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What does it mean to be standards based in practice?*
Standards-based education in Colorado is defined as an ongoing teaching/learning cycle that ensures all students learn and master Colorado’s Academic Standards and associated concepts and skills.
In this continuous process of teaching/learning, student achievement is frequently measured through a variety of formats and assessment practices, and students are provided multiple opportunities to learn until they reach mastery. Regardless of content area, course, level, or revisions in standards, this teaching and learning cycle remains constant.
Being standards based means that every teacher, in every classroom, every day, through this continuous teaching/learning cycle, ensures students learn all standards and associated concepts and skills to mastery.
In its simplest terms, a standards-based teaching/learning cycle continually answers four critical questions, adapted from Dufour & Eaker (1998, 2002, 2006):
1. What do students need to know, understand, and be able to do?
2. How do we teach effectively to ensure all students are learning?
3. How do we know students are learning?
4. What do we do when students are not learning or are reaching mastery before expectation?