Standards-Based Teaching
The Illinois Learning Standards are a common set of expectations to help Illinois deliver quality public education for all students. The Standards tell parents, students, teachers and the public what knowledge and skills children need to succeed in life. They were developed at the direction of the General Assembly in 1997 after nearly three years of study with the input of nearly 28,000 Illinois citizens. Sandwich CUSD #430 and the Illinois State Board of Education are committed to fully implementing the Standards.
The Illinois Learning Standards are the foundation of public education in Illinois. As such they:
- encompass the important skills and knowledge our students will need to succeed in life;
- guide local administrators and teachers in establishing curriculum, teaching strategies and assessment;
- serve as a basis for teacher standards and professional development.
Local schools use the Standards to:
- organize and share curriculum, instructional methods and tests between teachers, and across grade levels and schools;
- gauge student progress through local tests;
- learn and share the successes in education;
- develop and focus school improvement plans;
- communicate the purpose and results of schooling to the local community;
- target funds to best support teaching and learning.
The Seven Areas of Learning Standards are:
The Standards framework is divided into seven learning areas along with a set of goals:
- English/Language Arts
- Reading (phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, fluency)
- Literature
- Writing (grammar, spelling, structure, composition)
- Listening and Speaking
- Finding Information (library skills, electronic resources)
- Science
- Conducting scientific investigations
- Inventing solutions to problems
- Life, physical, and earth/space science concepts
- Interactions among science, technology and society
- Physical Development & Health
- Movement and physical activity
- Physical fitness
- Team-building
- Health and Nutrition
- Body systems
- Interpersonal skills
- Foreign Languages
- Oral language
- Written language
- Societal customs
- Literature
- History and Geography
- Mathematics
- Computation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division)
- Problem-solving
- Measurement
- Algebra
- Geometry
- Analyzing Data
- Social Science
- Political systems and government
- Economics
- History
- Geography
- Social systems and culture
- Fine Arts
- Elements
- Creative processes and techniques
- Roles in society
(source: Illinois State Board of Education)