Tennessee State Standards
Beginning in the Fall of 2000, teachers in Hamilton County Schools began using state standards and performance indicators. These standards were changed to reflect a changing global educational landscape in 2009. Read about the new standards.
When a district talks about aligning curriculum to standards, that means assuring that the material taught in the school matches the standards and assessments set by the state or district for specific grade levels. It is a way of "mapping" the curriculum onto the standards to be sure that the school is teaching the content that is expected.
What are content standards?
Our rapidly changing world has altered what is expected of high school graduates. The Hamilton County School System is also changing to help students meet new challenges. The Hamilton County School System has developed and aligned curriculum based new more rigorous content standards and performance indicators in schools. Dedicated educators studied state and national standards and talked to experts to incorporate the best thinking about what students should know and be able to do. Content standards describe the knowledge and skills expected of students at certain stages in their education.
To make sure that the standards represented the priorities of our community, educators enlisted the involvement of more than 180 community members - parents, business leaders, higher education officials, and community leaders.
Implementing content standards means that every school has the same expectations for all students in key subjects. It doesn't matter where you live or which teacher your child has. Individual schools and teachers may help students meet the standards in different ways. They may use various materials and teach differently. But the goal is the same: clear learning expectations and high levels of achievement for all. This will raise performance of all students, not lower expectations.
Here are a few examples of content standards:
- In language arts, students read with understanding and accuracy.
- In math, students demonstrate problem-solving strategies.
- In science, students use the process of scientific investigation.
- In social studies, students understand and apply the principles of citizenship.
What can parents do to help?
- Take time to read and understand the standards posted on this website. The implementation of standards and performance indicators is one of the most important activities that will occur at your child's school.
- Ask questions. Standards and performance indicators will improve and change the way students progress through school. Contact your child's teacher or principal and ask your questions.
- Visit your child's classroom and understand the content standards that are being taught. The key to improving the performance of your child is both student and parent knowing exactly what is expected of them.
- Talk with your child about the standards and the work expected in your child's class.
Content Standards and performance indicators - What you should know.
Success for ALL Students
Beginning in the Fall of 2000, teachers in the Hamilton County School System began using content standards and performance indicators to guide the teaching and learning that takes place in the system's classrooms. This is an important step as we seek to raise the performance of all students.
Clear content standards are good news for students and parents. They spell out what students are expected to know and be able to do in each subject. When students know what is expected, they will rise to the challenge and perform at higher levels. Standards will give parents a clearer picture of how their child is doing in school. Standards will raise student performance.
Teachers, parents, businessmen, community leaders, and higher education worked for two years to develop the content standards. Tomorrow's society will be quite different from the one we moved into after high school. Students should be prepared. To do so, we must improve instruction so that all students are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to perform well in college or the workplace.
While much work has been done, much more remains. Teachers are developing ways to determine whether students meet the content standards. The system is looking at a variety of assessment tools to supplement the traditional ones. We are seeking the best methods possible to measure a student's success in school. Our goal is success for all students, but your participation is critical to this success. Read this material. We hope it will answer questions you might have. Get involved in the coming school year. We will continue to inform you about the progress of this work.
What will be different about my child's classroom?
Instruction should be varied with clear learning objectives and expectations. In the future, what will be a "constant" is the standards -- what we expect students to know and be able to do. Teachers, given the freedom to use a variety of teaching methods, will enable children to reach standards at different paces. Teaching styles will vary from classroom to classroom. From the beginning, students and parents will know exactly what is expected. This will challenge students to perform at high standards. How and when a class operates will not be as important as whether or not students are reaching the standards. What is important is that all children are reaching high levels of learning.
How will I know how my child is doing?
Hamilton County teachers create performance tasks that determine if a student has reached the content standards. These tasks include hands-on demonstrations, written projects, and portfolios of student work. These new methods of assessing student work will supplement the traditional ones. These tasks will allow teachers to better evaluate how students are doing.
Hamilton County Schools will continue to use the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP), the state's standardized test, to assess student knowledge of subject matter. But with content standards that spell out not only what students must know but also what they can do, multiple-choice tests will not provide the complete picture. That's why teachers will use performance tasks and scoring guides that describe a student's expected level of performance. All students do not test well! A well-rounded series of assessments will give students a variety of opportunities to demonstrate what they have learned. Examples of that kind of work should be available for you to see.