Post by Uplifting Education on Nov 30, 2011 19:24:36 GMT -8
Notes quoted from [url=http://www.leadered.com/pdf/academic_excellence.pdf
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What Defines Academic Excellence?
The changing nature of work, technology, and competition in the global job market has far
outpaced what the U.S. education system provides for students, despite the ongoing efforts of educators
and communities to improve their schools. Priorities and goals set by educators at all levels of academia
are not closing the gap. The focus on state assessments as the one true measure of academic excellence is
slowly but surely limiting our young people’s chances of experiencing any semblance of the success in
life that we expect for them and that they believe school will provide for them.
The present structure of the education system does students a tremendous injustice by not delivering the quality schooling we are capable of. State assessments play a role in education, but a score on a test will not help the student when he or she is competing for a job with someone from China or India. What is important is that students enter the global economy with the ability to apply what they learned in school to a variety of ever-changing situations that they couldn’t foresee before graduating. That is the mark of a quality education and a truer indication of academic excellence.
Rigor/Relevance Framework®
Studies have shown that students understand and retain knowledge best when they have applied it in a practical, relevant setting. A teacher who relies on lecturing does not provide students with optimal learning opportunities. Instead, students go to school to watch the teacher work. The International Center’s Rigor/Relevance Framework is a powerful tool that has captured the imagination of teachers to aspire to teach students to high rigor and high relevance.
All educators can use the Rigor/Relevance Framework to set their own standards of excellence as well as to plan the objectives they wish to achieve. This versatile Framework applies to standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
When planning a lesson using the Rigor/Relevance Framework, it is important to maintain a consistent level of rigor and relevance. For example, if a teacher has lofty curriculum objectives in Quadrant D but develops instruction and test questions that are in Quadrant A, it is unlikely that students will reach the teacher’s high expectations. Similarly, if a teacher designs high-rigor instructional activities but uses a low-rigor assessment tool, the test will not be an accurate measure of what students have learned.
When implementing the Rigor/Relevance Framework in a classroom, school, district, or state, it is of great importance to design instruction and develop assessments that measure Quadrant D skills. This enables students not only to gain knowledge, but also to develop skills such as inquiry, investigation, and experimentation.
Rigor/Relevance Framework®
A
Acquisition
B
Application
C
Assimilation
D
Adaptation
Knowledge
1. Knowledge
2. Comprehension
3. Application
4. Analysis
5. Synthesis
6. Evaluation
Application
1 – Knowledge in one discipline
2 – Apply knowledge in one discipline
3 - Apply knowledge across disciplines
4 – Apply knowledge to real-world predictable situations
5 – Apply knowledge to real-world unpredictable situations
The difference among the four quadrants of the Rigor/Relevance Framework in terms of academic complexity really relates to students’ aptitudes, interests, and learning styles. In many cases, students who are quick to master theories (A/C) will struggle with applications (B/D) unless they are properly contextualized. Conversely, some students intuitively understand how to apply knowledge to a situation, but have trouble understanding the basic theory behind it. These students may be very bright, but they have trouble exhibiting that on the state tests because the assessments are not designed with their learning styles and aptitudes in mind.
If the rigor and relevance of Quadrants B and D became the predominant instructional practice, all students will benefit. Students with Quadrants A and C learning styles and aptitudes would be challenged to develop skills they will need to compete in the global job market. Although they may be great students and score well on tests, many are not prepared for success in the work force. Students with Quadrants B and D learning styles would finally get a chance to shine. With proper instruction, these students will understand the theory behind what they are learning. All students benefit because they will be challenged to achieve academic excellence, which ultimately boils down to applying rigorous knowledge to unpredictable, real-world situations, such as those that drive our rapidly changing world … and the tests will take care of themselves.
For the complete article, see this website.
]this website:[/url] [/b][/font]
What Defines Academic Excellence?
The changing nature of work, technology, and competition in the global job market has far
outpaced what the U.S. education system provides for students, despite the ongoing efforts of educators
and communities to improve their schools. Priorities and goals set by educators at all levels of academia
are not closing the gap. The focus on state assessments as the one true measure of academic excellence is
slowly but surely limiting our young people’s chances of experiencing any semblance of the success in
life that we expect for them and that they believe school will provide for them.
The present structure of the education system does students a tremendous injustice by not delivering the quality schooling we are capable of. State assessments play a role in education, but a score on a test will not help the student when he or she is competing for a job with someone from China or India. What is important is that students enter the global economy with the ability to apply what they learned in school to a variety of ever-changing situations that they couldn’t foresee before graduating. That is the mark of a quality education and a truer indication of academic excellence.
Rigor/Relevance Framework®
Studies have shown that students understand and retain knowledge best when they have applied it in a practical, relevant setting. A teacher who relies on lecturing does not provide students with optimal learning opportunities. Instead, students go to school to watch the teacher work. The International Center’s Rigor/Relevance Framework is a powerful tool that has captured the imagination of teachers to aspire to teach students to high rigor and high relevance.
All educators can use the Rigor/Relevance Framework to set their own standards of excellence as well as to plan the objectives they wish to achieve. This versatile Framework applies to standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
When planning a lesson using the Rigor/Relevance Framework, it is important to maintain a consistent level of rigor and relevance. For example, if a teacher has lofty curriculum objectives in Quadrant D but develops instruction and test questions that are in Quadrant A, it is unlikely that students will reach the teacher’s high expectations. Similarly, if a teacher designs high-rigor instructional activities but uses a low-rigor assessment tool, the test will not be an accurate measure of what students have learned.
When implementing the Rigor/Relevance Framework in a classroom, school, district, or state, it is of great importance to design instruction and develop assessments that measure Quadrant D skills. This enables students not only to gain knowledge, but also to develop skills such as inquiry, investigation, and experimentation.
Rigor/Relevance Framework®
A
Acquisition
B
Application
C
Assimilation
D
Adaptation
Knowledge
1. Knowledge
2. Comprehension
3. Application
4. Analysis
5. Synthesis
6. Evaluation
Application
1 – Knowledge in one discipline
2 – Apply knowledge in one discipline
3 - Apply knowledge across disciplines
4 – Apply knowledge to real-world predictable situations
5 – Apply knowledge to real-world unpredictable situations
The difference among the four quadrants of the Rigor/Relevance Framework in terms of academic complexity really relates to students’ aptitudes, interests, and learning styles. In many cases, students who are quick to master theories (A/C) will struggle with applications (B/D) unless they are properly contextualized. Conversely, some students intuitively understand how to apply knowledge to a situation, but have trouble understanding the basic theory behind it. These students may be very bright, but they have trouble exhibiting that on the state tests because the assessments are not designed with their learning styles and aptitudes in mind.
If the rigor and relevance of Quadrants B and D became the predominant instructional practice, all students will benefit. Students with Quadrants A and C learning styles and aptitudes would be challenged to develop skills they will need to compete in the global job market. Although they may be great students and score well on tests, many are not prepared for success in the work force. Students with Quadrants B and D learning styles would finally get a chance to shine. With proper instruction, these students will understand the theory behind what they are learning. All students benefit because they will be challenged to achieve academic excellence, which ultimately boils down to applying rigorous knowledge to unpredictable, real-world situations, such as those that drive our rapidly changing world … and the tests will take care of themselves.
For the complete article, see this website.
