To help students succeed, the State of Texas sets plans and processes to govern and evaluate what students know and understand (TEA, 2021). Teachers must address the curricular needs of each student to evaluate what they know. How is the process governed, and what is required? What should we be doing? The Texas Education Agency (TEA, 2021) governs what schools should be teaching students at every level and ultimately how that knowledge is assessed. I want to discuss what the state of Texas is focused on, the implications, and ultimately the failings. I also want to look at alternatives that can hopefully get us to a student-centered place that we can all celebrate as educators.
In Texas, there are two areas of focus. foundational curriculum
…show more content…
The effort needs to focus on every child and their needs. In his work as an education guru, Robert Marzano offers guidance that could lead us toward curriculum and instruction that celebrate student learning and achievement, but more importantly, growth. Formal assessments are good if they reflect points in the students journey, not as a one and done grade (Marzano, 2013). Formal assessments for students should only represent points on a performance scale. Marzano noted that "characteristics of sound feedback" include that it should be frequent, give students a clear picture of their progress and how they might improve, and provide encouragement. (Robert J. Marzano, Classroom Assessment and Grading That Work, 2006) Students should be on an effective roadmap. Effective learning scales address many needs to help students know and understand where they are and where they should be going (Marzono, 2013). Learning targets should involve fostering student understanding of how they fit in the picture. Understanding relationships and embracing the cultures that are reflected in the classroom make it a shared curriculum by creating learning targets along the