II. Introduction to Pennsylvania’s Standards

Aligned System

Tracy Ficca

PaTTAN Harrisburg

Standards Aligned System (SAS)Overview

The Pennsylvania Standards Aligned Systems (SAS) is a collaborative product

of research and good practice thatidentifies six distinct elements which, if

utilized together, will provide schools anddistricts a common framework for continuous

school and district enhancement and improvement.

SAS is housed as a community on PDE’s Education Hub website

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SAS Development

Educators from across the Commonwealth have created Big Ideas, Concepts, and Competencies in literacy, math, science, and social studies

Other standards content areas will also create Big Ideas, Concepts, and Competencies

Currently, Essential Questions, Exemplars, and Vocabulary are being created in literacy, math, science, and social studies

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Why do we need a Standards -Aligned System in Pennsylvania?

To support districts with Curriculum, Assessment, Instruction

To provide Professional Development

To promote an ongoing learning community

To help all students to meet and when possible, exceed the PA Academic Standards

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Curriculum Framework Big Ideas: Declarative statements that describe

concepts that transcend grade levels.  Big Ideas are essential to provide focus on specific content for all students.

  Concepts: Describe what students should know,

key knowledge, as a result of this instruction, specific to grade level.

Competencies: Describe what students should be able to do, key skills, as a result of this instruction, specific to grade level. 5

Essential Questions: Questions connected to the SAS framework and specifically linked to the Big Ideas.  They should frame student inquiry and promote critical thinking.  They should assist in learning transfer.

  Vocabulary: Key terminology linked to the standards, big Ideas,

concepts and competencies in a specific content area and grade level.

  Exemplars: Exemplars are performance tasks and can be used for

assessment, instruction as well as professional development. Exemplars provide educators with a concrete example of assessing students' understanding of the big ideas, concepts and competencies.

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Coming Soon to the Curriculum Framework…

Big Ideas A set of declarative statements of enduring

understandings for all students at all grade/course levels.

Help students to make connections and make sense of ideas, concepts, skills– for permanent learning and success at higher levels.

Answer the question: What is truly important to understand in this area?

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Next…Concepts

Concepts: Describe what students should know, key knowledge, as a result of this instruction, specific to grade level.

Since the purpose is to provide focus for the curriculum, only major concepts should be included.

A laundry list of all the topics necessary to achieve the competencies is not helpful .

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Competencies

Competencies: Describe what students should be able to do, key skills, as a result of this instruction, specific to grade level.

Begin with identification of the culminating competencies for each grade/course (working backwards).

Should be limited in number and be all encompassing – 5 per grade/course.

What is really important – the outcome of

the course or grade

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SAS Connections to School District Curriculum

Know = Concepts

Understand = Big Ideas

Do = Competencies

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The Relationship…

CompetenciesThe Doing of Mathematics

•Grade Specific

•Multiple Concept Areas

•Multiple Big Ideas

ConceptsThe Knowing of Mathematics

Big IdeasEssential Understandings

•Often run vertically across grades/courses to develop mastery

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