Learning Standards
2009-2010 Adult Learning Standards
Curriculum Development Projects
Adult Basic Education (ABE) providers statewide are engaged in efforts to implement Learning Standards throughout their programs. Many ABE providers report starting to address curriculum alignment, moving from classroom implementation to program level implementation. ABE faculty and staff now are saying that to proceed to the next steps, they would like “to SEE what Learning Standards curriculum can look like.”
A Request for Proposals (RFP) to create samples of actual curriculum that are based on the WA Adult Learning Standards, and descriptions of processes used to create them resulted in three projects being approved. The materials are to serve as guides that local ABE directors can use as they manage curricular change within their agencies or colleges. Below is a brief description of the projects and their intent.
Purpose: To improve student transition within and beyond adult basic education, enabling acquisition of the Tipping Point* knowledge and skills needed to obtain employment that provides a livable wage.
* Tipping Point: One year of college credit and a vocational certificate.
Building on current efforts by providers to align curriculum to the Learning Standards, each funded project will address the curriculum in one of the Math or Reading standards in the context of work. Each grantee will complete its curriculum development work and submit its final products and reports by June 30, 2010. Three grants were awarded to two colleges: Tacoma Community College for two Reading for Understanding projects (ABE and ESL), and Seattle Central for ESL Math. The final works will be posted by June 30, 2010, as a resource to programs.
For those who may be interested in the resources gathered for these projects, we are maintaining the links to the RFP and supporting materials below. Please note that the GUIDANCE contains additional links to additional resource documents that will be used during the course of the project. If you have any questions regarding these projects, please contact Kristin Ockert kockert@sbctc.edu or Susan Kidd at skidd@sbctc.edu.
Links:
Learning Standards
The Washington State Adult Learning Standards are used to:
- Provide a common language that defines educational sucess for students, teachers, partners, funders, and others
- Design local curricula, course outlines, and lesson plans
- Engage departments in planning for outcomes and alignment between levels
- Communicate to students the skills and strategies taught and performance expected in any particular class
- Facilitate student goal-setting
- Assess student progress
- Encourage faculty professional development and collegial dialog
- Articulate with other educational partners (i.e. WorkFirst, vocational/technical programs) and help students transition (i.e. to college classes, vocational training)
In 2006, after a two year design process, the Washington State Learning Standards were approved by ABE directors in the Council for Basic Skills (CBS). The Washington Standards are adapted from the Equipped for the Future (EFF) Content Standards.
Learning Standards attempt to answer the real life outcomes question, “What do adults need to know and be able to do in order to carry out their roles and responsibilities as workers, parents, family members and citizens/community members?” Learning standards set high expectations for learners, while providing support to teachers to help learners meet those expectations.
As you work with the Learning Standards, please notice the meanings embedded in their format. Each standard has three parts. The top consists of a set of descriptors that remains common to all levels of that standard. The indicators which follow are an elaboration of what performance of those skills looks like at the completion of the indicated level. Finally a summary narrative describes how fluently and independently and in what range of settings a student can be expected to perform the skills. Please remember that the indicator descriptors describe what EXIT skills from that level look like.
Statewide standards professional development to support implementation, in the form of a cadre of standards trainers and various on-line tools, have been offered since 2007.
If you have questions, please contact Brian Kanes at 360-704-4324 or bkanes@sbctc.edu.
2009 LEARNING STANDARDS DOCUMENTS
After three years use in the field, the learning standards are benefiting from the input of practitioner wisdom. Suggested changes have been incorporated into updated 2009 versions of the Indicators of the WA Adult Learning Standards. The indicators play an important role in the standards system by describing the KEY knowledge, skills, and strategies that learners should be able to demonstrate at each level in performing the standard. Since they describe student performance, the indicators are a key tool for designing both instruction and assessment. The indicators show up in several Washington ABE documents on this web page: the Washington State Learning Standards, the WA Curriculum Frameworks in each content area, and the WA Indicator Continua in each content area. Below is a link listing the exact places in those documents where changes in language have been made.
learning Standards |
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Washington State Learning Standards |
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Washington State Learning Standards |
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WA ABE Read with Understanding Curriculum Framework |
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WA ESL Read with Understanding Curriculum Framework |
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WA Math Curriculum Framework
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ABE RWU Indicators - LEGAL size document |
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ESL RWU Indicators - LEGAL size document |
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Math Indicators - LEGAL size document |
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WA ABE Writing Indicators - LEGAL size document |
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WA ESL Writing Indicators - LEGAL size document |
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WA ESL Speaking Indicators - LEGAL size document |
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WA ESL Listening Indicators - LEGAL size document |
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Learning Standards Implementation at the Program Level: Milestones |
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Templates & Training Tools |
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RWU Templates - EFF-Trawick |
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RWU Lesson Plan Template |
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Math Templates - adapted from EFF-Trawick |
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Math Lesson Plan Template |
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Standards Based Lesson Examples - Reading |
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RWU - ABE Lesson Level 4 |
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RWU - ABE Lesson Level 4-5 |
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RWU - ESL Lesson Level beginning |
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RWU - ESL Lesson Level 1 |
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RWU - ESL Lesson Level 2 |
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RWU - ESL Lesson Level 3 |
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RWU - ESL Lesson Level 4 |
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RWU - ESL Lesson Level 5 |
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RWU - ESL Lesson Level 5 |
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RWU - ESL Lesson Level 5, handout |
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RWU - ESL Lesson Level 6 |
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RWU - ESL Lesson Level 6 |
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Standards Based Lesson Examples - Math |
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Math Lesson Level 2 |
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Math Lesson Level 2 & 3 |
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Handout #1 for above Math Activity - Where does the time go? |
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Handout #2 for above Math Activity - An Average Non-School Week |
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Handout #3 for above Math Activity - Time Tracker for... |
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Handout #4 for above Math Activity - Time Tracker Table |
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Handout #5 for above Math Activity - Time Tracker Worksheet |
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Math Lesson - ABE Level 4 |
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Math Lesson - ABE Level 4 |
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Math Lesson - ABE Level 4-5-6 |
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Standards Based Lesson Examples - Writing |
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Writing Lesson - ABE Level 3 |
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Writing Lesson - ABE Level 4 |
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Writing Lesson - ABE Level 4 |
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Writing Handout - ABE Level 6 |
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Writing Lesson - ESL Levels 4 - 6 |
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Writing Lesson - ESL Levels 5 - 6 |
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Writing Handout - ESL Levels 5 - 6 |
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Writing Lesson - ESL Levels 5 & 6 |
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Writing Handout #1 - ESL Levels 5 & 6 |
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Writing Handout #2 - ESL Levels 5 & 6 |
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Writing Handout #3 - ESL Levels 5 & 6 |
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EFF Toolkit and Sample Lessons |
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EFF Teaching & Learning ToolKit |
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Oregon Reading Initiative: Sample Eff Standards-Based Lessons |
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