Field Resources
National Standards International Standards Professional Development Materials
National Standards
American Diploma Project is a joint project launched by Achieve, Inc., the Education Trust, and the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation. The project outlines college and workplace readiness benchmarks in English and mathematics and provides samples of how academic standards are used in the real world.
Understanding University Success, a project of the Association of American Universities and the Pew Charitable Trusts, was designed to answer one question: What must students know and be able to do in order to succeed in entry-level college courses?
The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort to establish a shared set of clear educational standards for English language arts and mathematics that states can voluntarily adopt. These standards are designed to ensure that students graduating from high school are prepared to go to college or enter the workforce and that parents, teachers, and students have a clear understanding of what is expected of them.
Standards for the English Language Arts Standards for the English Language Arts presents a vision of literacy education that encompasses the use of print, oral, and visual language and addresses six interrelated English language arts: reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and visually representing. Published jointly by the National Council of Teachers of English and the International Reading Association.
Principles and Standards for School Mathematics provides an outline of the essential components of a mathematics program and a set of 10 content standards for mathematics instruction. It includes expectations for the grade clusters of Pre-K–2, 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12.
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages ESL Standards for Pre-K–12 Students (2006) is framed around three goals and nine standards. Each standard has grade-specific descriptors, sample progress indicators, and concrete examples for developing language skills in the content areas.
International Standards
An Adult Literacy and Numeracy Curriculum Framework for Scotland advocates the Scottish philosophies and approach to adult literacy and numeracy learning and teaching.
National Reporting System - Australia was developed by the Adult, Community and Further Education Division of the Office of Training and Further Education in Victoria, Australia. It is based on Indicators of Competence in reading, writing, oral communication, learning strategies, and numeracy across five levels of competence.
Key Competencies and Draft Descriptive Standards, New Zealand. The Key Competencies represent the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values needed by everyone across a variety of contexts. The draft Descriptive Standards are for reading, writing, listening, speaking, and mathematics.
Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks Canadian Language Benchmarks 2000 describes a person’s ability to use the English language to accomplish a set of tasks at 12 benchmark levels in four language skill areas: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Professional Development Materials
Start-Up Standards Development Implementation and Rollout
These materials were developed to provide technical assistance to states participating in the Adult Education Content Standards State Consortia project, operated by the American Institutes for Research through a contract with the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, 2003-2005.
Start-Up
The Promise of Standards 
POWERPOINT (75K) discusses the value of standards, defines key terms, and explains how standards affect curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
Establishing a Common Set of Definitions and Terms POWERPOINT (53K) defines terms used in standards-based education and describes a model for educational reform, which is adapted from the National Research Council (1999).
Standards Definitions 
MS WORD (34K) defines terms and describes the distinct purposes of content standards, benchmarks/indicators, performance and program standards, and curriculum frameworks.
A Systems Approach to Standards Implementation POWERPOINT (119K) describes a model in which standards are the centerpiece for systemic reform in 11 program areas, such as accountability, professional development, resources, and instruction.
Planning Document: A Systems Approach to Implementation MS WORD (55K) accompanies the above PowerPoint presentation and lists questions to consider when planning a fully integrated system for standards-based education.
Content Standards State Profile MS WORD (175K) provides a template that states can use to assess where they are in the process of implementing standards-based education.
Content Standards Action Plan MS WORD (29K) provides a template that programs can use to develop an action or work plan for adult education projects.
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Standards Development
Establishment of Writing Teams POWERPOINT (95K) MSWORD (46K) describes important considerations for forming writing teams, such as team composition and size, qualities of team members, recruitment and selection, training, and meeting frequency.
Qualities of a Good Standard POWERPOINT (73K) lists seven qualities of a good standard, providing examples of standards that do not meet the criteria and ways to strengthen weak standards.
Writing Standards: Resolving Conflicts POWERPOINT (80K) MS WORD (47K) presents the challenges of writing content standards that meet the criteria for quality and suggests strategies for dealing with inherent conflicts.
Sample Standards from English Language Arts and Mathematics MS WORD (41K) demonstrates how to translate standards for learners by using language that is less technical and by adding examples.
The Bottom Line: Instructional Quality POWERPOINT (54K) MS WORD (71K) discusses the kinds of standards that have a realistic chance of changing and improving instruction.
Using Crosswalks for Alignment: Pros and Cons POWERPOINT (50K) MS WORD (49K) defines four uses for crosswalks, with examples and resources for further investigation.
Assessing Your Standards: Standards and Assessment Alignment POWERPOINT (80K) identifies best assessment practices and types of assessments and suggests ways of looking at standardized tests. Includes resources on alignment.
Models for Aligning Assessments to Standards POWERPOINT (69K) MS WORD (54K) presents types of alignments and methods for achieving alignment of standards and tests. Discusses the benefits of an alignment analysis and provides models for conducting one.
Power of Reviewing Standards POWERPOINT (145K) MS WORD (56K) describes the benefits of reviewing draft standards internally within the team, through a field review, and by external experts. Provides concrete tips for each type of review.
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Implementation and Rollout
A Worksheet for Planning How to Introduce Standards MS WORD (24K) provides strategies for talking about standards with a variety of audiences.
Mathematics: ABE III (Textbook/Standards Alignment Template) MS WORD (42K) presents a tool for aligning standards with textbooks or other resources.
Getting to Know Your Standards: State Introduction of Standards POWERPOINT (71K) raises questions to consider in planning the introduction of standards, such as which audiences are important to address, what information should be communicated, and what communication processes should be used.
Standards Implementation: 10 Tips from the Front Lines POWERPOINT (108K) provides suggestions for states to roll-out or introduce standards and gather buy-in from program staff.
Turning Doubters into Believers: Confronting Resistance POWERPOINT (45K) MS WORD (53K) suggests ways to gain support from teachers and program directors and to turn program directors into instructional leaders.
Point: Counterpoint on Standards MS WORD (40K) provides responses to some of the common arguments used by people who resist standards-based reform.
Communicating Standards to Learners POWERPOINT (35K) MS WORD (43K) outlines why, how, and when standards can be communicated to learners.
Standards Needs Analysis Template MS WORD (35K) provides a template for one method to determine professional development needs of the field.
Power Standards/Indicators Identification Criteria MS WORD (23K) provides a strategy to help teachers determine which standards deserve priority in their classrooms.
Teaching Your Standards: Putting Standards to Work in the Classroom POWERPOINT (91K) discusses curriculum and professional development as key components of standards implementation and discusses research on quality professional development.
Content Area Definitions and Frameworks define the primary elements of English language acquisition (ELA), mathematics, and reading and outline the skills and knowledge essential for mastery of those content areas. The definitions and frameworks were developed by the Adult Education Content Standards Warehouse project to determine a structure for presenting the standards in the original design of the warehouse.