-based classroom instruction Standards-based assessment Department

of Education Order (DO) Number 73 Guidelines On The Assessment And Rating Of Learning
Outcomes Under K To 12 Basic Education Curriculum
26. Standards Competencies Assessment Students Knowledge, Process, Understanding and
Product/Performance Instructions

27. DepEd Order 31/73 : REVISED GRADING SYSTEM (Grades 1 and 7, SY 2012-2013) LEVELS OF
ASSESSMENT Knowledge (15%) Process/ Skllls (25%) Understanding (30%) Products or
Performance (30%) MEANING TRANSFER

28. END OF PART 1 STAY FOR MORE

"Seven Reasons for Standards-Based Grading" from ASCD

Getting Serious about School Reform from Marzano Research Lab
Developing Grading and Reporting Systems for Student Learning
"The Power of Feedback" (John Hattie Meta-Analysis)
Classroom Assessment and Grading that Work by Marzano
"Working Inside the Black Box" by Black, et al