The goals expressed in DoDEA’s Community Strategic Plan
(CSP) plus compelling educational research provide the basis
for the
Quality Indicator Map (QI Map).
The QI map is divided into four main areas called
clusters. The
Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment, and Environment clusters
were selected based on the relevance these areas have in
implementing standards-based programs.
The Curriculum cluster emphasizes that standards determine
the curriculum. The components of
the Curriculum cluster are:
Each component (best practice) of the QI Map identifies several
dimensions of the best practice which are outlined in the
QI Map so you can see the layout of the elements and the
continuum. Moving from left to right the quality indicators
increase in complexity and rigor. Implementation is
the standard level of performance that we wish to obtain
for all programs and classroom. Innovation will
evolve from committed and talented teachers given the resources
to achieve.
The terms used to identify each level of the continuum are:
Curriculum Cluster Continuum
| |
Initiation |
Involvement |
Implementation |
Innovation |
| C-1. Standards
provide the foundation for the design, content, and
delivery of instruction. |
The teacher selects an instructional focus without
using the standards. |
The teacher selects an instructional focus with limited
alignment to standards. |
The teacher develops an instructional focus using
the standards. |
The teacher purposefully identifies the standards
and corresponding assessments and then designs an
instructional focus directly related to standards. |
| Content is often based on the teacher’s interests
or the availability of material. |
The teacher uses standards as a guide in selecting
what will be taught. |
The teacher clearly defines the knowledge, skills,
and attitudes to be addressed. |
The teacher determines specific concepts, generalizations,
and principles to be developed, and connects learning
across disciplines. |
| Instructional strategies and student activities are
selected to cover textbook content rather than standards. |
Teaching strategies and learning activities are selected
without direct connections to standards. |
Teaching strategies and learning activities are congruent
with the standards and promote student construction
of knowledge. |
Teaching strategies and learning activities are purposefully
selected to promote student construction of knowledge
related to the specific standards being addressed. |
| Students can tell what tasks they are to accomplish
but are unaware of the standards. |
Students can explain the activity but are unsure
of the standards. |
Students can describe their understanding of the
standards. |
Students can explain and demonstrate their understanding
of the standards. |
| C-2. The teacher possesses content knowledge,
an understanding of its relation to standards, and
a facility in adapting content to allow all students
access to standards. |
The teacher has limited content knowledge. |
The teacher has basic content knowledge. |
The teacher demonstrates competence in the knowledge
in the content. |
The teacher pursues advanced content knowledge, expertise,
and current research in the content field. |
The teacher uses assigned texts to select what
is to be taught. |
The teacher uses knowledge of the grade level
to select overall concepts and skills to be taught. |
The teacher uses overall knowledge of student
similarities and differences to select concepts,
generalizations, and skills matched to the standards. |
The teacher uses knowledge of each student’s
readiness levels to select concepts, generalizations,
and skills matched to the standards and plans
specific adjustments in recognition of individual
student differences. |
All students are exposed to the same level of
content in the same way. |
The teacher
adjusts the levels of difficulty in the content
area during the lesson implementation, having
made no prior plans for addressing differing
needs. |
The teacher plans general adjustments
in content to address differing degrees of student
readiness, providing a range from simple to complex,
concrete to abstract, essential to extended. |
The teacher matches learning
content, materials, and ways to access knowledge
related to standards to the needs of students. |
| C-3. The teacher promotes diversity as
an integral part of the curriculum. |
The teacher uses pre-planned lessons in the curriculum
that provides examples of diversity, often planning
around holidays. |
The teacher recognizes and provides examples of diversity
in the curriculum and learning activities. |
The teacher works at promoting a climate that respects
diversity and provides opportunities to highlight
diversity in the content and learning activities. |
The teacher and students work together to establish
a climate in which respect for diversity is integrated
into the content and its activities. |
The teacher uses texts that do not provide examples
of diversity among people.
Resources used promote stereotypes of groups of people. |
The teacher uses texts and resources that address
diversity and provides opportunities to discuss differences
among groups of people. |
The teacher uses texts and materials that are culturally
diverse that provide opportunities for students to
discuss similarities and differences among groups
of people. |
The teacher deliberately selects and uses multi-cultural
resources that will lead to respect for diversity
and consistently provides opportunities to identify
the types and extent of similarities and differences
among and between groups of people. |
The teacher follows the format of the pre-planned
lessons on diversity.
Students participate in cultural and holiday celebrations
as they are scheduled. |
The teacher highlights contributions of minorities
during cultural heritage celebrations and provides
students with information on minorities and individuals
with special needs. |
The teacher initiates discussions and examinations
of cultural heritage throughout the curriculum and
demonstrates respect for the contributions of minorities
and individuals with special needs. |
The teacher and students understand, respect, discuss,
and examine cultural heritage and the contribution
of minorities and individuals with special needs
as a seamless part of their daily curriculum. |
| C-4. Approved
and appropriate materials correlated to standards
are used and adapted for instruction. |
The teacher provides materials not aligned to the
standards to all students to be used in the same
way. |
The teacher uses currently adopted materials and
other materials not directly aligned with standards. |
The teacher uses currently adopted materials and
supplemental materials related to standards. |
The teacher uses currently adopted materials and
purposefully seeks and selects additional materials
to address standards. |
The teacher provides different materials
when required as part of a student’s IEP
or when provided by a resource specialist for
use by particular students. |
The teacher provides student access to a variety
of materials, based on a general understanding
that students have different needs for depth
and complexity in learning materials. |
The
teacher knows the differing needs of individual
students and identifies or adapts specific materials
to provide each student access to standards-based
learning. |
The teacher plans standards-based
lessons with specific attention to modifications
of materials for differing learners as it applies
to each lesson. |
