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•Performance Indicators

•Scope & Sequence

•Career & Life Skills

•Instructional Guide

Handout #3

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• Is organized by grade level for each of the 5 content standards.

• Contains descriptors of student learning toward a standard.

• Describes evidence of student learning (e.g., what students should be in student work).

• Reflects growing sophistication required in student work and performance.

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Familiarizing yourself with the document:

• Go to the Career and Life Skills section.• Find the Self-Awareness strand and

standard.• Look over the performance indicators for

Grade 2.

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Standard: Career and Life Skills

Benchmarks: See Grades K to 3

Strand: Self-Awareness

Performance Indicators. The student:

• Describes positive characteristics about self.

• Shares what one likes about other students and why.

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Using the performance indicators for Career and Life Planning, Self-Awareness:

• Read the Grade 2 example. Also read the Assessment Task.

• Find the Grade 2 performance indicators in the student work example.

• What kind of instruction is needed so students can produce work that contains evidence of the Performance Indicators?

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Reflect on the following:

• Are the performance indicators clear descriptors of what needs to be in the student work?

• Are the indicators appropriate for Grade 2?

• Is rigorous work required to produce evidence of the performance indicators?

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Option 1—Discussion:

• What other kinds of student work might be collected to show evidence of the performance indicators for Self Awareness?

• What instructional strategies might teachers use to teach Self Awareness?

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Option 2—Discussion:

• Compare the grades 1, 2, and 3 Performance Indicators for Self-Awareness.

• What differentiates the grade 2 from the grade 3 Performance Indicators?

• What kind of instruction is needed so students can produce work that contains the Performance Indicators for Self-Awareness?

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Using the performance indicators for Career and Life Planning, Self-Awareness:

• Read the Grade 5 example. Also read the Assessment Task.

• Find the Grade 5 performance indicators in the student work example.

• What kind of instruction is needed so students can produce work that contains evidence of the Performance Indicators?

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Reflect on the following:

• Are the performance indicators clear descriptors of what needs to be in the student work?

• Are the indicators appropriate for Grade 5?

• Is rigorous work required to produce evidence of the performance indicators?

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Reflect on the following:

• Do the indicators for subsequent grade levels demand more rigor in the student work?

• Can the indicators be taught/learned?

• Where are most students in relation to their grade level performance indicators?

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• Organized by grade level K-12

• Standards are listed in each grade level

• Connects a standard, benchmark, performance indicator to one sample assessment task and one sample instructional strategy

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The sample assessment task is designed prior to teaching. The task sharpens the focus of instruction because it embodies what we want students to understand and be able to do. The assessment task guides our decision-making about what content to emphasize in instruction.

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“Most likely, the familiar and favorite

activities and projects will have to be

modified in light of the evidence needed for

assessing targeted standards [benchmarks,

performance indicators].” (Wiggins,

McTighe, Understanding By Design, p. 17)

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“The teaching methods and resource

material are chosen last, mindful of the

work that students must produce to meet

the standards.” (Wiggins, McTighe,

Understanding By Design, p. 17)

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• Go to grade 2, Career and Life Planning.

• Locate the self awareness strand.

• Read across the page identifying the standard,

benchmarks, performance indicators, assessment

task, and instructional strategy.

• Do the assessment and instructional strategy

address both of the performance indicators?

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• Standards and benchmarks are not a curriculum. They

are used to guide the development of curriculum.

• The Instructional Guide gives one example of an

instructional strategy. It is neither comprehensive nor

definitive – a teacher who carries out an activity and

assessment task should not assume that the performance

indicator(s) have been met.

• Task and strategies – in reality– should and can address a

number of standards and indicators simultaneously.

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As we use these tools, remember:

• One size does not fit all. We must acknowledge a

continuum of learning rather than a schedule.

• We must guard against viewing the career and life

skills standards as a content to be address in

isolation. Career and Life Skills standards should be

integrated in a holistic approach to teaching and

learning.