Central components focus directly on student learning. They include curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Changes in these areas are at the heart of teaching. These areas include everything teachers do related to the instructional process: what they teach, how they teach it, and how they measure and evaluate student achievement.

CURRICULUM

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

Southern Union Performance Standards

Southern Union Performance Standards describe what students who attend Seventh-day Adventist schools in the Southern Union should know and be able to do as a result of their schooling. These standards constitute all aspects of the curriculum for a given subject and grade. Standards have been written for the core areas of Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies. They are aligned with Journey to Excellence: A Focus on Adventist Education in the 21st Century [North American Division (NAD) Office of Education], NAD Curriculum Guides , national standards, the McRel Compendium of Standards (the Mid-Continental Regional Educational Laboratory database) and Ten Sigma Performance Standards (a compilation of standards from 38 states).

For an outline of learning expectations for Bible, Fine Arts, Physical Education, and Technology see North American Division Key Learnings,

North American Division Key Learnings

Key Learnings give an overview of the learning expectations for students who attend Seventh-day Adventist schools in the North American Division (NAD); they identify what students should know and be able to do. They are aligned with NAD Curriculum Guides, national standards, the McRel Compendium of Standards (the Mid-Continental Regional Educational Laboratory database) and Ten Sigma Performance Standards (a compilation of standards from 38 states).

Key Learnings Charts identify the basic concepts to be taught in their most succinct terms.

Bible Key Learning
Chart | PDF
Fine Arts Key Learning
Chart | PDF
Physical Education Key Learning
Chart | PDF
Technology Key Learning
Chart | PDF

INTEGRATED LANGUAGE ARTS/BALANCED LITERACY

For many years spelling, handwriting, phonics, English, and reading have been taught as separate subjects. These related processes must be connected to help each student become a better reader and writer. The Adventist EDGE initiative has selected the area of literacy as the first area of focus for major restructuring.

Action Steps

• Identify models of instruction and resources that support an integrated literacy
approach and that are aligned with the language arts standards. (Curriculum)

• Develop and train teachers in the selected models; make connections to the 4MAT
framework. (Instruction)

• Develop performance assessments and an accountability system that tracks
student mastery of standards and learning expectations. (Assessment)

• Develop standards-based report cards that clearly report student progress to
parents. (Assessment)

INTEGRATED CURRICULUM

Teachers will offer a cohesive curriculum enabling students to see connections between the many fields of learning by:

· integrating faith throughout the curriculum.

· building connections within a discipline/subject area and to other related areas
including co-curricular activities.

· cooperating with other teachers in integrating curriculum between
disciplines/subject areas and grade levels.

The following Integrated Units are available from the local conference Office of Education:

. Earth Guard

· Jumpstart

· Loaves and Fishes

· Make It Count Movers and Shakers S. O. S.

· Tell Me a Story

· Over the Edge

INSTRUCTION

In order to make a clear and planned change, teachers will intentionally move from the old model of instruction to a new model that involves:

Moving away from a bureaucratic way of leading a classroom to enlisting student collaboration and involvement in the learning process.

• Refraining from a critic model which judges and labels students; instead, coaching
all students towards success.

• Allowing student mastery, rather than broad content coverage, to drive the
learning process.

• Employing student-centered rather than teacher-centered instructional strategies.

• Refraining from teaching a “page” in a book; instead, teaching essential elements
(SU standards) in authentic ways that are meaningful to students and relevant
to their daily lives.

• Transforming the student from a passive recipient of information to an active
participant in the learning process.

• No longer teaching to the “middle,” but actively finding ways to honor individual
differences with lessons that are appropriate for learners on all ends of the
continuum.

4MAT Framework

The 4MAT Model of Instruction has been selected in the Southern Union as a framework for improving instruction because it is based on the natural cycle of learning identified by learning style theory and brain research. It incorporates a variety of instructional strategies, which include those identified in Journey to Excellence, and allows teachers to be intentional about meeting the needs of individual students.

Classroom instruction that honors the natural learning cycle addresses the following:

• Why is the learning important?
• What are the essential elements that must be grasped?
• How can this new learning be used?
• What can the new learning become? How can the student expand it and
go beyond?

Teachers will develop a community of learners by balancing instructional strategies around the natural learning cycle.

Cooperative Learning

Cooperative learning is a research-based strategy that has proven to increase student achievement. Teachers who use cooperative learning structures report positive outcomes for students not only in increased achievement, but also in improved social skills and relations, and improved classroom climate.

Cooperative learning structures also provide simple content that facilitates the successful organization of study groups. By focusing on one structure per month, study group leaders can easily provide theory, demonstration, practice, feedback and coaching for the acquisition and implementation of new instructional skills.

For these reasons, this instructional strategy was selected as a starting point to begin training as study groups are established around the Southern Union.

Literacy

Fundations

Reader’s Workshop

Writer’s Workshop

Kendall-Hunt

Other Research-based Strategies

• experiential learning
faith-sharing activities
service projects
community-based activities
field trips
outdoor education/expeditionary schools
• direct instruction
interesting and engaging lectures of an age-appropriate length
individualized instruction
• problem-based learning
critical thinking instruction
case studies
extended projects
laboratory experiences
• social learning
leadership activities
role playing
affective education (i.e., social skills training, conflict resolution, anger
management, character training)
partnerships
• remediation and enrichment activities
on-going assessment of individual needs
student mentoring/tutoring
activities and resources for exceptional students

Once the study-group infrastructure has been established and teachers are competent in the use of cooperative learning structures and 4MAT, other instructional strategies as outlined in Journey to Excellence will be selected as the study-group focus. Strategies may include but are not limited to the following:

STUDENT ASSESSMENT

Assessment is a critical element of a learner-centered curriculum. The assessment process must be altered and enhanced to include the kinds of assessment that form a complete overview of student achievement. These include: both formal and informal sessions, both standardized test results and criterion-referenced results, both "on the way" and "at the gate" assessments, both snapshots (quizzes and tests) and videos (progress over time), both verbal and non-verbal, as well as performance requirements and portfolios.

Types of assessment used by EDGE teachers will include:

• Traditional written assessment –quizzes and tests with essay, true/false, and multiple-choice questions.

• Standardized tests –criterion and norm referenced.

• Performance-based assessment utilizing a wide variety of assessment techniques that include: student presented demonstrations; projects and performances used to share learning with the entire class; rubrics that assist children in self-assessment and peer review; student generated work, preserved in portfolios, to be later shared with parents during student-led conferences.