What is a proficiency based learning environment?
Proficiency based learning, also called standards based learning, is the practice of instructing and assessing students based on expectations of what the student will know and be able to do. In Ceres Unified, these expectations are determined by proficiency scales which are derived from standards.
What is a proficiency scale?
A proficiency scale is a tool used by teachers, students, and families to determine the student’s current level of progress toward meeting the standards.
Proficiency scales indicate student achievement as it relates to standards and a progression of learning, in which a score of 3.0 indicates proficiency. In other words, a student receiving a score of 3.0 has met the target. A general description of each score level is below:
4 Complex Content | The student shows evidence of more complex learning that goes beyond the target level (Optional: Complex content does not appear on all scales). |
3 Target Content | The student shows evidence of proficiency at the TARGET level learning. |
2 Foundational Content | The student shows evidence of foundational learning that is not yet at the target level. |
1 Scaffolded Content | The student requires consistent help to show evidence of foundational learning. |
0 No Content | Demonstration of learning has not taken place yet. |
What do some of these terms mean?
Learning Intention: The learning that is expected to take place or the “big idea” of what I am learning, usually over the course of multiple lessons or a unit.
Success Criteria: The evidence students must produce to show they achieved the learning.
Lesson objective: These may be used to communicate what students are supposed to learn or be able to do by the end of a lesson, usually directly connected to success criteria.
Guaranteed Viable Curriculum: The promise to educational partners of what students will leave a grade level or course having learned .
Guaranteed= consistent across classrooms of the same grade level/content in the district
Viable= there is enough instructional time to address all guaranteed content
Curriculum= what is taught. Instructional materials are the vehicle to teach curriculum
Feedback: Timely, specific, and corrective information that equips the student to take action to improve proficiency.
Self-Assessment: Students monitor/evaluate their own progress toward a learning intention.
Evidence of Learning: Formal and informal assessments that demonstrate student progression toward proficiency.
Critical concepts: Topics that group related standards together that make up a proficiency scale.
Learning Targets: Individual statements that describe the learning goal on a proficiency scale. These are explicitly written at the 2.0 (Foundational) and 3.0 (Target) levels of CUSD proficiency scales.