Dr. Kathleen McInerney
Professor
Chicago State University
Chicago, IL
Standards guide our teaching and learning by focusing on what learners learn in school. At one time, it was enough to say,
"My students read Beowulf and therefore they know Beowulf "; such an approach, however, told no one very much about what those
students actually gained from reading Beowulf or even why they read that poem. Using national, state and local standards, however,
to drive instructional choices and practice, can help us to understand, shape and assess not only what students are learning but
how they can best learn.
Instructional materials, e.g., lesson plans and units, should include the standards that are addressed by the instruction.
A lesson plan written for the classroom in the Chicago Public Schools, for example, would include the Illinois Learning Goals,
the Chicago Academic Standards and the Curriculum Framework Standards. For more on how to include state and local standards into
your lesson plan, we have included some helpful links in the "Resources" section.
Additionally, content area professional associations have created standards for learners K-12 and beyond. These are guided
by the disciplinary concerns as well as best practices in teaching and learning. Standards sometimes seem to be akin to the Ten
Commandments: written by unseen authorities and handed down to us as rules engraved in stone. It is important to remember,
however, that standards have been designed by classroom teachers and other professionals. Describing the development of the
National Council of Teachers of English/International Reading Association Standards, Peter Smagorinsky notes:
After all, the English language arts standards did emerge from those
practices that our membership and the IRA membership said they
valued most. The standards do not stand above and apart from the
practices of actual classroom teachers, or dictate to them - rather
they represent what those teachers and the many others involved
in English language arts agree is the best and most productive
current thinking about teaching and learning. (1)
State and local standards, and how well students are meeting those standards, are also reflected in standardized testing, e.g.,
the Illinois Standards Achievement Test.
As you become more familiar with national, state and local standards, aligning your instructional goals and assessments will
become an easier task. The modules on this website have all been aligned with disciplinary and state standards; they can serve as
examples for your own instructional design. You will find the standards you need to address on state education department websites
as well as district websites. The national professional organization standards are available online as well, and they are included
in the "Resources" section.
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Smagorinsky, Peter. Standards in Practice: Grades 9-12. Urbana: NCTE, 1996.
Resources:
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