21st Century Classrooms. Problem Based Learning. Prioritized Standards. Writing To Learn. Inquiry Based Learning. Formative Assessment.
Response to Intervention. Writing Process. Unit Design. Schoology. Balanced Assessment. Next Generation Standards.
The Social Studies Framework. Habits of Mind. Standards Based Grading.
You most likely are familiar with one or more of these foci that are influencing our work with students. With so many different options to explore, how do we ensure the expectations for learning remain high for ALL students? How do we realize one of the goals of our Brighton Blueprint: …that all students should be provided with coursework that is challenging in order to promote individual growth and that each learner will be supported in order to maximize their potential, based on needs and interests. This will necessitate a growth mindset by all.
As a district, we began the work by exploring our own beliefs about rigor, only to find that, as a mixed stakeholder group, we had very different notions of what rigor was and what its implications for curriculum, instruction and assessment were. We then looked to the experts and learned that while they each had a slightly different take on rigor there were many commonalities. The following summarizes what we learned in hopes that, as you explore your areas of expertise, plan your instruction, and support student learning you think about how rigor for ALL students fits into your work and the extent to which we are holding ALL students to the high standards we define.
Included in the related files to the right:
- A definition of what rigor is and what it isn’t
- What the teacher and student do related to creating a Classroom Environment, Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment involving rigor
- Documents Curriculum Council used to guide the work
- Resources to support deeper thinking about rigor
- Ideas for how you could use the above to support your reflection and refinement of
practice
