They are used with the permission of the Pittburgh Council On Public Education. Standards are expectations that describe what students should know and be able to do in different subjects. Since then, Providence Schools staff members have been translating those general statements into grade level expectations. Providence s standards are aligned with the national New Standards Project s TM standards, which were based, in part, on standards set by other countries.
Standards tell parents what the School District expects students to learn.
For example, standards can give parents more information about a teacher s goals for each class that year, or why a certain activity was assigned for homework. Because the learning process can t always be captured in written statements, teachers may not always be able to define what they do in terms of standards. Still, working in a standard framework helps teachers communicate their goals more clearly to students. Standards also give parents an effective means of communicating with teachers about their children s learning needs. Elementary school teachers use some measurements that focus on specific skills.