Overcoming Challenges of Standards Alignment

Context Challenge #1 : The citation addresses the content of the standard but not in the correct context.

Domain : Informational Text Cluster: Key Ideas and Details Standard : RI.5.2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.

The context of the standard is informational text , as articulated in the Domain. There is no reference to context in the language of the standard.

Alignment strategy : If a citation addresses the main ideas and key details, and summarizes a story, drama, or poem, the citation would not be aligned to this standard. In other words, if the citation uses any type of text other than an informational text , the citation would not be aligned to this standard. To find citations that may be aligned to this standard, identify where the material specifically addresses informational texts.

Here is another example of the same challenge for science.

Topic : Space Systems Performance Expectation : MS-ESS1-1. Earth's Place in the Universe. Develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the sun and moon, and seasons. *The SEP, DCI, and CCCs contribute to the context but are not included in this example for the sake of simplicity.

The context of this performance expectation is e arth’s place in the universe .

Alignment strategy : A citation that simply requires students to build a model of the earth-sun-moon would not align to this standard. To be aligned, the citation must require or lead students to build an earth-sun-moon model that shows e arth’s place in the universe .