P3 Standards, Data and Quality
Framing of this issue:
National Standards are now being finalized to establish the criteria students must meet to progress to the next level. There is debate whether this represents progress, or too much focus in the wrong area. Do National Standards advance Education, or hinder it?
Problem Dimensions (ecosystem domain & boundaries):
Includes focus on National Standards, an integral element of RTTT.
Includes focus on Longitudinal Data Systems (data for students that span grade levels and schools, intended to create picture for "academic career" - also an element of RTTT).
Who Has the Problem (supervising jurisdictions & implementation focus):
State Departments of Education
A. Problem Statement:
- Advancement criteria are objective. Are there or should there be more subjective factors considered, and if so, how could these be consistently administered?
- Does longitudinal data reflect what learners can do, or systemic trending? (new 1/25)
- How can we best identify what teachers and families need to know about learners, to help teachers provide targeted, specific and effective instruction? (new 1/25)
- Assessment has multiple purposes. Seeking one global solution to meet large scale and small scale needs may be short sighted What could be a better approach? (new 1/25)
B. Process Description (if applicable):
C. Actors & Behaviors (desired, undesired):
- State Departments of Education (negotiate standards; agree to embrace them)
- Administration (interpret & adjust)
- Teachers (new rules for the classroom; interpret & apply)
- Students
D. Process Model (picture(s) & flow(s) as needed):
- diagrams of flow that may be relevant to understanding or solutions for this issue?
E. Process Rules:
- what are constraints, actual or implied?
F. Outcomes (desired, undesired):
- Consistency of evaluation across State programs.
G. External Context:
- Is there data to support the benefit of this approach?
- What are it's costs?
- What are the alternatives?
Other sources or references relative to this topic