What is a standard?
​A standard is a statement of what students are expected to know and be able to do by the end of a course, grade level, or grade span.
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Learning standards define the knowledge and skills students should possess at critical points in their educational career.
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Standards should be clear, straightforward, observable, measurable, and well-articulated.
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Standards are used as a reference point for planning, teaching, and
assessing student progress.
Learning standards are synonymous with learning outcomes, learning objectives, learning targets, and competencies.
As educators, parents, and citizens from diverse backgrounds, we share a common commitment to the welfare of our children. To that end, the purpose of the Elementary Curriculum is to ensure that all students will learn the same core of significant content at a specified instructional level. These goals are aligned with the New York State P-12 Next Generation Learning Standards and represent a living document that will continue to develop to meet the needs of our learners and reflect the advances of our society.
The demands of the 21st century require an approach to education that can fully prepare students for college, career, and citizenship. Research, practice, and common sense confirm that a whole child approach to education develops students who are prepared for the challenges and opportunities of today and tomorrow by addressing students' comprehensive needs through the shared responsibility of students, families, schools, and communities.
In order to provide for long term student success, the Elementary Curriculum reflects a whole child approach, which ensures that each student is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. The Elementary Curriculum includes content, process and dispositional standards as part of its holistic commitment to its students.
Content, Process, and Dispositional standards are interwoven through a dynamic, engaging instructional process.
Content
Content standards focus on promoting student proficiency, knowledge, and understanding in the discipline areas of language arts, mathematics, history, geography, economics, democratic principles, scientific principles, career/life management, arts and humanities, information literacy/technology, physical coordination/wellness, personal growth, and character development.
Process
Process Standards describe the skills students should develop to enhance the process of learning. Process standards are not specific to a particular discipline, but are generic skills that are applicable to any discipline. Process standards include: problem solving, inductive and deductive reasoning, communication, making connections, representation, and visualization.
Dispositional
Dispositional Standards describe the attitudes and habits of the mind that students need to develop in order to continue to grow and develop as productive citizens and lifelong learners: perseverance, independence, curiosity, respect, patience, self-awareness, willingness to take risks, flexibility, pragmatism, appreciation, ethical behavior, cross-cultural awareness, compassion, civic responsibility, integrity, and resilience.
""The habits we form from childhood make no small difference,
but rather they make all the difference." —Aristotle