What is happening in Maine with standards based education?
I know you’re never supposed to open with an apology when you speak or share information but this blog post is going to be a bit longer than usual because it is meant to help clarify and give you a picture of where we are with standards based education in Maine. Please take the time to read through and yes, I apologize for the length.
A LITTLE HISTORY
For years we’ve heard about “standards based education”. We created the Maine Learning Results (MLR-standards document) in 1997 (fondly known as the purple book) and in 2007 the Department, by order of the legislature, revised the standards. The visual and performing arts (dance, music, theatre, visual arts) are part of the Maine Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction. You won’t find this document printed (no more purple book) because you can access it online at http://www.maine.gov/education/lres/pei/index.html
WHERE WE ARE TODAY
During the past two months the Department’s PK-20 team (those individuals responsible for instruction and assessment) have been engrossed in learning about a system called RISC, Reinventing Schools Coalition http://www.reinventingschools.org/, that delivers the promise of a standards based system.
DEFINING STANDARDS BASED
Before I tell you more about RISC I want to help define “standards based”. Many school administrative units are using a standards based report card system. This documents student progress based on their accomplishments of the standards. If this is the only change a district has made this is actually a “standards referenced system”, not standards based. So what is the difference? (You’re probably thinking, OK Nestor, get to the point!) In a standards based system students do not move onto to the next level of learning until they have completed the level of learning they are at. In other words accomplished the standard, really learning before moving on to the next concept.
MOVING AHEAD
When we created the original MLR document and revised them in 2007 (yes, I was there for both of those experiences as an art teacher) we agreed that ONLY what we truly want kids to know and be able to do be included in the document. I haven’t spoken to any dance, music, theater or visual arts teacher who doesn’t agree that the revised MLR’s are a better working well developed document. All arts teachers had the opportunity (and are expected to) have a local curriculum that is aligned with the MLR’s. (Yes, we are no longer using the purple book, recreate it into something else).
I know some arts educators have not aligned curriculum with the 2007 MLR’s or perhaps think that the MLR’s will go away. If you are one of those people, it is time to hop on the bus and move forward. This is about the kids and insuring that all students leave our K-12 systems prepared with an arts education.
RISC CONFERENCE IN MAINE
Two weeks ago the Department invited school administrative units to bring teams to a conference to learn more about the RISC model. The conference presented an overview of the RISC model and was facilitated by Wendy Batino and Rick Schreiber, and a team of students and educators. About 275 attended the three-day conference. In order for RISC to completely work, all the stakeholders in a school district need to be part of the learning and transforming. This includes students, parents, school board and other community members, teachers and administration.
In the model the student is at the center of education. From a very young age the student understands the goals are and are working towards accomplishment of the goals. The goals are the standards and students move through each level as they exhibit their learning of the standard.
SCORING GUIDES
Scoring guides (rubrics) are used as part of the system. In November of 2008, Dr. Robert Marzano from Marzano Associates in Colorado, traveled to Maine for the curriculum leaders conference and gave the keynote. He suggested that scoring guides be created on the state level and be made available to local school districts to measure the accomplishments of the standards. We are beginning the work this week.
Where do scoring guides fit into the RISC model or standards based systems? The scoring guides will contain the Performance Indicators. Teachers can use them to measure if students are accomplishing each of the standards that are aligned within your curriculum.
Some of you might be thinking…. Isn’t this a state curriculum? No, it is not. A state curriculum would dictate what and how you teach. That is up to you. Remember, if your local curriculum is aligned with the MRL’s then you have the local control of what and how you teach. The scoring guides will help you measure what you’ve taught and what kids have learned. The scoring guides are plugging in the performance indicators.
NEXT STEPS
So, what are the next steps? Those who attended the statewide conference may apply to be a pilot site for the RISC model. And, on May 27, 2009 a team of 15 arts educators will begin creating the scoring guides with Marzano Associates. This work will continue for 2 days in the summer and is slated to finish on October 7, 2009.
If you want to learn more about the RISC model I suggest you obtain a copy of “Delivering on the Promise”, available at http://www.solution-tree.com/ I will continue to provide you with information as the scoring guides are developed by arts educators. The Department will be seeking feedback on the scoring guides in late fall or early winter.
As we move forward with this work PLEASE keep abreast of what is happening since the arts will be part of this important work. We need to insure that this work in arts education is an integral part of each school administrative units work. If you have questions or comments please post them here on the blog or feel free to email me separately!
The hummingbirds have returned to my neighborhood as you can see (if you look closely) in this photo I took about 10 feet from the feeder. I love watching them light on the edge of the feeder to take a rest and some nourishment. Someone has designed this feeder so it really gives them a chance to be still.
I so enjoy the purples and whites of the lilacs and the blooms of the apple trees.
