REPORT to THE HONORABLE DAVID M. BEASLEY Governor State of South Carolina
The Performance and Accountability Standards for Schools Commission August 29, 1997
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PERFORMANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY STANDARDS FOR SCHOOLS
COMMISSION
August 29, 1997
The Honorable David M. Beasley
Governor, State of South Carolina
Wade Hampton Building
Columbia, South Carolina 29211
Dear Governor Beasley:
On behalf of the entire membership of the PASS Commission, I am pleased to present this report to you. We believe that the recommendations contained herein offer a bold vision for the children of South Carolina and for the economic and social well-being of all the citizens of our state well into the next generation.
We trust that this report will encourage your Administration, working in concert with our legislature and the State Superintendent of Eduication, to design and implement enabling legislation that will set South Carolina on this creative path forward.
Our deliberations focused on the children of South Carolina. We have great respect for the efforts of the State Department of Education and acknowledge its contributions to our system of education. However, we agree with you that there is an urgent need for dramatic improvement in the academic achievement of our students. The ownership of our educational system in South Carolina lies not with the Beasley administration (or a previous administration, be it Republican or Democrat) but with every constituency in our state. We must bring together state government, local governments, our school boards, educational professionals and parents to fully implement a system founded on the premise that every child can and will achieve at levels that provide for them a competitive life in our society. We thank you for this opportunity to serve you and our state and look forward to the creation of accountability legislation at the earliest possible date.
Sincerely,
William Barnet III
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Letter of Transmittal 2
Table of Contents 3
Members of the Commission 4
Executive Summary 7
REPORT OF THE COMMISSION
Introduction 11
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMISSION 23
I. School Achievement Measures 25
II. Performance Indicators 27
III. Academic Content Standards 30
IV. Assessment of Content Standards 34
V. Annual Report 38
VI. Recognition Program 41
VII. Assistance for Poorly Performing Schools 43
VIII. Statutory Review 45
IX. Oversight and Monitoring of the Accountability System 47
X. Parental and Local Community Support 49
Related Issues 51
Appendices
A Executive Order 54
B Acknowledgments 56
C Recommendations on the Inclusion of Students
with Disabilities 57
D Sample Report Card 58
E Recommended South Carolina Academic Content Standards 61
MEMBERS, PERFORMANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY STANDARDS FOR SCHOOLS COMMISSION
E. Dean Anderson is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Leslie Advertising in Greenville. A graduate of the University of Kentucky, Mr. Anderson is active in church and community affairs including serving on the boards of Goodwill Industries, Meals on Wheels and Upstate Alive. He is married and has eight children and ten grandchildren.
Betty T. Bagley is Superintendent of Bamberg School District One. She is a graduate of Central Wesleyan College, Clemson University and The Citadel. She has been appointed to a number of statewide educational task forces and committees. She is married and is the mother of two children.
William Barnet III is President and Chief Executive Officer of William Barnet and Son, Inc., a worldwide processor and trader of fiber and resins. Mr. Barnet graduated from Dartmouth College. He is Director of the Fleet Financial Group, Chairman of the Board of Converse College, a member of the Palmetto Business Forum and several other boards and foundations. He is married and the father of three children.
James A. Bennett is Senior Vice President and Director of Community Banking at First Citizens Bank and Trust. He serves on the SC Chamber of Commerce Business Center for Excellence in Education Board, the USC Educational Foundation Board and chairman of the Columbia Urban League Board and others. He graduated from the University of South Carolina, is married and has one son.
John Fly is Vice President for Strategic Planning for Milliken and Company. A physicist, educated at Wofford College, Princeton University and the Harvard Business School, Mr. Fly has served in number of positions with Milliken. He is married and the father of five children.
Susan H. Hoag is Senior Vice President for Retail Banking and Marketing at SouthTrust Bank in Greenville. She serves on the boards of numerous community organizations including the South Carolina Commission on Women and Freedom Weekend Aloft. Mrs. Hoag is married and the mother of two sons.
Clara H. Heinsohn is a teacher who graduated from Winthrop College and the College of Charleston. She serves on the Commission on Women and is active in community groups including the Charleston Regional Development Alliance, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the YWCA, and the Charleston Museum. She is the mother of one daughter.
John Robinson is Director of the Office of Organizational Development at the SC State Department of Education. He serves as the State Superintendent's ex officio member of the Wil Lou Gray Opportunity School Board of Trustees and has served on a number of task forces appointed by the South Carolina State Board of Education. Mr. Robinson was honored as Teacher of the Year in Richland County School District One and was a runner-up for the State Teacher of the Year Award. Year Award. He is a graduate of South Carolina State University and the University of South Carolina. He is married and the father of three.
Robert Staton is president of Colonial Life and Accident Insurance Company. Mr. Staton graduated from Presbyterian College and the University of South Carolina School of Law. He is a board member of the Health Insurance Association of America, chairman of The River Alliance, chair elect of the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce and former chairman of the Cultural Council of Richland and Lexington Counties.
Larry Wilson, a graduate of the University of South Carolina is chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of Policy Management Systems Corporation and its subsidiary companies. He is chairman of the boards of the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts, Enterprise Development, Inc., and the Midlands Business Forum. He serves on a number of state and community boards including the South Carolina Business Center for Excellence in Education and the Palmetto Business Forum. He is married and the father of two children. and serving in ex officio capacity,
John Courson is chairman of the Senate Invitations Committee. He is a member of numerous state and community organizations. He serves on the Senate Education and Finance Committees. He and his wife Lisa, a former public school teacher, have three children. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina.
Bobby Harrell
is the House Majority Leader and chairman of the K-12 Education Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee. He is a State Farm agent in Charleston and is very active in his children's schools, Middleton High School and Orange Grove Elementary School, each of which is his alma mater. Mr. Harrell is a graduate of the University of South Carolina. He is married and has two children, a son and a daughter.Ronnie Townsend is a graduate of Clemson University. Mr. Townsend currently chairs the Education and Public Works Committee of the South Carolina House of Representatives. He is president and owner of PLASTICresin Separation Specialists, Inc. He serves as one of South Carolina's representatives on the Southern Regional Education Board. He is married and the father of two daughters.
Nikki Setzler is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina School of Law. Mr. Setzler currently chairs the Education Committee and the Finance subcommittee on public education and higher education of the South Carolina Senate and the EIA Select Committee. Senator Setzler and his wife, Ada Jane, have four daughters.EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
We must have high levels of educational performance in an era of international and domestic economic competition. Business is increasingly mobile and it goes where the necessary knowledge is located. This mobility can be a threat or an opportunity. South Carolina can make it an opportunity if our schools improve. The focus must be on results: better educated students who can compete nationally and internationally. What happens today in our schools has enormous ramifications for the future of South Carolina.
We owe much to South Carolina's educators. They are hard working, dedicated professionals entrusted with the State's most precious resource--our children and their future. They are frustrated by circumstances beyond the classroom such as limited family or community support; disparities of economic backgrounds of students, time spent on matters other than teaching; and inconsistent expectations of schools. Many parents know their children aren't reaching their potential. The main frustration for parents is that schools have failed to determine clearly what every child should know and learn in core subject areas. Adding to parents' frustrations is not understanding where their child's school ranks on academic comparisons based upon uniform goals and performance indicators and what stands in the way of educational excellence. Parents and community leaders cannot direct properly their energies and advocacy to school improvement without information about their school's performance.
Local community support combined with local control can produce the best results in schools when the focus is on student academic achievement. South Carolina should identify, support and acknowledge the highest levels of academic results. South Carolina should establish detailed, instructionally elaborate academic content standards that are internationally competitive. Standardized annual tests for core subjects that determine if students at each school possess knowledge and skills consistent with those standards should be adopted. The results of these tests should be used to grade the student performance in each school and compare the performance and improvement to national results, wherever possible. South Carolina should recognize positively those schools that either have reached nationally competitive results or are improving substantially and assist those schools that have not achieved those desired results. The State should not dictate the processes for learning or methods of teaching. It should offer assistance to those schools that want to improve or, because of poor results, must improve. Teaching and learning processes should be determined locally by educators, parents, policy makers and the community. These are the people who must determine how to best achieve the optimum results in their schools and be motivated to do so.
Accountability should lead to quality results in our schools. The diversity of our state requires local action. Recognition of performance levels should motivate continuous improvement. Schools should be measured and be accountable for their students' academic achievement and improvement and be empowered to achieve outstanding results.
We assign no blame and we share responsibility for school results. But we cannot tolerate further delay. In this report we have tried to stress the critical role of parental responsibility in assuring student academic achievement. A sense of urgency and commitment for dramatic improvement must be adopted by educators, policy makers, parents, businesses and local communities.PRINCIPLES AND CONCLUSIONS
Over the course of its deliberations the PASS Commission worked from the following principles:
INTRODUCTIONWe seek a system which is successfully competitive at the highest levels;
If we do not plan properly, we cannot work hard enough to achieve our goal;
We should focus on school and student performance in four academic areas: mathematics; English/language arts; science; and social studies (history, economics and geography). Although other areas contribute to the development of our students, the primary purpose of our schools and their time and resources lies in the core academics;
We seek changes in the operation of the educational system which lead to results of higher quality;
School and student performance must be assessed in a manner which is clear, concise and reliable;
Performance should be gauged against an absolute standard (i.e., a level to be attained) and against improvement standards (i.e., significant progress over a measured period of time);
Our system should hold everyone accountable for students' academic success--students, parents, educators and the State.
The Commission determined that four factors are essential to school success and within those factors reached certain conclusions:
1. PARENTAL AND COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY
Parents must take responsibility for their children's education;
Parents must be involved with their children, their children's schools and the local communities which support them;
Parents and local communities are responsible for the highest levels of achievement;
School Boards (and in turn, superintendents) are accountable to parents and local communities for the academic achievement of students in their systems;
Wise investment of state and local education dollars, time and related resources must remain a top priority.
2. THE PRINCIPAL'S LEADERSHIP
The first commitment of principals must be to raising the academic achievement in schools;
The culture of our schools must change to one of high expectations as evidenced through the attention of principals to the teaching of the identified content standards and establishment of more effective structures and processes to facilitate and enhance student learning;
Aggressive leadership development must be an ongoing activity for school administrators.
3. DEDICATED, PREPARED TEACHERS
Preparation, induction and renewal within the profession must be strengthened;
Teachers must be supported as they change the way they teach and the quality of results they achieve in their classrooms;
Teachers must be recognized for increasing the academic achievement of their students.
4. ACADEMIC CONTENT STANDARDS
Our schools and educational system must be measured by the academic achievement of their students; by what the schools accomplish, not what they do;
We must focus on the core academic areas in greater depth; rather than seek to teach all things at a cursory level;
Students must demonstrate annually the knowledge and skills which enable them to succeed at the next grade level and schools must intensify instruction through proven practices.
THE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM
Target At the end of the school year 2003-2004 South Carolina's ranking in national comparisons of academic achievement will be in the upper two- thirds of states or higher; by the end of the school year 2008-2009 South Carolina's ranking in national comparisons of academic achievement will be in the top half of states.
Benchmarks The number of schools with 50 percent or more of their students scoring at or above the fiftieth national percentile on nationally or internationally comparable tests will increase by 10 percent each year;
By the year 2000, all students leaving the first grade will be able to read at the level necessary for success in subsequent grades; and
Over the next twelve years, South Carolina's educational system will exhibit the fastest rate of improvement in the nation.
Recommendations
1. The achievement of each school is to be measured on three overriding system variables: academic achievement, student conduct, and school dropouts. Achievement is to be measured in terms of absolute performance and rate of improvement. The composite absolute performance level and rate of improvement are to be published annually;
2. Uniform performance indicators and the principal's narrative of school progress, written in conjunction with the School Improvement Council, to inform parents and local communities about the school and the operations of the school should be published annually;
3. Detailed specific academic content standards by core subject (math, English/language arts, science and social studies) and by grade level should be implemented in the 1998-99 school year. The PASS Commission recommends the standards exhibited in Appendix E;
4. Annual, end-of-year core subject assessment of all students in each school should be implemented. At the high school level, the assessments are tied to courses. The assessment system should be related directly to the academic content standards. These test results can be used as a factor in a student's grade for each core subject each year;
5. An annual report should be published for each school with two letter grades: one for performance in relation to national position and another for an improvement rate from the prior year. Student academic achievement should be weighted 90 percent; student conduct should be weighted 5 percent; and student dropout rates should be weighted 5 percent;
6. A multifaceted recognition program should honor high levels of absolute performance and high rates of improvement. The program should encompass public designations (e.g., flags and ceremonies); enhanced status; financial rewards for outstanding improvement rates (redirecting the current school incentive funds); and utilization of high performing school personnel in school assistance and professional development programs;
7. For schools performing poorly, transformational actions should be implemented. Three levels of action should be followed depending on the degree of persistently weak school performance. At the first level, the school should amend its School Renewal Plan to address deficiencies. At the second level, the school should implement an improvement plan consistent with requirements of the State Board of Education and, in continuing circumstances, the State Board of Education should intervene;
8. Statutory provisions which direct school actions should be modified to eliminate redundance and ambiguity and to define clearly the academic purposes of schools. Statutes should be amended to provide a less cumbersome process of personnel evaluation, reward and dismissal;
9. On a cyclical schedule, academic content and performance standards and school performance indicators should be reviewed and updated to reach and keep the State's educational results competitive internationally and oversight and modification of the accountability system must be provided to ensure that we stay on track to meet the target;
10. An aggressive public relations campaign must be initiated and maintained to elicit parental and local community support for the highest levels of student achievement.
MEMBERS OF THE PERFORMANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY STANDARDS FOR SCHOOLS COMMISSION
E. Dean Anderson, Greenville
Betty T. Bagley, Bamberg
William Barnet, III, Spartanburg
James Bennett, Columbia
John Fly, Spartanburg
Clara Heinsohn, Charleston
Susan Hoag, Greenville
John Robinson, Columbia
G. Larry Wilson, Columbia
Robert Staton, Columbia
and serving in an ex officio capacity
The Honorable John Courson, Columbia
The Honorable Bobby Harrell, Charleston
The Honorable Ronnie Townsend, Anderson
The Honorable Nikki Setzler, West Columbia
Establishment of the PASS Commission
On January 20, 1997, David M. Beasley, Governor of South Carolina, issued an Executive Order (displayed in Appendix A) establishing the Performance and Accountability Standards for Schools Commission. Committed to the highest standards of achievement for all of South Carolina's students and strong growth for the state's economy, the Governor expressed an urgency for school improvement in his State of the State address, delivered on January 22:
But the single most valued road to the future is the one our
children travel: The road of education. . . Are we where we
want to be? No. Is there more work to do? Yes. But
whatever else we may differ on, let us agree tonight to push
and pull and tug and sacrifice until the dream of prosperity is
attainable for every child in South Carolina.
The PASS Commission was established to focus on the following tasks:
(1) Identifying internationally competitive academic standards, types of
assessments to measure academic achievement, and an accountability
system tailored to South Carolina's governing structure;
(2) Investigating the currently-held standards and accountability systems in
South Carolina and comparing those to such systems in leading developed countries and other states;
(3) Examining local school districts that have implemented academic standards and public school accountability to find key elements that can be emulated statewide;
(4) Identifying steps to be taken to align the existing statewide efforts with a model system of academic standards and public school accountability; and
(5) Developing recommendations that insure constant movement toward
the highest level of academic accomplishment from South Carolina
schools and provide the citizens of South Carolina with information
about these accomplishments.
Fourteen individuals representing the geographic breadth of South Carolina were appointed to serve on the Commission. Business persons, educators and legislators--the Commissioners brought professional, civic, personal and volunteer experiences to the Commission's deliberations. Mr. William Barnet, III of Spartanburg chaired the Commission; Mrs. Susan Hoag of Greenville served as vice-chair. While each of us may hold individual viewpoints and may support some recommendations more strongly than others, this report represents the consensus of the Commission.
Creation of a Vision for South Carolina
The PASS Commission sets forth a bold vision for South Carolina by establishing a conceptual framework for schools and those who support them. That vision centers on educating children by equipping them with a strong academic foundation grounded in the core subject areas of mathematics, science, English and social studies (history, economics and geography). Students leaving school with this foundation are to be successful in the economic market, enabling South Carolina to be economically competitive. Students in South Carolina cannot achieve their potential, individually or collectively, if their performance remains ranked on the bottom rungs of educational achievement.
The challenges are twofold: South Carolinians must increase their absolute level of knowledge and academic skill to succeed in the business world of the late twentieth century and make a quantum leap in academic achievement to contend successfully with the economic challenges of the next century. We cannot be so dominated by today's circumstances that we fail to make the changes necessary for tomorrow's achievement. We are seeking transformation through bold improvements.
Transforming schools is difficult work and must be imbedded in community values and leadership as well as the day-to -day practices of a profession rooted in tradition. The PASS Commission is not prescribing the process or means by which schools, students and local communities achieve this vision. Those tasks are left to those leaders who face daily responsibility and best understand the technical demands associated with implementation. While we recognize that fundamental change takes time, we recommend constancy of purpose coupled with an urgency to act. The historic rate of improvement is inadequate. Continuing to improve as we have been will not move us to our vision.
Development of the Recommendations
At the Commission's first meeting, the members established four standards to guide their work. These standards reflected the commitment of members "to do this for children."
Standards for the Work of the PASS Commission
The Commission is apolitical and does not bear a political agenda;
The recommendations are to be reasonable to students, teachers,
administrators, and the public;
The Commission's outputs are to be "unusual and outstanding"; and
The Commissioners are to spend time understanding what good people
already have done.
Over the course of the PASS Commission's work, members of professional and public interest organizations addressed the Commissioners. Among those presenting information and/or recommendations were The Honorable Barbara S. Nielsen, State Superintendent of Education; Mr. Spratt White, Business Center for Excellence in Education of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce; the Friends of Education Coalition, represented by Dr. Evelyn Berry, SC School Boards Association, Dr. Elizabeth Gressette, Palmetto State Teachers Association, Mr. James Petrie, SC Education Association, and Mr. Robert Scarborough, SC Association of School Administrators; Dr. Lynn Cornett, Southern Regional Education Board; Dr. John Barth, National Governors' Association; Mr. James White; Dr. William Gummerson; Mrs. Jan Duncan, SC Protection and Advocacy for the Disabled; Ms. Helen Myers, Council for Exceptional Children; Dr. Susan Agruso, State Department of Education; and Mrs. Michelle Easton, Commonwealth of Virginia Board of Education.
Dr. Nielsen, in her presentation to the Commission, brought to our attention the importance of establishing high academic standards, aligning the testing program to those standards, using the latest materials and technology, reporting honestly and fairly and supporting local communities in making decisions about how to deliver education.
The Commissioners also conducted focus groups with superintendents, principals, parents and teachers. As the Commission worked through technical issues and on an as-needed basis, individual Commissioners or staff conducted advisory discussions with national or state leaders in curriculum and assessment. The Commissioners traveled to Richmond, Virginia, to meet with Virginia's Secretary of Education, Dr. Beverly Sgro, and State Superintendent Richard LaPointe and their staffs.
For purposes of this report and its conclusions the Commission defines responsibility for the ultimate enactment and implementation of the recommendations to fall on parents, school boards and local communities which include taxpayers who are major stakeholders in this improvement process. The recommendations of the PASS Commission are presented to the Governor for his study and action. We recognize his authority to act or amend these recommendations. We urge deliberative consideration of each recommendation and urge legislative action to ensure that the future for our children offers greater opportunity to excel than the present. We urge the education community to remain constant to our purpose through the days of change. We express great respect for those policy makers and practitioners who have dedicated their lives to our schools and seek to support them in these efforts. We urge parents and local communities to embrace the transformation schools must make. As a Commission, we are committed to working with the Governor, the members of the General Assembly and the education community toward the implementation of these recommendations.
This is not a time of comfort. To accomplish the vision of a competitive South Carolina we must challenge our assumptions about the system; respond assertively, rather than defensively, to the need for change; and create partnerships based upon common purposes. This is the time for all South Carolinians to come together for our children.
A Case for Competitiveness and a Demand for Urgency
Stimulated by the publication of A Nation at Risk (1983) South Carolina has engaged in a dozen years of initiatives to improve its educational system. Landmark legislation such as the Education Improvement Act (1984), Target 2000 (1989), the Early Childhood Development and Academic Assistance Act (1993), and the School to Work Transition Act (1994) has addressed the parts of the system. Each seeks to alter processes in order to achieve higher results. For many practitioners and participants the results expected are ambiguous. Failure to ensure consistency of purpose and relate professional and community responsibility to that purpose permits interpretive variations and contradictory responses. We must acknowledge that despite well-intentioned initiatives and some improvements, South Carolina continues to lag behind other states on both national and international comparisons.
Schools in South Carolina must achieve at levels required for successful participation in the national and global marketplace. The PASS Commission has studied the performance of schools in other American states and the industrialized countries of the world. Unfortunately South Carolina's schools pale in that comparison. The Commission determined that while growth and improvement over current results should be heralded, South Carolina will not achieve her potential until the absolute level of student performance is globally competitive. Schools are the means to the end of educating students and as such must be held accountable for their academic achievement.
At a time when South Carolina lags behind the nation, we are astounded to find that our nation is lagging in international comparisons. The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) examined the performance of approximately 500,000 students at five grade levels. Tests were administered to students, curricula were analyzed, and classroom performance was measured. The TIMSS report on eighth grade performance documents the challenges before American schools. The following summary statements were taken from the report:
In mathematics, US eighth graders score below the international average of the 41 TIMSS countries. Our students' scores are not significantly different from those of England and Germany;
In science, US eighth graders score at about the international average of 41 TIMSS countries. Our students' scores are not significantly different from those of Canada England and Germany;
If an international talent search were to select the top 10 percent of all students in the 41 TIMSS countries, in mathematics only 5 percent of US students would be included. In science, 13 percent would be included.
The TIMSS report further documents that the relationship among standards, teaching and learning is complex. Among the TIMSS findings relevant to the curriculum are the following:
The content taught in US eighth grade mathematics classrooms is at a seventh grade level in comparison to other countries;
Topic coverage in US eighth grade mathematics classes is not as focused as in Germany and Japan;
US eighth graders spend more hours per year in math and science classes than German and Japanese students;
US mathematics teachers' typical goal is to teach students how to do something, while Japanese teachers' goal is to help them understand mathematical concepts;
Japanese teachers widely practice what the US mathematics reform recommends, while US teachers do so infrequently;
Although most US math teachers report familiarity with reform recommendations only a few apply the key points in their classrooms.
Performance on the Basic Skills Assessment Program (BSAP) tests began a downward turn in 1990. Gains have been made in the last two years although we have not regained the level of achievement evident in 1989. Although dated in the curriculum focus, BSAP performance that is not improving rapidly concerns South Carolina's parents and leaders. The State administers the Metropolitan Achievement Test, Form 7, (MAT-7) in selected grades. This assessment provides achievement information on our students in comparison with a national group of students. On most subtests, South Carolina's students score near the national average. When district and school performance is examined, the variations are broad and too often, are linked with student entry characteristics rather than the results of a quality educational system. Because its norms were established in 1992, the MAT-7 also fails to reflect current international performance expectations. On the Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT) our students score nearly sixty (60) points below the national average despite gains of 16 points over the last five years (the nation improved 12 points during that time period). Analyses of student performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test in reading in grades four and eight rank South Carolina statistically the same as 19 states and show 19 other states ahead of our achievement. Five states rank below the 19 equivalent states.
How do we and others view our schools? As parents, our pride in the performance of individual students and our allegiance to the neighborhood school is evident in surveys such as the annual Gallup poll on American education (published in Phi Delta Kappan each year). As community and business leaders we despair when national or international corporations select sites in states where student performance is higher. Corporate decisions to go elsewhere mean that our citizens have limited economic opportunities here. Too often our best and brightest high school graduates are moving to other states where opportunity seems greater
As we deliberated, we were often confounded and upset by those who implied that South Carolina's children are less able. We are adamant in our rejection of that view and fear that it translates into lower expectations for our students. While many of South Carolina's children lack economic advantages, poverty need not limit ability, aspiration or motivation. Our state's history reminds us of individuals who overcame humble origins to be great leaders. Their lives are characterized by a will to do better, to achieve more, and to live the values that bind us together. Poverty should not allow inaction, it should compel aggressive action. We acknowledge that economic investments are made in local communities and states with strong, productive schools.
We cannot wait for the next generation nor can we be content with incremental improvement. The Commissioners recognize that time is needed to produce the results we desire. But there can be no delay in accepting responsibility as community and school district leaders, parents, professionals and neighbors.
Principles Guiding the Commission
During the course of its deliberations the Commission worked within the framework of seven guiding principles. These principles formed the basis for commonality and unity among the members and within the diversity of our state whom we represent. The principles organize our work and provide a framework for its understanding by those who consume our work. The principles are detailed below:
We seek a system which is successfully competitive at the highest levels;
If we do not plan properly, we cannot work hard enough to achieve our goal;
We should focus on school and student performance in four academic areas: mathematics; English/language arts; science; and social studies (history, economics and geography). Although other areas contribute to the development of our students, the primary purpose of our schools and their time and resources lies in the core academics;
We seek changes in the operation of the educational system which lead to results of higher quality;
School and student performance must be assessed in a manner which is clear, concise and reliable;
Performance should be gauged against an absolute standard (i.e., a level to be attained) and against improvement standards (i.e., significant progress over a measured period of time);
Our system should hold everyone accountable for students' academic success-- students, parents, educators and the State.
Conclusions Drawn by the Commission
Working within the framework of these principles, the Commission developed a number of conclusions about the system which are organized within four factors we identified as necessary for school success:
1. PARENTAL AND COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY
Parents must take responsibility for their children's education;
Parents must be involved with their children, their children's schools and the local communities which support them;
Parents and local communities are responsible for the highest levels of achievement;
School Boards (and in turn, superintendents ) are accountable to parents and local communities for the academic achievement of students in their system;
Wise investment of state and local education dollars, time and related resources must remain a top priority.
2. THE PRINCIPAL'S LEADERSHIP
The first commitment of principals must be to raising the academic achievement in schools;
The culture of our schools must change to one of high expectations as evidenced through the attention of principals to the teaching of the identified content standards and establishment of more effective structures and processes to facilitate and enhance student learning;
Aggressive leadership development must be an ongoing activity for school administrators.
3. DEDICATED, PREPARED TEACHERS
Preparation, induction and renewal within the profession must be strengthened;
Teachers must be supported as they change the way they teach and the quality of results they achieve in their classrooms;
Teachers must be recognized for increasing the academic achievement of their students.
4. ACADEMIC CONTENT STANDARDS
Our schools and educational system must be measured by the academic achievement of their students; by what the schools accomplish, not what they do;
We must focus on the core academic areas in greater depth; rather than seek to teach all things at a cursory level;
Students must demonstrate annually the knowledge and skills which enable them to succeed at the next grade level and schools must be willing to intensify instruction through proven practices.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The Goal to Which We Aspire
The PASS Commission, committed to rapid transformational improvements in
South Carolina's schools, establishes the following system target and system
benchmarks:
Target At the end of the school year 2003-2004 South Carolina's ranking in national comparisons of academic achievement will be in the upper two-thirds or states or higher; by the end of the school year 2008-2009 South Carolina's ranking in national comparisons of academic achievement will be in the top half of states.
Benchmarks The number of schools with 50 percent or more of their students scoring at or above the fiftieth national percentile on nationally or internationally comparable tests will increase by 10 percent each year;
By the year 2000, all students leaving the first grade will be able to read at the level necessary for success in subsequent grades;
Over the next twelve years, South Carolina's educational system will exhibit the fastest rate of improvement in the nation.
The Commission acknowledges the intense focus of energy and talent necessary to reach this target. We ask not only that South Carolina's schools improve in levels of academic achievement; we ask that their improvement be of such magnitude that their relative standing increases at a time when all other states are improving. We offer these benchmarks to guide our progress; we also recommend that the benchmarks be reviewed annually and modified as appropriate to speed improvement. To reach this target, the Commission advocates an accountability system encompassing ten recommendations.
RECOMMENDATION ONE
Building upon the following principles:
We should focus on school performance in four academic areas: mathematics, English/language arts, science and social studies(history, economics and geography). Although other areas contribute to the development of our students, the primary purpose of our schools and their time and resources lies in the core academics; and
Performance should be gauged against an absolute standard (i.e., a level to be attained) and against improvement standards (i.e., significant progress over a measured period of time);
the members of the PASS Commission concluded that
Our schools and educational system must be measured by the academic achievement of students; by what the schools accomplish, not what they do.
The PASS Commission recommends
School Achievement Measures The achievement of each school is to be measured on three overriding system variables: academic achievement, student conduct, and school dropouts. Achievement is to be measured in terms of absolute performance and rate of improvement. The composite absolute performance level and rate of improvement are to be published annually. |
There is a wealth of information about schools available. South Carolina reports data on factors which may or may not be linked directly to higher levels of achievement. To ensure that the accountability system provided for South Carolina' s schools impacts on the quality of its students academic achievement, the Commissioners agree that the variables measured and studied must (a) focus on academic results; (b) lead to changes in the operation of the system which result in higher quality; and (c) be clear, concise, specific and measurable.
Academic achievement should be reflected in a composite school performance score which includes performance on assessments in the four core academic content areas: mathematics, English/language arts; science and social studies (history, economics and geography). The performance of students in grades three through eight should be demonstrated by an end-of-year assessment; the performance of students in grades nine through twelve should be demonstrated by end-of-course assessments in the courses required for graduation. [Note: end-of-course assessments are in addition to the Exit Examination required for high school graduation].
Student conduct measures should focus on violent acts, drug and alcohol abuse, and persistent disobedience which disrupts the academic environment. Although difficult to measure reliably, the conduct of students is an integral factor in their success. We recommend differentiation among the measures used for elementary, middle and high schools and surveys of teachers and students as a means of obtaining information.
Dropping out of school as evident in grade eight to twelve survival rates is the measure of persistence in the system. Our hope is that every student who stays in school not only attends but achieves academic success.
The Commission calls for fair and consistent reporting on each of the student achievement measures.RECOMMENDATION TWO
Building upon the following principle:
We seek changes in the operation of the educational system which lead to results of higher quality
the members of the PASS Commission concluded that
School Boards (and in turn, superintendents) are accountable to parents and local communities for the academic achievement of students in their systems;
Wise investment of state and local education dollars, time and related resources must remain a top priority;
Parents and local communities are responsible for the highest levels of achievement;
Parents must be involved with their children, their children's schools and the local communities which support them.
The PASS Commission recommends
Performance Indicators Uniform performance indicators and the principal's narrative of school progress, written in conjunction with the School Improvement Council, to inform parents and local communities about the school and the operations of the school should be published annually. |
Uniform published indicators provide information about an individual school which facilitate understanding of the school and its processes, but in a larger sense, are generally neither good nor bad. For each indicator a state mean is to be presented for comparative purposes. Desired values or target levels should not be specified. The primary purpose of the performance indicators is to identify areas in which improvement may be desirable or necessary; improvement which most likely leads to increased academic achievement, improved student conduct and decreased dropout rates. The indicators include the following:
I. Teachers and Administrators
The percentage of employed teachers and administrators who meet or exceed desired credentials for their responsibilities or the subject and grade they teach (e.g., advanced degrees in the content area or certification by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards);
Average daily teacher attendance rates;
The percentage of teachers who are assigned to the same school each year;
The percentage of teachers who are judged successful on evaluations;
The percentage of new and experienced teachers who participate in training and assistance programs for improving their knowledge and skills to help students achieve the standards;
Administrator participation in professional development activities;
The percentage of teachers sponsoring extracurricular activities.
II. Teaching and Learning
The percentage of students performing successfully on subtests of each academic content area;
Student attendance rates: mean daily attendance and the percentage of students absent ten or fewer days per year;
Percentage of students earning a high school diploma or certificate and the percentage of students earning an advanced diploma;
Percentage of students meeting the standards for promotion to the next grade;
The pupil-teacher ratio in the core academic subjects;
The percentage of students enrolling in postsecondary education immediately after high school graduation and within two years of graduation;
The percentage of students finding employment within a year after high school graduation;
The percentage of students participating in extracurricular activities;
The percentage of students enrolling in and successfully completing foreign languages, fine arts, health/safety, physical education, tech prep, and college prep.
III. School Resources
The dollars expended per pupil from federal, state, and local revenue sources;
The percentage of revenues spent on instruction;
The instructional days per year including extensions of the school year;
The instructional hours per day.
IV. Family and Community Involvement
The percentage of teachers and parents reporting that they have regular meetings with each other to discuss the child's progress in meeting learning expectations;
The percentage of parents reporting high levels of satisfaction with student and parent communication;
The percentage of parents reporting high levels of satisfaction with school leadership;
The percentage of parents reporting high levels of satisfaction with school resources;
The percentage of parents and School Improvement Council members reporting high levels of satisfaction with their students' progress toward achieving the academic standards.
The principal, in conjunction with the School Improvement Council, is to prepare a narrative on the school's progress. The narrative should cite factors or activities supporting progress and barriers which inhibit progress.
RECOMMENDATION THREE
Building upon the following principles
We should focus on school performance in four academic areas: mathematics; English/language arts; science; and social studies (history, economics, and geography). Although other areas contribute to the development of our students, the primary purpose of our schools and their time and resources lies In the core academics; and
We seek a system which is successfully competitive at the highest levels;
the members of the PASS Commission concluded that
Our schools and educational system must be measured by the academic achievement of their students; by what the schools accomplish, not what they do; and
We must focus on the core academic areas in greater depth; rather than seek to teach all things at a cursory level.
The PASS Commission recommends
Academic Content Standards Detailed, specific academic content standards by core subject (math, English/language arts, science and social studies) and by grade level should be implemented in the 1998-99 school year. The PASS Commission recommends the standards exhibited in Appendix E. |
Governor Beasley's Executive Order charges the members of the PASS
Commission with the identification of "internationally competitive academic standards." The identification of such standards is a complex task and encompasses issues ranging from the varying structures of school systems (including governance, assessment and examination programs) to the "rigor" of the curriculum.
The phrase "academic standards" applies both to content and performance. Content standards articulate the substance of what students learn. Frequent use of the term "world class standard" implies that those standards are available for reference; however, countries differ markedly in the manner in which they define and implement content standards. The PASS Commission finds there is not a consensus set of international standards that defines what students "should know and be able to do." Performance standards address how well students achieve on assessments connected to the content standards based on the level of performance required for success at the next grade or school level, admission to college, advancement in the workplace, or other decisions dependent upon that information.
The academic content that our students are taught should have depth which encourages students to learn at unprecedented levels. The Commission emphasizes depth over breadth. TIMSS reviews of the American curriculum suggest that our efforts are "a mile wide and an inch deep." We cannot succeed without conceptual understanding and the ability to create knowledge in the twenty-first century. Too few students are counseled or encouraged in the most challenging courses offered by their schools. The Commission is concerned with the academic success of all students generally and also with the performance of South Carolina's brightest students. At present, even our brightest students are not demonstrating the same quality of performance as are the brightest students in the nation.
"What is taught" must be addressed. We must ensure that our students are prepared similarly to those from other states and countries to ensure favorable comparisons. Our curriculum also must be sensitive to the demands of the Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT) and the American College Test (ACT). Currently, our system is limited by a lack of understanding of what every student should know and learn. Too many teachers teach what they have been taught or by the textbook. The assessment program does not link directly with classroom instruction. As teachers, parents and students we must work toward a higher level of expectations and performance.
The PASS Commission is recommending grade-specific standards for elementary and middle school students and course specific standards for high school students which guide the instruction of students; prepare them for state, national and international assessments; and inform parents of students' progress. The Commission examined standards from a number of states. After considerable study, the Commission (acting upon the work of a technical advisory group of state curriculum leaders) offers the standards displayed in Appendix E as its recommendation. Standards for social studies are not drafted at this time. They should be developed using the four criteria outlined below. These standards are consistent with standards adopted in several states, build upon the SC Curriculum Frameworks and Academic Achievement Standards and Indicators in mathematics, English and science; ensure that reading is taught consistently to students across the State; and are sufficiently elaborate to inform teachers fully of the expectations for classroom instruction. The standards also are written so that parents understand the expectations before their children and have confidence that the instruction in schools matches those expectations. The standards should be reviewed annually to ensure currency and rigor.
The Commission recognizes and appreciates the historical efforts at specifying academic content standards. In mathematics and science the Commission has added grade level standards to those developed by the State Department of Education for grades three, six, eight and twelve (high school graduation). In English the Commission sought standards which better met the criteria of (a) understandable by parents; (b) instructionally elaborate so that teachers comprehend what is to be taught; (c) deeper study of fewer concepts; and (d) emphasis on the highest levels of student work.RECOMMENDATION FOUR
Building upon the following principles:
School and student performance must be assessed in a manner which is clear, concise and reliable;
Performance should be gauged against an absolute standard (i.e., a level to be attained) and against improvement standards (i.e., significant progress over a measured period of time); and
We need a system which is successfully competitive at the highest levels;
the members of the PASS Commission concluded that
Our schools and educational system must be measured by the academic achievement of their students; by what the schools accomplish, not what they do;
Students must demonstrate annually the knowledge and skills which enable them to succeed at the next grade level and schools must intensify instruction through proven practices.
The PASS Commission recommends
Assessment of Content Standards Annual, end-of-year core subject assessment of all students in each school should be implemented. At the high school level, the assessments are tied to courses. The assessment system should be related directly to the academic content standards. These test results can be used as a factor in a student's grade for each core subject each year. |
.
The assessment system must inform parents, local communities, and educators and improve the State's educational program. The chart on the next page details the needed information and the strategies to provide each.
ASSESSMENT PROGRAM |
|
iNFORMATION |
STRATEGY |
Provide basis for international comparisons of student achievement |
Ensure that the Englsih/language arts, mathematics, science and social studies curricula in SC meet international content standards |
Provide basis for national comparisons of student achievement |
Ensure that the assessments are linked with NAEP and other nationally-administered / nationally normed tests |
Provide basis for school-by-school comparisons within SC |
Ensure that the assessments are aligned with academic content standards and that students are taught standards |
Provide impetus and basis for school improvement |
Ensure that the assessments provide school and program level strengths and weaknesses |
Provide information to parents which enable them to understand how well their children are doing in school |
Ensure that the system for reporting results to parents is comprehensive, concise and meaningful |
The assessment program must be based upon the academic content standards recommended by the Commission ensuring that the performance of students in our state is monitored to facilitate high levels of accomplishment as individuals and within schools. The Commission recommends using assessments which test students' knowledge of the academic content standards in the core subjects. Additionally assessments should give comparisons of our students' achievement in relations to other students in the US and around the world. must compare ourselves to the performance of others to determine our competitiveness.
There are flaws and limitations with any form of assessment. The PASS Commission, focusing on school performance, acknowledges the limitations of standardized testing. The Commission recommends testing at grade levels one through twelve; however, the Commission is not asking for the inclusion of grade one or grade two student performance in the measures of school effectiveness Tests of the standards for grade one and two should be made available to school districts for their use. Results of testing at grades one and two should be used only to inform and improve instruction. While recognizing our concern is for information about the achievement of the standards, the Commission applauds the use of multiple assessments, varying in content and form, for making district, school and classroom decisions about instruction and individual students.
Because we are concerned with how learning at one level contributes to success at the next level, we suggest that a first grade readiness test which is linked to the grade one academic standards be selected and implemented.
The Commission recognizes that there are technical issues surrounding assessment which must be considered. Issues of methods or types of analysis, school organization, and utilization of data for making judgments about student, teachers and school leaders require consultation with those who oversee the testing program. The Commission respects the work of those professionals and asks for their technical contributions to the success of the accountability system.
The members of the PASS Commission are concerned with the performance of all South Carolina's students. Deserving equal attention are those students whose special needs require additional instructional support. Far too many students exhibiting special needs have been excluded from testing programs within the current school assessment environment. The Commission wishes to preclude exclusion of those students from opportunities for academic achievement and therefore, endorses participation of all but the students for whom the assessment program would have no value. Specific recommendations regarding the assessment of students with special needs are displayed in Appendix C.RECOMMENDATION FIVE
Building upon the following principles:
Performance should be gauged against an absolute standard (i.e., a level to be attained) and against improvement standards (i.e., significant progress over a measured period of time); and
We seek a system which is successfully competitive at the highest levels;
the members of the PASS Commission concluded that
School Boards (and in turn, superintendents) are accountable to parents and local communities for the academic achievement of students in their systems; and
Parents and local communities are responsible for the highest levels of achievement.
The PASS Commission recommends
Annual Report An annual report should be published for each school with two letter grades: one for performance in relation to national position and another for an improvement rate from the prior year. Student academic achievement should be weighted 90 percent; student conduct should be weighted 5 percent; and student dropout rates should be weighted 5 percent. |
We recognize that assigning value to school performance is threatening to some schools. We also recognize that schools have reputations which may or may not be deserved. Real estate advertisements, news reports and informal conversations currently "spread the word" about which schools are doing well and which are not. All too often this information is anecdotal and is not based upon the amount of value added by the school experience. We believe that South Carolina and her schools will improve in student performance by providing routine candid evaluations of our schools which focus public attention and energies.
The report card is to be a succinct, easy-to-understand, document. Should local communities want greater specificity and detail they may refer to the South Carolina School District and School Performance Profiles prepared by the State Department of Education for widespread distribution.
The proposed grading system of A+ through F designates school status in a language the public recognizes and helps local communities make judgments and define appropriate corrective actions, where necessary. Schools with a low grade for absolute performance may have a high grade for an improvement rate; by using both absolute and improvement grades local communities are able to understand the need for and process of constant improvement. Grades would be achieved using weighted averages of performance on subtests of each academic area.
The Commission recommends that the "F" rating be used sparingly and with great caution. Our purpose is not to embarrass but to spur action toward the levels of achievement needed. Only in cases of extreme and persistent low performance should this grade be used and must be accompanied by additional support and supplementary actions to ensure the "F" status is short-lived.
The Commission proposes that academic content standards be implemented in the 1998-99 school year; the first assessment year for those standards is 1999-2000. During the first assessment year a performance baseline is to be established for each school. In 1998-99 the first report card would be issued with both absolute and improvement grades (using the State's current norm-referenced testing program). The report card also is to contain information regarding the performance indicators and an assessment of the school authored by the principal in conjunction with the School Improvement Council. A sample report card is displayed in Appendix D.RECOMMENDATION SIX
Building upon the following principles:
We seek changes in the operation of the educational system which lead to results of higher quality; and
Our system should hold everyone accountable for students' academic success-- students, parents, educators and the State
the members of the PASS Commission concluded that
The culture of our schools must change to one of high expectations as evidenced through the attention of principals to the teaching of the identified content standards and establishment of more effective structures and processes to facilitate and enhance student learning;
Aggressive leadership development must be an ongoing activity for school administrators;
Teachers must be supported as they change the way they teach and the quality of the results they achieve in their classrooms;
Teachers must be recognized for increasing the academic achievement of their students.
The PASS Commission recommends
Recognition Program A multifaceted recognition program should honor high levels of absolute performance and high rates of improvement. The program should encompass public designations (e.g., flags and ceremonies); enhanced status; financial rewards for outstanding improvement rates (redirecting the current school incentive funds); and utilization of high performing school personnel in school assistance and professional development programs. |
The accountability system is structured to encourage lasting systemic improvement, not short-term heroic effort. Utilizing those who have been successful in schools with similar challenges ensures that improvement efforts are grounded in best practices which have been proven successful in our state. We also have the opportunity to draw upon and honor the expertise of our best educators. The Commission also suggests that state agencies and others charged with supporting improvement contract with districts or schools for leadership and direction in the development of curriculum and instructional resources, assessment strategies and leadership programs. The Commission recommends the establishment of the Palmetto Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards for those performing at the very highest levels.
Our state must invest in its educators. While schools and districts now have more flexibility with their professional development resources, more such resources are needed. Wide-reaching and comprehensive professional development programs conforming to strict criteria and related to improving academic achievement must become the rule, rather than the exception. As Harvard University professor Richard Elmore writes, "every increase in pressure on our schools for accountability for student performance should be accompanied by an equal investment in increasing the knowledge and skill of teachers, administrators, students and their families for learning about new expectations. In its simplest form, this principle means that no school is judged to be failing until policy makers are satisfied that investments in learning new ways to teach, new ways to manage instructional improvement, new ways of understanding student and family responsibilities have been implemented and, more importantly, paid for."RECOMMENDATION SEVEN
Building upon the following principles:
If we do not plan properly, we cannot work hard enough to achieve our goal; and
We seek changes in the operation of the system which lead to results of higher quality;
the members of the PASS Commission concluded that
School Boards (and in turn, superintendents) are accountable to parents and local communities for the academic achievement of students in their systems; and
Parents and local communities are responsible for the highest levels of achievement.
The PASS Commission recommends
Assistance for Poorly Performing Schools For schools performing poorly, transformational actions should be implemented. Three levels of actions should be followed depending upon the degree of persistently weak school performance. At the first level, the school should amend its School Renewal Plan to address deficiencies. At the second level, the school should implement an improvement plan consistent with requirements of the State Board of Education; and, in continuing circumstances, the State Board of Education should intervene. |
The Commission finds that the current statutory provisions addressing school districts provide an outline for action when intervention is required with schools. We further recommend the following sequence of actions: (a) when schools are rated "D" on either absolute performance or improvement, the local district shall require amendments to the School Renewal Plan which address the deficiencies. All personnel assigned to the school are to be evaluated during the year following the "D" rating, regardless of where each may fall on cyclical evaluation schedules. A comprehensive fiscal audit is to be conducted. A group external to the school (either from another school or the district staff) is to determine the extent to which the instructional program is aligned with the content standards; (b) when a school is rated "D-" all actions described in (a) are to be followed and the improvement plan must be approved by the State Board of Education; (c) when a school is rated "F" the State Board of Education shall conduct those audits it deems necessary and shall prescribe improvement actions. Actions defined in item (a) also shall apply to any school whose rating(s) falls by two grades or more.
Documented improvement in schools provides evidence that targeted long-term technical assistance is a key component of higher performance. While the State Department of Education has reorganized to focus on technical assistance, that agency alone should not bear all the responsibility for assisting schools to achieve at higher levels. We urge technical assistance programs which draw upon those who have been successful in raising academic achievement of students in South Carolina's schools and encourage collaborations among school districts which strengthen individual schools and the system.RECOMMENDATION EIGHT
Building upon the following principles:
We seek changes in the operation of the educational system which lead to results of higher quality; and
We seek a system which is successfully competitive at the highest levels;
the members of the PASS Commission concluded that
The first commitment of principals must be to raising the academic achievement in schools; and
The culture of our schools must change to one of high expectations as evidenced through the attention of principals to the teaching of the identified content standards and establishment of more effective structures and processes to facilitate and enhance student learning.
The PASS Commission recommends
Statutory Review Statutory provisions which direct school actions should be modified to eliminate redundancy and ambiguity and to define clearly the academic purposes of schools. Statutes should be amended to provide a less cumbersome process of personnel evaluation, reward and dismissal. |
The PASS Commission recommends focusing schools on clearly identified academic content standards. Today's schools are weighed down by responsibilities to be "all things to all people." Between birth and eighteen years of age, South Carolina's children spend 9 percent of their lives in schools, yet schools are asked to provide guidance and instruction in everything from drug and alcohol abuse to drivers' training to advanced calculus. At a time when the academic demands are increasing and resources are stable, we ask that those who guide our system reduce the multitude of special program requirements.
The Commission celebrates education as a profession. Throughout our work were gratified at the dedication of teachers and administrators and their tireless commitment to young people. In some instances however, weak teachers are allowed to continue because of the cumbersome evaluation, reward and dismissal process. While we wish to protect good professionals from unfair treatment, we believe that the current system affords overly broad protection to weak teachers, ultimately to the detriment of children.RECOMMENDATION NINE
Building upon the following principles:
If we do not plan properly, we cannot work hard enough to achieve our goal; and
We seek a system which is successfully competitive at the highest levels;
the members of the PASS Commission concluded that
Wise investment of state and local education dollars, time and related resources must remain a top priority.
The PASS Commission recommends
Oversight and Monitoring of the Accountability System On a cyclical schedule, academic content and performance standards and school performance indicators should be reviewed and updated to reach and keep the State's educational results competitive internationally and oversight and modification of the accountability system must be provided to ensure that we stay on track to meet the target. |
The accountability system requires continuing oversight to determine its impact and the degree to which the educational system achieves its target. Gains should be a result of improved student learning, quantifiably defensible by any standard. The Commission proposed that the oversight and monitoring of the accountability system be assigned to an independent body whose membership is representative of business and education to ensure the interests of South Carolina, students and parents are met. We recommend this body be charged with the responsibility to make corrections in the accountability system to ensure the target is achieved and that our schools become competitive at the fastest rate possible.
As members of the PASS Commission, we are willing to participate in any role the Governor deems appropriate to ensure communication and implementation of these recommendations.RECOMMENDATION TEN
Building upon the following principle:
Our system should hold everyone accountable for students' academic success-- students, parents, educators and the State
the members of the PASS Commission concluded that
Parents must take responsibility for their children's education;
Parents must be involved with their children, their children's schools and the local communities which support them;
Parents and local communities are responsible for the highest levels of achievement
the PASS Commission recommends
Parental and Community Support An aggressive public relations campaign must be initiated and maintained to elicit parental and local community support for the highest levels of student achievement. |
The PASS Commission is proposing an accountability system which prompts parents and others to invest their time and talents in the students and the schools those students attend. Although certain state level activities contribute to higher levels of student achievement, we recognize that the motivation to succeed and the expectation of competitive performance is communicated to students by their parents and neighbors and community institutions. Regrettably the current achievement level brings into question the degree to which local communities expect our children to achieve the highest levels of academic success. Those attitudes must change.
To encourage students to achieve at high levels, to display high standards of conduct and to stay in school we are proposing an aggressive marketing campaign which integrates multiple media and communication efforts. We suggest that the campaign address the value of education, interpretation and use of the accountability system's report card and a showcase of proven effective practices. Students should be taught the importance and value of education and staying in school; parents should be encouraged to be involved at all levels of their child's education and local communities should be encouraged to place educational needs and academic excellence as the highest priority. RELATED ISSUES
There are a number of issues which fall beyond the scope of the Executive Order but are issues closely related to the successes of the accountability system. The Commissioners recommend intensive efforts to ensure that
comprehensive professional development programs be available for all professionals (administrators, teachers and instructional support personnel) and that barriers of time and distance are addressed;
technical assistance programs are restructured and that those responsible for providing that assistance have adequate funding;
teacher preparation and certification renewal focus on the accomplishment of the academic content standards;
educational opportunities for students with special needs recognize their potential, rather than their limitations (see Appendix C);
local boards of education provide time within the school year and school day for parents and teachers to work together in the best interests of each child;
additional learning opportunities are provided for students experiencing difficulty and intensive instruction based upon proven practices; and
within local communities, adults support and mentor children as they grow and learn.
Recognizing that our task is to focus government, not to design government, the Commission did not consider a number of issues. The Commission recommends that those who have responsibility for the design of government determine the potential contribution of the elements below to our quest for higher levels of achievement.
Alternative governance or delivery systems, including charter schools;
Structure of the school day and year;
Structure and mechanisms of the school finance system;
Relationships among the General Assembly, the State Superintendent, the State Board of Education and local boards;
Differences among the responsibilities, training and compensation of educators;
The proper role of other academic content areas and related arts in the curriculum;
Development of either certification or recognition programs for "master teachers"; and
Study of student readiness and participation in the Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT) program.
APPENDICES
A Executive Order
B Acknowledgments
C Recommendations on the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities
D Sample Report Card
E South Carolina Academic Content Standards
APPENDIX A
Executive Order, page oneExecutive Order, page twoAPPENDIX B
Acknowledgments
This report is the result of the untiring commitment of South Carolinians to the improvement of public education for its students.
The fourteen members of the Commission bring a range of experiences as parents, community leaders, educators, business and civic leaders and, although somewhat distant, as students. The Commissioners met with groups and individuals; each provided valuable information and perspective. The dedication and advocacy that each offered are overwhelming. Without exception, the message is clear: South Carolinians believe its public education system must achieve at higher levels and they are willing to dedicate themselves to that task.
We wish to thank those whose presentations before the Commission gave meaning to abstract concepts and focused Commissioners on the most critical factors within the educational system. Dr. Carol Stewart and Mrs. TerryLynn Cooper in the Governor's Office never failed to provide the support and sustenance needed for our work. Dr. Barbara Nielsen and her staff provided continuing information and dialogue. Our work would not be so well-informed without the expertise of Dr. John Barth, advisory to the National Governors' Association and Dr. Lynn Cornett, Vice President of the Southern Regional Education Board.
For some issues, the Commission drew from the work of informal technical advisory groups. The Commission expresses appreciation to Mrs. Pamela Pritchett, Mrs. Ellen Hayden, Dr. Michael Turner, Dr. Jane Puling and Mrs. Valerie Harrison who participated in discussions of internationally competitive academic content standards; to Dr. Peter Airasian, Dr. Garrett Mandeville, Dr. Lorin Anderson, Dr. Doug Alexander and Dr. Susan Agruso who contributed to understanding of assessment issues; and to Dr. Sandra Lindsay, Dr. Michael Turner, Ms. Sue O'Connor, Mrs. Marge Sciezka, Ms. Ellen Still, Mrs. Sandy Smith, Mrs. Pamela Pritchett and Dr. Susan Agruso who worked with drafts of the content standards.
We extend special appreciation to the Honorable Beverly Sgro, Secretary of Education, and The Honorable Richard LaPointe, State Superintendent of Education in Virginia and their staff. Late in our deliberations, the Commissioners traveled to Virginia to understand how that system has implemented accountability structures and the impact of that implementation. We appreciate their collegiality, their experience and their wisdom.APPENDIX C
RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE INCLUSION OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
1. All students should be included in the accountability process, except as noted in item three.
2. All students should be provided an instructional curriculum that is aligned with the accountability standards and given opportunities to learn the material and skills covered by the content standards.
3. Students with significantly impaired cognitive functioning may be exempted from standardized assessment measures according to written standards established at the state level (there can be no local option).
4. The State should develop written criteria and procedures for determining the exemption of a student from participating in standardized assessment measurements.
5. Students exempted from rigorous standardized assessment methods should be provided significant alternative outcome assessments that are individually tailored with high standards that are clearly established, adequately taught and rigorously and validly assessed.
6. Strategies to increase student retention in school should include early and accessible assessment for suspected disabilities as well as proactive interventions In the curriculum and services for all students.
7. Resources should be made available for alternative education placements for youngsters whose disability-related behavior makes it difficult for them to be educated in a regular education setting.
NOTE: These recommendations should be reviewed for consistency with the 1997 reauthorization amendments of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.APPENDIX D
Report Card, page oneReport Card, page twoReport Card, page threeAPPENDIX E
Appendix E contains academic content standards for mathematics, science, and English/language arts. The related standards which address use of technology are provided for incorporation into each of the core disciplines. Standards for social studies are to be developed.
APPENDIX E
Appendix E contains academic content standards for mathematics, science, and
English/language arts. The related standards which address use of technology are provided
for incorporation into each of the core disciplines. Standards for social studies are to be
developed.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Mathematics Standards of Learning
Kindergarten 65
Grade One 67
Grade Two 69
Grade Three 72
Grade Four 74
Grade Five 77
Computer/Technology Standards by the End of Grade Five 80
Grade Six 81
Grade Seven 84
Grade Eight 87
Computer/Technology Standards by the End of Grade Eight 89
Grades 9-12 90
Algebra I 94
Geometry 95
Algebra II 96
Trigonometry 97
Algebra II and Trigonometry 98
Mathematical Analysis 100
Advanced Placement Calculus 101
Computer Mathematics 103
Science Standards of Learning
Kindergarten 106
Grade One 108
Grade Two 110
Grade Three 112
Grade Four 115
Grade Five 117
Computer/Technology Standards by the End of Grade Five 119
Grade Six 120
Grades 7 & 8 123
Computer/Technology Standards by the End of Grade Eight 131
Grades 9-12 132
English Standards of Learning
Kindergarten 140
Grade One 142
Grade Two 145
Grade Three 147
Grade Four 149
Grade Five 151
Computer/Technology Standards by the End of Grade Five 153
Grade Six 154
Grade Seven 156
Grade Eight 158
Computer/Technology Standards by the End of Grade Eight 160
Grade Nine 161
Grade Ten 164
Grade Eleven 166
Grade Twelve 169
Current State Board of Education Mathematics Standards of Learning
Kindergarten-Grade Three 171
Grades 4-6 177
Grades 7 & 8 183
Grades 9-12 190
Current State Board of Education Science Standards of Learning
Kindergarten-Grade Three 192
Grades 4-6 197
Grades 7 & 8 202
Grades 9-12 209
Current State Board of Education English Standards of Learning
Kindergarten-Grade Three 220
Grades 4-6 223
Grades 7 & 8 226
Grades 9-12 230
Mathematics Standards of Learning - Kindergarten
Number and Numeration Systems
The student, given a familiar problem situation involving magnitude, will
select a reasonable magnitude from three given quantities: a one-digit numeral, a two-digit numeral, and a three-digit numeral (e.g., 5, 50, and 500); and
explain the reasonableness of his/her choice.
The student, given two sets containing 10 or fewer concrete items, will identify and describe one set as having more, fewer, or the same number of members as the other set, using the concept of 1 to 1 correspondence.
Patterns, Relationships, and Functions
The student will identify, describe, and extend a repeating relationship (pattern) found in common objects, sounds, and movements.
The student will investigate and recognize patterns from counting by fives and tens, using concrete objects and a calculator.
The student, given a set containing nine or fewer concrete items, will
tell how many are in the set by counting the number of items orally;
select the corresponding numeral from a given set; and
trace over the numeral using tactile materials (e.g., sandpaper, carpeting, or finger paint).
The student, given an ordered set of three objects and/or, will indicate the ordered position of each item, from left-to-right, right-to-left, top-to-bottom, and/or bottom-to-top.
The student will count forward to 20 and backward from 10.
The student will determine the value of a collection of pennies, using pennies or models.
The student will add and subtract whole numbers using up to 10 concrete items.
The student will compare the size (larger/smaller) and shape of plane geometric figures (circle, triangle, square, and rectangle).
The student will sort and classify objects according to similar attributes (size, shape, and color).
Geometry and Spatial Sense
The student will identify, describe, and make plane geometric figures (circle, triangle, square, and rectangle).
The student will identify representations of plane geometric figures (circle, triangle, square, and rectangle), regardless of their position and orientation in space.
Measurement
The student will identify the instruments used to measure length (ruler), weight (scale), time (clock: digital and analog; calendar: day, month, and season), and temperature (thermometer).
The student will tell time to the hour using an analog or digital clock.
The student will compare two objects or events, using direct comparisons or nonstandard units of measure, according to one or more of the following attributes: length (shorter, longer), height (taller, shorter), weight (heavier, lighter), temperature (hotter, colder). Examples of nonstandard units include foot length, hand span, new pencil, paper clip, block, etc.
The student will recognize a penny, nickel, dime, and quarter.
Probability and Statistics
The student will investigate and describe the results of dropping a two-colored counter or using a multicolored spinner.
The student will gather data relating to familiar experiences by counting and tallying.
The student will display objects and information, using object and pictorial graphs and tables.
Mathematics Standards of Learning - Grade One
Number and Numeration Systems
The student will group concrete objects by ones and tens to develop an understanding of place value.
The student will identify the ordinal positions first through tenth, using an ordered set of objects.
The student will identify and represent the concepts of one-half and one-fourth, using appropriate materials or a drawing.
Numerical and Algebraic Concepts and Operations
The student will recall basic addition facts, sums to 10 or less, and the corresponding subtraction facts.
Patterns, Relationships, and Functions
The student will recognize, describe, extend, and create a wide variety of patterns, including rhythmic, color, shape, and numeric. Patterns will include both growing and repeating patterns. Concrete materials and calculators will be used by students.
The student will count by twos, fives, and tens to 100.
The student will count objects in a given set containing between 10 and 100 objects and write the corresponding numeral.
The student will recognize and write numerals 0 through 100.
The student will solve story and picture problems involving one-step solutions, using basic addition and subtraction facts.
The student will use nonstandard units to measure length and weight.
The student will describe the proximity of objects in space (near, far, close by, below, up, down, beside, and next to).
The student will sort and classify concrete objects according to one or more attributes, including color, size, shape, and thickness.
Geometry and Spatial Sense
The student will draw and describe triangles, squares, rectangles, and circles according to number of sides, corners, and square corners.
The student will identify and describe objects in his/her environment that depict geometric figures: triangle, rectangle, square, and circle.
Measurement
The student will tell time to the half-hour, using an analog or digital clock.
The student will compare the weight of two objects using a balance scale.
The student will compare the volumes of two given containers by using concrete materials (e.g., jelly beans, sand, water, and rice).
The student will identify the number of pennies equivalent to a nickel, a dime, and a quarter.
The student will count a collection of pennies, a collection of nickels, and a collection of dimes whose total value is 100 cents or less.
Probability and Statistics
The student will investigate, identify, and describe various forms of data collection in his/her world (e.g., recording daily temperature, lunch count, attendance, and favorite ice cream).
The student will interpret information displayed in a picture or object graph using the vocabulary: more, less, fewer, greater than, and less than.
Mathematics Standards of Learning - Grade Two
Number and Numeration Systems
The student will identify the place value of each digit in a three-digit numeral, using numeration models.
The student will identify the positions first through twentieth, using an ordered set of objects.
The student will
count, compare, and make change, using a collection of coins and one-dollar bills; and
identify the correct usage of the cent symbol (¢), dollar symbol ($), and decimal point (.).
The student will identify the part of a set and/or region that represents one-half, one-third, one-fourth, one-eighth, and one-tenth and write the corresponding fraction.
The student will compare two whole numbers between 0 and 999, using symbols and words (>, <, or =, "greater than," "less than," or "equal to").
Numerical and Algebraic Concepts and Operations
The student will recall basic addition facts, sums to 18 or less, and the corresponding subtraction facts.
The student, given a simple addition or subtraction fact, will recognize and describe the related facts which represent and describe the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction (e.g., 3 + __ = 7, ___ + 3 = 7, 7 - 3 = __, and 7 - __ = 3).
The student, given two whole numbers whose sum is 99 or less, will
estimate the sum; and
find the sum using various methods of calculation (mental computation, concrete materials, and paper and pencil).
The student, given two whole numbers each 99 or less, will
estimate the difference; and
find the difference using various methods of calculation (mental computation, concrete materials, and paper and pencil).
Patterns, Relationships, and Functions
The student will identify, create, and extend a wide variety of patterns using symbols and objects.
The student will count by twos and fives to 100 and by threes and fours to 96, using mental mathematics, paper and pencil, hundred chart, calculators, and/or concrete objects.
The student will complete a sequence of 10 or fewer consecutive whole numbers 0 though 999.
The student will solve problems by completing a numerical sentence involving the basic facts for addition and subtraction. Examples include: 3 + __ = 7, or 9 - __ = 2. Students will create story problems using the numerical sentences.
The student will solve addition and subtraction problems using data from simple charts and picture graphs. Problems will require a one-step solution.
The student will estimate and then determine weight/mass of familiar objects in pounds and/or kilograms, using a scale.
Geometry and Spatial Sense
The student will identify and describe a cube, rectangular solid, sphere, cylinder, and cone, according to the number and shape of faces, edges, bases, and corners.
The student will compare and contrast plane and solid geometric shapes (circle/sphere, square/cube, triangle/pyramid, and rectangle/rectangular solid).
The student will identify and create figures, symmetric along a line, using various concrete materials.
Measurement
The student will estimate and then use a ruler to make linear measurements to the nearest centimeter and inch, including the distance around a polygon (determine perimeter).
The student, given grid paper, will estimate and then count the number of square units needed to cover a given surface (determine area).
The student will tell and write time to the quarter hour, using analog and digital clocks.
The student will use actual measuring devices to compare metric and U.S. Customary units (cups, pints, quarts, gallons, and liters) for measuring liquid volume, using the concepts of more, less, and equivalent.
The student, given a calendar, will determine past and future days of the week and identify specific dates.
The student will estimate and then count the number of cubes in a rectangular box (determine volume).
The student will
count, compare, and make change, using a collection of coins and one-dollar bills; and
identify the correct usage of the cent symbol (¢), dollar symbol ($), and decimal point (.).
Probability and Statistics
The student will record data from experiments using spinners and colored tiles/cubes and use the data to predict which of two events is more likely to occur if the experiment is repeated.
The student will read, construct, and interpret a simple picture and bar graph.
Mathematics Standards of Learning - Grade Three
Number and Numeration Systems
The student will read and write six-digit numerals and identify the place value for each digit.
The student will round a whole number, 999 or less, to the nearest ten and hundred.
The student will name and write the fractions represented by drawings or concrete materials and represent a given fraction, using concrete materials and symbols.
The student will compare two whole numbers between 0 and 9,999, using symbols (>, <, or = ) and words ("greater than," "less than," or "equal to").
The student will compare the numerical value of two fractions having like and unlike denominators, using concrete materials.
Numerical and Algebraic Concepts and Operations
The student will recognize and use the inverse relationships between addition/subtraction and multiplication/division to complete basic fact sentences. Students will use these relationships to solve problems such as 5 + 3 = 8 and 8 - 3 = _____.
The student will recall the multiplication and division facts through the nines table.
The student will solve problems involving the sum or difference of two whole numbers, each 9,999 or numbers with at least five digits, or less, with or without regrouping, using various computational methods, including calculators, paper and pencil, mental computation, and estimation.
The student will create and solve problems that involve multiplication of two whole numbers, one factor 99 or less and the second factor 5 or less.
The student will add and subtract with proper fractions having like denominators of 10 or less, using concrete materials.
The student will add and subtract with decimals expressed as tenths, using concrete materials and paper and pencil.
Patterns, Relationships, and Functions
The student will read and write decimals expressed as tenths and hundredths, using concrete materials.
The student will estimate and then use actual measuring devices with metric and U.S. Customary units to measure
length-inches, feet, yards, centimeters, and meters;
liquid volume-cups, pints, quarts, gallons, and liters;
weight/mass-ounces, pounds, grams, and kilograms.
The student will tell time to the nearest five-minute interval and to the nearest minute, using analog and digital clocks.
The student will identify equivalent periods of time, including relationships among days, months, and years, as well as minutes and hours.
The student will read temperature, to the nearest degree, from a Celsius thermometer and a Fahrenheit thermometer. Real thermometers and physical models of thermometers will be used.
The student will analyze plane and solid geometric figures (square, rectangle, triangle, cube, rectangular solid, and cylinder) and identify relevant properties, including the number of corners, square corners, the shape of faces, and edges.
The student will identify and draw representations of line segments and angles, using a ruler or straightedge.
The student, given appropriate drawings or models, will identify and describe congruent and symmetrical two-dimensional figures, using tracing procedures.
Measurement
The student will determine by counting the value of a collection of bills and coins up to $5.00, compare the value of the coins or bills, and make change.
Mathematics Standards of Learning - Grade Four
Number and Numeration Systems
The student will read, write, represent, and identify decimals expressed through thousandths, and round to the nearest tenth and hundredth, using concrete materials, drawings, calculators, and symbols.
The student will
identify, orally and in writing, the place value for each digit in a whole number expressed through millions;
compare two whole numbers, expressed through millions, using symbols ( >, <, or = ); and
round whole numbers expressed through millions to the nearest thousand, ten thousand, and hundred thousand.
The student will identify and represent equivalent fractions and relate fractions to decimals, using concrete objects.
Numerical and Algebraic Concepts and Operations
The student will find the product of two whole numbers when one factor has two digits or less and the other factor has three digits or less, using estimation and paper and pencil. For larger products (a two-digit numeral times a three-digit numeral), estimation and calculators will be used.
The student will estimate and find the quotient of two whole numbers given a one-digit divisor.
The student will
add and subtract with fractions having like and unlike denominators of 12 or less and with decimals through thousandths, using concrete materials and paper and pencil; and
solve problems involving addition and subtraction with fractions having like and unlike denominators of 12 or less and decimals expressed through thousandths.
The student will identify and represent equivalent fractions and relate fractions to decimals, using concrete objects.
The student will compare the numerical value of fractions having denominators of 12 or less.
The student will create and solve problems involving addition and subtraction of money amounts using various computational methods, including calculators, paper and pencil, mental computation, and estimation.
The student will add and subtract whole numbers written in vertical and horizontal form, choosing appropriately between paper and pencil methods and calculators.
The student will read, write, represent, and identify decimals expressed through thousandths, and round to the nearest tenth and hundredth, using concrete materials, drawings, calculators, and symbols.
The student will estimate whole-number sums and differences and describe the method of estimation. Students will refine estimates, using terms such as closer to, between, and a little more than.
Patterns, Relationships, and Functions
The student will identify and locate missing whole numbers on a given number line.
The student will extend a given pattern, using concrete materials and tables.
The student will solve problems involving pattern identification and completion of patterns.
Geometry and Spatial Sense
The student will investigate and describe the relationships between and among points, lines, line segments, and rays.
The student will identify and draw representations of points, lines, line segments, rays, and angles, using a straightedge or ruler.
The student will identify lines which illustrate intersection, parallelism, and perpendicularity.
Measurement
The student will
estimate and measure length using actual measuring devices and describe the results in both metric and U.S. Customary units, including part of an inch (1/2, 1/4, and 1/8), inches, feet, yards, millimeters, centimeters, and meters; and
estimate the conversion of inches and centimeters, yards and meters, and miles and kilometers, using approximate comparisons (1 inch is about 2.5 centimeters, 1 meter is a little longer than 1 yard, 1 mile is slightly farther than 1.5 kilometers, or 1 kilometer is slightly farther than half a mile).*
The student will
estimate and measure liquid volume using actual measuring devices and using metric and U.S. Customary units, including cups, pints, quarts, gallons, milliliters, and liters; and
estimate the conversion of quarts and liters, using approximate comparisons (1 quart is a little less than 1 liter, 1 liter is a little more than 1 quart).*
The student will
estimate and measure weight/mass using actual measuring devices and express the results in both metric and U.S. Customary units, including ounces, pounds, grams, and kilograms; and
estimate the conversion of ounces and grams and pounds and kilograms, using approximate comparisons (1 ounce is about 28 grams, or 1 gram is about the weight of a paper clip; 1 kilogram is a little more than 2 pounds).*
* The intent of this standard is for students to make "ballpark" comparisons and not to memorize conversion factors between U.S. and metric units.
The student will identify and describe situations representing the use of perimeter and will use measuring devices to find perimeter in both standard and nonstandard units of measure.
Probability and Statistics
The student will determine the probability of a given simple event, using concrete materials.
The student will collect, organize, and display data in line and bar graphs with scale increments of one or greater than one.
Mathematics Standards of Learning- Grade Five
Number and Numeration Systems
The student will read, write, and identify the place values of decimals through ten-thousandths.
The student will compare the value of two decimals through ten-thousandths using the symbols >, <, or =.
Numerical and Algebraic Concepts and Operations
The student, given a dividend of four digits or less and a divisor of two digits or less, will find the quotient and remainder.
The student will find the product of two numbers expressed as decimals through thousandths, using an appropriate method of calculation, including paper and pencil, estimation, mental computation, and calculators.
The student, given a dividend expressed as a decimal through ten-thousandths and a single-digit divisor, will find the quotient.
The student will add and subtract with fractions and mixed numerals, with and without regrouping, and express answers in simplest form. Problems will include like and unlike denominators, limited to 12 or less.
The student will create and solve problems involving addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers, using paper and pencil, estimation, mental computation, and calculators.
Patterns, Relationships, and Functions
The student will investigate, describe, and extend numerical and geometric patterns, including triangular numbers, perfect squares, patterns formed by powers of 10, and arithmetic sequences. Concrete materials and calculators will be used.
The student will
investigate and describe the concept of variable;
use a variable to represent a given verbal quantitative expression, involving one operation; and
write an open sentence, using a variable to represent a given mathematical relationship.
The student will create a problem situation based on a given open sentence using a single variable.
The student will identify and describe the diameter, radius, chord, and circumference of a circle.
The student will choose an appropriate measuring device and unit of measure to solve problems involving measurement of
length-part of an inch (1/2, 1/4, and 1/8), inches, feet, yards, miles, millimeters, centimeters, meters, and kilometers;
weight/mass-ounces, pounds, tons, grams, and kilograms;
liquid volume-cups, pints, quarts, gallons, milliliters, and liters;
area-square units; and
temperature-Celsius and Fahrenheit units.
Problems also will include estimating the conversion of Celsius and Fahrenheit units relative to familiar situations (water freezes at 0°C and 32°F, water boils at 100°C and 212°F, normal body temperature is about 37°C and 98.6°F).
Geometry and Spatial Sense
The student will classify angles and triangles as right, acute, or obtuse.
The student will measure and draw right, acute, and obtuse angles and triangles, using appropriate tools.
The student will identify the ordered pair for a point and locate the point for an ordered pair in the first quadrant of a coordinate plane.
Measurement
The student will describe and determine the perimeter of a polygon and the area of a square, rectangle, and triangle, given the appropriate measures.
The student will differentiate between area and perimeter and identify whether the application of the concept of perimeter or area is appropriate for a given situation.
The student will determine an amount of elapsed time in hours and minutes within a 24-hour period.
Probability and Statistics
The student will
solve problems involving the probability of a single event by using tree diagrams or by constructing a sample space representing all possible results; and
create a problem statement involving probability based on information from a given problem situation.
Students will not be required to solve the problem created.
The student will collect, organize, and display a set of numerical data in a variety of forms, given a problem situation, using bar graphs, stem-and-leaf plots, and line graphs.
The student will find the mean and mode of a set of data.
Computer/Technology Standards by the End of Grade Five
The student will demonstrate a basic understanding of computer theory including bits, bytes, and binary logic.
The student will develop basic technology skills.
Develop a basic technology vocabulary that includes cursor, software, memory, disk drive, hard drive, and CD-ROM.
Select and use technology appropriate to tasks.
Develop basic keyboarding skills.
Operate peripheral devices.
Apply technologies to strategies for problem solving and critical thinking.
The student will process, store, retrieve, and transmit electronic information.
Use search strategies to retrieve electronic information using databases, CD-ROMs, videodiscs, and telecommunications.
Use electronic encyclopedias, almanacs, indexes, and catalogs.
Use local and wide-area networks and modem-delivered services to access information from electronic databases.
Describe advantages and disadvantages of various computer processing, storage, retrieval, and transmission techniques.
The student will communicate through application software.
Create a 1-2 page document using word processing, skills, writing process steps, and publishing programs.
Use simple computer graphics and integrate graphics into word-processed documents.
Create simple databases and spreadsheets to manage information and create reports.
Use local and worldwide network communication systems.
Mathematics Standards of Learning - Grade Six
Number and Numeration Systems
The student will identify and represent integers on a number line.
The student will identify representations of a given percent and describe orally and in writing the equivalence relationship between fractions, decimals, and percents.
The student will compare and order whole numbers, fractions, and decimals, using concrete materials, drawings or pictures, and mathematical symbols.
The student will describe and compare two sets of data using ratios and will use appropriate notations such as a/b, a to b, and a:b.
The student will explain orally and in writing the concepts of prime and composite numbers.
The student will investigate and describe concepts of exponents, perfect squares, and square roots, using calculators to develop the exponential patterns. Patterns will include zero and negative exponents, which lead to the idea of scientific notation. Investigations will include the binary number system as an application of exponents and patterns.
Numerical and Algebraic Concepts and Operations
The student will identify representations of a given percent and describe orally and in writing the equivalence relationship between fractions, decimals, and percents.
The student will solve multistep consumer application problems involving fractions and decimals and present data and conclusions in paragraphs, tables, or graphs.
The student will
model and solve algebraic equations, using concrete materials; and
solve one-step linear equations in one variable, involving whole number coefficients and positive rational solutions.
Patterns, Relationships, and Functions
The student will recognize, describe, and extend a variety of numerical and geometric patterns.
The student will
solve problems that involve addition, subtraction, and/or multiplication with fractions and mixed numbers, with and without regrouping, that include like and unlike denominators of 12 or less and express their answers in simplest form; and
find the quotient, given a dividend expressed as a decimal through thousandths and a divisor expressed as a decimal to thousandths with exactly one non-zero digit. For divisors with more than one non-zero digit, estimation and calculators will be used.
The student will use estimation strategies to solve multistep practical problems involving whole numbers, decimals, and fractions.
The student will estimate and then determine length, weight/mass, area, and liquid volume/capacity, using standard and nonstandard units of measure.
Geometry and Spatial Sense
The student will identify, classify, and describe the characteristics of plane figures including similarities and differences.
The student will sketch, construct models, and classify rectangular prisms, cones, cylinders, and pyramids.
The student will determine congruence of segments, angles, and polygons by direct comparison, given their attributes. Examples of noncongruent and congruent figures will be included.
The student will construct the perpendicular bisector of a line segment and an angle bisector, using a compass and straightedge.
Measurement
The student will compare and convert units of measures for length, weight/mass, and volume within the U.S. Customary system and within the metric system and estimate conversions between units in each system:*
length-part of an inch (1/2, 1/4, and 1/8), inches, feet, yards, miles, millimeters, centimeters, meters, and kilometers;
weight/mass-ounces, pounds, tons, grams, and kilograms;
liquid volume-cups, pints, quarts, gallons, milliliters, and liters; and
area-square units.
* The intent of this standard is for students to make "ballpark" comparisons and not to memorize conversion factors between U.S. and metric units.
The student will estimate angle measures using 45 degrees, 90 degrees, and 180 degrees as referents and use the appropriate tools to measure the given angles.
The student will create and solve problems by finding the circumference and/or area of a circle when given the diameter or radius. Using concrete materials or computer models, the student will derive approximations for pi from measurements for circumference and diameter.
Probability and Statistics
The student will determine and interpret the probability of an event occurring from a given sample space.
The student, given a problem situation, will collect, analyze, display, and interpret data in a variety of graphical methods, including line, bar, and circle graphs and stem-and-leaf and box-and-whisker plots. Circle graphs will be limited to halves, fourths, and eighths.
The student will describe the mean, median, and mode as measures of central tendency and determine their meaning for a set of data.
Mathematics Standards of Learning - Grade Seven
Number and Numeration Systems
The student will explain orally and in writing the following properties of operations with real numbers:
the commutative and associative properties for addition and multiplication;
the distributive property;
the additive and multiplicative identity properties;
the additive and multiplicative inverse properties; and
· the multiplicative property of zero.
The student will solve consumer application problems involving tips, discounts, sales tax, and simple interest, using whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and percents.
The student will
solve practical problems involving basic operations with integers by formulating rules for operating with integers and using a number line to compute; and
· explain the need for integers, using examples from real- life situations.
The student will compare, order, and determine equivalent relationships between fractions, decimals, and percents, including scientific notation.
The student will simplify expressions by using order of operations, mental mathematics, and appropriate tools. Exponents will be included.
Numerical and Algebraic Concepts and Operations
The student will explain orally and in writing the following properties of operations with real numbers:
the commutative and associative properties for addition and multiplication;
the distributive property;
the additive and multiplicative identity properties;
the additive and multiplicative inverse properties; and
· the multiplicative property of zero.
The student will use proportions to solve practical problems, including scale drawings that contain whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and percents.
The student will simplify expressions by using order of operations, mental mathematics, and appropriate tools. Exponents will be included.
The student will use the following algebraic terms appropriately in written and/or oral expression: equation, inequality, variable, expression, term, coefficient, domain, and range.
The student will
solve two-step linear equations and inequalities in one variable, using strategies involving inverse operations and integers; and
solve practical problems requiring the solution of a two-step linear equation.
The student will
solve practical problems involving basic operations with integers by formulating rules for operating with integers and using a number line to compute; and
· explain the need for integers, using examples from real- life situations.
Patterns, Relationships, and Functions
The student will investigate and describe functional relationships, including the number of sides of a regular polygon and the sum of the measures of the interior angles.
The student will find common multiples and factors, including least common multiple and greatest common factor.
The student will determine the probability of a given simple event and express that probability as a ration, decimal, or a percent as appropriate for the given situation.
The student will write verbal expressions/sentences as algebraic expressions/equations.
Geometry and Spatial Sense
The student will compare and contrast the following quadrilaterals: a parallelogram, rectangle, square, rhombus, and trapezoid. Deductive reasoning and inference will be used to classify quadrilaterals.
The student will identify and draw the following polygons: pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon, nonagon, and decagon.
The student will determine if geometric figures (quadrilaterals and triangles) are similar and write proportions to express the relationships between corresponding parts of similar figures.
The student will construct a three-dimensional model using cubes, given the top, side, and/or bottom views, and determine the volume and surface area of the model.
The student will investigate and describe functional relationships, including the number of sides of a regular polygon and the sum of the measures of the interior angles.
The student will use proportions to solve practical problems, including scale drawings that contain whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and percents.
The student will inscribe equilateral triangles, squares, and hexagons in circles, using a compass and straightedge.
The student will identify and graph ordered pairs in the four quadrants of a coordinate plane.
Measurement
The student, given appropriate dimensions, will estimate and find the area of polygons by subdividing them into rectangles and right triangles.
The student will investigate and solve problems involving the volume and surface area of rectangular prisms and cylinders, using concrete materials and practical situations to develop formulas.
The student will construct a three-dimensional model using cubes, given the top, side, and/or bottom views, and determine the volume and surface area of the model.
Probability and Statistics
The student will make a sample space for selected experiments and represent it in the form of a list, chart, picture, or tree diagram.
The student will investigate and describe the difference between the probability of an event found through simulation versus the theoretical probability of that same event.
The student will make inferences and predictions based on the analysis of a set of data that the student(s) collect.
The student will create and solve problems involving the mean, median, mode, and range of a set of data.
The student will identify and describe the number of possible arrangements of several objects, using a tree diagram or the Basic Counting Principle.
The student will display data, using frequency distributions, line plots, stem-and-leaf plots, box-and-whisker plots, and scattergrams.
Mathematics Standards of Learning - Grade Eight
Number and Numeration Systems
The student, given a whole number from 0 to 100, will identify it as a perfect square or find the two consecutive whole numbers between which the square root lies.
The student will describe orally and in writing the relationship between the subsets of the real number system.
The student will use proportions to solve scale-model problems with fractions and decimals.
The student will simplify numerical expressions involving exponents, using order of operations.
The student will solve practical problems involving whole numbers, integers, and rational numbers, including percents. Problems will be of varying complexities, involving real-life data.
The student will create and solve problems using proportions, formulas, and functions.
Numerical and Algebraic Concepts and Operations
The student will simplify numerical expressions involving exponents, using order of operations.
The student will apply the order of operations to evaluate algebraic expressions for given replacement values of the variables.
The student will solve multistep equations in one variable.
The student will describe and represent relations using tables, graphs, and rules.
The student will graph a linear equation in two variables on the coordinate plane, using a table of ordered pairs.
Patterns, Relationships, and Functions
The student will graph a linear equation in two variables on the coordinate plane, using a table of ordered pairs.
Geometry and Spatial Sense
The student will verify by measuring and describe the relationships between vertical angles and angles that are supplementary and complementary.
The student will describe, classify, and construct plane figures and solid figures, including prisms, pyramids, cylinders, and cones.
The student will investigate and describe functional relationships, including the number of sides of a regular polygon and the maximum number of possible diagonals, expressing the algebraic concept of the number of diagonals of the nth-sided polygon.
The student will apply transformations (rotate or turn, reflect or flip, translate or slide, and dilate or scale) to geometric figures represented on graph paper. The student will identify applications of transformations such as tiling, fabric design, art, and scaling.
Measurement
The student will investigate and solve problems involving volume and surface area of cones and pyramids, using concrete materials and practical situations.
The student will verify the Pythagorean Theorem by measuring and then applying the Pythagorean Theorem to find the missing length of a side of a right triangle when the lengths of the other two sides are given.
Probability and Statistics
The student will use information displayed in line, bar, circle, and picture graphs and histograms to make comparisons, predictions, and inferences.
The student will use a matrix to organize and describe data
The student will analyze problem situations, such as games of chance, board games, or grading scales, and make predictions, using knowledge of probability.
Computer/Technology Standards by the End of Grade Eight
The student will communicate through application software.
Compose and edit a multipage document at the keyboard, using word processing skills and the writing process steps.
Communicate with spreadsheets by entering data and setting up formulas, analyzing data, and creating graphs or charts to visually represent data.
Communicate with databases by defining fields and entering data, sorting, and producing reports in various forms.
Use advanced publishing software, graphics programs, and scanners to produce page layouts. Integrate databases, graphics, and spreadsheets into work-processed documents.
The student will communicate through networks and telecommunication.
Use local and worldwide network communication systems.
Develop hypermedia "home page" documents that can be accessed by worldwide networks.
The student will have a basic understanding of computer processing, storing, retrieval and transmission technologies and a practical appreciation of the relevant advantages and disadvantages of various processing, storage, retrieval, and transmission technologies.
The student will process, store, retrieve, and transmit electronic information.
Use search strategies to retrieve electronic information.
Use electronic encyclopedias, almanacs, indexes, and catalogs to retrieve and select relevant information.
Use laser discs with a computer in an interactive mode.
Use local and wide-area networks and modem-delivered services to access and retrieve information from electronic databases.
Use databases to perform research
Mathematics Standards of Learning - Grades 9 - 12
Number and Numeration Systems
The student will describe orally and in writing the relationship between the subsets of the real number system.
The student will justify steps used in simplifying expressions and solving equations and inequalities. Justifications will include the use of concrete objects, pictorial representations, and the properties of real numbers.
The student will identify field properties, axioms of equality and inequality, and properties of order that are valid for the set of real numbers and its subsets, complex numbers, and matrices.
Numerical and Algebraic Concepts and Operations
The student will represent verbal quantitative situations algebraically and evaluate these expressions for given replacement values of the variables. Students will choose an appropriate computational technique, such as mental mathematics, calculator, or paper and pencil.
The student will use matrices to organize and manipulate data, including matrix addition, subtraction, and scalar multiplication. Data will arise from business, industrial, and consumer situations.
The student will use formulas for surface area and volume of three-dimensional objects to solve practical problems. Calculators will be used to find decimal approximations for results.
The student will use matrix multiplication to solve practical problems. Graphing calculators or computer programs with matrix capabilities will be used to find the product.
The student will represent problem situations with a system of linear equations and solve the system using the inverse matrix method. Graphing calculators or computer programs with matrix capability will be used to perform computations.
The student will solve systems of two linear equations in two variables, both algebraically and graphically, and apply these techniques to solve practical problems. Graphing calculators will be used as both a primary tool of solution and to confirm an algebraic solution.
The student will solve quadratic equations in one variable both algebraically and graphically. Graphing calculators will be used both as a primary tool in solving problems and to verify algebraic solutions.
Patterns, Relationships, and Functions
The student will solve linear equations and inequalities in one variable, solve literal equations (formulas) for a given variable and apply these skills to solve practical problems. Graphing calculators will be used to confirm algebraic solutions.
The student will analyze a given set of data for the existence of a pattern, represent the pattern algebraically and graphically, if possible, and determine if the relation is a function.
The student will determine the slope of a line when given an equation of the line, the graph of the line, or two points on the line. Slope will be described as rate of change and will be positive, negative, zero, or undefined. The graphing calculator will be used to investigate the effect of changes in the slope on the graph of the line
The student will select, justify, and apply an appropriate technique to graph a linear function in two variables. Techniques will include slope-intercept, x- and y-intercepts, graphing by transformation, and the use of the graphing calculator.
The student will recognize multiple representations of functions (linear, quadratic, absolute value, step, and exponential functions) and convert between a graph, a table, and symbolic form. A transformational approach to graphing will be employed through the use of graphing calculators.
The student will find the domain, range, zeros and inverse of a function, the value of a function for a given element in its domain, and the composition of multiple functions. Functions will include those that have domains and ranges that are limited and/or discontinuous. The graphing calculator will be used as a tool to assist in investigation of functions, including exponential and logarithmic.
The student will investigate and identify the characteristics of polynomial and rational functions and use these to sketch the graphs of the functions. This will include determining zeros, upper and lower bounds, y-intercepts, symmetry, asymptotes, intervals for which the function is increasing or decreasing, and maximum or minimum points. Graphing utilities will be used to investigate and verify these characteristics.
The student will use graphs to investigate and describe the continuity of functions. The functions will include piece-wise-defined and step functions.
The student will find the limit of an algebraic function, if it exists, as the variable approaches either a finite number or infinity. A graphing utility will be used to verify intuitive reasoning, algebraic methods, and numerical substitution.
Geometry and Spatial Sense
The student will investigate and use the properties of angles, arcs, chords, tangents, and secants to solve problems involving circles. Problems will include finding the area of a sector and applications of architecture, art, and construction.
The student will make a model of a three-dimensional figure from a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional object. Models and representations will include scale drawings, perspective drawings, blueprints, or computer simulations.
The student will solve practical problems involving complementary, supplementary, and congruent angles that include vertical angles, angles formed when parallel lines are cut by a transversal, and angles in polygons.
The student will solve practical problems involving right triangles by using the Pythagorean Theorem and its converse, properties of special right triangles, and right triangle trigonometry. Calculators will be used to solve problems and find decimal approximations for the solutions.
The student will
investigate and identify congruence and similarity relationships between triangles; and
prove two triangles are congruent or similar given information in the form of a figure or statement, using algebraic and coordinate as well as deductive proofs.
The student will construct and judge the validity of a logical argument consisting of a set of premises and a conclusion. This will include
identifying the converse, inverse, and contrapositive of a conditional statement;
translating a short verbal argument into symbolic form;
diagramming arguments involving quantifiers (all, no, none, some), using Venn diagrams; and
using valid forms of deductive reasoning, including the law of syllogism.
The student will construct, using a compass and straightedge, a line segment congruent to a given line segment, the bisector of a line segment, a perpendicular to a given line from a point not on the line, a perpendicular to a given line at a point on the line, the bisector of a given angle, and an angle congruent to a given angle.
The student will analyze a given set of data for the existence of a pattern, represent the pattern algebraically and graphically, if possible, and determine if the relation is a function.
The student will
draw a system of vectors and find the resultant graphically, write the components of a vector as a column matrix, and find the resultant by matrix addition; and
solve practical problems using a system of vectors.
The student will perform operations with vectors in the coordinate plane and solve practical problems using vectors. This will include the following topics: operations of addition, subtraction, scalar multiplication, and inner (dot) product; norm of a vector; unit vector; graphing; properties; simple proofs; complex numbers (as vectors); and perpendicular components.
Measurement
The student will describe, classify, and construct plane figures and solid figures, including prisms, pyramids, cylinders, and cones.
The student will choose appropriate techniques, units, and tools to measure quantities.
The student will investigate and solve problems involving volume and surface area of cones and pyramids, using concrete materials and practical situations.
The student will choose an appropriate measuring device and unit of measure to solve problems involving measurement of
length-part of an inch (1/2, 1/4, and 1/8), inches, feet, yards, miles, millimeters, centimeters, meters, and kilometers;
weight/mass-ounces, pounds, tons, grams, and kilograms;
liquid volume-cups, pints, quarts, gallons, milliliters, and liters;
area-square units; and
temperature-Celsius and Fahrenheit units. Problems also will include estimating the conversion of Celsius and Fahrenheit units relative to familiar situations (water freezes at 0°C and 32°F, water boils at 100°C and 212°F, normal body temperature is about 37°C and 98.6°F).
The student will identify, create, and solve practical problems involving triangles and vectors. Techniques will include using the trigonometric functions, the Pythagorean Theorem, the Law of Sines, and the Law of Cosines.
The student will solve problems involving arithmetic and geometric sequences and series. This will include finding the sum (sigma notation included) of finite and infinite convergent series that will lead to an intuitive approach to a limit.
The student will apply the derivative to solve problems, including tangent and normal lines to a curve, curve sketching, velocity, acceleration, related rates of change, Newton's method, differentials and linear approximations, and optimization problems.
The student will apply the definite integral to solve problems. These problems will include finding distance traveled on a line and velocity from acceleration with initial conditions, growth and decay problems, solutions of separable differential equations, the average value of a function, area between curves, volumes of solids of revolution about the axes or lines parallel to the axes using disc/washer and shell methods, and volumes of solids with known cross-sectional areas.
AP Calculus BC will also include areas bounded by polar curves.
The student, given similar geometric objects, will use proportional reasoning to solve practical problems; investigate relationships between linear, square, and cubic measures; and describe how changes in one of the measures of the object affect the others.
Probability and Statistics
The student will investigate and describe the difference between the probability of an event found through simulation versus the theoretical probability of that same event
The student will analyze problem situations, such as games of chance, board games, or grading scales, and make predictions, using knowledge of probability
The student will determine and interpret the probability of an event occurring from a given sample space.
The student will make a sample space for selected experiments and represent it in the form of a list, chart, picture, or tree diagram.
The student will compare multiple one-variable data sets, using statistical techniques that include measures of central tendency, range, stem-and-leaf plots, and box-and-whisker graphs.
The student will make inferences and predictions based on the analysis of a set of data that the student(s) collect.
The student will collect and analyze data to make predictions, write equations, and solve practical problems. Graphing calculators will be used to investigate scatterplots to determine the equation for a curve of best fit.
Algebra I
The student will write an equation of a line when given the graph of the line, two points on the line, or the slope and a point on the line.
The student will apply the laws of exponents to perform operations on expressions with integral exponents, using scientific notation when appropriate.
The student will add, subtract, and multiply polynomials and divide polynomials with monomial divisors, using concrete objects, pictorial representations, and algebraic manipulations.
The student will factor completely first- and second-degree binomials and trinomials in one or two variables. The graphing calculator will be used as both a primary tool for factoring and for confirming an algebraic factorization.
The student will estimate square roots to the nearest tenth and use a calculator to compute decimal approximations of radicals.
The student will determine the domain and range of a relation given a graph or a set of ordered pairs and will identify the relations that are functions.
The student will, given a rule, find the values of a function for elements in its domain and locate the zeros of the function both algebraically and with a graphing calculator. The value of f(x) will be related to the ordinate on the graph.
The student will, given a set of data points, write an equation for a line of best fit, using the median fit method, and use the equation to make predictions.
The student will compare multiple one-variable data sets, using statistical techniques that include measures of central tendency, range, stem-and-leaf plots, and box-and-whisker graphs.
The student will analyze a relation to determine whether a direct or inverse variation exists and represent it algebraically and graphically, if possible.
Geometry
The student will use pictorial representations, including computer software and coordinate methods to solve problems involving symmetry and transformation. This will include
using formulas for finding distance, midpoint, and slope;
investigating and determining whether a figure is symmetric with respect to a line or a point; and
determining whether a figure has been translated, reflected, or rotated.
The student will use the relationships between angles formed by two lines cut by a transversal to determine if two lines are parallel and verify, using algebraic and coordinate methods as well as deductive proofs.
The student, given information concerning the lengths of sides and/or measures of angles, will apply the triangle inequality properties to determine whether a triangle exists and to order sides and angles. These concepts will be considered in the context of practical situations.
The student will
investigate and identify properties of quadrilaterals involving opposite sides and angles, consecutive sides and angles, and diagonals;
prove these properties of quadrilaterals using algebraic and coordinate as well as deductive proofs; and
use properties of quadrilaterals to solve practical problems.
The student will use measures of interior and exterior angles of polygons to solve problems. Tessellations and tiling problems will be used to make connections to art, construction, and nature.
Algebra II
The student will add, subtract, multiply, divide, and simplify rational expressions, including complex fractions.
The student will
add, subtract, multiply, divide, and simplify radical expressions containing positive rational numbers and variables and expressions containing rational exponents; and
write radical expressions as expressions containing rational exponents, and vice versa.
The student will solve absolute value equations and inequalities graphically and algebraically. Graphing calculators will be used both as a primary method of solution and to verify algebraic solutions.
The student will identify and factor completely polynomials representing the difference of squares, perfect square trinomials, the sum and difference of cubes, and general trinomials.
The student will select, justify, and apply a technique to solve a quadratic equation over the set of complex numbers. Graphing calculators will be used for solving and confirming algebraic solutions.
The student will solve equations containing rational expressions and equations containing radical expressions algebraically and graphically. Graphing calculators will be used for solving and confirming algebraic solutions.
The student will recognize multiple representations of functions (linear, quadratic, absolute value, step, and exponential functions) and convert between a graph, a table, and symbolic form. A transformational approach to graphing will be employed through the use of graphing calculators.
The student will find the domain, range, zeros and inverse of a function, the value of a function for a given element in its domain, and the composition of multiple functions. Functions will include those that have domains and ranges that are limited and/or discontinuous. The graphing calculator will be used as a tool to assist in investigation of functions, including exponential and logarithmic.
The student will investigate and describe the relationships between the solution of an equation, zero of a function, x-intercept of a graph, and factors of a polynomial expression through the use of graphs.
The student will solve systems of linear inequalities and linear programming problems and describe the results both orally and in writing. A graphing calculator will be used to facilitate solutions to linear programming problems.
The student will solve nonlinear systems of equations, including linear-quadratic and quadratic-quadratic, algebraically and graphically. The graphing calculator will be used as a tool to visualize graphs and predict the number of solutions.
The student will recognize the general shape of polynomial functions, locate the zeros, sketch the graphs, and verify graphical solutions algebraically. The graphing calculator will be used as a tool to investigate the shape and behavior of polynomial functions.
The student will investigate and apply the properties of arithmetic and geometric sequences and series to solve problems, including writing the first n terms, finding the nth term, and evaluating summation formulas. Notation will include sigma and 'a sub n'.
The student will perform operations on complex numbers and express the results in simplest form. Simplifying results will involve using patterns of the powers of i.
The student will collect and analyze data to make predictions, write equations, and solve practical problems. Graphing calculators will be used to investigate scatterplots to determine the equation for a curve of best fit.
The student will identify, create, and solve practical problems involving a combination of direct and inverse variations.
Trigonometry
The student will use the definitions of the six trigonometric functions to find the sine, cosine, tangent, cotangent, secant, and cosecant of an angle in standard position, given a point, other than the origin, on the terminal side of the angle. Circular function definitions will be connected with trigonometric function definitions.
The student, given the value of one trigonometric function, will find the values of the other trigonometric functions. Properties of the unit circle and definitions of circular functions will be applied.
The student will find the values of the trigonometric functions of the special angles and their related angles as found in the unit circle without the aid of a calculating utility. This will include converting radians to degrees and vice versa.
The student will use a calculator to find the value of any trigonometric function and inverse trigonometric function.
The student will verify basic trigonometric identities and make substitutions using the basic identities.
The student, given one of the six trigonometric functions in standard form (e.g., y = Asin (Bx + C) + D, where A, B, C, and D are real numbers), will
state the domain and the range of the function;
determine the amplitude, period, phase shift, and vertical shift; and
sketch the graph of the function by using transformations for at least a one-period interval.
The graphing calculator will be used to investigate the effect of changing A, B, C, and D on the graph of a trigonometric function.
The student will identify the domain and range of the inverse trigonometric functions and recognize the graph of these functions. Restrictions on the domains of the inverse trigonometric functions will be included.
The student will solve trigonometric equations that include both infinite solutions and restricted domain solutions and solve basic trigonometric inequalities. Graphing utilities will be used to solve equations, to check for reasonableness of results, and to verify algebraic solutions.
Algebra II and Trigonometry
The student will identify field properties, axioms of equality and inequality, and properties of order that are valid for the set of real numbers and its subsets, complex numbers, and matrices.
The student will add, subtract, multiply, divide, and simplify rational expressions, including complex fractions.
The student will
add, subtract, multiply, divide, and simplify radical expressions containing positive rational numbers and variables and expressions containing rational exponents; and
write radical expressions as expressions containing rational exponents and vice versa.
The student will solve absolute value equations and inequalities graphically and algebraically. Graphing calculators will be used both as a primary method of solution and to verify algebraic solutions.
The student will identify and factor completely polynomials representing the difference of squares, perfect square trinomials, the sum and difference of cubes, and general trinomials.
The student will select, justify, and apply a technique to solve a quadratic equation over the set of complex numbers. Graphing calculators will be used for solving and confirming algebraic solutions.
The student will solve equations containing rational expressions and equations containing radical expressions algebraically and graphically. Graphing calculators will be used both as a primary tool for solving and confirming algebraic solutions.
The student will find the domain, range, zeros, and inverse of a function; the value of a function for a given element in its domain; and the composition of multiple functions. Functions will include those that have domains and ranges that are limited and/or discontinuous. The graphing calculator will be used as a tool to assist in investigation of functions, including exponential and logarithmic.
The student will investigate and describe the relationships between the solution of an equation, zero of a function, x-intercept of a graph, and factors of a polynomial expression through the use of graphs.
The student will use matrix multiplication to solve practical problems. Graphing calculators or computer programs with matrix capabilities will be used to find the product.
The student will represent problem situations with a system of linear equations and solve the system, using the inverse matrix method. Graphing calculators or computer programs with matrix capability will be used to perform computations.
The student will solve systems of linear inequalities and linear programming problems and describe the results both orally and in writing. A graphing calculator will be used to facilitate solutions to linear programming problems.
The student will solve nonlinear systems of equations, including linear-quadratic and quadratic-quadratic, algebraically and graphically. The graphing calculator will be used as a tool to visualize graphs and predict the number of solutions.
The student will recognize the general shape of polynomial functions, locate the zeros, sketch the graphs, and verify graphical solutions algebraically.
The graphing calculator will be used as a tool to investigate the shape and behavior of polynomial functions.
The student will investigate and apply the properties of arithmetic and geometric sequences and series to solve problems, including writing the first n terms, finding the nth term, and evaluating summation formulas. Notation will include sigma and 'a sub n'.
The student will perform operations on complex numbers and express the results in simplest form. Simplifying results will involve using patterns of the powers of i.
The student will identify conic sections (circle, ellipse, parabola, and hyperbola) from his/her equations. Given the equations in (h, k) form, students will sketch graphs, using transformations.
The student will solve practical problems involving a combination of direct and inverse variations.
The student will use the definitions of the six trigonometric functions to find the sine, cosine, tangent, cotangent, secant, and cosecant of an angle in standard position, given a point, other than the origin, on the terminal side of the angle. Circular function definitions will be connected with trigonometric function definitions.
The student, given the value of one trigonometric function, will find the values of the other trigonometric functions. Properties of the unit circle and definitions of circular functions will be applied.
The student will find the values of the trigonometric functions of the special angles and their related angles as found in the unit circle without the aid of a calculating utility. This will include converting radians to degrees and vice versa.
The student will use a calculator to find the value of any trigonometric function and inverse trigonometric function.
The student will verify basic trigonometric identities and make substitutions using the basic identities.
The student, given one of the six trigonometric functions in standard form (e.g., y = Asin (Bx + C) + D, where A, B, C, and D are real numbers), will:
state the domain and the range of the function;
determine the amplitude, period, phase shift, and vertical shift; and
sketch the graph of the function by using transformations for at least a one-period interval.
The graphing calculator will be used to investigate the effect of changing A, B, C, and D on the graph of a trigonometric function.
The student will identify the domain and range of the inverse trigonometric functions and recognize the graph of these functions. Restrictions on the domains of the inverse trigonometric functions will be included.
The student will solve trigonometric equations that include both infinite solutions as well as restricted domain solutions and solve basic trigonometric inequalities. Graphing utilities will be used to solve equations, to check for reasonableness of results, and to verify algebraic solutions.
The student will identify, create, and solve practical problems involving triangles and vectors. Techniques will include using the trigonometric functions, the Pythagorean Theorem, the Law of Sines, and the Law of Cosines.
Mathematical Analysis
The student will expand binomials having positive integral exponents through the use of the Binomial Theorem, the formula for combinations, and Pascal's Triangle.
The student will apply the method of mathematical induction to prove formulas/statements.
The student will apply the techniques of translation and rotation of axes in the coordinate plane to graphing functions and conic sections. A graphing utility will be used to investigate and verify the graphs. Matrices will be used to represent transformations.
The student will investigate and identify the characteristics of exponential and logarithmic functions in order to graph these functions and to solve equations and practical problems. This will include the role of e, natural and common logarithms, laws of exponents and logarithms, and the solution of logarithmic and exponential equations. Graphing utilities will be used to investigate and verify the graphs and solutions.
The student will investigate and identify the characteristics of the graphs of polar equations using graphing utilities.
This will include classification of polar equations, the effects of changes in the parameters in polar equations, conversion of complex numbers from rectangular form to polar form and vice versa, and the intersection of the graphs of polar equations.
The student will use parametric equations to model and solve application problems. Graphing utilities will be used to develop an understanding of the graph of parametric equations.
The student will identify, create, and solve practical problems involving triangles and vectors. Techniques will include using the trigonometric functions, the Pythagorean Theorem, the Law of Sines, and the Law of Cosines.
Advanced Placement Calculus
The student will define and apply the properties of elementary functions, including algebraic, trigonometric, exponential, and composite functions and their inverses, and graph these functions using a graphing calculator.
Properties of functions will include domains, ranges, combinations, odd, even, periodicity, symmetry, asymptotes, zeros, upper and lower bounds, and intervals where the function is increasing or decreasing.
The student will define and apply the properties of limits of functions. This will include limits of a constant, sum, product, quotient, one-sided limits, limits at infinity, infinite limits, and nonexistent limits.
AP Calculus BC will include the rigorous definitions of a limit.
The student will state the definition of continuity and determine where a function is continuous or discontinuous. This will include
continuity at a point;
continuity over a closed interval;
application of the Intermediate Value Theorem; and
graphical interpretation of continuity and discontinuity.
The student will find the derivative of an algebraic function by using the definition of a derivative. This will include investigating and describing the relationship between differentiability and continuity.
The student will apply formulas to find the derivative of algebraic, trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions and their inverses.
The student will apply formulas to find the derivative of the sum, product, quotient, inverse, and composite (chain rule) of elementary functions.
The student will find the derivative of an implicitly defined function.
The student will find the higher order derivatives of algebraic, trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions.
The student will use logarithmic differentiation as a technique to differentiate nonlogarithmic functions.
The student will state (without proof) the Mean Value Theorem for derivatives and apply it both algebraically and graphically.
The student will use l'Hopital's rule to find the limit of functions whose limits yield the indeterminate forms: 0/0 and infinity/infinity
For AP Calculus BC, these functions will also include functions whose limits yield the indeterminate forms:
0 to the 0th power
1 to the infinity power
infinity to the infinity power
infinity minus infinity
The student will apply the derivative to solve problems, including tangent and normal lines to a curve, curve sketching, velocity, acceleration, related rates of change, Newton's method, differentials and linear approximations, and optimization problems.
The student will find the indefinite integral of algebraic, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions. The special integration techniques of substitution (change of variables) and integration by parts will be included.
AP Calculus BC will also include integration by trigonometric substitution and integration by partial fractions (only linear factors in the denominator).
The student will identify the properties of the definite integral. This will include the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus and the definite integral as an area and as a limit of a sum as well as the fundamental theorem: The integral from a to x of f(t)d(t) dt/dx = f(x)
AP Calculus BC will include composite functions defined by integrals, e.g., f(x) = the integral from 0 to x squared of e to the -t squared power d(t)
The student will apply the definite integral to solve problems. These problems will include finding distance traveled on a line and velocity from acceleration with initial conditions, growth and decay problems, solutions of separable differential equations, the average value of a function, area between curves, volumes of solids of revolution about the axes or lines parallel to the axes using disc/washer and shell methods, and volumes of solids with known cross-sectional areas.
AP Calculus BC will also include areas bounded by polar curves.
The student will compute an approximate value for a definite integral. This will include numerical calculations using Riemann Sums and the Trapezoidal Rule.
AP Calculus BC will also utilize Simpson's Rule.
The student will find the derivatives of vector functions and parametrically defined functions and use them to solve problems. The problems will include tangent and normal lines to parametrically defined curves, velocity and acceleration, and velocity and acceleration vectors for motion on a plane curve.
The student will use integration to solve problems. This will include areas bounded by polar curves, length of a path (including parametric curves), work (Hooke's law), and improper integrals.
The student will define and test for convergence of a series of real numbers and of functions. This will include geometric series, comparison (including limit comparison), ratio, root, and integral tests, absolute and conditional convergence, alternating series and error approximation, and p-series.
The student will define, restate, and apply power series. This will include addition, substitution, term-by-term differentiation and integration, interval of convergence, Taylor's series, Maclaurin series expansions, and Taylor polynomials with remainder and Lagrange error approximation.
* For those students who are enrolled in AP Calculus BC.
Computer Mathematics
The student will describe the program development cycle: defining the problem, planning a solution, carrying out the plan, debugging the program, and providing program documentation.
The student will write program specifications that define the constraints of a given problem. These specifications include descriptions of pre-conditions, post-conditions, the desired output, analysis of the available input, and an indication as to whether or not the program is solvable under the given conditions.
The student will design a step-by-step plan (algorithm) to solve a given problem. The plan will be in the form of a program flowchart, pseudo code, a hierarchy chart and/or data flow diagram.
The student will use operating system commands, which include creating a new file, opening an existing file, saving a file, making a printed copy (hard copy) of the file, and executing a program.
The student will divide a given problem into manageable sections (modules) by task and implement the solution.
The modules will include an appropriate user-defined function, subroutines, and procedures. Enrichment topics can include user-defined libraries (units) and object-oriented programming.
The student will design and implement the input phase of a program, which will include designing screen layout and getting information into the program by way of user interaction, data statements (BASIC), and/or file input.
The input phase also will include methods of filtering out invalid data (error trapping).
The student will design and implement the output phase of a computer program, which will include designing output layout, accessing a variety of output devices, using output statements, and labeling results.
The student will design and implement computer graphics, which will include topics appropriate for the available programming environment as well as student background.
Students will use graphics as an end in itself, as an enhancement to other output, and as a vehicle for reinforcing programming techniques.
The student will define simple variable data types that include integer, real (fixed and scientific notation), character, string, and Boolean.
The student will use appropriate variable data types, including integer, real (fixed and scientific notation), character, string, and Boolean. This will also include variables representing structured data types.
The student will describe the way the computer stores, accesses, and processes variables, including the following topics: the use of variables versus constants, variable addresses, pointers, parameter passing, scope of variables, and local versus global variables. This will also include use of terminology, including memory, CPU, RAM, ROM, baud, byte, bits, floppy disc, and hard drive.
The student will translate a mathematical expression into a computer statement, which involves writing assignment statements and using the order of operations.
The student will select and implement built-in (library) functions in processing data, which include trigonometric functions, absolute value functions, random number functions, end of line, end of file, and string.
The student will implement conditional statements that include if/then, if/then/else, case statements, and Boolean logic.
The student will implement a loop, including iterative loops, pretest loops, and post-test loops. Other topics will include single entry point, single exit point, preconditions, post-conditions and loop invariance.
The student will select and implement appropriate data structures, including arrays (one-dimensional and/or multidimensional), files, and records. Implementation will include creating the data structure, putting information into the structure, and retrieving information from the structure.
The student will implement pre-existing algorithms, including sort routines, search routines, and animation routines.
The student will test a program using an appropriate set of data. The set of test data should be appropriate and complete for the type of program being tested.
The student will debug a program using appropriate techniques (e.g., appropriately placed controlled breaks, the printing of intermediate results, and other debugging tools available in the programming environment), and identify the difference between syntax errors and logic errors.
The student will properly document a program including the preconditions and post-conditions of program segments, input/output specifications, the step-by-step plan, the test data, a sample run, and the program listing with appropriately placed comments.
The student will design, write, test, debug, and document a complete structured program which requires the synthesis of many of the concepts contained in previous standards.
The student will solve practical consumer problems that involve analyzing and interpreting graphs, charts, and/or tables.
The student will solve mathematical problems using formulas, equations, and functions. Problems will include those related to geometry, business, and leisure (e.g., sports and recreational activities).
The student will solve probability, data analysis, and statistical problems.
Science Standards of Learning - Kindergarten
Area I. Living Things
The student will investigate and understand basic needs and life processes of plants and animals. Key concepts include
living things change as they grow and need food, water, and air to survive;
plants and animals live and die (go through a life cycle); and
offspring of plants and animals are similar but not identical to their parents and one another.
The student will investigate and understand that change occurs over time, and rates may be fast or slow. Key concepts include
natural and human-made things may change over time; and
changes can be noted and measured.
Area II. Earth and Space Systems
The student will investigate and understand simple patterns in his/her daily life. Key concepts include
weather observations;
the shapes and forms of many common natural objects including seeds, cones, and leaves;
animal and plant growth; and
home and school routines.
Area III. Matter and Energy
The student will investigate and understand that water has properties that can be observed and tested. Key concepts include
water occurs in different forms (solid, liquid, gas);
the natural flow of water is downhill; and
some materials float in water while others sink.
The student will investigate and understand that shadows occur when light is blocked by an object. Key concepts include
shadows occur in nature when sunlight is blocked by an object; and
shadows can be produced by blocking artificial light sources.
The student will investigate and understand that magnets have an effect on some materials, make some things move without touching them, and have useful applications. Key concepts include
attraction/nonattraction, push/pull, attract/repel, and metal/nonmetal; and
useful applications (refrigerator magnet, can opener, magnetized screwdriver).
Area IV. Applications
The student will investigate and understand that materials can be reused, recycled, and conserved. Key concepts include
identifying materials and objects that can be used over and over again;
describing everyday materials that can be recycled; and
explaining how to conserve water and energy at home and in school.
Plan and Conduct Investigations
The student will conduct investigations in which
basic properties of objects are identified by direct observation;
observations are made from multiple positions to achieve different perspectives;
a set of objects is sequenced according to size;
a set of objects is separated into two groups based on a single physical attribute;
picture graphs are constructed using 10 or fewer units;
nonstandard units are used to measure common objects;
an unseen member in a sequence of objects is predicted;
a question is developed from one or more observations;
objects are described both pictorially and verbally; and
unusual or unexpected results in an activity are recognized.
The student will investigate and understand that humans have senses including sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste. Senses allow one to seek, find, take in, and react or respond to information in order to learn about one's surroundings. Key concepts include
five senses (taste, touch, smell, hearing, and sight);
sensing organs associated with each of the senses (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin); and
sensory descriptors (sweet, sour, bitter, salty, rough, smooth, hard, soft, cold, warm, hot, loud, soft, high, low, bright, dull).
Science Standards of Learning - Grade One
Area I. Living Things
The student will plan and conduct investigations in which
differences in physical properties are observed using the senses and simple instruments to enhance observations (magnifying glass);
objects or events are classified and arranged according to attributes or properties;
observations and data are communicated orally and with simple graphs, pictures, written statements, and numbers;
length, mass, and volume are measured using standard and nonstandard units;
inferences are made and conclusions are drawn about familiar objects and events;
predictions are based on patterns of observation rather than random guesses; and
simple experiments are conducted to answer questions.
The student will investigate and understand that plants have life needs and functional parts and can be classified according to certain characteristics. Key concepts include
needs (food, air, water, light, and a place to grow);
parts (seeds, roots, stems, leaves, blossom, fruit); and
characteristics: edible/nonedible, flowering/nonflowering, evergreen/deciduous.
The student will investigate and understand the basic relationships between the sun and the Earth. Key concepts include:
the sun is the source of heat and light that warms the land, air, and water; and
night and day are caused by the rotation of the Earth.
The student will investigate and understand that animals, including people, have life needs and specific physical characteristics and can be classified according to certain characteristics. Key concepts include
life needs (air, food, water, and a suitable place to live);
physical characteristics (body coverings, body shape, appendages, and methods of movement); and
characteristics (wild/tame, water homes/land homes).
Area II. Earth and Space Systems
The student will investigate and understand the basic relationships between the sun and the Earth. Key concepts include
the sun is the source of heat and light that warms the land, air, and water; and
night and day are caused by the rotation of the Earth.
The student will investigate and understand the relationship of seasonal change and weather to the activities and life processes of plants and animals. Key concepts include
how temperature, light, and precipitation bring about changes in
plants (growth, budding, falling leaves, wilting);
animals (behaviors, hibernation, migration, body covering, habitat); and
people (dress, recreation, work).
Area III. Matter and Energy
The student will investigate and understand that moving objects exhibit different kinds of motion. Key concepts include
objects may have straight, circular, and back and forth motions;
objects vibrate;
pushes or pulls can change the movement of an object; and
the motion of objects may be observed in toys and in playground activities.
Area IV. Applications
The student will investigate and understand that natural resources are limited. Key concepts include
identification of natural resources (plants and animals, water, air, land, minerals, forests, and soil);
factors that affect air and water quality;
recycling, reusing, and reducing consumption of natural resources; and
use of land as parks and recreational facilities.
Plan and Conduct Investigations
The student will investigate and understand how different common materials interact with water. Key concepts include
some common liquids (vinegar) mix with water, others (oil) will not;
some everyday solids (baking soda, powdered drink mix, sugar, salt) will dissolve, others (sand, soil, rocks) will not; and
some substances will dissolve easily in hot water rather than cold water.
Science Standards of Learning - Grade Two
Area I. Living Things
The student will investigate and understand that living things are part of a system. Key concepts include
living organisms are interdependent with their living and nonliving surroundings; and
habitats change over time due to many influences.
The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals go through a series of orderly changes in their life cycles. Key concepts include
some animals (frogs and butterflies) go through distinct stages during their lives while others generally resemble their parents; and
flowering plants undergo many changes from the formation of the flower to the development of the fruit.
Area II. Earth and Space Systems
The student will investigate and understand basic properties of solids, liquids, and gases. Key concepts include
mass and volume; and
processes involved with changes in matter from one state to another (condensation, evaporation, melting, freezing, expanding, and contracting).
The student will investigate and understand basic types and patterns of weather. Key concepts include
temperature, wind, condensation, precipitation, drought, flood, and storms; and
the uses and importance of measuring and recording weather data.
The student will investigate and understand that weather and seasonal changes affect plants, animals, and their surroundings. Key concepts include
effects on growth and behavior of living things (migration,
estivation, hibernation, camouflage, adaptation, dormancy);
and
weathering and erosion of the land surface.
Area III. Matter and Energy
The student will investigate and understand basic properties of solids, liquids, and gases. Key concepts include
mass and volume; and
processes involved with changes in matter from one state to another (condensation, evaporation, melting, freezing, expanding, and contracting).
The student will investigate and understand that natural and artificial magnets have certain characteristics and attract specific types of metals. Key concepts include
magnetism, iron, magnetic/nonmagnetic, opposites, poles, attract/repel; and
important applications including the magnetic compass.
Area IV. Applications
The student will investigate and understand basic types and patterns of weather. Key concepts include
temperature, wind, condensation, precipitation, drought, flood, and storms; and
the uses and importance of measuring and recording weather data.
The student will investigate and understand that living things are part of a system. Key concepts include
living organisms are interdependent with their living and nonliving surroundings; and
habitats change over time due to many influences.
Plan and Conduct Investigations
The student will plan and conduct investigations in which
observations are repeated to improve accuracy;
two or more attributes are used to classify items;
pictures and bar graphs are constructed using numbered axes;
linear, volume, mass, and temperature measurements are made in metric (centimeters, meters, liters, degrees Celsius, grams, kilograms) and standard English units (inches, feet, yards, pints, quarts, gallons, degrees Fahrenheit, ounces, pounds);
observation is differentiated from personal interpretation, and conclusions are drawn based on observations;
simple physical models are constructed;
conditions that influence a change are defined; and
unexpected or unusual quantitative data are recognized.
Science Standards of Learning - Grade Three
Area I. Living Things
The student will investigate and understand relationships among organisms in aquatic and terrestrial food chains. Key concepts include
producer, consumer, decomposer;
herbivore, carnivore, omnivore; and
predator - prey.
The student will investigate and understand that environments support a diversity of plants and animals that share limited resources. Key concepts include
water-related environments (pond, marshland, swamp, stream, river, and ocean environments);
dry-land environments (desert, grassland, rainforest, and forest environments); and
population and community.
The student will investigate and understand that behavioral and physical adaptations allow animals to respond to life needs. Key concepts include
methods of gathering and storing food, finding shelter, defending themselves, and rearing young; and
hibernation, migration, camouflage, mimicry, instinct, and learned behavior.
Area II. Earth and Space Systems
The student will investigate and understand the major components of soil, its origin, and importance to plants and animals including humans. Key concepts include
soil provides the support and nutrients necessary for plant growth;
topsoil is a natural product of subsoil and bedrock;
rock, clay, silt, sand, and humus are components of soils; and
soil is a natural resource and should be conserved.
The student will investigate and understand the water cycle and its relationship to life on Earth. Key concepts include
the origin of energy that drives the water cycle;
processes involved in the water cycle (evaporation, condensation, precipitation); and
water supply and water conservation.
The student will investigate and understand basic sequences and cycles occurring in nature. Key concepts include
sequences of natural events (day and night, seasonal changes, phases of the moon, and tides); and
animal and plant life cycles.
The student will plan and conduct investigations in which
questions are developed to formulate hypotheses;
predictions and observations are made;
data are gathered, charted, and graphed;
objects with similar characteristics are classified into at least two sets and two subsets;
inferences are made and conclusions are drawn;
natural events are sequenced chronologically;
length is measured to the nearest centimeter;
mass is measured to the nearest gram;
volume is measured to the nearest milliliter and liter;
temperature is measured to the nearest degree Celsius; and
time is measured to the nearest minute.
The student will investigate and understand different sources of energy. Key concepts include
the sun's ability to produce light and heat energy;
natural forms of energy (sunlight, water, wind);
fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) and wood;
electricity, nuclear power; and
renewable and nonrenewable resources.
Area III. Matter and Energy
The student will investigate and understand that objects can be described in terms of the materials they are made of and their physical properties. Key concepts include
objects are made of smaller parts;
materials are composed of parts that are too small to be seen without magnification; and
physical properties remain the same as the material is reduced in size.
Area IV. Applications
The student will investigate and understand that natural events and human influences can affect the survival of species. Key concepts include
the interdependency of plants and animals;
human effects on the quality of air, water, and habitat;
the effects of fire, flood, disease, erosion, earthquake, and volcanic eruption on organisms; and
conservation, resource renewal, habitat management, and species monitoring.
The student will investigate and understand different sources of energy. Key concepts include
the sun's ability to produce light and heat energy;
natural forms of energy (sunlight, water, wind);
fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) and wood;
electricity, nuclear power; and
renewable and nonrenewable resources.
The student will investigate and understand simple machines and their uses. Key concepts include
types of simple machines (lever, screw, pulley, wheel and axle, inclined plane, and wedge);
how simple machines function; and
examples of simple machines found in the school, home, and work environment.
Science Standards of Learning - Grade Four
Area I. Living Things
The student will investigate and understand basic plant anatomy and life processes. Key concepts include
the structures of typical plants (leaves, stems, roots, and flowers);
processes and structures involved with reproduction (pollination, stamen, pistil, sepal, embryo, spore, and seed);
photosynthesis (chlorophyll, carbon dioxide); and
dormancy.
The student will investigate and understand how plants and animals in an ecosystem interact with one another and the nonliving environment. Key concepts include
behavioral and structural adaptations;
organization of communities;
flow of energy through food webs;
habitats and niches;
life cycles; and
influence of human activity on ecosystems.
Area II. Earth and Space Systems
The student will investigate and understand how weather conditions and phenomena occur and can be predicted. Key concepts include
weather factors (temperature, air pressure, fronts, formation and type of clouds, and storms); and
meteorological tools (barometer, hygrometer, anemometer, rain gauge, and thermometer).
The student will investigate and understand the relationships among the Earth, moon, and sun. Key concepts include
the motions of the Earth, moon, and sun (revolution and rotation);
the causes for the Earth's seasons and phases of the moon;
the relative size, position, and makeup of the Earth, moon, and sun;
unique properties of the Earth as a planet and as part of the solar system; and
historical contributions in understanding the Earth-moon-sun system.
Area III. Matter and Energy
The student will investigate and understand that energy is needed to do work and that machines make work easier. Key concepts include
energy forms (electrical, mechanical, and chemical energy);
potential and kinetic energy;
simple and complex machines; and
efficiency, friction, and inertia.
The student will investigate and understand the characteristics of electricity. Key concepts include
the nature of electricity (voltage, ampere, resistance, conductors, and insulators);
circuits (open/closed, parallel/series);
magnetism and magnetic fields;
static electricity ; and
historical contributions in understanding electricity.
Area IV. Applications
The student will investigate and understand important South Carolina natural resources. Key concepts include
watershed and water resources;
animals and plants, both domesticated and wild;
minerals, rocks, ores, and energy sources; and
forests, soil, and land.
Plan and Conduct Investigations
The student will plan and conduct investigations in which
distinctions are made among observations, conclusions (inferences), and predictions;
data are classified to create frequency distributions;
appropriate metric measures are used to collect, record, and report data;
appropriate instruments are selected to measure linear distance, volume, mass, and temperature;
predictions are made based on data from picture graphs, bar graphs, and basic line graphs;
hypotheses are formulated based on cause and effect relationships;
variables that must be held constant in an experimental situation are defined; and
numerical data that are contradictory or unusual in experimental results are recognized.
Science Standards of Learning - Grade Five
Area I. Living Things
The student will investigate and understand that organisms are made of cells and have distinguishing characteristics. Key concepts include
parts of a cell;
five kingdoms of living things;
vascular and nonvascular plants; and
vertebrates and invertebrates.
Area II. Earth and Space Systems
The student will investigate and understand how the Earth's surface is constantly changing. Key concepts include
the rock cycle including the identification of rock types;
Earth history and fossil evidence;
the basic structure of the Earth's interior;
plate tectonics (earthquakes and volcanoes);
weathering and erosion; and
human impact.
The student will investigate and understand characteristics of the ocean environment. Key concepts include
geological characteristics (continental shelf, slope, rise);
physical characteristics (depth, salinity, major currents);
biological characteristics (ecosystems); and
public policy decisions related to the ocean environment (assessment of marine organism populations, pollution prevention).
Area III. Matter and Energy
The student will investigate and understand that matter is anything that has mass; takes up space; and occurs as a solid, liquid, or gas. Key concepts include
atoms, molecules, elements, and compounds;
mixtures and solutions; and
effect of temperature on the states of matter.
The student will investigate and understand how sound is transmitted and is used as a means of communication. Key concepts include
frequency, waves, wavelength, resonance, vibration;
the ability of different media (solids, liquids, gases) to transmit sound; and
communication tools (voice, Morse code, sonar, animal sounds, musical instruments).
Plan and conduct Investigations
The student will plan and conduct investigations in which
appropriate instruments are selected and used for making quantitative observations of length, mass, volume, and elapsed time;
rocks, minerals, and organisms are identified using a classification key;
data are collected, recorded, and reported using the appropriate graphical representation (graphs, charts, diagrams);
accurate measurements are made using basic tools (thermometer, meter stick, balance, graduated cylinder);
predictions are made using patterns, and simple graphical data are extrapolated; and
estimations of length, mass, and volume are made.
The student will investigate and understand basic characteristics of white light. Key concepts include
the visible spectrum, light waves, reflection, refraction, diffraction, opaque, transparent, translucent;
optical tools (eyeglasses, lenses, flashlight, camera, kaleidoscope, binoculars, microscope, light boxes, telescope, prism, spectroscope, mirrors); and
historical contributions in understanding light.
Computer/Technology Standards by the End of Grade Five
The student will demonstrate a basic understanding of computer theory including bits, bytes, and binary logic.
The student will develop basic technology skills.
Develop a basic technology vocabulary that includes cursor, software, memory, disk drive, hard drive, and CD-ROM.
Select and use technology appropriate to tasks.
Develop basic keyboarding skills.
Operate peripheral devices.
Apply technologies to strategies for problem solving and critical thinking.
The student will process, store, retrieve, and transmit electronic information.
Use search strategies to retrieve electronic information using databases, CD-ROMs, videodiscs, and telecommunications.
Use electronic encyclopedias, almanacs, indexes, and catalogs.
Use local and wide-area networks and modem-delivered services to access information from electronic databases.
Describe advantages and disadvantages of various computer processing. storage, retrieval, and transmission techniques.
The student will communicate through application software.
Create a 1-2 page document using word processing skills, writing process steps, and publishing programs.
Use simple computer graphics and integrate graphics into word-processed documents.
Create simple databases and spreadsheets to manage information and create reports.
Use local and worldwide network communication systems.
Science Standards of Learning - Grade Six
Area I. Living Things
The student will investigate and understand that organisms depend on other organisms and the nonliving components of the environment. Key concepts include
producers, consumers, and decomposers;
food webs and food pyramids; and
cycles (water, carbon dioxide/oxygen, nitrogen).
Area II. Earth and Space Systems
The student will investigate and understand that matter has physical and chemical properties and can undergo change. Key concepts include
physical changes; and
changes in chemical composition, including oxidation reactions (rusting and burning), photosynthesis, and acid-base neutralization reactions.
The student will investigate and understand the organization of the solar system and the relationships among the various bodies that comprise it. Key concepts include
the, sun, moon, Earth, other planets and their moons, meteors, asteroids, and comets;
relative size of and distance between planets;
the role of gravity;
revolution and rotation;
the mechanics of day and night and phases of the moon;
the relationship of the Earth's tilt and seasons;
the cause of tides; and
the history and technology of space exploration.
Area III. Matter and Energy
The student will investigate and understand how to classify materials as elements, compounds, or mixtures. Key concepts include
mixtures can be separated by physical processes;
compounds can only be separated by chemical processes; and
elements cannot be separated by physical or chemical means.
The student will investigate and understand basic characteristics of electricity. Key concepts include
electrical energy can be produced from a variety of energy sources and can be transformed into almost any other form of energy;
electricity is related to magnetism;
currents are either alternating or direct;
circuits can be parallel or series;
electrical energy can be described in volts and amps; and
electrical energy consumption is measured using common units (kilowatts/kilowatt hours).
The student will investigate and understand sources of energy and their transformations. Key concepts include
potential and kinetic energy;
energy sources (fossil fuels, wood, wind, water, solar, and nuclear power); and
energy transformations (mechanical to electrical, electrical to heat/light, chemical to light, and chemical to electrical/light).
The student will investigate and understand that matter has physical and chemical properties and can undergo change. Key concepts include
physical changes; and
changes in chemical composition, including oxidation reactions (rusting and burning), photosynthesis, and acid-base neutralization reactions.
Area IV. Applications
The student will investigate and understand public policy decisions relating to the environment. Key concepts include
management of renewable resources (water, air, plant life, animal life);
management of nonrenewable resources (coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear power); and
cost/benefit tradeoffs in conservation policies.
Plan and Conduct Investigations
The student will plan and conduct investigations in which
observations are made involving fine discrimination between similar objects and organisms;
a classification system is developed based on multiple attributes;
differences in descriptions and working definitions are made;
precise and approximate measures are recorded;
scale models are used to estimate distance, volume, and quantity;
hypotheses are stated in ways that identify the independent (manipulated) and dependent (responding) variables;
a method is devised to test the validity of predictions and inferences;
one variable is manipulated over time with many repeated trials;
data are collected, recorded, analyzed, and reported using appropriate metric measurement;
data are organized and communicated through graphical representation (graphs, charts, and diagrams); and
models are designed to explain a sequence.
The student will demonstrate scientific reasoning and logic. Key concepts include
ideas are investigated by asking for and actively seeking information;
multiple tests of ideas are performed before accepting or rejecting them;
alternative scientific explanations are analyzed; and
conclusions are based on scientific evidence obtained from a variety of sources.
The student will investigate and understand that all matter is made up of atoms. Key concepts include
atoms are made up of electrons, protons, and neutrons;
atoms of any element are alike but are different from atoms of other elements; and
historical development and significance of discoveries related to the atom.
The student will investigate and understand that organisms perform life processes that are essential for the survival and perpetuation of the species. Key concepts include
energy transformation (from food or photosynthesis); and
respiration, movement, waste removal, growth, irritability (response), and reproduction.
Science Standards of Learning - Grades 7 & 8
Area I. Living Things
The student will investigate and understand that organisms within an ecosystem are dependent on one another and on nonliving components of the environment. Key concepts include
interactions resulting in a flow of energy and matter throughout the system;
complex relationships in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems; and
energy flow in food chains, food webs, and food pyramids.
The student will investigate and understand that interactions exist among members of a population. Key concepts include
competition, cooperation, social hierarchy, territorial imperative; and
influence of behavior on population interactions.
The student will investigate and understand interactions among populations in a biological community. Key concepts include
the relationship among producers, consumers, and decomposers in food chains and food webs;
the relationship of predators and prey;
competition and cooperation;
symbiotic relationships and niches; and
the role of parasites and their hosts.
The student will investigate and understand how organisms adapt to biotic and abiotic factors in a biome. Key concepts include
differences between ecosystems and biomes;
characteristics of land, marine, and freshwater biomes; and
adaptations that enable organisms to survive within a specific biome.
The student will investigate and understand that organisms reproduce and transmit genetic information to new generations. Key concepts include
the role of DNA;
characteristics that can and cannot be inherited;
genetic engineering and its applications; and
historical contributions and significance of discoveries related to genetics.
The student will investigate and understand that ecosystems, communities, populations, and organisms are dynamic and change over time (daily, seasonal, and long term). Key concepts include
phototropism, hibernation, and dormancy;
factors that increase or decrease population size; and
eutrophication, climate change, and catastrophic disturbances.
The student will investigate and understand that organisms change over time. Key concepts include
the relationships of mutation, adaptation, natural selection, and extinction;
evidence of evolution of different species in the fossil record; and
how environmental influences, as well as genetic variation, can lead to diversity of organisms.
The student will investigate and understand how to identify common rock types based on mineral composition and textures and the rock cycle as it relates to the transformation of rock types. Key concepts include
igneous (intrusive and extrusive);
sedimentary (clastic and chemical); and
metamorphic (foliated and unfoliated) rocks.
The student will investigate and understand that many aspects of the history and evolution of the Earth and life can be inferred by studying rocks and fossils. Key concepts include
traces or remains of ancient, often extinct, life are preserved by various means in many sedimentary rocks;
superposition, cross-cutting relationships, and radioactive decay are methods of dating bodies of rock;
absolute and relative dating have different applications but can be used together to determine the age of rocks and structures; and
rocks and fossils from many different geologic periods and epochs are found in South Carolina.
The student will investigate and understand the origin and evolution of the atmosphere and the interrelationship of geologic processes, biologic processes, and human activities on its composition and dynamics. Key concepts include
scientific evidence for atmospheric changes over geologic time;
current theories related to the effects of early life on the chemical makeup of the atmosphere;
comparison of the Earth's atmosphere to that of other planets;
atmospheric regulation mechanisms; and
potential atmospheric compositional changes due to human, biologic, and geologic activity.
Area II. Earth and Space Systems
The student will investigate and understand the origin and evolution of the atmosphere and the interrelationship of geologic processes, biologic processes, and human activities on its composition and dynamics. Key concepts include
scientific evidence for atmospheric changes over geologic time;
current theories related to the effects of early life on the chemical makeup of the atmosphere;
comparison of the Earth's atmosphere to that of other planets;
atmospheric regulation mechanisms; and
potential atmospheric compositional changes due to human, biologic, and geologic activity.
The student will investigate and understand how to read and interpret maps, globes, models, charts, and imagery. Key concepts include
maps (bathymetric, geologic, topographic, and weather) and star charts;
imagery (aerial photography and satellite images);
direction and distance measurements on any map or globe; and
location by latitude and longitude and topographic profiles.
The student will investigate and understand geologic processes including plate tectonics. Key concepts include
how geologic processes are evidenced in the physiographic regions of South Carolina;
processes (faulting, folding, volcanism, metamorphism, weathering, erosion, deposition, and sedimentation) and their resulting features; and
tectonic processes (subduction, rifting and sea floor spreading, and continental collision).
The student will investigate and understand how to identify major rock-forming and ore minerals based on physical and chemical properties. Key concepts include
properties including hardness, color and streak, luster, cleavage, fracture, and unique properties; and
uses of minerals.
The student will investigate and understand how to identify common rock types based on mineral composition and textures and the rock cycle as it relates to the transformation of rock types. Key concepts include
igneous (intrusive and extrusive);
sedimentary (clastic and chemical); and
metamorphic (foliated and unfoliated) rocks.
The student will investigate and understand that many aspects of the history and evolution of the Earth and life can be inferred by studying rocks and fossils. Key concepts include
traces or remains of ancient, often extinct, life are preserved by various means in many sedimentary rocks;
superposition, cross-cutting relationships, and radioactive decay are methods of dating bodies of rock;
absolute and relative dating have different applications but can be used together to determine the age of rocks and structures; and
rocks and fossils from many different geologic periods and epochs are found in South Carolina.
The student will investigate and understand the planets and other members of the solar system; the history and contributions of the space program; and concepts related to the origin and evolution of the solar system, galaxy, and universe. Key concepts include
characteristics of the sun, planets, their moons, comets, meteors, and asteroids; and
cosmology and the origin of stars and stellar systems (the Big Bang, the solar nebular theory, stellar evolution, star systems, nebulae, constellations, and galaxies).
The student will investigate and understand that oceans are complex, interactive physical, chemical, and biological systems and are subject to long- and short-term variations. Key concepts include
physical and chemical changes (tides, waves, currents, sea level and ice cap variations, upwelling, and salinity concentrations);
importance of environmental, geologic, and economic implications;
systems interactions (energy transfer, weather, and climate);
features of the sea floor (continental margins, trenches, mid-ocean ridges, and abyssal plains) reflect tectonic processes; and
public policy issues concerning the oceans.
The student will investigate and understand the characteristics of the Earth including
plate tectonics;
water in all three states;
position of the Earth in the solar system; and
effects of density differences and energy transfer on the activities of the atmosphere, oceans, and Earth's interior.
The student will investigate and understand that energy transfer between the sun, Earth, and the Earth's atmosphere drives weather and climate on Earth. Key concepts include
observation and collection of weather data;
prediction of weather patterns; and
weather phenomena and the factors that affect climate.
The student will investigate and understand the origin and evolution of the atmosphere and the interrelationship of geologic processes, biologic processes, and human activities on its composition and dynamics. Key concepts include
scientific evidence for atmospheric changes over geologic time;
current theories related to the effects of early life on the chemical makeup of the atmosphere;
comparison of the Earth's atmosphere to that of other planets;
atmospheric regulation mechanisms; and
potential atmospheric compositional changes due to human, biologic, and geologic activity.
The student will investigate and understand how freshwater resources are influenced by geologic processes and the activities of humans. Key concepts include
processes of soil development;
development of karst topography;
identification of groundwater zones including water table, zone of saturation, and zone of aeration;
identification of other sources of fresh water including aquifers with reference to the hydrologic cycle; and
dependence on freshwater resources and the affects of human usage on water quality.
Area III. Matter and Energy
The student will plan and conduct investigations in which
length, mass, volume, density, temperature, weight, and force are accurately measured and reported using the International System of Units (SI-metric);
triple beam and electronic balances, thermometers, metric rulers, graduated cylinders, and spring scales are used to gather data;
data from experiments are recorded and interpreted from bar, line, and circle graphs;
research skills are utilized using a variety of resources;
independent and dependent variables, constants, controls, and repeated trials are identified;
valid conclusions are made after analyzing data;
research methods are used to investigate practical problems and questions; and
experimental results are presented in appropriate written form.
The student will investigate and understand changes in matter and the relationship of these changes to the Law of Conservation of Matter and Energy. Key concepts include
physical changes (effect of temperature on state, particle size on solubility, and temperature on solubility);
nuclear reactions (products of fusion and fission and their effects on human beings and the environment); and
chemical changes (types of reactions, reactants and products, and balanced equations).
The student will investigate and understand states and forms of energy and how energy is transferred and transformed. Key concepts include
potential and kinetic energy;
mechanical, chemical, and electrical energy; and
heat, light, and sound.
The student will investigate and understand the basic nature of matter. Key concepts include
the particle theory of matter;
elements, compounds, mixtures, acids, bases, salts, organic, inorganic, solids, liquids, and gases;
characteristics of types of matter based on physical and chemical properties;
physical properties (shape, density, solubility, odor, melting point, boiling point, color); and
chemical properties (acidity, basicity, combustibility, reactivity).
The student will investigate and understand various models of atomic structure including Bohr and Cloud (quantum) models.
The student will investigate and understand temperature scales, heat, and heat transfer. Key concepts include
absolute zero, phase change, freezing point, melting point, boiling point, conduction, convection, radiation, vaporization, and condensation; and
applications of heat transfer (heat engines, thermostats, and refrigeration).
The student will investigate and understand characteristics of sound and technological applications of sound waves. Key concepts include
wave length, frequency, amplitude, interference; and
technological applications of sound.
The student will investigate and understand the nature and technological applications of light. Key concepts include
reflection, refraction, particle theory, wave theory; and
electromagnetic spectrum.
The student will investigate and understand basic principles of electricity and magnetism. Key concepts include
static, current, circuits; and
magnetic fields and electromagnets.
The student will investigate and understand scientific principles and technological applications of work, force, and motion. Key concepts include
work, force, mechanical advantage, efficiency, power, horsepower, gravitational force, speed/velocity, mass/weight, Newton's three laws of motion, acceleration; and
applications (simple machines, compound machines, powered vehicles, rockets, restraining devices, projectiles).
The student will plan and conduct investigations in which
data are organized into tables showing repeated trials and means;
variables are defined;
SI (metric) units are used;
criteria are established for evaluating a prediction;
models are constructed to illustrate and explain phenomena;
sources of experimental error are identified;
dependent variables, independent variables, and constants are identified;
variables are controlled to test hypotheses and trials are repeated;
continuous line graphs are constructed, interpreted, and used to make predictions; and
interpretations from the same set of data are evaluated and defended.
The student will plan and conduct investigations in which
volume, area, mass, elapsed time, direction, temperature, pressure, distance, density, and changes in elevation/depth are calculated utilizing the most appropriate tools;
technologies, including computers, are used to collect, analyze, and report data and to demonstrate concepts and simulate experimental conditions;
scales, diagrams, maps, charts, graphs, tables, and profiles are constructed and interpreted;
variables are manipulated with repeated trials; and
a scientific viewpoint is constructed and defended.
Area IV. Applications
The student will investigate and understand the relationships between ecosystem dynamics and human activity. Key concepts include
food production and harvest;
change in habitat size, quality, and structure;
change in species competition;
population disturbances and factors that threaten and enhance species survival; and
environmental issues (water supply, air quality, energy production, and waste management).
The student will investigate and understand how organisms adapt to biotic and abiotic factors in a biome. Key concepts include
differences between ecosystems and biomes;
characteristics of land, marine, and freshwater biomes; and
adaptations that enable organisms to survive within a specific biome.
The student will investigate and understand the planets and other members of the solar system; the history and contributions of the space program; and concepts related to the origin and evolution of the solar system, galaxy, and universe. Key concepts include
characteristics of the sun, planets, their moons, comets, meteors, and asteroids; and
cosmology and the origin of stars and stellar systems (the Big Bang, the solar nebular theory, stellar evolution, star systems, nebulae, constellations, and galaxies).
Plan and Conduct Investigations
The student will investigate and understand that all living things are composed of cells. Key concepts include
cell structure and organelles (cell membrane, cell wall, cytoplasm, vacuole, mitochondrion, endoplasmic reticulum, nucleus and chloroplast);
similarities and differences between plant and animal cells;
development of cell theory; and
cell division (mitosis and meiosis).
The student will investigate and understand that living things show patterns of cellular organization. Key concepts include
cells, tissues, organs, and systems; and
functions and processes of cells, tissues, organs, and systems (respiration, removal of wastes, growth, reproduction, digestion, and cellular transport).
The student will investigate and understand that the basic needs of organisms must be met in order to carry out life processes. Key concepts include
plant needs (light and energy sources, water, gases, nutrients);
animal needs (food, water, gases, shelter, space); and
factors that influence life processes.
The student will investigate and understand classification of organisms. Key concepts include
differences in number, color, size, shape, and texture of external and internal structures; and
variation in method of locomotion, obtaining nourishment, and reproduction.
The student will investigate and understand the basic physical and chemical processes of photosynthesis and its importance to plant and animal life. Key concepts include
energy transfer between sunlight and chlorophyll;
transformation of water and carbon dioxide into sugar, water, and oxygen; and
photosynthesis as the foundation of food webs.
The student will demonstrate scientific reasoning and logic by
analyzing how science explains and predicts the interactions and dynamics of complex Earth systems;
recognizing that evidence is required to evaluate hypotheses and explanations;
comparing different scientific explanations for the same observations about the Earth;
explaining that observation and logic are essential for reaching a conclusion;
evaluating evidence for scientific theories related to plate tectonics, the structure of the Earth, and its ancient age and origin; and
making informed judgments related to resource use and its effects on Earth systems.
The student will investigate and understand the differences between renewable and nonrenewable resources. Key concepts include
fossil fuels, minerals, rocks, water, and vegetation;
advantages and disadvantages of various energy sources;
resources found in South Carolina;
use of resources and their effects on standards of living; and
environmental costs and benefits.
The student will investigate and understand how to use the periodic table of elements to obtain information. Key concepts include
symbols, atomic numbers, atomic mass, chemical families, periods, valence numbers, metals, metalloids, and nonmetals; and
binary compounds (chemical activity, physical properties, formulas, and nature of bonding).
Computer/Technology Standards by the End of Grade Eight
The student will communicate through application software.
Compose and edit a multipage document at the keyboard, using word processing skills and the writing process steps.
Communicate with spreadsheets by entering data and setting up formulas, analyzing data, and creating graphs or charts to visually represent data.
Communicate with databases by defining fields and entering data, sorting, and producing reports in various forms.
Use advanced publishing software, graphics programs, and scanners to produce page layouts.
Integrate databases, graphics, and spreadsheets into word-processed documents.
The student will communicate through networks and telecommunication.
Use local and worldwide network communication systems.
Develop hypermedia "home page" documents that can be accessed by worldwide networks.
The student will have a basic understanding of computer processing, storing, retrieval, and transmission technologies and a practical appreciation of the relevant advantages and disadvantages of various processing, storage, retrieval, and transmission technologies.
The student will process, store, retrieve, and transmit electronic information.
Use search strategies to retrieve electronic information.
Use electronic encyclopedias, almanacs, indexes, and catalogs to retrieve and select relevant information.
Use laser discs with a computer in an interactive mode.
Use local and wide-area networks and modem-delivered services to access and retrieve information from electronic databases.
Use databases to perform research.
Science Standards of Learning - Grades 9-12
Area I. Living Things
The student will investigate and understand relationships between cell structure and function. Key concepts include
characterizing prokaryotic organisms;
exploring the diversity and variation of eukaryotes;
building analogies between the activities of a single cell and a whole organism; and
modeling the cell membrane, cell communication, and cell recognition.
The student will investigate and understand biochemical principles essential for life. Key concepts include
water chemistry and its impact on life processes;
the structure and function of macromolecules;
the nature of enzymes; and
the significance of and relationship between photosynthesis and respiration.
The student will investigate and understand bases for modern classification systems. Key concepts include
structural similarities in organisms;
fossil record interpretation;
comparison of developmental stages in different organisms;
examination of protein similarities and differences among organisms;
comparison of DNA sequences in organisms;
systems of classification that are adaptable to new scientific discoveries; and
examination of local flora and fauna where applicable.
The student will investigate and understand life functions of monerans, protists, fungi, plants, and animals, including humans. Key concepts include
how their structures are alike and different;
comparison of their metabolic activities;
analyses of their responses to the environment;
maintenance of homeostasis;
human health issues, human anatomy, body systems, and life functions;
how viruses compare with organisms; and
observation of local organisms when applicable.
The student will investigate and understand how populations change through time. Key concepts include
examining evidence found in fossil records;
investigating how variation of traits, reproductive strategies, and environmental pressures impact on the survival of populations;
recognizing how adaptations lead to natural selection; and
exploring how new species emerge.
The student will investigate and understand dynamic equilibria within populations, communities, and ecosystems. Key concepts include
interactions within and among populations including carrying capacities, limiting factors, and growth curves;
nutrient cycling with energy flow through ecosystems;
succession patterns in ecosystems;
the effects of natural events and human influences on ecosystems; and
analysis of local ecosystems.
The student will investigate and understand common mechanisms of inheritance and protein synthesis. Key concepts include
cell division;
sex cell formation;
cell specialization;
prediction of inheritance of traits based on the laws of heredity;
effects of genetic recombination and mutation;
events involved in the construction of proteins; and
exploration of the impact of DNA technologies.
The student will investigate and understand the history of biological concepts. Key concepts include
evidence supporting the cell theory;
scientific explanations of the development of organisms through time;
causative agents of disease;
the evolution of the DNA model; and
the collaborative efforts of scientists, past and present.
Area III. Matter and Energy
The student will investigate and understand that the placement of elements on the periodic table is a function of their atomic structure. The periodic table is a tool used for the investigations of
mass/atomic number;
isotopes/half-lives/nuclear particles;
particle/mass charge;
families/groups;
series/periods;
trends/patterns: atomic/nuclear radii, electronegativity, shielding effect;
electron configurations/oxidation numbers;
chemical/physical properties; and
historical/quantum models.
The student will investigate and understand that the phases of matter are explained by kinetic theory and forces of attraction between particles. Key concepts include
pressure, temperature, and volume;
vapor pressure;
partial pressures;
phase changes;
molar heats of fusion and vaporization;
specific heat capacity;
solutions; and
colligative properties.
The student will investigate and understand that quantities in a chemical reaction are based on molar relationships. Key concepts include
avogadro's principle, molar volume;
stoichiometric relationships;
partial pressure;
gas laws;
solution concentrations;
chemical equilibrium; and
acid/base theory: strong/weak electrolytes, dissociation/ionization (pH, pOH), and titration.
The student will investigate and understand that the kinetic molecular theory can be applied to solve quantitative problems involving pressure, volume, and temperature.
The student will investigate and understand that energy can be transferred and transformed to provide usable work. Key concepts include
transformation of energy among forms, including mechanical, thermal, electrical, gravitational, chemical, and nuclear; and
efficiency of systems.
The student will investigate and understand how to use models of transverse and longitudinal waves to interpret wave phenomena. Key concepts include
wave characteristics (period, wavelength, frequency, amplitude and phase);
fundamental wave processes (reflection, refraction, diffraction, interference, standing waves, polarization, Doppler effect); and
light and sound in terms of wave models.
The student will investigate and understand that extremely large and extremely small quantities are not necessarily described by the same laws as those studied in Newtonian physics. Key concepts include
wave/particle duality;
wave properties of matter;
matter/energy equivalence;
quantum mechanics and uncertainty;
relativity;
nuclear physics;
solid state physics;
superconductivity; and
radioactivity.
The student will investigate and understand that different frequencies and wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum are phenomena ranging from radio waves through visible light to gamma radiation. Key concepts include
the properties and behaviors of radio, microwaves, infra- red, visible light, ultra-violet, X-rays, and gamma rays; and
current applications based on the wave properties of each band.
The student will investigate and understand how to diagram and construct basic electrical circuits and explain the function of various circuit components. Key concepts include
Ohm's law; and
series, parallel, and combined circuits.
The student will investigate and understand that quantities including mass, energy, momentum, and charge are conserved. Key concepts include
kinetic and potential energy;
elastic and inelastic collisions; and
electric power and circuit design.
The student will investigate and understand how conservation of energy and matter is expressed in chemical formulas and balanced equations. Key concepts include
nomenclature;
balancing chemical equations;
writing chemical formulas -- molecular, structural, empirical, and Lewis diagrams;
bonding types -- ionic, covalent;
reaction types -- synthesis, decomposition, single and double replacement, oxidation-reduction, neutralization, nuclear, exothermic and endothermic, spontaneous/non- spontaneous, dissociation ionization;
physical and chemical equilibrium; and
reaction rates and kinetics: activation energy, catalysis, degree of randomness.
The student will investigate and understand the interrelationships among mass, distance, force, and time concepts include
linear motion;
uniform circular motion;
curvilinear motion;
Newton's laws of motion;
gravitation;
celestial mechanics; and
work, power, and energy.
The student will investigate and understand how to use the field concept to describe the effects of electric, magnetic, and gravitational forces. Key concepts include
inverse square laws;
Newton's law of universal gravitation;
Coulomb's law; and
operating principles of motors, generators, and cathode ray tubes.
Area IV. Applications
The student will investigate and understand how applications of physics affect the world. Key concepts include
principles with examples from the real world; and
exploration of the roles and contributions of science and technology.
The student will investigate and understand how basic chemical principles relate to other areas of chemistry. Key concepts include
organic and biochemistry;
nuclear chemistry; and
environmental chemistry.
Plan and Conduct Investigations
The student will investigate and understand that all living things are composed of cells. Key concepts include
cell structure and organelles (cell membrane, cell wall, cytoplasm, vacuole, mitochondrion, endoplasmic reticulum, nucleus and chloroplast);
similarities and differences between plant and animal cells;
development of cell theory; and
cell division (mitosis and meiosis).
The student will investigate and understand that living things show patterns of cellular organization. Key concepts include
cells, tissues, organs, and systems; and
functions and processes of cells, tissues, organs, and systems (respiration, removal of wastes, growth, reproduction, digestion, and cellular transport).
The student will investigate and understand that the basic needs of organisms must be met in order to carry out life processes. Key concepts include
plant needs (light and energy sources, water, gases, nutrients);
animal needs (food, water, gases, shelter, space); and
factors that influence life processes.
The student will investigate and understand classification of organisms. Key concepts include
differences in number, color, size, shape, and texture of external and internal structures; and
variation in method of locomotion, obtaining nourishment, and reproduction.
The student will investigate and understand the basic physical and chemical processes of photosynthesis and its importance to plant and animal life. Key concepts include
energy transfer between sunlight and chlorophyll;
transformation of water and carbon dioxide into sugar, water, and oxygen; and
photosynthesis as the foundation of food webs.
The student will investigate and understand how to use the periodic table of elements to obtain information. Key concepts include
symbols, atomic numbers, atomic mass, chemical families, periods, valence numbers, metals, metalloids, and nonmetals; and
binary compounds (chemical activity, physical properties, formulas, and nature of bonding).
The student will demonstrate scientific reasoning and logic by
analyzing how science explains and predicts the interactions and dynamics of complex Earth systems;
recognizing that evidence is required to evaluate hypotheses and explanations;
comparing different scientific explanations for the same observations about the Earth;
explaining that observation and logic are essential for reaching a conclusion;
evaluating evidence for scientific theories related to plate tectonics, the structure of the Earth, and its ancient age and origin; and
making informed judgments related to resource use and its effects on Earth systems.
The student will investigate and understand the differences between renewable and nonrenewable resources. Key concepts include
fossil fuels, minerals, rocks, water, and vegetation;
advantages and disadvantages of various energy sources;
resources found in South Carolina;
use of resources and their effects on standards of living; and
environmental costs and benefits.
The student will plan and conduct investigations in which
observations of living things are recorded in the lab and in the field;
hypotheses are formulated based on observations;
variables are defined and investigations are designed to test hypotheses;
graphing and arithmetic calculations are used as tools in data analysis;
conclusions are formed based on recorded quantitative and qualitative data;
impacts of sources of error inherent in experimental design are identified and discussed;
validity of data is determined;
alternative explanations and models are recognized and analyzed;
appropriate technology is used for gathering and analyzing data and communicating results; and
research is used based on popular and scientific literature.
The student will investigate and understand that experiments in which variables are measured, analyzed, and evaluated, produce observations and verifiable data. Key concepts include
designated laboratory techniques;
safe use of chemicals and equipment;
proper response to emergency situations;
multiple variables are manipulated with repeated trials;
accurate recording, organizing, and analysis of data through repeated trials;
mathematical and procedural error analysis; and
mathematical manipulations (SI units, scientific notation, linear equations, graphing, ratio and proportion, significant digits, dimensional analysis, use of scientific calculator).
The student will investigate and understand how to plan and conduct investigations in which
the components of a system are defined;
instruments are selected and used to extend observations and measurements of mass, volume, temperature, heat exchange, energy transformations, motion, fields, and electric charge;
information is recorded and presented in an organized format;
metric units are used in all measurements and calculations;
the limitations of the experimental apparatus and design are recognized;
the limitations of measured quantities through the appropriate use of significant figures or error ranges are recognized; and
data gathered from non-SI instruments are incorporated through appropriate conversions.
The student will investigate and understand how to analyze and interpret data. Key concepts include
a description of a physical problem is translated into a mathematical statement in order to find a solution;
relationships between physical quantities are determined using the shape of a curve passing through experimentally obtained data;
the slope of a linear relationship is calculated and includes appropriate units;
interpolated, extrapolated, and analyzed trends are used to make predictions;
inferential statistical tests are applied in evaluating experimental data; and
analysis of systems employs vector quantities utilizing trigonometric and graphical methods.
The student will investigate and understand how to demonstrate scientific reasoning and logic. Key concepts include
analysis of primary sources to develop and refine research hypotheses;
analysis of how science explains and predicts relationships; and
evaluation of evidence for scientific theories and how new discoveries may either modify existing theories or result in establishing a new paradigm.
The student will investigate and understand how light behaves in the fundamental processes of reflection, refraction, and image formation in describing optical systems. Key concepts include
application of the laws of reflection and refraction;
construction and interpretation of ray diagrams;
development and use of mirror and lens equations; and
predictions of type, size, and position of real and virtual images.
English Standards of Learning - Kindergarten
Reading/Literature
The student will understand how print is organized and read.
· Hold print materials in the correct position.
· Identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book.
· Follow words from left to right and top to bottom on a printed page.
· Match voice with print, associating oral phonemes, syllables, words, and phrases with their written forms.
The student will demonstrate an understanding that print makes sense.
· Explain that printed materials provide information.
· Identify common signs and logos.
· Read and explain own writing and drawings.
The student will develop an understanding of basic phonetic principles.
· Understand that letters represent sounds.
· Identify beginning consonants in single-syllable words.
· Recognize rhyming words.
The student will demonstrate comprehension of stories.
· Use pictures to make predictions about story content.
· Retell familiar stories using beginning, middle, and end.
· Talk about characters, setting, and events.
· Use story language in discussions and retellings.
· Identify what an author does and what an illustrator does.
The student will identify both uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
Listening and Speaking
The student will demonstrate growth in the use of oral language.
· Listen to a variety of literary forms, including stories poems.
· Participate in choral speaking and recite short poems, rhymes, songs, and stories with repeated patterns.
· Participate in creative dramatics.
· Begin to discriminate between spoken words and sentences.
· Substitute words in a rhyming pattern.
The student will use listening and speaking vocabularies.
· Use number words.
· Use words to describe/name people, places, and things.
· Use words to describe location, size, color, and shape.
· Use words to describe actions.
· Ask about words not understood.
· Follow one-step and two-step directions.
The student will build oral communication skills.
· Begin to follow implicit rules for conversation, (e.g., taking turns and staying on topic).
· Begin to use voice level, phrasing, sentence structure, and intonation appropriate for language situation.
· Listen and speak in informal conversations with peers and adults.
· Begin to initiate conversations.
· Participate in discussions about learning.
The student will hear, say, and manipulate phonemes (small units of sound) of spoken language.
· Identify orally words which rhyme.
· Sort words orally according to shared beginning, ending, or medial sounds.
· Blend sounds orally to make words or syllables.
· Divide syllables orally into sounds.
Writing
The student will print his/her name.
The student will draw pictures and/or use letters and phonetically spelled words to write about experiences, stories, people, objects, or events.
The student will explore the uses of available technology for reading and writing.
Research
The student will begin to ask how and why questions.
English Standards of Learning - Grade One
Reading/Literature
The student will apply knowledge of how print is organized and read.
· Read from left to right and top to bottom.
· Match spoken words with print.
Identify letters, words, and sentences.
The student will apply phonetic principles to read.
Use beginning and ending consonants in decoding single-syllable words.
Use vowel sounds in decoding single-syllable words.
Blend beginning, middle, and ending sounds to recognize and read words.
Use word patterns.
The student will use meaning clues when reading.
Use pictures.
Use knowledge of the story and topic to read words.
Reread and self-correct.
The student will use language structure when reading.
· Use knowledge of sentence structure to read words.
· Reread and self-correct.
The student will integrate phonetic strategies, meaning clues, and language structure when reading.
Preview the selection.
Set a purpose for reading.
Read with accuracy and self-correct when necessary.
The student will read and comprehend a variety of fiction and nonfiction selections.
· Relate previous experiences to what is read.
· Make predictions about content.
· Ask and answer questions about what is read.
· Identify characters and setting.
· Retell stories and events, using beginning, middle, and end.
· Identify the theme or main ideas.
Distinguish between fantasy and reality.
Recognize cause and effect relationships.
Recognize and respond to different times, places, and customs reflected in literature.
Write about what is read.
The student will read familiar stories, poems, or passages with fluency and expression.
Listening and Speaking
The student will adapt or change oral language to fit the situation.
· Initiate conversation with peers and adults.
· Follow rules for conversation.
· Use appropriate voice level in small-group settings.
· Ask and respond to questions in small-group settings.
The student will continue to demonstrate growth in the use of oral language.
· Tell and retell stories and events in logical order.
· Participate in a variety of oral language activities.
· Be able to express ideas orally in complete sentences.
The student will continue to expand and use listening and speaking vocabularies.
· Increase oral descriptive vocabulary.
· Begin to ask for clarification and explanation of words and ideas.
· Give and follow simple two-step oral directions.
· Use singular and plural nouns.
· Begin to use compound words in oral communication.
The student will orally identify and manipulate phonemes (small units of sound) in syllables and multisyllable words.
· Count phonemes (sounds) in syllables or words with a maximum of three syllables.
· Add or delete phonemes (sounds) orally to change syllables or words.
· Create rhyming words orally.
Blend sounds to make word parts and words with one to three syllables.
The student will listen and understand read alouds, discussions, speakers, and other oral presentations.
Focus attention on speaker
Listen politely and not interrupt.
Ask appropriate questions.
Follow simple directions.
Writing
The student will write to communicate ideas.
Generate ideas.
Focus on one topic.
Use descriptive words when writing about people, places, things, and events.
Use complete sentences in final copies.
Begin each sentence with a capital letter and use ending punctuation in final copies.
Use correct spelling for frequently used words and phonetically regular words in final copies.
Share writing with others.
Use available technology.
The student will print legibly.
· Form letters.
· Space words and sentences.
Research
The student will alphabetize words according to the first letter.
· Use a picture dictionary to find meanings of unfamiliar words.
Make a personal dictionary or word list to use in writing.
The student will access and use information from observations, conversations and books to create oral and written stories and reports.
English Standards of Learning - Grade Two
Reading/Literature
The student will use phonetic strategies when reading and writing.
Use knowledge of consonants and consonant blends in words.
Use knowledge of common vowel patterns.
The student will use meaning clues when reading.
Use pictures and diagrams.
Use information in the story to read words.
Use titles and headings.
The student will use language structure when reading.
Use knowledge of prefixes and suffixes.
Use knowledge of contractions and singular possessives.
Use knowledge of simple abbreviations.
Use knowledge of sentence structure.
Use knowledge of story structure and sequence.
The student will read fiction, nonfiction, and poetry using a variety of strategies independently.
Preview the selection.
Set purpose for reading.
Use pictures, phonics, meaning clues, and language structure to comprehend text.
Reread and self-correct when necessary.
The student will demonstrate comprehension of fiction and nonfiction selections.
Relate previous experiences to the topic.
Read to confirm predictions.
Locate information to answer questions.
Paraphrase information found in nonfiction materials.
Describe characters and setting in fiction selections and poetry.
Explain the problem, solution, or central idea.
Write about what is read.
Recognize cause and effect relationships.
Compare and contrast ideas within a selection.
Recognize and respond to different times, places, and customs reflected in literature.
Recognize general themes in literature.
Listening and Speaking
The student will demonstrate an understanding of oral language structure.
Create oral stories to share with others.
Create and participate in oral dramatic activities.
Use correct verb tenses in oral communication.
Use increasingly complex sentence structures in oral communication.
The student will continue to expand listening and speaking vocabularies.
Use words that reflect a growing range of interests and knowledge.
Clarify and explain words and ideas orally.
Give and follow oral directions with three or four steps.
Identify and use synonyms and antonyms in oral communication.
The student will use oral communication skills.
Speak clearly and with expression.
Use oral language for different purposes: to inform, to explain, to persuade, and to entertain.
Share stories or information orally with an audience.
Participate as a contributor and leader in a group.
Paraphrase information shared orally by others.
Writing
The student will write stories, letters, and simple explanations.
Generate ideas before writing.
Organize writing to include a beginning, middle, and end.
Revise writing for clarity.
Use available technology.
The student will edit final copies for grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
Use declarative, interrogative, and exclamatory sentences.
Capitalize all proper nouns and words at the beginning of sentences.
Use correct spelling for frequently used words.
Research
The student will identify appropriate sources to locate specific information.
The student will locate information in reference materials.
Use a table of contents.
Examine pictures and charts.
Use dictionaries and indices.
Use available technology.
English Standards of Learning - Grade Three
Reading/Literature
The student will apply word-analysis skills when reading and writing.
Use knowledge of less common vowel patterns.
Use knowledge of homophones.
The student will use strategies to read a variety of printed materials (nonfiction, fiction, poetry).
Preview and use text formats.
Set a purpose for reading.
Apply meaning clues, language structure, and phonetic strategies.
Reread and self-correct when necessary.
The student will demonstrate comprehension of a variety of printed materials.
Set a purpose for reading.
Make connections between previous experiences and reading selections.
Make, confirm, or revise predictions.
Identify the main idea.
Distinguish between fact and opinion.
Recognize cause and effect relationships.
Explain the problem and solution in the plot of a story.
Examine literature from various historical periods and cultures.
Recognize general themes in literature and relate to personal experience.
Summarize stories and paraphrase information found in text.
Make inferences and support them by citing evidence from the text and personal experience.
Ask and answer questions.
Compare and contrast settings, characters, and events.
Organize information or events logically.
Use information to learn about new topics.
Write about what is read.
The student will continue to read a variety of fiction and nonfiction selections.
Identify the characteristics of folk tales.
Identify the characteristics of biographies and autobiographies.
Compare and contrast the characters described in two folk tales.
Compare and contrast the lives of two persons as described in biographies and/or autobiographies.
Listening and Speaking
The student will use effective communication skills in group activities.
Listen attentively by making eye contact, facing the speaker, asking questions, and paraphrasing what is said.
Ask and respond to questions from teachers and other group members.
Explain what has been learned.
Participate as a contributor and leader in a group.
The student will present brief presentations and oral reports to inform and entertain.
Speak clearly.
Use appropriate volume and pitch.
Speak at an understandable rate.
Organize ideas sequentially or around major points of information.
· Use clear and specific vocabulary to communicate ideas.
Writing
The student will write descriptive paragraphs.
Develop a plan for writing.
Focus on a central idea.
Group related ideas.
Include descriptive details that elaborate the central idea.
Revise writing for clarity.
Write legibly in cursive.
Edit final copies for grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
The student will write stories, letters, simple explanations, and short reports across all content areas.
Use a variety of planning strategies.
Organize information according to the type of writing.
Revise writing for specific vocabulary and information.
Edit final copies for grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
Use available technology.
Research
The student will record information from print and non-print resources and present findings in oral and written reports.
Use dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other reference books.
Use videos, interviews, and cassette recordings.
Use card catalogue.
Use available technology.
English Standards of Learning - Grade Four
Reading/Literature
The student will read and learn the meanings of unfamiliar words.
Use phonetic cues to decode meaning.
Use knowledge of word origins; synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms; and multiple meanings of words.
Use word-reference materials including the glossary, dictionary, and thesaurus.
The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of literary forms to include fiction and nonfiction, biographies and historical fiction.
Explain the author's purpose.
Describe how the choice of language, setting, and information contributes to the author's purpose.
Compare the use of fact and fantasy in historical fiction with other forms of literature.
Explain how knowledge of the lives and experiences of individuals in history can relate to individuals who have similar goals or face similar challenges.
Use text organizers such as type, headings, and graphics to understand text.
Formulate questions that might be answered in the selection.
Make inferences using information from texts.
Paraphrase content of selection, identifying important details.
Write about what is read.
Identify elements of literature such as plot, character, and theme.
The student will read, in addition to other literary forms, a variety of poetry.
Describe the rhyme scheme (approximate, end, and internal).
Identify the sensory words used and their effect on the reader.
Write rhymed, unrhymed, and patterned poetry.
Listening and Speaking
The student will use effective oral communication skills in a variety of settings.
Present accurate directions and convey information to individuals and small groups.
Contribute to group discussions.
Seek the ideas and opinions of others.
Begin to use evidence to support opinions.
Speak increasingly in standard English by applying appropriate grammar, usage, and vocabulary.
Express ideas orally with fluency, elaboration, and confidence.
The student will ask questions to clarify viewpoints, to develop new understanding, and to view findings from various perspectives:
discussions
interviews
conferences
The student will make and listen to oral presentations and reports.
Use subject-related information and vocabulary.
Listen to and record information.
Demonstrate active listening skills and respond appropriately and accurately to oral information.
Organize information for clarity.
Speak in a variety of forms such as narrative, persuasive and explanation.
Use effective presentation skills.
Use props and other visual aides to enhance presentation.
Writing
The student will write effective narratives and explanations.
Focus on one aspect of a topic.
Develop a plan for writing.
Organize writing to convey a central idea.
Write several related paragraphs on the same topic.
Utilize elements of style, including word choice, tone, voice, and sentence variation.
Edit final copies for grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
Use available technology.
The student will edit final copies of writings.
Use subject-verb agreement.
Avoid double negatives.
Use pronoun "I" correctly in compound subjects.
Write legibly.
Research
The student will use information resources to research a topic.
Construct questions about a topic.
Collect information, using the resources of the media center.
Evaluate and synthesize information for use in writing.
Use available technology.
Communicate the information and findings in written and oral forms.
English Standards of Learning - Grade Five
Reading/Literature
The student will read and learn the meanings of unfamiliar words and phrases.
Use knowledge of root words, prefixes, and suffixes.
Use dictionary, glossary, thesaurus, and other word-reference materials.
Use phonetic cues to decode meanings.
· Expand vocabulary through listening, reading and writing words which reflect both general knowledge and specific subject-related vocabulary.
The student will continue to read and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of literary forms, including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
Describe character development in fiction and poetry selections.
Describe the development of plot, and explain how conflicts are resolved.
Describe the characteristics of free verse, rhymed, and patterned poetry.
Describe how author's choice of vocabulary and style contribute to the quality and enjoyment of selections.
Use text organizers to predict and categorize information.
Locate information to support opinions, predictions, and conclusions.
Identify cause-and-effect relationships.
Listening and Speaking
The student will use effective nonverbal communication skills.
Maintain eye contact with listeners.
Use gestures to support, accentuate, or dramatize verbal message.
Use facial expressions to support or dramatize verbal message.
· Use posture appropriate for communication setting.
The student will listen, draw conclusions, and share responses in subject-related group learning activities.
Participate in and contribute to discussions across content areas.
Organize information to present reports of group activities.
Summarize information gathered in group activities.
Follow multi-step oral directions.
The student will make planned oral presentations.
Determine appropriate content for type of presentation and for audience.
Organize content sequentially or around major ideas.
Summarize main points before or after presentation.
Incorporate visual aids to support the presentation.
Use various forms such as speeches, debates and panel discussions.
Writing
The student will write for a variety of purposes to describe, to inform, to entertain, and to explain.
Choose planning strategies for various writing purposes.
Organize information.
Use vocabulary effectively.
Vary sentence structure.
Revise writing for clarity.
Edit final copies for grammar, capitalization, spelling, and punctuation, especially the use of possessives and quotation marks.
Write legibly.
Research
The student will synthesize information from a variety of appropriately selected resources.
Skim materials to develop a general overview of content or to locate specific information.
Develop notes that include important concepts, paraphrases, summaries, and identification of information sources.
Organize and record information on charts, maps, and graphs.
Use available electronic databases to access information.
Cite reference sources.
Continue to communicate the information and findings in written and oral forms.
Computer/Technology Standards by the End of Grade Five
The student will demonstrate a basic understanding of computer theory, including bits, bytes, and binary logic.
The student will develop basic technology skills.
Develop a basic technology vocabulary that includes cursor, software, memory, disk drive, hard drive, and CD-ROM.
Select and use technology appropriate to tasks.
Develop basic keyboarding skills.
Operate peripheral devices.
Apply technologies to strategies for problem solving and critical thinking.
The student will process, store, retrieve, and transmit electronic information.
Use search strategies to retrieve electronic information using databases, CD-ROMs, videodiscs, and telecommunications.
Use electronic encyclopedias, almanacs, indexes, and catalogs.
Use local and wide-area networks and modem-delivered services to access information from electronic databases.
Describe advantages and disadvantages of various computer processing, storage, retrieval, and transmission techniques.
The student will communicate through application software.
Create a 1-2 page document using word processing skills, writing process steps, and publishing programs.
Use simple computer graphics and integrate graphics into word-processed documents.
Create simple databases and spreadsheets to manage information and create reports.
Use local and worldwide network communication systems.
English Standards of Learning - Grade Six
Reading/Literature
The student will read and learn the meanings of unfamiliar words and phrases.
Use knowledge of word origins, derivations and phonetic cues.
Use word-reference materials.
The student will demonstrate comprehension of a variety of selections.
Identify questions to be answered.
Make, confirm, or revise predictions as needed.
Recognize tone, mood and theme in works of literature.
Distinguish between varying viewpoints and perspectives among texts.
Use context clues to read unfamiliar words.
Draw conclusions and make inferences based on explicit and implied information.
Organize information for use in written and oral presentations.
Summarize or paraphrase what is read.
Compare and contrast information about one topic contained in different selections.
The student will read a variety of fiction (realistic, fantasy, historical, and biographical) and nonfiction (expository and argumentative).
Use knowledge of literary forms to aid comprehension and predict outcomes.
Describe how the author's style elicits emotional response from the reader.
Distinguish between first- and third-person point of view.
Compare and contrast authors' styles.
Explain how character and plot development are used in a selection to support a central conflict or story line.
The student will read and write a variety of poetry.
Describe the visual images created by language.
Describe how word choice, speaker, and imagery elicit a response from the reader.
Compare and contrast plot and character development in narrative poems, short stories, and longer fiction selections.
Listening and Speaking
The student will analyze oral participation in small-group activities.
Communicate as leader and contributor.
Evaluate own contributions to discussions.
Summarize and evaluate group activities.
Analyze the effectiveness of participant interactions.
The student will use effective speaking skills with a sense of audience and purpose.
Express ideas orally with fluency, elaboration, and confidence.
Convey information clearly to others.
Analyze presentations based on self-evaluation and conferring with others.
The student will listen critically and express opinions in oral presentations.
Distinguish between facts and opinions.
Ask questions to clarify viewpoints.
Compare and contrast points of view.
Summarize main points after listening to a selection.
Follow multi-step oral directions.
Writing
The student will write narratives, descriptions, explanations and technical writings.
Use a variety of planning strategies to generate and organize ideas and information.
Establish central idea, organization, elaboration, and unity.
Select vocabulary and information to enhance the central idea, tone, and voice.
Expand and embed ideas by using modifiers, standard coordination, and subordination in complete sentences.
Use language appropriate for purpose and audience.
Revise writing for clarity and legibility.
Edit final copies for correct use of language: subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement, consistent tense inflections, and adverb and adjective usage.
Edit final copies for writing mechanics: format, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
The student will use writing as a tool for learning in all subjects.
Make lists.
Paraphrase what is heard or read.
Summarize what is heard or read.
Hypothesize.
Connect knowledge within and across disciplines.
· Synthesize information to construct new concepts.
Research
The student will select the best sources for a given purpose, including atlases,
dictionaries, globes, interviews, telephone directories, encyclopedias, electronic
databases, and the Reader's Guide.
Use strategies to evaluate information such as assessing usefulness, outlining, and cross referencing.
Combine information from multiple sources.
Paraphrase selected information accurately.
English Standards of Learning - Grade Seven
Reading/Literature
The student will use analogies, idioms, similes, and metaphors to extend understanding of word meanings.
The student will read a variety of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
Describe setting, plot structure, and theme or conflict.
Analyze relationship between author's style, literary form, and intended impact on reader.
Describe connections between historical and cultural influences and literary selections.
Describe how word choice and language structure convey an author's viewpoint in newspaper and magazine articles and critical reviews.
The student will read and use strategies to understand information from varied sources.
Use knowledge of text structures to aid comprehension.
Make, confirm, or revise predictions as needed.
Distinguish fact from opinion in newspapers, magazines, and other print media.
Summarize and paraphrase what is read.
Organize and synthesize information for use in written and oral presentations.
Compare and contrast information from different selections.
The student will read a variety of poetry.
Compare and contrast the use of a speaker and the impact on the reader.
Describe the impact of specific word choices, such as jargon, dialect, multiple meanings, invented words, concrete or abstract terms, and sensory or figurative language.
Explain how sentence structure, line length, and punctuation convey mood or meaning of a poem.
Describe how rhythm contributes to the purpose or theme of a poem.
Compare and contrast the rhythm of poems with similar or dissimilar themes.
Listening and Speaking
The student will plan and deliver oral presentations, such as monologues, debates, panel discussions, dramatizations, and demonstrations.
Use oral vocabulary and style appropriate for listeners.
Communicate ideas and information orally in an organized and succinct manner.
Ask probing questions to seek elaboration and clarification of ideas.
Make supportive statements to communicate agreement or acceptance of others' ideas.
Confer with others to evaluate and revise spoken products.
The student will identify the relationship between a speaker's verbal and nonverbal
messages.
Use verbal communication skills, such as word choice, pitch, feeling, tone, and voice.
Use nonverbal communication skills, such as eye contact, posture, and gestures.
Compare/contrast a speaker's verbal and nonverbal messages.
The student will identify persuasive messages in non-print media, including television, radio, and films.
Identify persuasive technique used.
Distinguish between fact and opinion.
Writing
The student will develop narrative, expository, persuasive, and technical writings.
Apply knowledge of prewriting strategies.
Elaborate the central idea in an organized manner.
Choose vocabulary and information that will cause a reader to perceive images and tone.
Use clauses and phrases to embed context into sentences.
Revise writing for clarity.
Edit final copies to ensure correct use of homonyms, pronoun-antecedent agreement, subject-verb agreement, and verb tense consistency.
Edit final copies to ensure correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and format.
Evaluate, revise, and edit writing through self-evaluation and by conferring with others.
Use available technology.
The student will write in a variety of formats including stories, poems, plays, essays, and research projects.
Research
The student will apply knowledge of resources and conduct research in preparing written and oral presentations.
Use print and electronic sources to locate books and articles.
Use a thesaurus to select more exact descriptive, specific, or effective vocabulary for writing.
Use graphic organizers to organize information.
Cite reference sources.
English Standards of Learning - Grade Eight
Reading/Literature
The student will apply knowledge of word origins, derivations, and idioms and will use analogies, metaphors, similes, denotations and connotations to extend vocabulary development.
The student will apply knowledge of the characteristics and elements of various literary forms, including short stories, essays, speeches, lyric and narrative poems, plays, and novels.
Explain the use of symbols and figurative language.
Describe inferred main ideas or themes.
Describe cause-effect relationships and their impact on plot.
Describe and evaluate how authors use characters, point of view, mood, and tone to create meaning.
Analyze similarities and differences between texts and authors.
Compare and contrast the use of the poetic elements of word choice, dialogue, rhyme, rhythm, and voice.
Explain how a literary selection can expand or enrich personal viewpoints or experiences.
The student will comprehend what is read from a variety of sources.
Draw on background knowledge and knowledge of text structure to understand selections.
Analyze details for relevance and accuracy.
Analyze important elements and evaluate relationships by examining and determining validity, bias, purpose and audience, and statements of opinion.
Read and follow instructions to assemble a model or simple structure.
Evaluate and synthesize information to apply in written and oral presentations.
The student will analyze mass media messages.
Identify the persuasive technique being used.
Describe the possible cause-effect relationships between mass media coverage and public opinion trends.
Evaluate advertisements, editorials, and feature stories for relationships between intent and factual content.
Listening and Speaking
The student will use interviewing techniques to gain information.
Prepare and ask relevant questions for the interview.
Listen critically and make notes of responses.
Compare, contrast, and defend different point of view.
Recognize propaganda.
Compile and report responses.
Evaluate the effectiveness of the interview.
The student will speak in a variety of forms with a sense of audience and purpose.
Ask questions to clarify viewpoints and develop understanding.
Plan and deliver oral presentations and express ideas in a variety of forms to different audiences.
Respond to audience questions.
Present information creatively using dramatic presentations and/or video productions.
Confer with others to evaluate and revise spoken products.
Writing
The student will write in a variety of forms, including narrative, expository and persuasive writings.
Use prewriting strategies to generate and organize ideas.
Focus on elaboration and organization.
Select specific vocabulary and information.
Use standard sentence formation, eliminating comma splices and other nonstandard forms of sentences that distract readers.
Revise writing for word choice, appropriate organization, consistent point of view, and transitions among paragraphs.
Edit final copies to ensure correct use of pronoun case, verb tense inflections, and adjective and adverb comparisons.
Edit final copies to ensure correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and format.
Use available technology.
Research
The student will continue applying knowledge of resources and conducting research in preparing written and oral presentations.
Select and focus on one aspect of a topic.
Select appropriate sources to support central ideas, concepts, and themes.
Use skimming and scanning techniques to gather information.
Use not-taking, annotating, multiple drafts, and list of sources for research projects.
Combine information from variety of sources .
Computer/Technology Standards by the End of Grade Eight
The student will communicate through application software.
Compose and edit a multipage document at the keyboard, using word processing skills and the writing process steps.
Communicate spreadsheets by entering data and setting up formulas, analyzing data, and creating graphs or charts to visually represent data.
Communicate with databases by defining fields and entering data, sorting, and producing reports in various forms.
Use advanced publishing software, graphics programs, and scanners to produce page layouts.
Integrate databases, graphics, and spreadsheets into word-processed documents.
The student will communicate through networks and telecommunication.
Use local and worldwide network communication systems.
Develop hypermedia _home page_ documents that can be accessed by worldwide networks.
The student will have a basic understanding of computer processing, storing, retrieval, and transmission technologies and a practical appreciation of the relevant advantages and disadvantages of various processing, storage, retrieval, and transmission technologies.
The student will process, store, retrieve, and transmit electronic information.
Use search strategies to retrieve electronic information.
Use electronic encyclopedias, almanacs, indexes, and catalogs to retrieve and select relevant information.
Use laser discs with a computer in an interactive mode.
Use local and wide-area networks and modem-delivered services to access and retrieve information from electronic databases.
Use databases to perform research.
English Standards of Learning - Grade Nine
Reading/Literature
The student will read and analyze a variety of literature.
Identify the characteristics that distinguish literary forms.
Use literary terms in describing and analyzing selections.
Explain the relationships between and among elements of literature: characters, plot, setting, tone, point of view, and theme.
Explain the relationship between author's style and literary effect.
Describe the use of images and sounds to elicit the reader's emotions.
Explain the influence of historical context on the form, style, and point of view of a written work.
The student will read and analyze a variety of print materials.
Identify a hypothesis to be confirmed, disproved, or modified.
Evaluate clarity and accuracy of information.
Synthesize information from sources and apply it in written and oral presentations.
Identify questions not answered by a selected text.
Extend general and specialized vocabulary through reading and writing.
Read and follow instructions to use computer software, assemble or construct models or equipment, or complete a project.
The student will read dramatic selections.
Identify the two basic parts of drama.
Compare and contrast the elements of character, setting, and plot in one-act plays and full-length plays.
Describe how stage directions help the reader understand a play's setting, mood, characters, plot, and theme.
The student will read and follow instructions for performing a specific task such as complete an application for employment or college admission.
Listening and Speaking
The student will present and critique dramatic readings of literary selections.
Choose literary form for presentation, such as poems, monologues, scenes from plays, or stories.
Adapt presentation techniques to fit literary form.
Use verbal and nonverbal techniques for presentation.
Evaluate impact of presentation.
The student will make planned oral presentations.
Include definitions to increase clarity.
Use relevant details to support main ideas.
Illustrate main ideas through anecdotes and examples.
Cite information sources.
Make impromptu responses to questions about presentation.
Evaluate impact of presentation.
The student will listen to the speaker to gather and interpret information and analyze for accuracy, bias, and speakers intent and purpose.
Writing
The student will develop narrative, literary, expository, and technical writings to inform, explain, analyze, or entertain.
Plan and organize writing.
Communicate clearly the purpose of the writing.
Write clear, varied sentences.
Use specific vocabulary and information.
Arrange paragraphs into a logical progression.
Revise writing for clarity.
Edit final copies for correct use of language, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
The student will use writing to interpret, analyze, and evaluate the ideas of others.
The student will use technology.
Use word processing routinely to produce products.
Begin to develop desk-top publishing skills.
Research
The student will analyze and synthesize information from a variety of sources to produce reports and papers.
Formulate research questions.
Select and evaluate sources.
Narrow a topic.
Synthesize information from a variety of sources
Cite sources.
The student will credit the sources of both quoted and paraphrased ideas.
Define the meaning and consequences of plagiarism.
Distinguish one's own ideas from information created or discovered by others.
Use a style sheet method for citing secondary sources, such as MLA or APA.
The student will use electronic databases to access information.
Identify key terms.
Narrow the focus of a search.
Scan and select resources.
English Standards of Learning - Grade Ten
Reading/Literature
The student will read and critique literary works from a variety of eras in a variety of cultures.
Explain similarities and differences of structures and images as represented in the literature of different cultures.
Identify universal themes prevalent in the literature of all cultures.
Describe cultural archetypes in short stories, novels, poems, and plays across several cultures.
Examine a literary selection from several critical perspectives.
The student will read and interpret printed consumer materials.
Identify essential information needed to operate specific tools, appliances, technology hardware, or other equipment.
Analyze the information contained in warranties, contracts, job descriptions, and technical descriptions.
Skim manuals or consumer texts to locate information.
Compare and contrast product information contained in advertisements with instruction manuals and warranties.
Apply the information contained in labels, warnings, manuals, directions, applications, and forms to complete simulated or real-world tasks.
The student will read and critique a variety of poetry.
Compare and contrast the use of rhyme, rhythm, and sound to convey a message.
Compare and contrast the ways in which poets inspire the reader to share emotions expressed in poems.
Paraphrase the meaning of selected poems.
The student will read and critique dramatic selections.
Explain the use of asides.
Explain the role of a director.
Compare and contrast character development in a play as compared to other literary forms.
Listening and Speaking
The student will create and deliver oral presentations for specific audiences.
Choose appropriate form for presentations such as speech, monologue, debate, scene from play, video.
Illustrate ideas through anecdotes and examples.
Reply with appropriate impromptu responses to questions in formal and informal situations.
Evaluate impact of oral presentations.
The student will continue to listen to the speaker to gather and interpret information and analyze for accuracy, bias, and speakers intent and purpose.
The student will participate in and report small-group learning activities.
Assume responsibility for specific tasks.
Participate in the preparation of an outline or summary of the group activity.
Include all group members in oral presentation.
The student will critique oral reports of small-group learning activities.
Evaluate one's own role in preparation and delivery of oral reports.
· Evaluate effectiveness of group process in preparation and delivery of oral reports.
Writing
The student will develop a variety of writings with an emphasis on exposition.
Plan and organize ideas for writing.
Elaborate ideas clearly through word choice and vivid description.
Write clear, varied sentences.
Organize ideas into a logical sequence.
Revise writing for clarity and content of presentation.
Edit final copies for correct use of language, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
Use available technology.
The student will compose in a variety of forms such as personal writing, stories, poems, skits, expository texts, business letters, memos, persuasive pieces, e-mail.
The student will critique professional and peer writing.
Analyze the writing of others.
Describe how writing accomplishes its intended purpose.
Suggest how writing might be improved.
Apply knowledge of critical analysis to writing.
The student will use writing to interpret, analyze, and evaluate ideas.
Explain concepts contained in literature and other disciplines.
Translate concepts into simpler or more easily understood terms.
Research
The student will collect, evaluate, and organize information to produce reports and papers.
Organize information from a variety of sources.
Formulate research questions.
Narrow a topic.
Verify the accuracy and usefulness of information.
Use available technology.
English Standards of Learning - Grade Eleven
Reading/Literature
The student will read and analyze relationships among American literature, history, and culture.
Describe contributions of different cultures to the development of American literature.
Describe the development of American literature in the 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.
Contrast periods in American literature.
Differentiate among archetypal characters in American literature.
Describe the major themes in American literature.
Describe how use of context and language structures conveys an author's point of view in contemporary and historical essays, speeches, and critical reviews.
Examine a literary selection from several critical perspectives.
The student will read a variety of print material including classical literature, contemporary literature, works from various cultures, and real-world texts.
Use information from texts to clarify or refine understanding of academic concepts.
Read and follow directions to complete an application for college admission, a scholarship, or for employment.
Read and follow directions to complete a laboratory experiment.
Extend general and specialized vocabularies for reading and writing.
Generalize ideas from selections to make predictions about other texts.
Evaluate the quality and usefulness of informational texts and technical manuals.
The student will read and critique a variety of poetry.
Analyze the poetic elements of classic poems.
Identify the poetic elements and techniques that are most appealing and that make poetry enjoyable.
Compare and contrast the works of contemporary and past American poets.
The student will read a variety of dramatic selections in addition to other literary forms.
Describe the relationship between farce and characterization.
Describe the dramatic conventions or devices used by playwrights to present selected plays.
Explain the use of monologue and soliloquy.
Explain the use of verbal and dramatic irony.
Listening and Speaking
The student will create and deliver persuasive oral presentations for specific audiences.
Organize evidence to support a position.
Present evidence clearly and convincingly.
Support and defend ideas and thoughts in public forums.
Choose appropriate form for presentations such as speech, monologue, debate, scene from play.
Illustrate ideas through anecdotes and examples.
The student will analyze and evaluate persuasive presentations.
Critique the accuracy, relevance, and organization of evidence.
Critique the clarity and effectiveness of delivery..
The student will listen to the speaker to gather and interpret information.
Writing
The student will write in a variety of forms with an emphasis on persuasion.
Develop a focus for writing.
Evaluate and cite applicable information.
Organize ideas in a logical manner.
Elaborate ideas clearly and accurately.
Adapt content, vocabulary, voice, and tone to audience, purpose, and situation.
Revise writing for accuracy and depth of information.
Edit final copies for correct use of language, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
The student will write, revise, and edit personal and business correspondence to a standard acceptable in the work place and higher education.
Apply a variety of planning strategies to generate and organize ideas.
Organize information to support the purpose of the writing.
Present information in a logical manner.
Revise writing for clarity.
Edit final copies for correct use of language, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
Use available technology.
The student will use writing to interpret, analyze and evaluate the ideas of others.
Research
The student will analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and organize information from a variety of sources into a documented paper dealing with a question, problem, or issue.
Narrow a topic.
Develop a plan for research.
Collect information to support a thesis.
Evaluate quality and accuracy of information.
Synthesize information in a logical sequence.
Distinguish ones own ideas from those of others.
Document sources of information using a style sheet format, such as MLA or APA.
Revise writing for clarity of content.
Edit final copy for correct use of language, format, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
Use available technology.
English Standards of Learning - Grade Twelve
Reading/Literature
The student will identify universal themes in the literature of all cultures and relate to personal experience.
The student will analyze the development of British literature and literature of other cultures.
Recognize major literary forms and techniques.
Recognize the characteristics of major chronological eras.
Relate literary works and authors to major themes and issues of their eras.
Examine a literary selection from several critical perspectives.
The student will read a variety of print material.
Identify information needed to conduct a laboratory experiment or product evaluation.
Draw conclusions regarding the quality of a product based on analysis of the accompanying warranty and instruction manual.
Evaluate the quality of informational texts and technical manuals.
Read and follow instructions to install a software program.
The student will read and critique a variety of poetry.
Explain how the choice of words in a poem fits the speaker.
Explain how the sound of a poem (rhyme, rhythm, onomatopoeia, repetition, alliteration, assonance, and parallelism) supports the subject and mood.
Explain how imagery and figures of speech (personification, simile, metaphor) appeal to the reader's senses and experience.
Compare and contrast traditional and contemporary works of poets from many cultures.
The student will read and critique dramatic selections from a variety of authors.
Describe the conflict, plot, climax, and setting.
Compare and contrast ways in which dialogue and staging contribute to the theme.
Identify the most effective elements of selected plays.
Compare and contrast dramatic elements of plays from American, British, and other cultures.
Listening and Speaking
The student will use verbal and nonverbal presentation skills to deliver 5-10 minute formal oral presentations.
Choose the purpose of the presentation: to defend a position, to entertain an audience, or to explain information.
Use a well-structured narrative or logical argument.
Use details, illustrations, statistics, comparisons, and analogies to support purposes.
Use visual aids or technology to support presentation.
The student will analyze and evaluate formal presentations.
Critique relationships among purpose, audience, and content of presentations.
Critique effectiveness of presentations.
The student will listen to the speaker to gather and interpret information.
Writing
The student will develop expository and technical writings.
Consider audience and purpose when planning for writing.
Present ideas in a logical sequence.
Elaborate ideas clearly and accurately.
Revise writing for depth of information and technique of presentation.
Edit final copies for correct use of language, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
The student will continue to write, revise, and edit personal and business correspondence to a standard acceptable in the work place and/or higher education.
Complete applications.
Develop resumes.
The student will use writing to interpret, analyze and evaluate the ideas of others.
Research
The student will write documented research papers.
Evaluate the accuracy and usefulness of information.
Synthesize information to support the thesis.
Present information in a logical manner.
Distinguish ones own ideas from those of others.
Cite sources of information using a standard method of documentation.
Edit for correct use of language, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling in final copies.
Use available technology.
Current State Board of Education K - 3 Mathematics Standards
Number and Numeration Systems
The student will develop a number sense for whole numbers, fractions, decimals, integers, and percents by:
· reading and writing whole numbers and decimals in standard form, expanded form, and words
· using concrete and pictorial models to represent the concept of integers
· representing percents with concrete or pictorial models
· applying rounding, estimation, and divisibility rules
demonstrating the commutative, associative, and identity properties for addition and
multiplication
· demonstrating spontaneous recall of multiplication facts through 12 times 12
The student will develop and use order relations for whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and integers by:
· rounding whole numbers and decimals
using order symbols (<,>, =, ¹ , £ , ³ ) to compare two integers, fractions, mixed numbers, and/or
decimals
· arranging three or more integers, fractions, mixed number, and/or decimals in order
· relating positive and negative integers to direction and distance from zero
· locating integers, fractions, mixed numbers, and decimals on a number line
The student will use concrete models to explore ratio and proportions by:
· comparing two quantities to form a ratio
· showing proportionality of equivalent ratios
The student will use concrete models to explore primes, composites, factors, and multiples; and extend their understanding of the relation- ships among whole numbers, fractions, decimals, integers, and percents by:
· writing decimals as fractions or mixed numbers
· demonstrating an understanding of equivalent relationships among fractions, mixed numbers,
decimals, and/or percents
· generating equivalent fractions
· expressing and evaluating products in exponential form
· using the greatest common factor (GCF) and the least common multiple (LCM)
Connect number and numeration systems with other aspects of mathematics and with other disciplines and relate the use and understanding of numeration systems to their world by:
making connections between integers, fractions, mixed numbers, decimals, percents, ratios,
and proportions and real-world situations
· using appropriate technology
Numerical and Algebraic Concepts and Operations
The student will understand and explain how the basic arithmetic operations relate to each other by:
applying the commutative, associative, and identity properties for addition and multiplication
for integers, fractions, and decimals
applying the distributive property for multiplication over addition and subtraction for integers,
fractions, and decimals
· applying the rules for order of operations to evaluate expressions
The student will extend their understanding of whole number operations to fractions and decimals by:
· using concrete and/or pictorial models to find the sum, difference, product, or quotient of like
and unlike fractions or decimals
using written or mental computations to add, subtract, multiply, or divide unlike fractions or
decimals
The student will use models, patterns, and relationships to construct and analyze algorithms for operations on whole numbers, fractions, and decimals by:
· demonstrating an understanding of algorithms for operations on whole numbers, fractions, and
decimals
The student will model, explain and develop reasonable proficiency in operations on whole numbers, fractions, and decimals by:
· demonstrating proficiency in computations with whole numbers, fractions, and decimals
The student will solve real-world and mathematical problem situations using algebraic concepts including variables and open sentences by:
· applying the concepts for this strand in a variety of real-life contexts, such as determining the
unit price of an item
The student will use mental computation, estimation and calculators to predict results and evaluate reasonableness of results by:
using rounding, estimation, mental arithmetic, and calculators to determine the reasonableness
of computations on integers, fractions, and decimals
The student will understand the concepts of variables, expressions, equations, and inequalities by:
· using variables to represent relationships
· using ratio, proportion, and percents in real-life situations
· solving simple equations using one or two operations
The student will use models to explore operations on integers by:
· using concrete, pictorial, and/or abstract models to add, subtract, multiply, and divide integers.
Patterns, Relationships, and Functions
The student will use concrete models and calculators to create and explore patterns to explore, recognize, describe, extend, analyze, and create a wide variety of patterns by:
· recognizing, describing, extending, and creating a variety of numerical and non-numerical
patterns
· finding missing elements in numerical and non-numerical patterns
The student will represent, discuss, and describe functional relationships with tables, one- and two-dimensional graphs, and rules by:
· describing functional relationships and representing them with tables, charts, graphs, and rules
· graphing functions and relations on the number line and in a rectangular coordinate system
The student will analyze and predict functional relationships and make generalizations based on observed patterns by:
· examining tables and graphs of functional relationships
· using oral and/or written communication to explain relationships
The student will explore the use of variables, equations, and inequalities to explore relationships by:
· writing equations or inequalities with variables to represent relationships
· showing that a change in one variable in a function results in a change in the other variable
The student will connect patterns, relationships, and functions with other aspects of mathematics and with other disciplines by:
· applying patterns, relationships, and functions in a variety of real-life contexts and other
disciplines.
Geometry and Spatial Sense
The student will construct two- and three-dimensional geometric figures with concrete materials.
The student will identify, describe, classify, and compare two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes, figures, and models according to their attributes by:
· identifying and drawing chords, sectors, and arcs of a circle
· identifying and describing parallel, perpendicular, and intersecting lines
· classifying and drawing triangles as acute, obtuse, right, scalene, equilateral, or isosceles
· classifying quadrilaterals as rhombuses and trapezoids
investigating the bases, vertices, edges, and faces, of prisms and pyramids using concrete
representations
· investigating the bases and sides of cones and cylinders using concrete representation
· comparing and contrasting attributes of two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes, figures,
and models
The student will develop spatial sense by thinking about and representing geometric figures by:
· constructing nets (paper cutouts for folding) for three-dimensional figures
· determining the views of a given three-dimensional illustration
The student will investigate and predict the results of transformations of shapes, figures, and models, including slides, flips, and turns by:
· identifying and describing the results of translations (slides), reflections (flips), rotations (turns),
or glide reflections
The student will investigate and predict the results of combining or partitioning shapes, figures, and models; explore tessellations,
symmetry, similarity, congruence, scale, perspective, angles, and networks by:
· identifying and describing symmetric, congruent, or similar geometric figures
· investigating, predicting and justifying the results of combining and partitioning geometric
figures
· identifying transformations in tessellations, using transformations to draw tessellations, and
describing relation ships among figures that tessellate
· constructing a scale model
The student will understand and apply geometric relationships by:
· using the rectangular coordinate system to locate and name points with ordered pairs of integers
· drawing and describing bisectors of line segments and angles using appropriate tools
· finding and describing patterns in geometric figures, i.e. sum of interior angles of polygons,
congruent figures, similar figures drawn to larger or smaller scale
The student will connect geometry and spatial sense to other aspects of mathematics and to other disciplines by:
· applying geometric figures and spatial sense in a variety of real-life contexts and in other
disciplines
· using technology to explore geometric concepts
· representing and solving problems using geometric models
Measurement
The student will understand the concepts and attributes of length, capacity, weight (mass), perimeter, area, volume, time, temperature, and angle measure by:
· using appropriate tools to measure or draw angles
· demonstrating an understanding of the concepts of perimeter, area, surface area, volume,
capacity, weight (mass), and temperature
· converting units of time including days, hours, minutes and seconds, and finding the elapsed
time between events
· calculating temperature change
The student will understand the structure and use of non-standard and standard (customary and
metric) systems of measurements by:
· converting units of measure within the metric system or within the customary system
· adding and subtracting mixed units of measure and express answers in appropriate form
The student will estimate, construct, and use measurement for description and comparison by:
· estimating and measuring lengths in non-standard, metric, and customary units
· estimating and measuring capacities using metric and customary units of measure
· estimating and measuring mass or weight using metric and customary units of measure
· estimating and/or justifying their estimates of the area of irregular shapes
The student will select and use appropriate tools and units to measure to the degree of accuracy required in a particular situation.
The student will use concrete and graphic models to discover formulas for finding the perimeter and area of common two-dimensional shapes by:
· investigating and describing methods for finding perimeters of two-dimensional shapes
· investigating and describing the relationship between areas of rectangles and other two-
dimensional shapes
The student will use measurements and formulas to solve real-world and mathematical problems by:
· finding the perimeter of polygons
· finding the area and circumference of a circle and the area of triangles, squares, rectangles,
rhombuses, parallelograms, and trapezoids
· finding the surface area of curves
· finding the volume of rectangular prisms
The student will connect measurement to other aspects of mathematics and to other disciplines by:
· applying measurement in a variety of real-life contexts
· using technology to explore concepts of measurement
Probability and Statistics
The student will use model situations by devising and carrying out experiments or simulations to determine
probability by:
· expressing the probability of a single-stage event as a ratio of equally likely outcomes
· determining the number of possible outcomes in two-stage events using the fundamental
counting principle, making a tree diagram, or using models
The student will extend his or her understanding of probability and statistics by systematically collecting, organizing, discussing, and describing data, using technology whenever appropriate.
The student will select and use a variety of representations for displaying data by:
· organizing data and constructing appropriate tables (including frequency tables), graphs
(including bar graphs, line graphs, picture graphs, circle graphs, line plots, and stem-and-leaf
plots), and charts to display given data
The student will construct, read, and interpret tables, graphs, and charts by:
· reading and interpreting tables, graphs, and charts
· interpreting the results of displayed data
· identifying and calculating the mean, median, mode, and range of a set of data
The student will make and justify predictions based on collected data or experiments, using technology whenever appropriate by:
· making inferences and convincing arguments based on probability and statistics; and evaluating
arguments that are based on probability and statistics
Current State Board of Education Grades 4 - 6 Mathematics Standards
Number and Numeration Systems
The student will develop a number sense for whole numbers, fractions, decimals, integers, and percents by:
reading and writing whole numbers and decimals in standard form, expanded form, and words
using concrete and pictorial models to represent the concept of integers
representing percents with concrete or pictorial models
applying rounding, estimation, and divisibility rules
demonstrating the commutative, associative, and identity properties for addition and multiplication
demonstrating spontaneous recall of multiplication facts through 12 times 12
The student will develop and use order relations for whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and integers by:
rounding whole numbers and decimals
using order symbols (<,>, =, ¹ , £ , ³ ) to compare two integers, fractions, mixed numbers, and/or decimals
arranging three or more integers, fractions, mixed number, and/or decimals in order
relating positive and negative integers to direction and distance from zero
locating integers, fractions, mixed numbers, and decimals on a number line
The student will use concrete models to explore ratio and proportions by:
comparing two quantities to form a ratio
showing proportionality of equivalent ratios
The student will use concrete models to explore primes, composites, factors, and multiples; and extend their understanding of the relation- ships among whole numbers, fractions, decimals, integers, and percents by:
writing decimals as fractions or mixed numbers
demonstrating an understanding of equivalent relationships among fractions, mixed numbers, decimals, and/or percents
generating equivalent fractions
expressing and evaluating products in exponential form
using the greatest common factor (GCF) and the least common multiple (LCM)
The student will connect number and numeration systems with other aspects of mathematics and with other disciplines and relate the use and understanding of numeration systems to their world by:
making connections between integers, fractions, mixed numbers, decimals, percents, ratios, and proportions and real-world situations
using appropriate technology
Numerical and Algebraic Concepts and Operations
The student will understand and explain how the basic arithmetic operations relate to each other by:
applying the commutative, associative, and identity properties for addition and multiplication for integers, fractions, and decimals
applying the distributive property for multiplication over addition and subtraction for integers, fractions, and decimals
applying the rules for order of operations to evaluate expressions
The student will extend their understanding of whole number operations to fractions and decimals by:
using concrete and/or pictorial models to find the sum, difference, product, or quotient of like and unlike fractions or decimals
using written or mental computations to add, subtract, multiply, or divide unlike fractions or decimals
The student will use models, patterns, and relationships to construct and analyze algorithms for operations on whole numbers, fractions, and decimals by:
demonstrating an understanding of algorithms for operations on whole numbers, fractions, and decimals
The student will model, explain and develop reasonable proficiency in operations on whole numbers, fractions, and decimals by:
demonstrating proficiency in computations with whole numbers, fractions, and decimals
The student will solve real-world and mathematical problem situations using algebraic concepts including variables and open sentences by:
applying the concepts for this strand in a variety of real-life contexts, such as determining the unit price of an item
The student will use mental computation, estimation and calculators to predict results and evaluate reasonableness of results by:
using rounding, estimation, mental arithmetic, and calculators to determine the reasonableness of computations on integers, fractions, and decimals
The student will understand the concepts of variables, expressions, equations, and inequalities by:
using variables to represent relationships
using ratio, proportion, and percents in real-life situations
solving simple equations using one or two operations
The student will use models to explore operations on integers by:
using concrete, pictorial, and/or abstract models to add, subtract, multiply, and divide integers.
Patterns, Relationships, and Functions
The student will use concrete models and calculators to create and explore patterns to explore, recognize, describe, extend, analyze, and create a wide variety of patterns by:
recognizing, describing, extending, and creating a variety of numerical and non-numerical patterns
finding missing elements in numerical and non-numerical patterns
The student will represent, discuss, and describe functional relationships with tables, one- and two-dimensional graphs, and rules by:
describing functional relationships and representing them with tables, charts, graphs, and rules
graphing functions and relations on the number line and in a rectangular coordinate system
The student will analyze and predict functional relationships and make generalizations based on observed patterns by:
examining tables and graphs of functional relationships
using oral and/or written communication to explain relationships
The student will explore the use of variables, equations, and inequalities to explore relationships by:
writing equations or inequalities with variables to represent relationships
showing that a change in one variable in a function results in a change in the other variable
The student will connect patterns, relationships, and functions with other aspects of mathematics and with other disciplines by:
applying patterns, relationships, and functions in a variety of real-life contexts and other disciplines.
Geometry and Spatial Sense
The student will construct two- and three-dimensional geometric figures with concrete materials.
The student will identify, describe, classify, and compare two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes, figures, and models according to their attributes by:
identifying and drawing chords, sectors, and arcs of a circle
identifying and describing parallel, perpendicular, and intersecting lines
classifying and drawing triangles as acute, obtuse, right, scalene, equilateral, or isosceles
classifying quadrilaterals as rhombuses and trapezoids
investigating the bases, vertices, edges, and faces, of prisms and pyramids using concrete representations
investigating the bases and sides of cones and cylinders using concrete representation
comparing and contrasting attributes of two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes, figures, and models
The student will develop spatial sense by thinking about and representing geometric figures by:
constructing nets (paper cutouts for folding) for three-dimensional figures
determining the views of a given three-dimensional illustration
The student will investigate and predict the results of transformations of shapes, figures, and models, including slides, flips, and turns by:
identifying and describing the results of translations (slides), reflections (flips), rotations (turns), or glide reflections
The student will investigate and predict the results of combining or partitioning shapes, figures, and models; explore tessellations,
symmetry, similarity, congruence, scale, perspective, angles, and networks by:
identifying and describing symmetric, congruent, or similar geometric figures
investigating, predicting and justifying the results of combining and partitioning geometric figures
identifying transformations in tessellations, using transformations to draw tessellations, and describing relation ships among figures that tessellate
constructing a scale model
The student will understand and apply geometric relationships by:
using the rectangular coordinate system to locate and name points with ordered pairs of integers
drawing and describing bisectors of line segments and angles using appropriate tools
finding and describing patterns in geometric figures, i.e. sum of interior angles of polygons, congruent figures, similar figures drawn to larger or smaller scale
The student will connect geometry and spatial sense to other aspects of mathematics and to other disciplines by:
applying geometric figures and spatial sense in a variety of real-life contexts and in other disciplines
using technology to explore geometric concepts
representing and solving problems using geometric models
Measurement
The student will understand the concepts and attributes of length, capacity, weight (mass), perimeter, area, volume, time, temperature, and angle measure by:
using appropriate tools to measure or draw angles
demonstrating an understanding of the concepts of perimeter, area, surface area, volume, capacity, weight (mass), and temperature
converting units of time including days, hours, minutes and seconds, and finding the elapsed time between events
calculating temperature change
The student will understand the structure and use of non-standard and standard (customary and
metric) systems of measurements by:
converting units of measure within the metric system or within the customary system
adding and subtracting mixed units of measure and express answers in appropriate form
The student will estimate, construct, and use measurement for description and comparison by:
estimating and measuring lengths in non-standard, metric, and customary units
estimating and measuring capacities using metric and customary units of measure
estimating and measuring mass or weight using metric and customary units of measure
estimating and/or justifying their estimates of the area of irregular shapes
The student will select and use appropriate tools and units to measure to the degree of accuracy required in a particular situation.
The student will use concrete and graphic models to discover formulas for finding the perimeter and area of common two-dimensional shapes by:
investigating and describing methods for finding perimeters of two-dimensional shapes
investigating and describing the relationship between areas of rectangles and other two-dimensional shapes
The student will use measurements and formulas to solve real-world and mathematical problems by:
finding the perimeter of polygons
finding the area and circumference of a circle and the area of triangles, squares, rectangles, rhombuses, parallelograms, and trapezoids
finding the surface area of curves
finding the volume of rectangular prisms
The student will connect measurement to other aspects of mathematics and to other disciplines by:
applying measurement in a variety of real-life contexts
using technology to explore concepts of measurement
Probability and Statistics
The student will use model situations by devising and carrying out experiments or simulations to determine
probability by:
expressing the probability of a single-stage event as a ratio of equally likely outcomes
determining the number of possible outcomes in two-stage events using the fundamental counting principle, making a tree diagram, or using models
The student will extend his or her understanding of probability and statistics by systematically collecting, organizing, discussing, and describing data, using technology whenever appropriate.
The student will select and use a variety of representations for displaying data by:
organizing data and constructing appropriate tables (including frequency tables), graphs (including bar graphs, line graphs, picture graphs, circle graphs, line plots, and stem-and-leaf plots), and charts to display given data
The student will construct, read, and interpret tables, graphs, and charts by:
reading and interpreting tables, graphs, and charts
interpreting the results of displayed data
identifying and calculating the mean, median, mode, and range of a set of data
The student will make and justify predictions based on collected data or experiments, using technology whenever appropriate by:
making inferences and convincing arguments based on probability and statistics; and evaluating arguments that are based on probability and statistics
Current State Board of Education 7 & 8 Grade Mathematics Standards
Number and Numeration Systems
The student will extend his or her development of number sense to include all real numbers by:
demonstrating the commutative, associative, and identity properties for addition and multiplication, and the distributive property
applying the concept of the absolute value of real numbers
developing the concept of powers or roots of real numbers, including the use of mental mathematics and calculators
using Venn diagrams to show the structure of the real number system
using integers and rational numbers in real-world situations
developing an understanding of the concept of irrational numbers
The student will develop and use order relations for real numbers by:
locating real numbers on a number line
comparing real numbers using order relations and order symbols (<, >, =, ³ , £ , ¹ )
arranging sets of real numbers in order
The student will understand, represent, and use real numbers in a variety of equivalent forms (integers, fractions, mixed numbers, decimals, ratios, proportions, percents, exponentials, and scientific notation) in a variety of real-world and mathematical problem situations by:
writing and using whole and decimal numbers in standard form expanded form, and scientific notation
writing and using equivalent forms for whole numbers, fraction, mixed numbers, decimals, ratios, proportions, and percents
expressing an evaluating operations in exponential form with positive and/or negative exponents
The student will develop and apply number theory concepts (primes, composites, factors, and multiples) in a variety of real-world and mathematical situations and connect number and numeration systems with other aspects of mathematics and with other disciplines by:
using appropriate technology
using problem solving strategies
Numerical and Algebraic Concepts and Operations
The student will use models, patterns, and relationships to construct, explain, and analyze algorithms for operations on integers and explain how the operations relate to each other by:
demonstrating an understanding of algorithms for operations on integers
applying the rules for exponents to find the product of numbers having the same base and to raise a power to a power
recognizing and applying the additive and multiplicative inverses
The student will develop reasonable proficiency in performing operations on integers and rational numbers by:
adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers and rational numbers
The student will develop, analyze, and explain techniques for estimation by:
using knowledge of place value and rules of rounding to determine best estimates for the solutions of real-life mathematics problems
providing oral or written justifications for estimates
The student will develop, analyze, and explain procedures for solving problems involving proportions by:
writing equivalent ratios as proportions and solving proportions for an unknown element
The student will select and use appropriate methods for computing from among mental arithmetic, paper-and-pencil, calculator, or computer methods by:
determining, using, and justifying the best strategy for solving a variety of real-life mathematics problems
The student will use mental computation, estimation, and calculators to solve problems, predict results and evaluate reasonableness of results by:
using rounding, estimation, mental mathematics, or calculators to determine solutions
providing a written or oral rationale for the reasonableness of the predictions and results
The student will understand the concepts of variables, expressions, equations, and inequalities and gain confidence in thinking and communicating algebraically by:
applying the rules for order of operations to evaluate numerical expressions containing more than one operation, exponential, and/or symbols of grouping
converting between variable expressions and word phrases
demonstrating the use of the substitution principle and the rules for order of operations to evaluate a variety of algebraic expressions for given values of variables
demonstrating the use of properties of real numbers and rules for order of operations to simplify a variety of algebraic expressions
solving equations and inequalities in one variable
The student will represent situations and number patterns with models, tables, graphs, verbal rules, and equations and make connections among these representations by:
comparing, analyzing, and describing patterns (using models, tables, graphs, verbal rules, equations, and appropriate graphing technology).
The student will analyze tables and graphs to identify properties and relationships by:
describing number patterns presented in tables
relating graphs to the real-life situations they represent
The student will solve linear equations using concrete, informal, and formal methods by:
using one or more operations
graphing linear equations in a rectangular coordinate system
The student will investigate inequalities and non-linear equations informally by:
describing the pattern of the function or relation
The student will apply algebraic methods to solve a variety of real-world and mathematical problems by:
using Venn diagrams, equations, inequalities, and graphs.
Patterns, Relationships, and Functions
The student will use technology along with concrete, numerical, and abstract models to explore, describe, analyze, extend and create a wide variety of patterns by:
examining a variety of patterns, including arithmetic, geometric, figurate, Fibonacci, fractals, Golden ratio, and other numerical sequences, using technology when appropriate
investigating Pascals triangle
The student will represent, discuss, describe, analyze and make predictions and generalizations about functional relationships with tables, graphs, and rules by:
writing word sentences and functional relationships as equations with two variables
using function tables to graph linear functions in a rectangular coordinate system and describing the trends
The student will use models and technology to analyze functional relationships to explain how a change in one quantity results in a change in another quantity by:
constructing tables
graphing functions
writing rules
The student will make, test and utilize generalizations about given information as a means of solving real-world and mathematical problems.
The student will connect patterns, relationships and functions with other aspects of mathematics and with other disciplines by:
using given function tables to graph absolute values of linear functions
observing, predicting, and generalizing
recognizing examples of exponential growth and decay
Geometry and Spatial Sense
The student will model, identify, describe, and compare two- and three-dimensional geometric figures by:
investigating the relationships among points, lines, line segments, rays, and angles in a plane
investigating polygons (classification, congruence, similarity)
investigating circles and their related lines including tangents and secants
investigating vertices, edges, and faces in three-dimensional figures including relationships
investigating common three-dimensional figures, including spheres, cones, cylinders, cubes, prisms, and pyramids
comparing and contrasting attributes and/or properties of two- and three-dimensional geometric figures (polygons, circles and polyhedra)
The student will use technology whenever appropriate to explore concepts and applications of geometry by:
exploring relationships among lengths of edges, surface areas, and volumes of similar solids
measuring and comparing sides and angles of polygons
The student will develop spatial sense by thinking about, constructing, and drawing two- and three-dimensional geometric figures by:
determining the number of cubes used to create a given isometric drawing
determining the floor plan (mat plan) or drawing a model from the appropriate views of a given three-dimensional illustration
The student will investigate and predict the results of combining, partitioning, and changing shapes, figures, and models.
The student will investigate the results of transformations, including translations, reflections, rotations, and glide reflections to reinforce concepts such as congruence, similarity, parallelism, perpendicularity, and symmetry by:
comparing and contrasting attributes of similar and/or congruent figures
exploring and describing transformations through identification and construction in the coordinate plane
The student will apply coordinate geometry to locate positions in two- and three dimensions by:
using coordinates to describe a mapping of the vertices of a two-dimensional figure
using isometric dot paper to describe a three-dimensional solid
The student will represent and apply geometric properties and relationships to solve real-world and mathematical problems and connect geometry and spatial sense to the physical world, to other aspects of mathematics, and to other disciplines by:
applying geometric figures and spatial sense in a variety of real-life contexts and other disciplines
using technology to explore geometric concepts
Measurement
The student will extend their understanding of the concepts of length, capacity, weight (mass), perimeter, area, volume, time, temperature, and angle measure by:
estimating, measuring, and comparing length, capacity, and weight (mass), using customary and metric units of measure
converting units of time
The student will estimate, construct, and use measurement to describe and compare phenomena by:
estimating and/or justifying their estimates of the amount of time required for particular activities or events
estimating and using lengths, areas, weights, and capacities in everyday situations
The student will use suitable methods of approximation to find areas and volumes of irregular figures.
The student will understand the structure and use of non-standard and standard (customary and metric) systems of measurement by:
converting units of measure within the metric system, within the customary system, or between systems given the appropriate conversion factors
The student will select and use appropriate tools and units to measure to the degree of accuracy required in a particular situation by:
making reasonable estimates of conversions between the metric and customary systems of measurements
using measuring devices including rulers, balances, protractors, clocks, wheels, speedometers, thermometers, calipers, and stop watches
The student will develop to concepts of rates and other derived and indirect measurements by:
determining the unit rate
finding the measure of objects indirectly using similar triangles
The student will use concrete and graphic models to discover the formulas for finding perimeter, area, and volume of common two- and three-dimensional shapes by:
exploring relationships between perimeter and area where one is fixed and the other varies
investigating and describing the relationship between the area of the base and the volume of a three-dimensional shape
determining relationships between changing lengths of edges and volume of three-dimensional shapes
The student will use measurements and formulas to solve real-world and mathematical problems by:
applying the concepts of perimeter, circumference, and area
applying the concepts of volume and surface area of three-dimensional figures, including prisms, cylinders, cones, pyramids, and spheres
applying rates to real-world situations
interpreting and/or constructing schedules
determining time in different time zones
The student will connect measurement to other aspects of mathematics and to other disciplines by:
using ratio and proportion to find missing parts of similar geometric figures
using the Pythagorean theorem to find missing parts of right triangles
using sine, cosine, and tangent ratios to find missing parts of right triangles
using technology to explore concepts of measurement
Probability and Statistics
The student will model situations by carrying out experiments or simulations or by constructing a sample space to determine probabilities, using technology whenever appropriate by:
determining the number of possible combinations or permutation of a set of objects
using the fundamental counting principle to determine the number of possible outcomes in multi-stage events
The student will make inferences and convincing arguments based on an analysis of theoretical or experimental probability by:
using the definition of probability to determine the theoretical probability of events
using the results of simulations to determine experimental probability of events and compare the results to theoretical probabilities
evaluating inferences and arguments that are based on the analysis of theoretical and experimental probability
The student will collect, organize, analyze, describe, and make predictions with data, using technology whenever appropriate by:
identifying and calculating the mean, median, mode, and range of a set of date
analyzing theoretical or experimental data
using appropriate tables, graphs, and charts
making predictions and/or inferences from data
The student will construct, read and interpret tables, graphs, charts, and other forms of displayed data by:
constructing, reading, and/or interpreting tables and charts for sets of data
constructing and/or using displayed data, including line, bar, circle, and picture graphs, histogram, stem-and-leaf, back-to-back stem-and-leaf, box-and-whisker, scatter plots, lines of best fit, and frequency tables
The student will evaluate arguments that are based on data analysis by:
analyzing inferences, predictions, and statements
determining and discussing the appropriate use of misuse of probability and statistical analysis in the everyday world
The student will connect probability and statistics with other aspects of mathematics and with other disciplines by:
applying the concepts of probability and statistics in problem-solving situations
using appropriate technology
Current State Board of Education Grades 9 - 12 Mathematics Standards
Number and Numeration Systems
The student will understand and appreciate number systems with their operations as coherent structures rather than as isolated facts and rules.
develop the hierarchy of the real number system
compare and contrast natural numbers, integers, rational numbers, irrational numbers, and real numbers
use concrete models to develop conjectures and proofs and to justify statements of properties of number systems
Numerical and Algebraic Concepts and Operations
The student will use a means of operating with concepts at an abstract level and then applying them, and generalizations and insights beyond the original context.
represent situations using expressions, equations, inequalities, and matrices
use tables and graphs to interpret expressions, equations, and inequalities
develop, construct, and evaluate formulas to solve problems
translate problem situations into matrices, and solve problems using appropriate operations on matrices
solve equations, inequalities, and algebraic systems of equalities and inequalities using a variety of methods
use concrete or pictorial area models to represent algorithms
Patterns, Relationships, and Functions
The student will recognize, investigate, describe, and generalize patterns and build mathematical models to predict real-world phenomena that exhibit the observed patterns.
perform algebraic procedures on variable expressions, equations, and inequalities, and justify the procedure used
extend patterns and sequences by describing and predicting functional relationships
use functions to describe and predict rates of change
represent and analyze algorithms and relationships using tables, verbal rules, equations, and graphs
translate among tabular, symbolic, and graphical representations of functions
demonstrate that functions can be described in a variety of ways, and determine which functions can model which problem situations
use calculus concepts informally to estimate lengths of curves, areas of curved regions, and volumes of curved solids and to describe trends of growth and decline
Geometry and Spatial Sense
The student will deepen his or her understanding of shapes and their properties; continue to develop ability to visualize and make conjectures about two- and three-dimensional objects.
use shape, shape priorities, and shape relationships to model the physical world
apply concepts of angles of triangles and quadrilaterals, similar figures, and the Pythagorean theorem; and subdivide polygons
classify figures in terms of congruence and similarity
draw logical conclusions about geometric figures from given assumptions or by using transformations or coordinate systems
explain the relationship between a function o relation and its graph and between constructing a midpoint of a segment and finding the midpoint using coordinates
use coordinates to perform transformations and describe the vector used to perform a translation
Measurement
The student will increase facility in choosing, making, and interpreting measurements, both direct and indirect.
construct an object or figure according to specific measuring requirements taught earlier
determine the appropriate amount of material needed to construct, cover, or fill real objects
convert units of measure within a system and between systems
use rates, similarity relationships, and trigonometric ratios to solve problems
determine relative percent of error in a measurement
describe the change in area and volume when the length of one or more sides is changes
Probability and Statistics
The student will make sense of real word data and interpret that data; develop an understanding of probability concepts by estimating probabilities.
understand the relationship between theoretical and experimental probability and between probability and odds
identify random variables, conduct simulations to determine experimental probability, and interpret results in the context of a problem situation.
describe all possible outcomes of an event
describe the normal distribution curve in terms of shape, symmetry, mean, and standard deviation, and use its properties to analyze sets of data
understand and apply measures of central tendency, variability, and correlation and the effects of data transformations on these measures
construct and draw inferences from charts, tables, and graphs
design, conduct, and interpret the results of a statistical experiment
Current State Board of Education K-3 Science Standards
Process Skills:
Observe · Use the senses to observe color, texture, size, shape, sound,
position, and change.
· Observe objects in the environment.
Classify · Sort concrete objects by observable characteristics.
· Classify objects by comparing similarities and differences.
· Classify objects from the environment as living or non-living.
· Arrange objects in sequential order.
Measure · Use the metric system and English system (as appropriate) to
measure length, mass, volume, temperature, area, and perimeter.
· Measure, compare, and make estimates in standard and non- standard whole units.
Infer · Identify cause and effect relationships.
· State generalizations about similarities and differences among objects, living things, and events.
· Make inferences based on observations.
Design, Conduct, and · Practice safety procedures.
Evaluate a Scientific · Pose questions to be investigated.
Investigation · Obtain scientific information from a variety of sources.
· Use color, texture, odor, size, shape, direction, temperature, etc., to test for differences.
· Collect and record measurements.
· Use observations to construct explanations.
· Draw conclusions from activities.
Communicate · Describe objects and actions.
· Explain information using drawings, tables, graphs, and written and oral language.
Area I. Living Things
The student will construct classification schemes for non-living and living things, to teacher or student developed criteria.
· Describe characteristics of living and non-living things.
· Compare and contrast living and non-living things.
The student will determine the basic needs and functions of living things.
· Compare similarities and differences among living things.
· Classify living things into plan animal kingdoms.
· Identify cause and effect relationships.
The student will investigate the relationship between living things and their habitats.
Identify common living things and their habitats.
Classify living things based on their habitats.
State generalizations about the characteristics of living things as they relate to their environment.
Predict habitats based on characteristics of living things.
The student will investigate and analyze ways in which living things interact with each other and with the environment.
Observe living things in their natural habitats.
Predict ways living things will interact with each other and the environment.
The student will interpret a food chain.
The student will investigate characteristics and behaviors of plants and animals that help them to survive in specific environments.
The student will observe similarities and differences in the growth and development of living things throughout their life cycles.
Compare growth based on observations and measurements over time.
Describe the growth and development of a specific plant or animal.
The student will make inferences about ways in which living things can cause changes in the environment over time.
Identify changes in the environment.
Identify possible causes of changes in the environment.
Predict ways in which the environment may change due to changes in populations and behaviors of specific organisms.
The student will predict and investigate how living things may adapt structurally and behaviorally to changing environmental conditions.
Identify ways living things adapt to survive in changing environmental conditions.
Describe how an organism has adapted to the changing environment.
Area II. Earth and Space Systems
The student will identify and describe major surface features of the earth.
Identify mountains, deserts, oceans, lakes, and rivers.
Construct models that illustrate features of the earth.
The student will demonstrate that earth materials (rocks, minerals, water, soil, fossils) have unique properties.
Classify a variety of earth materials.
State similarities and differences between earth materials.
Identify specific types of earth materials.
The student will identify and describe basic characteristics of the sun, the moon, and the earth.
The student will explain the major processes associated with the water cycle.
The student will observe and identify weather conditions.
Identify wind direction.
Measure and record temperature and precipitation.
Graph weather data.
The student will describe how the energy from the sun affects the earth.
Identify the effects of the sun on the earth.
The student will observe and explain the apparent movement of the sun and moon.
The student will explain the causes of day and night.
Relate the apparent location of the sun to the time of day.
The student will name and describe the seasons.
Area III. Matter and Energy
The student will examine, describe, compare, measure, and classify common physical properties of matter.
Identify three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas.
Classify objects as solids, liquid, or gas.
The student will describe, make, and separate mixtures.
Describe and make simple mixtures.
The student will explore and examine how forms of energy (light, sound, heat) are involved in common events.
Identify common examples of each form of energy.
Describe how light energy affects plant and animal life.
Draw conclusions based on observations of thermometer readings.
Generate different types of sounds.
The student will investigate forms of energy.
Identify sources of energy.
Explain the causes of a shadow and what causes it to change.
Explain echoes.
Describe the process of reflection.
Describe the effects of using magnifying glasses.
The student will recognize that matter can be changed in form (solids, liquids, and gases).
Describe changes in matter and the causes for those changes.
Observe and describe phase changes.
The student will investigate forces that affect common objects.
Identify different types of forces and their effect on common objects (magnetism, gravity, friction, push/pull).
Area IV. Applications
The student will investigate ways in which people use resources of the earth, including water, air, soil, minerals, elements, plants, animals, and fossil fuels.
Identify the resources of the earth.
Classify resources as renewable or nonrenewable.
Predict the consequences of a change in one resource (flood, drought, erosion, fuel depletion).
The student will communicate the importance of protecting the earths resources.
Predict the results of pollution, recycling, and conservation.
The student will describe ways people interact with the environment.
Describe different types of environments (deserts, ponds, oceans, rainforest, cities).
Compare and contrast environments.
Identify the cause-and-effect relationships between human actions and changes in environments.
The student will describe ways of conserving the earths energy and natural resources.
Identify ways to conserve energy and natural resources.
Predict consequences of not conserving our resources.
The student will recognize that technology is the application of scientific knowledge.
The student will recognize how technology develops as a result of human needs and exploration.
Identify machines that have been developed as a result of human needs.
Describe specific technology that was developed as a result of human needs and exploration.
Current State Board of Education Grades 4-6 Science Standards
Process Skills
Observe · Observe properties, similarities, and differences in objects.
· Observe events and changes in the environment.
· Observe patters of objects and events.
· Make quantitative and qualitative observations.
Classify · Arrange time, events, and activities in sequential order.
· Classify objects in the environment by comparison to description of keys.
Measure · Explore variables using the metric system and English system (as appropriate).
· Make conversions within the metric system for the following prefixes: milli-, centi-, deci-, and kilo-.
· Explore, discuss, and make measurements of length, time, mass, volume, temperature, and angle.
· Find perimeter, area, capacity, and velocity (speed).
· Round whole numbers and decimals and apply these concepts in metric and English measures.
· Find relationships between fractions, decimals, percents, and ratios.
· Use rulers and other metric measuring tools.
Infer · Discriminate between observations and inferences.
· Explain observations of objects, organisms, or events using inferences.
Predict · Predict the results of actions based on observations and inferences.
Design, Conduct, and · Practice safety.
Evaluate a Scientific · Pose questions and problems to be investigated.
Investigation · Obtain scientific information from a variety of sources.
· Complete simple "if-then" statements which lead to the formation of hypotheses.
· Identify variables in investigations.
· Select and employ appropriate equipment.
· Collect and record data (measurements and observations).
· Organize and analyze data to construct explanations and conclusions.
Communicate · Use written and oral expression to communicate information.
· Use drawings, graphs, charts and tables to communicate data.
Area I. Living Things
The student will understand the cellular basis of animal and plant structure and function.
Identify and describe major structures in plant and animal cells.
Explain the function of each of the major structures in both plant and animal cells.
Compare and contrast plant and animal cells.
The student will distinguish among major groups of organisms
Classify organisms as belonging to plant or animal kingdom.
Compare and contrast organisms within kingdoms.
The student will identify and characterize organisms according to the functions they serve in the environment.
Describe the roles of producers, decomposers, consumers, prey, and predators.
The student will investigate how organisms may adapt structurally, functionally, and behaviorally to different environments (e.g., fish have gills to survive in water).
The student will describe how animals behave and interact within groups (schools, flocks, packs, hives, herds).
Describe the nature of competitive/cooperative interactions between individuals within populations of organisms.
The student will describe relationships among organisms through the use of food chains and food webs.
Analyze the dynamics of predator-prey interactions as past of food webs.
Describe the effect on a population when the predator, prey or consumer population is increased or decreased.
Describe the impact of changes in predator-prey populations in the community.
The student will evaluate the impact of the environment on populations of organisms.
The student will identify and describe the different stages of development occurring in organisms over time.
The student will recognize the importance of fossils for understanding the nature of populations presently on the earth.
Compare and contrast fossil animals and plants with living animals and plants.
The student will explain how animal and plant populations are changing today as a result of changes in their environments.
Area II. Earth and Space Systems
The student will identify and describe major surface features of the earth.
Compare geological features of South Carolina.
The student will show similarities and difference in earth materials.
Compare ocean water and fresh water.
Compare different types of rocks, different types of soil, and rocks and soil.
The student will compare components of the solar system.
Describe characteristics of the solar system and stars.
Construct models that represent the relative positions and size of the components of the solar system.
Compare planets and stars.
The student will recognize, describe, and interpret weather phenomena.
Describe and compare hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, clouds, and various forms of precipitation.
The student will explain how earth materials are broken down and transported.
Explain how weathering and erosion are caused by water, wind, and ice.
The student will compare the effects of heat from the sun on various earth materials (rocks, soils, water).
The student will describe the causes of weather and its related phenomena.
Observe and describe effects of weather phenomena (wind, lightening, and precipitation).
Explain the pattern of weather movement across the country.
Predict weather conditions based on observed weather patterns.
The student will explain the relationship between various earth materials and the geologic processes that them (e.g., igneous rocks with volcanoes).
Describe different types of rocks and how they were formed.
Recognize different types of land formations and the processes that formed them.
The student will understand and explain how fossils and other earth materials can be used to interpret earth history.
The student will predict changes in landscapes as a result of erosion and deposition.
The student will explain the apparent and actual movement of stars (including the sun), planets and moons.
Describe the relationship between the earths movement and the apparent location of constellations.
Design models to represent the apparent and actual movement of stars, planets, and moons.
Area III. Matter and Energy
The student will compare and contrast the characteristics of a pure substance and a mixture.
The student will distinguish between pure elements and compounds.
The student will describe characteristics of solids, liquids, and gases in terms of volume and shape.
Describe the movement of particles in solids, liquids, and gases.
The student will describe properties of matter including mass, volume, area, solubility, weight, temperature, and conductivity.
The student will compare and contract chemical and physical changes.
The student will investigate several forms of energy: light, heat, sound, and electricity.
Compare and contrast different types of energy.
Identify sources of different forms of energy.
Draw, build, and explain open and closed parallel and series circuits.
Draw, build and explain electromagnets.
The student will describe and give examples of how forces transfer energy from one object to another.
Examine motion of a cart moving down a ramp.
Examine the movement of iron filings influenced by a magnet.
The student will examine and describe how energy is converted from one form to another.
Explain how potential energy is concerted to kinetic or heat energy.
Explain and give examples of how light energy is converted to heat energy.
The student will recognize that forces act on objects to bring about changes.
Recognize that magnets have fields.
Demonstrate how like poles repel and unlike poles attract.
Show that a push/pull can cause an object to move, change speed, change direction, and/or stop.
The student will examine changes caused by forces within particular systems.
Explain the results of gravity and friction acting on objects.
Explain the principle behind the operations of simple machines.
The student will observe and describe various motions such as constant velocity, vibrations and oscillations, objects falling or rolling down a hill.
The student will analyze changes in matter.
Identify changes brought about by simple chemical changes.
Measure changes in mass, temperature, and volume as a result of chemical and physical changes.
Identify phase changes.
Area IV. Applications
The student will distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable resources.
The student will explain ways in which nonrenewable resources may be used to produce energy (gas, oil, coal).
The student will describe how renewable resources are used to produce energy for human populations
The student will explain and apply the reduce-reuse-recycle principles of conservation.
The student will describe changes in the environment and identify their causes.
Describe the impact of humans on the environment over time.
Investigate environmental changes induced by natural and human actions.
Describe social and economic factors behind habitat destruction.
The student will relate human population growth to changes in the environment.
Describe the pattern of human population growth throughout history.
Identify ways that the increasing human population impacts the environment.
The student will describe the impact of agricultural technology on society and the environment.
Identify agricultural technologies which have increased fool yields.
Describe ways in which these technologies have altered the environment.
The student will describe the impact of industrial technologies on society and the environment.
Identify common water and air pollutants and their industrial sources.
Describe the effects of these pollutants on plants and animals.
The student will describe ways to minimize the negative impact of technology on the environment and maximize the positive impact.
Current State Board of Education Grades 7 & 8 Science Standards
Process Skills
Predict · Predict the results of actions based on data and experiences
Design, Conduct, and Evaluate · Practice Safety.
a Scientific Investigation · Ask questions and formulate hypotheses.
· Research scientific information using a variety of sources.
· Operationally define variables and identify independent (manipulated) and dependent (responding) variables and controlled variables.
· Use appropriate tools and instruments to conduct an experiment and gather data.
· Record data and organize it in meaningful ways.
· Analyze data to construct explanations and conclusions.
· Construct and/or use models to carry out/support scientific investigations.
Communicate · Communicate findings of investigations to others (including design and variables).
· Interpret and describe patterns of data on graphs, maps, diagrams and charts.
· Use scientific models to communicate information.
Area I. Living Things
The student will investigate the major systems of plants and animals.
Identify the major systems of animals/plants.
Describe the functions of major organs and systems in animals (including respiratory, circulatory, excretory, skeletal, muscular, digestion and reproduction) and plants (including transport, support, and reproduction).
Identify and describe the levels of organization within organisms (cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems).
Describe the relationships between the levels of organization within organisms.
The student will classify organisms based on similarities and differences.
Utilize dichotomous classification keys (kingdoms and species).
Give evidence for classifications of organisms.
Classify organisms on the basis of structure, function, behavior, habitat, etc.
The student will illustrate how matter and energy are transferred in plants and animals.
Trace the flow of oxygen, carbon dioxide, water and food within plants and animals.
Trace the energy transfer through the decomposition of plant and animals.
The student will evaluate the impact of diet, exercise and drugs on call and organ functions.
Give examples of how diet, exercise, and drug abuse and use affect the body.
Develop an appropriate diet/exercise program and describe the effects on bodily cellular functions.
The student will investigate the relationship between major biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components in ecosystems and communities (aquatic & terrestrial).
Cite examples of abiotic and biotic components in ecosystems and communities.
Create an ecosystem or community which shows the interdependence of its abiotic and biotic components.
Cite examples of how organisms interact within communities and ecosystems.
Identify and describe symbiotic relationships.
Construct a food web/food chain for a selected community or ecosystem.
Trace the flow of energy through an ecosystem.
The student will recognize major biomes of the world.
Based on geographic location, describe the characteristics of selected major biomes.
Make inferences about the types of plant and animal life which may be found in major biomes.
The student will describe, in terms of genes and chromosomes, the passage of heredity information from one generation to another.
Distinguish between dominant and recessive traits.
Demonstrate the use of the punnett square to solve simple genetic problems.
The student will explain how organisms adapt to environmental changes within communities and ecosystems.
Describe structural changes in organisms which have occurred over time.
Give examples of how changes in species occur within communities and ecosystems as a result of succession.
Predict the short and long term impact of sudden catastrophic events such as hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, or floods on organisms in affected ecosystems.
The student will recognize the importance of fossils for understanding the nature of past and present populations on earth.
Use rock types to explain conditions when rock layers are formed.
Using fossil and rock records, describe past ecosystems.
Relate the diversity of organisms to geological time by using the fossil record.
Area II. Earth and Space Systems
The student will describe and explain characteristics of air masses, frontal systems, and pressure systems.
The student will interpret features of the earth in a variety of ways.
Interpret and use topographic maps, aerial photographs, and remote sensing information.
Explain processes of formation of geologic features of South Carolina.
The student will investigate and classify earth materials based on their physical and chemical properties.
Identify chemical and physical properties of earth materials.
Explain the difference in physical and chemical properties of matter.
Compare basic physical characteristics of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere.
The student will evaluate earth history by observing the features of the earth.
Sequence major geological events.
Construct a timeline which correctly reflects earths geological history.
The student will explain the internal structure and composition of the earth.
Construct models which reflect the internal structure and composition of the earth.
Give evidence on which the models are based.
The student will investigate planetary bodies, major constellations, galaxies, and other objects in the solar system.
Identify major constellations and star groupings visible in the northern hemisphere.
Describe ways I which information about the universe is obtained and measured.
The student will explain how gravity affects the interrelationships among the sun, moor and earth.
Distinguish among mass, weight, and gravity.
Recognize that a planets position within the solar system is related to the gravitational pull between the sun and the planet and the planets inertia.
Analyze the interaction of the moon and suns gravity of tides.
The student will evaluate how geologic processes affect the earths surface.
Investigate key evidence that supports the theory of plate tectonics.
Investigate and explain causes of earthquakes, their relationship to faults, and methods of measuring intensities.
Given a geological land form, identify the surface and/or subsurface process from which it formed.
Analyze how the surface and subsurface movement of water affects the earth.
Construct models illustrating plate tectonic movement and the rock cycle.
The student will evaluate the factors that determine and effect earths climate.
Analyze air masses, fronts, and storms in terms of air movement on earth.
Distinguish between major climate zones and describe how they are caused.
The student will describe the transfer of energy within and among the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere.
Illustrate heat flow patterns among the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere.
Evaluate the effects of heat flow on the earth and organisms.
Describe the effects of uneven heating on the earth.
Recognize patterns of heat transfer (radiation, convection, and conduction).
The student will evaluate the movement of the earth and other celestial objects in the solar system.
Describe how eclipses and lunar phases occur.
Explain the causes of seasons of the earth.
Make inferences about the movement and appearance of comets, asteroids, and meteorites in the solar system.
The student will trace the history of changes in scientific thought.
Investigate and explain the impact of Copernicus and Galileo on modern scientific thought.
Explain the impact of technology on changes in the knowledge of earth science.
The student will interpret weather maps to predict the weather.
Describe the weather in a given area using weather maps and symbols.
Gather weather data and record daily temperature, pressure, and precipitation.
Predict weather based on local, regional, and national data.
The student will examine rock and fossil records in order to explain changes that have occurred over time.
Upon examining a fossil, describe unique characteristics in relation to changes on earth over time.
Examine a cross section of rock layers and make inferences about earths history.
Illustrate how index fossils are used to determine the age of rocks.
The student will describe and predict changes in earths surface features as a result of mountain-building forces, volcanoes, earthquakes, plate tectonics, and erosion/deposition by, water, and ice.
Illustrate the effects of natural events on the geology and geography of South Carolina.
Area III. Matter and Energy
The student will investigate and understand the common physical and chemical properties of matter.
Distinguish between physical and chemical properties of matter.
Cite examples of chemical and physical properties of matter.
Describe chemical and physical changes in matter.
Determine the density of common solids and liquids.
Compare the density of solids and liquids.
Compare and contrast the position and motion of molecules in solids, liquids, and gases.
The student will investigate changes in states of matter for common substances.
Describe factors that cause changes in the states of matter (phases)
The student will describe the structure of an atom.
Create models of atoms.
Describe function, relative size, and charge of protons, neutrons, and electrons.
The student will investigate the behavior of compounds.
Describe how the presence of ions and molecules affects the behavior of a compound.
The student will analyze the characteristics of the various forms of energy.
Identify the units of measure associated with various forms of energy.
Compare and contract light energy and sound energy.
Investigate and describe the movement of heat and the effects of heat on objects and systems.
Describe the types of energy that can be involved, converted, or released in electrical circuits.
The student will describe the processes involved in the transformation of energy from one form to another.
Identify major processes such as photosynthesis, fossil fuels burning, hydroelectricity, etc. as transformations of energy.
Investigate the many kinds of energy transformations and the fact that energy cannot be created or destroyed.
The student will describe and give examples of how forces transfer energy from one object to another.
Analyze the motion of falling objects.
Describe the effect of friction on an object in motion.
Explore electric motors.
Investigate simple machines.
The student will identify and predict the various energy changes caused when matter experiences an external influence or force.
Identify and classify the causes of change in chemical and physical systems.
Describe the role of a catalyst in a chemical system.
The student will describe and measure quantities such as time, distance, displacement, mass, force, friction, velocity, acceleration, momentum, potential energy, and kinetic energy that characterize changes in position or motion of objects.
Identify units of measure associated with motion.
The student will describe and measure melting point, boiling point, mass, volume, density, concentration, solubility, and acidity/basicity that are subject to change in chemical systems.
The student will investigate the qualities and quantities of substances present before and after, chemical reactions.
The student will use graphs and mathematical equations to describe simple changes and predict results in chemical and physical systems.
Use the relationship between distance and time to calculate speed.
Use the relationship between mass and volume to calculate density.
Area IV. Applications
The student will explain and give examples of ways that technology may be used to increase or decrease natural resources.
Identify and describe current technologies which can be utilized in obtaining natural resources.
Identify and describe current technologies which can be utilized to decrease the depletion of natural resources.
The student will evaluate how research, processes, or devices are used to conserve energy.
Give examples of how research, processes, or devices are used to conserve energy.
Evaluate how research, processes, or devices impact on the environment.
The student will evaluate how effectively local natural resources are being used.
The student will investigate and describe the types of limiting factors affecting the maintenance of populations and communities.
Explain how a natural event can impact a population and community.
Explain how a biotic factor can impact a population and community.
The student will understand the natural balance of an ecosystem and recognize the sources of imbalance.
Analyze the balance between producers and consumers in ecosystems.
Explain and give examples of habitat destruction, the loss of biodiversity, and how they are related.
The student will describe and give examples of how technology may solve one problem while causing different or new problems.
Make inferences about the effect of space science, genetics, and computer technology on society.
The student will investigate and evaluate the environmental impact of technologies on the quality of life.
Give examples of the environmental impact of technologies.
Describe how technologies can improve or harm the quality of life in the local community.
Describe technologies that have improved the quality of life.
Design or invent a technology which could improve the quality of life.
In Grades 7-8, students should consider how over-consumption and overpopulation both lead to depletion of resources and should offer some suggestions for maintaining balance in the face of change. Students should also investigate career that deal with maintenance of the worlds ecosystem. What roles do all people play? Study in this area should be related to the study of ecosystems in Area I, processes and cycles and long-term changes in Area II, and conservation and transfer of energy and physical changes from Area III.
Current State Board of Education Grades 9-12 Science Standards
Process Skills:
Observe · observe phenomena in the areas of life, earth, and physical sciences
· make quantitative and qualitative observations
Classify · arrange events in sequential order
· discriminate and classify based on a logical series of test results or observations
· identify unknowns by using systematic classification and experimentation
· classify non-living and living things using dichotomous and scientific keys (tables [including periodic tables], charts, field guides, etc.)
Measure · use scientific notation, exponents, significant digits, and metric units and/or SI units
· estimate using metric and/or SI units
· use metric units and/or SI units to measure
· distinguish between fundamental and derived units
· distinguish between precision and accuracy
· recognize the limitations of measuring devices
· use significant figure rules in rounding off measurements and calculations involving measurements
Infer · make inferences based on direct and indirect observations using prior knowledge and/or experience
· interpolate data on a straight graph
Predict · make predictions by applying knowledge of facts, concepts, principles, theories, and laws from life, earth, and physical sciences
· extrapolate data from a straight line graph
Design, Conduct, and · practice safety
Evaluate a Scientific · use hypothetical deductive reasoning to design scientific experiments
Investigation · ask questions and formulate hypotheses based on prior research
· identify and operationally define independent and dependent experimental variables and controlled variables
· develop strategies to best test hypotheses
· construct and revise experimental models using logic and evidence, including identification and control of variables
· use advanced technologies to extend investigations
· use technology (calculators, computers, etc.) to collect, catalog, and graphically represent data
· explain sources of error in the investigation
· analyze data to construct explanations and conclusions
Communicate · communicate and defend scientific thinking that leads to conclusions
· relate findings to work of others and to published information
· write a scientific report in accepted journal format
Area I. Living Things
The student will understand that cells are the fundamental unit of all organisms.
Observe how plant and animal cells are different and explain how they are adapted for different functions.
Explain the structural and functional differences among the most important organelles that are needed for secretion, digestion, synthesis, storage, and cell movement.
Compare cell structures of prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
The student will illustrate and interpret how chemical reactions within the cell are involved in energy transformations.
Explain the distinctions between metabolism, catabolism, and anabolism (photosynthesis, cellular respiration, fermentation).
Explain the role of enzymes in chemical reactions within the cell.
The student will use classification systems to indicate how organisms are related.
Classify organisms into taxa (kingdoms through species) based on criteria such as structural adaptations and physiology, nutritional strategies, biochemical similarities, genetic similarities, embryological similarities, and methods of reproduction.
The student will explain how organ and organ system functions depend on cellular activities (nerve impulse transmission, digestion, respiration, excretion, movement, circulation, reproduction, growth, development, and support.
The student will investigate common behavioral responses in organisms that maximize their fitness and success.
Investigate tropisms, mechanisms, of defense, migration patterns, hibernation, etc. in living things.
The student will investigate how different organisms maintain homeostasis.
Investigate the importance of active and passive transport to the maintenance of cells (osmosis, diffusion, osmoregulation).
Investigate feedback mechanisms in organisms homeostatic control systems.
Investigate and describe the role of mitosis in the growth and maintenance of organisms.
The student will investigate and understand how the distribution and abundance of organism and populations in ecosystems are limited by the availability of matter and energy and the ability of the ecosystem to recycle organic materials.
Explain and give examples of how tissues, organs, and organ systems make it possible for organisms to function within a variety of habitats.
Describe how organisms interact with the biosphere as part of the geochemical cycles (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and water cycles).
Describe how the water cycle, including transpiration by plants, is an important factor In the maintenance of ecosystems.
The student will investigate and understand how the concepts of a food chain and food web relate to energy transference in an ecosystem.
Analyze the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers within an ecosystem.
Describe how interspecific and intraspecific competition can regulate population size within a community.
Analyze the energy transfer along the ecological pyramids.
Understand that the carbon cycle is the main energy source for ecosystems.
The student will investigate and understand the population concept as it relates to ecosystems.
Describe and give examples of demographic characteristics of populations (birth and death rates, age structure, and sex ratio).
Explain how limiting factors play a role in a productivity of ecosystems.
Discuss the effects of succession on terrestrial ecosystems.
The student will investigate and understand factors that play a role in establishing the worlds biomes.
The student will evaluate the significance of the processes of mitosis and meiosis.
Explain and illustrate the process of mitosis and how it enhances genetic continuity.
explain and illustrate the process of meiosis, how it relates to life cycles, and how it enhances variation.
The student will explain the connection of genes to DNA and proteins to traits in all organisms.
Illustrate and interpret the molecular structure of nucleic acids.
Explain the role of nucleic acids in regulating protein synthesis and determining heredity.
Describe the types of mutations and how they account for the changes in organisms due to changes in protein structure.
Describe the characteristics and molecular basis of genetic disorders including albinism, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, Huntingtons chorea, Tay Sachs Disease, hemophilia, etc.
The student will analyze genetic crosses to make predictions about offspring.
Use a punnett square to make predictions about phenotypes and genotypes.
The student will investigate and explain how the heredity of individuals and the genetic of populations are related to the process of natural selection.
Present evidence that diversity within a population improves the chances that a species may survive and reproduce under changing environmental conditions.
Describe and explain the role of genes and reproduction and geographical barriers in the process of speciation.
Relate geological time scales to the appearance and/or the extinction of organisms.
Area II. Earth and Space Systems
The student will analyze the chemical composition of the hydrosphere, atmosphere, and lithosphere.
Describe the effects of chemical weathering on earth materials.
Identify the eight most common elements in the earths crust and describe how they.
Investigate the nature and formation of fossil fuels.
The student will analyze the physical composition of the hydrosphere, atmosphere, and lithosphere.
Describe the effects of physical weathering on earth materials.
Explain the effects of temperature, salinity, pressure, and buoyancy of physical properties of earth materials.
The student will apply the electromagnetic spectrum to the interpretation of remotely sensed data.
The student will explore how global climates are determined by heat transfer.
Investigate and explain heat transfer processes associated with seasonal fluctuations in the amount of solar energy reaching various locations on the earths surface.
Analyze how energy from the sun powers the water cycle.
Investigate and explain the factors that affect geographic variations in climate including cloud cover, atmospheric dust, and physiographic features.
Demonstrate an understanding of the effects of weather conditions, geologic features, and the earths rotation on energy transfer
Describe how the balance between energy gained from the sun and energy lost from the earth determine earths climate.
The student will determine how living organisms can affect the composition of the hydrosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere.
Describe and predict the effect of climate and vegetation on soil characteristics.
Predict how human interaction with the environment will affect the future of the earth.
The student will explain how gravity, electromagnetism, and nuclear force affect events occurring in the earth-space system.
Describe the magnetic field of the earth and cite evidence for the reversal of the poles.
Explain the nuclear processes that result in energy production, continuing life cycles, and the formation of new elements in stars.
Compare various models as explanations for the patterns of revolution of celestial bodies within the solar system.
The student will explain how solar energy drives convection.
Compare and contrast the formation of high and low pressure systems, the formation of fronts, and the movement of weather systems across the surface of the earth.
Relate the transfer of heat energy to the patterns of wind belts and ocean currents.
The student will describe the processes of chemical and physical weathering, erosion and deposition on earth materials.
Describe the formation of sediments.
Describe the formation of drainage systems.
The student will explore the transfer of the earths internal heat energy and its effect.
Use the theory of plate tectonics to explain changes in the earths crust.
Describe how convection currents may be the driving force for plate tectonics.
Predict how human interaction with the environment affects the future of the earth.
The student will evaluate changes in long-term atmospheric conditions and explain possible causes.
The student will explain the effects of the major geochemical cycles on the earth system.
Explain the carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, water cycle, oxygen cycle, and phosphorous cycle.
Illustrate and explain how common cycles recycle resources through the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere.
The student will explain the theory of plate tectonics in terms of the evidence on which it is based.
The student will investigate scientific theories for the formation of and changes in the universe.
Examine evidence for the origin of the sun, the earth, and the rest of the solar system.
Describe radioactive decay of isotopes as a means for determining the age of the earth.
Describe techniques of relative dating of rock layers to measure the age of fossils.
Analyze ways radioactive elements are used to date events in the earths history.
The student will explain how interactions among the solid earth, the oceans, the atmosphere, and living things have resulted in ongoing changes in the earths system.
Examine interactions between humans and the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and the solid earth.
Evaluate changes in the long term atmospheric conditions and explain possible causes.
The student will trace the history of changes in scientific thought.
Investigate and explain the impact of Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Newton, and Einstein on modern thought.
Investigate and explain the impact of the recognition of plate tectonics of geologic thought.
Examine how space craft have revolutionized astronomy by allowing observations that can only be made outside the atmosphere.
Area III. Matter and Energy
The student will investigate and understand the development of atomic models.(C)
Trace the historical development of the atomic model.
Describe evidence for the atom.
Observe evidence such as static electricity and conductivity for the existence of electrons.
Describe the composition, charge, and relative mass of the nucleus.
Compare isotopes of an element using mass number.
Observe visible spectra of light emitted from heated elements and compounds and interpret the differences in terms of different electronic structures of atoms.
The student will investigate and understand how spontaneous nuclear emissions result from unstable radioactive isotopes. (C)
Describe radioactive decay and half-life.
Examine the nature of nuclear forces (strong and weak) and reactions (fission and fusion).
The student will investigate the characteristics, properties, and behavior of elements as a function of the structure of the atom. (C)
Draw dot diagrams representing valence electrons.
Explain the importance of valence electrons in governing chemical properties.
Determine atomic numbers and atomic mass using the periodic table.
Explain the reactivity of alkali metals and halogens.
Explain stability of noble gases.
Explain behavior of transition metals.
Describe the organization, repeating patterns, and trends of the periodic table including combining capacity of a family of elements.
Explain similarities and differences among isotopes of the same and different elements and why they may be placed in groups in the periodic table.
The student will investigate and understand the properties associated with mixtures. (C)
Classify mixtures as homogenous or heterogeneous.
Operationally define solute, solvent, and solution.
Distinguish among suspensions, colloids, and solutions.
Design methods to separate components of mixtures through a variety of processes such as chromatography, distillation, crystallization, and filtration.
Measure and compare boiling point elevations and freezing point depressions of solutions.
Determine the concentrations of solutions in terms of percent.
The student will investigate and analyze the characteristics, properties, and behavior of compounds. (C)
Distinguish among elements, compounds, and mixtures.
Predict the ratio by which elements combine to form compounds and write chemical formulas.
Classify compounds as being ionic or covalent based on transfer or sharing of valence electrons.
Recognize that shapes of molecules affect their chemical and physical properties.
Identify the variety of structures that can be formed from carbon atoms.
Name and write formulas for simple organic compounds.
Identify elements and compounds found in common foods, clothing, automobiles, cosmetics, and household substances.
The student will investigate and analyze characteristics of motion and the net result of applied forces by using mathematical equations, graphs, and vector diagrams to describe them. (P)
Describe motion of an object by its position, direction, and speed and acceleration.
Translate a description of a physical problem into a mathematical equation to solve.
Analyze the relationship of displacement, time, rate of motion, and rate of change of motion.
Illustrate rate and change in motion mathematically and graphically.
Interpret graphs and calculate slope of a graph.
Add vectors to determine the resultant.
Illustrate how frame of reference affects relative motion.
The student will investigate and analyze characteristics of various forms of energy. (P)
Compare and contrast kinetic and potential energy.
Distinguish between temperature and heat using total and average kinetic energy.
Identify similarities and differences between various forms of energy including light, sound, electrical, heat, and other wave motions.
Compare longitudinal and transverse waves and give examples.
Describe reflection and refraction with respect to light and sound.
The student will investigate and analyze the qualitative and quantitative relationships among temperature, volume, and pressure. (C)
Predict and measure the effects of varying the temperature, pressure, and Volume of gases (Boyles Law, Charles Law, Gay-Lussacs Law, etc.).
The student will investigate energy transfer. (P)
Investigate and calculate heat energy transfer in systems by conduction, convection, and radiation.
Explain how energy transfer related to mechanical work and efficiency.
Examine aspects of various forms of energy and their relationships to work and power.
Describe how the entropy of matter changes.
Describe energy transfers during changes of state.
The student will investigate and determine the relationship of energy transfer to the frequency, wavelength, and amplitude of a pulse and relate this to the rate of energy transfer. (P)
Observe line spectra and explain why elements have different spectra..
Describe the relationship between frequency and wavelength.
Describe the relationship between amplitude and quantity of energy in a wave.
The student will develop more advanced models to account for energy transfers between objects. (P)
Draw and analyze complex electric circuits and apply Ohms Law.
Analyze the relationship between magnetic and electrical fields and the forces they produce, including their mutual interactions.
Describe how an electromagnet works.
Explain differences between electric motors and electric generators.
Explain and use electric meters to determine current, potential difference and resistance.
The student will investigate and describe experiences involving the universal laws of conservation of energy, matter, and momentum. (P)
Examine transformations between kinetic and potential energies such as pendulums, compressed springs, roller coasters, or a planet orbiting a star.
The student will investigate changes that occur in chemical reactions. (C)
Identify evidence of a chemical reaction.
Investigate chemical reactions between different substances to discover that new substances are formed with new chemical and physical properties.
Predict the type of chemical reaction that identified reactants will undergo.
Relate the importance of chemical reactions to society.
Balance simple chemical equations by applying the law of conservation of matter.
Investigate the effect of temperature on rate of reaction.
The student will investigate and understand reactions involving acids, bases, and salts. (C)
Operationally define acids, bases, and pH.
Observe and analyze the color changes of some common indicators when acids or bases are added to water solutions.
Investigate pH changes during titration.
Write a balanced equation for neutralization of an acid with a base.
The student will investigate and understand the consequences of oxidation/reduction reactions. ( C )
Distinguish between fast and slow oxidation.
Define the agents of change (oxidizing agent, reducing agent).
Identify real life application of oxidation/reduction reactions.
The student will investigate and understand the energy changes in chemical reactions and in phase changes. (C)
Analyze a reaction to determine if it is exothermic or endothermic.
Determine the amount of heat released or absorbed in phase changes.
Analyze the heat transfer in a phase change.
Use the kinetic theory to describe the behavior of atoms and molecules during a phase change and to describe the behavior of matter as a solid, liquid, or gas.
The student will investigate and understand the kinetic theory as it relates to chemical reactions. (C)
Analyze the factors that affect the rate and equilibrium of a chemical reaction.
The student will investigate and analyze why objects change their motion. (P)
Explain and apply Newtons laws of motion.
Calculate and explain the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.
The student will investigate and analyze forces exerted by objects and the law of conservation of momentum. (P)
Compare elastic and inelastic collisions.
Explain the operation of rockets, jet propulsion, and safety devices in cars using the law of conservation of momentum.
The student will describe the nature of gravitational, electrical, and magnetic forces. (P)
Investigate and analyze the universal force of gravity and determine how the force varies with mass and distance.
Investigate and analyze magnetic fields.
Investigate and analyze the electrical force and determine how the force caries with charges and distance.
Create a model of electricity based on the nuclear model of the atom with protons, electrons, and ions.
Investigate and generate the two types of electrical charges.
Explore the quantitative aspects of electric charge, including Coulombs Law.
Construct complex electrical circuits.
The student will identify the conversion of the matter form of mass into the energy form of mass. (P)
Describe how the fusion of nuclei results in the energy release from the sun and in a fusion reactor.
Describe how the chain reaction of fission reaction results in the energy release in a nuclear reactor.
Area IV. Applications
The student will develop plans for conserving, producing, recycling, or reusing resources.
Describe how methods of producing energy in a region are related to its geophysical characteristics.
The student will analyze the advantages and disadvantages for the production of various forms of energy.
Evaluate the impact of solar, nuclear, geothermal, hydroelectric, and fossil fuel forms of energy on the environment.
The student will describe the interaction of science, technology, and society.
Conduct research and make inferences about problems and solutions that may be created because of cutting-edge technology.
Evaluate how technology has changed the quality of life.
Describe, design, or invent a process, method, or device which will solve a problem caused by technology.
The student will analyze the effects of population growth and the use of resources on the environment.
Predict characteristics, needs, and changes in human populations in the future.
Recognize conflict between nations over environmental policy issues.
The student will explain the sources and effects of inorganic and organic toxic chemicals.
The student will describe the results of natural and induced environmental hazards.
Give examples of natural environmental hazards and explain their effects on ecosystems.
Give examples of induced environmental hazards and explain their effects on ecosystems.
Predict how technology may be used to lessen the effects of environmental hazards on ecosystems.
The student will make inferences about global changes which have occurred and predict future global changes.
Area IV. Applications - Description/Example
By grades 9-12, students should be able to discuss new technologies. How might the power of tides or nuclear fusion be used to generate power? How might synthetic photosynthesizing produce oxygen? What is the future of desalination in providing water resources for agriculture and human consumption? How might aquaculture provide food sources without depleting our oceans? Field trips to sewage treatment plants, recycling centers, and forest conservation centers should help devise plans for conserving resources. At this level, students should be able to comprehend the cycling of energy and resources, and should be able to speculate on strategies to improve the quality of our environment, protecting it for the future.
By grades 9-12, student should be able to invent or describe a technology used to solve a selected problem. They should be able to convince others to use the technology and should be able to assess both its positive and negative impact. This would include ethical, health, and economic considerations. Students should consider some possible long-term effects of biotechnology solutions for developing new sources of energy and materials. How do science and the discoveries of scientists, for instance new polymerstructures that are biodegradable, interact with and affect new technologies? Students should debate about what decisions must be made in using these new technologies. What problems will be created and how will these affect the future of populations and the biosphere?
In grades 9-12, students should begin to consider methods for sustaining the environment. They should examine some of the implications of environmental hazards, man-made and otherwise¾ oil spills, nuclear weapons, reactor explosions, acid rain, deforestation of rainforests, biological warfare, drought, global warming, and natural disasters such as volcanic eruption, floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes. After dealing with examples of how the environment has changed as a result of these disasters, the students should offer suggestions about how to effectively deal with the problems caused by such events.
Current State Board of Education K-3 English Standards
Students will:
Using Language to Learn - Reading/Literature, Listening/Speaking, Writing, and Research
Participate in and respond to read-alouds, audio tapes, and discussions through listening
attentively, asking questions to elicit information, and responding appropriately.
Ask questions, dramatize, summarize, or retell stories to demonstrate understanding of text.
Use strategies such as relating to personal experience, sequencing events, predicting outcomes,
determining cause and effect, comparing and contrasting major elements, applying word
recognition/phonics, and drawing inferences to make meaning in reading and when listening.
Comprehend the important points and their relationship to the entire text in fiction and nonfiction
and other print and nonprint sources.
Begin to recognize and identify literary elements such as plot, setting, characterization, dialogue,
use of figurative language, and author's purpose.
Plan and conduct investigations and present findings in written and oral forms.
Access information from observation, trade books, reference books, catalogues, interviews,
electronic-mail, and CD ROMs and use information to create oral and written reports and other
products such as charts, diagrams, videos, or stories.
Exhibit a rich emergent vocabulary through varied speaking and writing experiences.
Use context clues, picture clues, and knowledge of letter/sound relationships to identify unknown
words in meaningful text.
Categorize information using strategies such as story mapping, webbing, Venn diagrams, and T
charts.
Solve problems through asking questions, conducting research, discussing with peers, thinking
aloud, writing journal entries, writing drafts, and conferring with peers and teacher.
Use strategies such as brainstorming, webbing, interviewing, and outlining to plan written and
spoken products.
Keep journals and write drafts in English Language Arts classes and other disciplines to
understand and record experiences and ideas.
Evaluate and revise writing for audience and purpose through self-evaluation and conferring with
others.
Edit final written and spoken products.
Read and publish a variety of texts such as stories, poems, plays, directories, newspapers, charts
and diagrams.
Using the Conventions and Forms of Language - Reading/Literature, Listening/Speaking, Writing, and Research
Begin to develop fluency in speaking, reading, and writing as evidenced in the use of standard
basic language conventions such as usage, structure, legible handwriting, spelling, punctuation,
and capitalization.
Apply emergent knowledge of basic mechanical conventions.
Use conventional spelling for most common words.
Attempt spelling with phonic letter patterns.
Use a variety of resources to correct spelling such as a dictionary, wall charts, and spell
checkers.
Focus on a familiar topic in compositions and presentations.
Collect /research appropriate information.
Organize ideas and information.
Plan effective methods for sharing information.
Demonstrate basic understanding of alphabetic principle, sound symbol relationships (phonics),
and patterns in the context of what is read.
Use phonics (decoding skills) and, as needed, semantic and structural cues and prior knowledge to construct meaning for words/text.
Demonstrate functional sound-symbol knowledge in composing written text.
Respond to a variety of genres after reading and/or listening to literary models using poems,
letters, stories, journal entries, or discussion.
Using Language to Communicate - Writing
Use organizational strategies to communicate purposefully in writing to a known audience.
Formulate ideas before communicating.
Pose appropriate questions after listening/reading.
Classify key information.
Compare/contrast ideas.
Complete a semantic map with key and supporting ideas.
Use the writing process to produce a product from accessed information.
Generate ideas.
Use organizational strategies such as simple graphic organizers.
Write a draft.
Read, reread, and revise own work.
Edit draft for simple conventions.
Publish/share written work.
Demonstrate emergence of process writing skills to formulate a response or product for a known
audience.
Products may include personal narratives, stories, letters, poems, book responses, research projects, journals, logs, oral presentations and demonstrations, directions appropriate for audiences, self-evaluation, and interviews.
Use language processes with technology to communicate with and for the community.
Access information in the library media center and via electronic mail.
Write letters, advertisements, notes, reminders, directions, signs, and warnings which relate to real issues at school or in the community.
Prepare and perform simple oral presentations and demonstrations.
Appreciating Language - Reading/Literature, Listening/Speaking, and Writing
Engage in sustained reading and writing.
Read and listen to a variety of literature such as realistic fiction, historical fiction, and folk tales
and nonfiction such as biographies and newspapers.
Respond to literature through artistic and dramatic interpretations, small discussion groups,
literature circles, and response notebooks.
Select and enjoy books for personal reading purposes.
Begin to recognize general themes in literature and relate to personal experience.
Begin to examine and respond to a variety of literature from various historical periods and
cultures.
Explore language by reading and listening to a variety of language patterns.
Begin to use a variety of language patterns in writing.
Current State Board of Education Grades 4-6 English Standards
Students will:
Using Language to Learn - Reading/Literature, Listening/Speaking, Writing, and Research
Ask questions to clarify the viewpoint of others, to elicit additional information, and to raise new
perspectives related to an issue when reading or participating in discussions or interviews.
Ask questions, summarize, or paraphrase information to demonstrate understanding.
Use strategies such as connecting personal experience, making inferences, recognizing
organizational structures, and supporting fact and opinion with relevant details in order to
understand and evaluate text and speech.
Examine and analyze the effect of literary elements such as plot, setting, characterization, theme,
and author's point of view and purpose in poems, short stories, novels, and other genres.
Plan and conduct research by accessing and selecting information from print, video, and on-line
resources; narrowing a topic; combining information from a variety of sources, gathering
additional information as needed.
Use context clues, structural analysis, analogies, and knowledge of word referents, synonyms,
antonyms, and homonyms to identify unknown words and to construct meaning in all subject
areas.
Show relationships between ideas using strategies such as outlining, webbing, Venn diagrams, T
charts, and other graphic organizers.
Use strategies such as webbing, interviewing, and outlining to plan written and spoken products
in all content areas.
Keep journals and write drafts in English Language Arts classes and other disciplines to
understand and record experiences and ideas.
Evaluate and revise writing for audience; purpose; and adequate, relevant detail through self-
evaluation and conferring with others.
Edit final written and spoken products for effectiveness.
Read and publish in a variety of formats such as stories, poems, plays, documentaries,
persuasive essays, and collaborative research projects in various content areas.
Using the Conventions and Forms of Language - Reading/Literature, Listening/Speaking, Writing, and Research
Demonstrate competence in writing, listening, and reading skills with a variety of genres and
forms.
Show evidence of effective use of the writing process.
Employ and understand sentence variety.
Employ and understand appropriate words for precise meaning in a given context.
Use conventions of spelling, grammar, mechanics, and punctuation for meaningful purposes in own writings.
Use resources such as a dictionary, thesaurus, word check, electronic/computer speller to extend/check vocabulary.
Demonstrate a growing independence in selecting systems of structure, semantics, and phonics.
combined with prior knowledge to read and compose increasingly more difficult print.
Demonstrate characteristics of a variety of writing for meaningful purposes and audiences.
Use relevant facts/details/reasons in expository writings.
Use supporting details in persuasive writings.
Use relevant details to enhance story or event in narrative writings.
Provide evidence of the use of notes (charts, diagrams, outlines, mapping, Venn diagrams), bibliography, rough draft and final draft in research papers/projects.
Present information through oral presentations, expositions and displays, debates, panel
discussions, visual displays, and dramatizations.
Using Language to Communicate - Reading/Literature, Listening/Speaking, and Writing
Use reading processes and strategies such as predicting, self-questioning, understanding cause
and effect, noting details, inferring, summarizing, and evaluating in order to understand and
communicate.
Use the writing process and appropriate listening and speaking skills to conduct and interpret surveys and interviews, to listen critically and record information accurately, and to research and report information.
Make judgments using evidence to support decisions.
Use speech appropriate for audience and purpose.
Compose compositions appropriate to audience and purpose exhibiting the effective flow of ideas and a cohesive structure.
Show evidence of editing writing.
Organize, present, and evaluate information used in multimedia presentations.
Plan and deliver oral presentations.
Use charts, diagrams, and displays to explain information.
Present monologues.
Debate issues relevant to real world issues.
Conduct demonstrations.
Appreciating Language - Reading/Literature and Listening/Speaking
Read and write for sustained periods of time.
Read, listen, and react to a wide variety of print and nonprint materials.
Select books for personal reading interests.
Recognize tone, mood and themes in works of literature and relate to personal experience.
Use characteristics of quality literature from a variety of historical periods and cultures in
developing oral and written styles.
Understand text in terms of its historical and cultural context and relate to other content areas.
Understand appropriateness of language for various situations and purposes.
Current State Board of Education 7 & 8 Grade English Standards
Students will:
Using Language to Learn - Reading/Literature, Listening/Speaking, Writing, and Research
Participate in and respond to read alouds, audio tapes, and discussions through listening
attentively, asking questions to elicit information, and responding appropriately.
Ask questions to clarify the viewpoint of others, to develop new understandings, and to view
findings from various perspectives when reading or participating in discussions or interviews.
Vary reading strategies such as skimming, scanning, using subheadings, and reading rate to read
a variety of texts effectively.
Read technical and career related materials and a range of literature created for adolescents in all
content areas.
Analyze important elements of complete texts and evaluate relationships to the whole in both
print and nonprint sources.
Examine and determine validity, bias, purpose and audience, statements of opinion that are not
clearly identified, and provision of adequate support in written and spoken texts.
Identify similarities and differences between texts produced by different authors.
Investigate current issues and problems by formulating research questions, selecting and
evaluating a variety of perspectives, narrowing a topic, combining information from a variety of
sources, and gathering additional information as needed.
Compare information sources and note the relevancy or purpose of each for specific research
projects.
Expand a rich vocabulary through speaking and listening and reading experiences with varied,
meaningful texts.
Select and use appropriate strategies to plan written and spoken products across the curriculum.
Use the writing process fluently and expand the use of writing to learn across the curriculum.
Keep reflective, dialogue, and double-entry journals and write drafts to understand and record
experiences and ideas.
Demonstrate identifiable personal writing and speaking styles and write and speak for both
familiar and distant audiences.
Evaluate and revise writing for audience; purpose; and adequate, relevant detail through self-
evaluation and conferring with others.
Edit final written and spoken products for effectiveness.
Read and publish in a variety of formats such as stories, poems, plays, and reports and
other technical writing across the curriculum.
Using the Conventions and Forms of Language - Listening/Speaking and Writing
Demonstrate increasing control of written and spoken standard English by presenting
ideas/information through application of grammar, usage, and vocabulary with persuasive,
narrative, and expository writings.
Use a variety of sentence patterns.
Use appositive phrases to explain, restate, or add new information when needed.
Recognize and avoids shift in tense and point of view.
Use spelling and marks of punctuation correctly in conventional situations.
Use subject/verb and noun/pronoun agreement.
Use paragraphs to organize ideas and sequence of events.
Use appropriate transitions.
Demonstrate an independent ability to use syntax, semantics, and structural analysis to construct
meaning and monitor comprehension in more advanced ways.
Evaluate effectiveness gained by adjusting use of formal and informal language according to
setting, purpose, and audience.
Analyze a rich variety of genres representing a wide range of literary traditions.
Exhibit a variety of genres in writing.
Use the writing process to create various types of written expression.
Write narratives with introduction, complication, and resolution.
Write persuasively using clear argumentative points with supporting evidence and varying
viewpoints.
Write expository compositions.
Write technical compositions showing evidence of working outlines, paraphrased notes, and
working bibliographies.
Select and use a variety of forms in writing.
Vary writing to fit given purpose and audiences.
Compose personal writing (thank you notes, letter of request, etc.) in conventional forms.
Compose in other genres such as research, poetry, stories, songs, essays, articles, and drama
scripts.
Practice written forms in which conventions may be waived such as poetry, advertisements,
certain examples of fiction, and dialogue.
Using Language to Communicate - Listening/Speaking, Writing, and Research
Collect comprehensive information by conducting interviews and conferences, crafting
questions to elicit additional information, and by accessing information and using technology
with an increasing level of skill.
Assimilate and synthesize information from various sources and convey it clearly to others.
Use reading processes to understand information.
Use strategies to organize information and analyze topics.
Demonstrate a clear understanding of components of the writing process.
Express ideas orally with fluency and confidence.
Write and speak in a variety of forms with a sense of purpose and audience to include the
following:
-narratives
-explanations
-persuasive documents
-speeches
-reports
-applications
-personal experiences with sufficient detail
-narratives with attention to sequence, characterization, point of view, and conclusion
-exposition with clear, pertinent detail for a variety of audiences
-journals, logs, notes
-pamphlets, booklets
-on-line communication (Internet, etc.)
-argumentation that appeals to a varied audience and provides support for viewpoint while
addressing conflicting opinions.
Appreciating Language - Reading/Literature, Listening/Speaking, and Writing
Read and write a variety of fiction and nonfiction texts for sustained periods of time.
Identify general themes in literature and relate to personal experience.
Interact with literary works and relate to self, others, and world through a variety of activities.
Present information creatively through varied forms such as dramatic presentations and video
productions.
Expand use of quality literature to enhance personal writing and speaking styles.
Select and read from a wide range of cultures and genres.
Place a variety of works into appropriate historical and cultural context and relate to other
situations, content areas, and time periods.
Demonstrate flexibility, fluency, and elaboration in spoken and written communication.
Current State Board of Education Grades 9-12 English Standards
Students will:
Using Language to Learn - Reading/Literature, Listening/Speaking, Writing, and Research
Listen critically and ask appropriate questions to clarify the viewpoint of others, to develop new
understandings, to view findings from various perspectives, and to make learning personally
relevant when participating in discussions or interviews.
Use a variety of strategies to facilitate learning and to apply previous knowledge to new
situations.
Use inferential and critical thinking to create spoken and written responses to a variety of texts
across the curriculum.
Read and interpret a variety of written and oral language.
Analyze written and spoken texts to determine accuracy, bias, point of view, plots and subplots,
assumptions, and their intent and purpose.
Compare and contrast variations of style in written and oral language.
Investigate current issues and problems by formulating research questions, selecting and
evaluating sources representing a variety of perspectives, narrowing a topic, synthesizing
information from a variety of sources, and gathering additional information as needed.
Select major points from written research, prioritize pertinent information, and present in a
speech.
Expand a rich vocabulary through speaking and listening and experiences with varied,
meaningful texts.
Select and use appropriate strategies to plan written and spoken products in all content areas.
Keep reflective, dialogue, and double-entry journals and write drafts to understand and record
experiences and ideas.
Recognize, evaluate, and demonstrate variations in intent, purpose, and audience in written text
and media presentations.
Establish criteria for self and peer evaluation of written and spoken text, videotape for self
evaluation, and critique performance of self and peers based on the established criteria.
Edit final written and spoken products for effectiveness.
Complete a variety of long-term projects such as research projects, pamphlets, videos, and
portfolios in all content areas and present findings to an audience of peers.
Using the Conventions and Forms of Language - Reading/Literature, Listening/Speaking, Writing, and Research
Demonstrate fluent command of language conventions and smooth flow of ideas by clearly
presenting ideas/information in increasingly advanced ways.
Apply spelling, punctuation, and grammar with accuracy in written work.
Use grammatically complex sentences.
Use complex dialogue.
Reference source citations.
Demonstrate confidence, independence, and flexibility in the strategic use of syntax and
semantics and other conventions of language for reading and writing a range of simple to
complex print.
Demonstrate, recognize, and evaluate effectiveness gained by adjusting use of formal and
informal language according to setting, purpose, and audience.
Compose in a variety of genres and evaluate for effectiveness.
Evaluate information from text and utilize in own writings.
Support alternative point of view from text.
Establish pros/cons of chosen stance.
Select and appropriately use a wide variety of forms including:
-personal writing
-formal writing (appropriate for audience)
-readers' theater (dramatic)
-recitation
-speechmaking (expressive)
-debate (clear statements of issues with proper support and logic)
-stories
-plays
-poems
-exposition (precise, accurate, clear, & organized)
-reports (informative)
-applications
-resumes
-hypertext.
Using Language to Communicate - Reading/Literature, Listening/Speaking, Writing, and Research
Select appropriate topics for writing or speaking.
Determine appropriate format for audience and purpose including the following:
-persuasive
-narrative
-dialogue
-drama
-job application
-college application
-resume.
Assimilate and synthesize information from various sources and convey it clearly to others.
Use reading processes to understand information.
Use strategies to organize information and analyze topics.
Recognize and demonstrate qualities of effective communication.
Listen, question, and respond appropriately during conferences and interviews.
Generate ideas in the prewriting stage with fluency.
Analyze and synthesize information from various sources.
Arrange information in a clear and coherent manner.
Revise drafts and edit work proficiently for organization/structure, clarity, and vocabulary
choice.
Speak and write confidently on various topics with clarity and knowledge.
Use technology for specific communication tasks such as on-line services, electronic mail,
multimedia equipment, word processing, desktop publishing.
Gauge the impact of communication on audience.
Appreciating Language - Reading/Literature, Listening/Speaking, and Writing
Read and write critically and creatively for sustained periods of time.
Identify universal themes in literature and make connections with real world situations and
human experience.
Select and enjoy a wide variety of print and nonprint materials representing a wide range of
traditional and contemporary works.
Evaluate literature for historical significance and understand connections between culture and
literary works.
Select and use effective characteristics of quality literature to refine personal communication
style.
Evaluate effectiveness, contribution, and appropriateness of dialect and diction in print and
nonprint sources.
Demonstrate proficient level of performance through creative expression such as debates, script
writing, and multimedia productions.