Center for Standards, Assessment, and Accountability

Spotlights

Stage 4 – Full Implementation

During this stage there is a full implementation of the revised standards across the appropriate grades and content areas.

Assessments administered and materials utilized will reflect the full implementation of the new standards. During full implementation staff acquire competencies in how to implement content area standards with fidelity. There is a focus on deep knowledge of content area standards, seamless integration of instruction, cross-curricular planning, and active engagement in continued reflection and improvement of practice. There is also a focus on maintaining and refining systems as well as monitoring fidelity of intentional alignment of practices, policies, supports, and programs. The implementation plan and timeline should be front of mind while conducting monitoring of progress. Assessments, accountability systems, educator professional development, data collection, and other ongoing or new initiatives all may impact the overall timeline and/or budget. The potential impact must be weighed and evaluated.

See the Full Implementation Overview section below for additional overview information.

Return to the Standards Review and Revision Toolkit Overview

Full Implementation Items to Consider:

  • Monitor current progress and adjust implementation timeline as necessary.
  • Continue to provide professional development opportunities.
  • Provide clear accountability measures surrounding revised standards and support full implementation of statewide summative assessment.
  • Use data for continuous improvement.
  • Strengthen the infrastructure to support practice and organizational change.
  • Monitor implementation across the state in all content areas and grades to identify areas of potential misalignment.
  • Embed effective instructional practices in all programs and include differentiated instruction (example: Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards Scaffolding Documents) .
  • Develop feedback loops between state, regional, and local education agencies.
  • Develop structures to vet and share best practices through a content repository.
  • Provide ongoing, long-term stakeholder communication, training, and support in the critical elements of the standards.
  • Offer timely information on research, design, security, management, reporting, implementation, administration, scoring, and new technology.
  • Involve policymakers at the national, state, regional, and local levels so they can see firsthand the time and structures school and district staff require to support standards implementation (example: Maryland State Board of Education Agenda Item).
  • Develop a statewide leadership network (example: New York Common Core Task Force).
  • Identify emerging needs and opportunities and refine implementation strategies as needed.
  • Continue to implement communication process when onboarding newly hired staff.
  • Develop a continuum of evaluation for implementation rooted in how well students demonstrate academic growth.
  • Create an ongoing comprehensive feedback system in collaboration with regional service agencies and higher education institutions with a focus on identifying and replicating exemplary schools and districts while supporting districts that need assistance.
  • Bring together educators to review student work and see how the standards are being implemented in classrooms.
  • Verify that the vision of a standards-based education system can be articulated by all relevant educators and stakeholders.
  • Assess the extent to which the school community has embraced a culture of high expectations and whether standards are integral to all curriculum and instructional decisions.

 

Full Implementation Resources:

Full Implementation Overview

During this stage there is a full implementation of the revised standards across the appropriate grades and content areas.

Assessments administered and materials utilized will reflect the full implementation of the new standards. During full implementation staff acquire competencies in how to implement content area standards with fidelity. There is a focus on deep knowledge of content area standards, seamless integration of instruction, cross-curricular planning, and active engagement in continued reflection and improvement of practice. There is also a focus on maintaining and refining systems as well as monitoring fidelity of intentional alignment of practices, policies, supports, and programs. The implementation plan and timeline should be front of mind while conducting monitoring of progress. Assessments, accountability systems, educator professional development, data collection, and other ongoing or new initiatives all may impact the overall timeline and/or budget. The potential impact must be weighed and evaluated.

States and districts should continue to provide staff with high-quality professional learning opportunities to help them effectively support implementation of the standards. Topics around embedding effective instructional practices, differentiated instruction, supporting full implementation of statewide summative assessment, and monitoring of progress with regards to implementation are all examples of areas where staff may need support and guidance. In addition, bringing together educators to share practices and review relevant student work builds capacity and knowledge around implementation of the standards at the classroom level. Another effective method for structured resource sharing is developing processes and procedures to collect, vet, and share best practices through a content repository.

Conduct ongoing stakeholder engagement and communication through established mediums and forums to support full implementation. Disseminate resources for stakeholders on a regular basis to communicate the newest information on expanding professional learning support, aligning curriculum and instruction, and developing assessments. Providing this information builds the capacity of educators and stakeholders to articulate the shared vision of the state’s and/or district’s standards-based education system.

Data collection and analysis is an ongoing process during full implementation. Collecting data throughout the implementation process can help ensure states and districts are meeting the needs of all stakeholders and can also provide valuable information on the progress of implementation. The creation of an ongoing and comprehensive feedback system, in collaboration with regional service agencies and institutions of higher education, allows for the identification and potential replication of practices and procedures in place at exemplary schools and districts, and may also identify schools and districts in need of additional supports and assistance. States and districts may also be able to identify emerging needs and opportunities to refine implementation strategies while also utilizing stakeholder feedback to inform actions. At this stage, the opportunity exists to begin reporting results while simultaneously updating the public on implementation progress and successes.

Careful data analysis of feedback collected across diverse stakeholder groups creates the potential to assess the extent to which the community has embraced a culture that has high expectations for adult and student learning and that standards are integral to all curriculum and instructional decisions.