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**//Your input was compiled and sent to NCDPI on June 15, 2009. Thanks for participating. //**
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Accountability Curriculum Reform Effort Draft Essential Standards Review Thanks for taking the time to review the new draft of the essential standards. Ideally you can complete this review in a small group with other teachers from your grade level, department, or PLC. Please read the key points and the suggestions for reviewing below. Then click on the link on the left for the area you want to review.  This wiki will be open until June 1. At that time the comments will be compiled and sent to DPI.

► Narrowing and deepening is the goal - The overall purpose of the change in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study to an Essential Standards Course of Study is to ensure that students learn the most important knowledge and skills for the 21st Century. ► The Essential Standards are in draft form - Writing teams of educators have been wrestling with the challenge of “narrowing and deepening” the standards. The drafts represent the work thus far. Teams continue to refine these drafts daily. We need your input. ► The consensus process is important, and condensed feedback is helpful - As you discuss and record your thoughts on the Feedback Form, please think about combining your feedback and ordering it terms of priority. If reviewers have a burning piece of feedback on the drafts not captured on the Feedback Form, please use http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB2294GYVZLJ9 to get this to us. ► The assessment prototypes are for clarification only - The assessment prototypes will not be included as a part of the NC Essential Standards Course of Study. They are for clarification and should be read as an example of the type of assessment that would align to the particular objective. The assessment prototypes are currently being refined. ► Clarifying objectives - Clarifying objectives express the necessary knowledge and processes students must master in order to master the Essential Standards.
 * Key Points: **

**Suggestions when reviewing:** • Plan ahead. Have an agenda. It may be most helpful to start with the highest grade first and work backwards to assess vertical alignment. • Pre-Read. If possible, read the Essential Standards before meeting, and have members come with notes prepared to encourage efficiency at this busy time of year. • Be honest, and assume the best of the writing teams. The teams of teachers, educators and content specialists that have worked on these standards have spent a great deal of time designing the standards and are trying to create standards that are good for students. Yet they will benefit from your honest assessment and feedback. Consider this review a formative assessment for the writing teams. • Use the criteria, but don’t limit your thinking, discussion or feedback. The criteria ideally will help you understand some of the important lenses that we have been using, but you may have feedback that doesn’t easily fit into one of these categories. Please add those comments in the last section of the Feedback Form.

Complete information is available on the DPI site at [] If you would rather leave individual feedback you can do so here,[| http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB2294GYVZLJ9]