It is important that your staff understand standards for schools and for students and that they are clear on what they are expected to do in relation to those standards. Your assignment is to prepare and present a 10 to 20 minute overview that would address the following questions:
1. What are state and district standards for our school?
2. What are students expected to know and be able to do?
3. What do I expect staff to do in support of these standards?
Include transparencies, slides, or other visuals that support your main points. Choose a forum for communicating this information. A staff meeting, leadership team meeting, department meeting, or any other forum that would include a team of staff. If you are the principal, your audience should be all staff. If you are a school leader other then the principal, you could choose a team of staff.
After you have given the presentation, collect feedback on how the presentation was received and how well staff understood the state standards and your expectations for how they would support them. You can collect the feedback in writing or orally, but be sure you collect enough feedback from a diversity of staff to support your conclusions. The following questions might be included in your survey.
- In what areas does the state set standards for our school?
- Does our district expect us to meet those standards?
- Which of the standards does our school meet and which do we not meet?
- How does the state define standards for students?
- What are teachers at this school expected to know and do with standards?
- What is the teacher's role in helping students attain these standards?
- Identify three ways that state standards for schools have changed (or will change) the way I do my job.
- What are teachers at this school expected to know and do with standards?
