Glossary: Creating Common Language

Action Plan—A strategy for achieving an objective.

Adult Learning Theory—A concept that examines how adults learn. The adult learner assimilates useful information into her/his personal “experience bank” against which future learning events will be compared and to which new concepts will be related. Unless what is learned can be applied to actual work or life situations, the learning will not be effective or long lasting.

Assessment—Instruments used to collect data and evaluate student performance. In order to capture a complete and accurate picture of student achievement, a variety of—or multiple data sources—are strongly recommended. A primary purpose of collecting assessment data from multiple sources is to use the data to change instruction. Each assessment must be aligned with at least one of the student performance goals in the improvement plan. The quality of assessment is described using terms “reliable,” “valid,” and “fair.”

Benchmark—A standard by which something can be measured or judged. To measure according to specified standards in order to compare it with and improve one's own product.

Content Standard—What students should know and be able to do. Content standards are broad descriptions of the knowledge and skills students should acquire in the core academic subject. The knowledge includes the important and enduring ideas, concepts, issues, and information. The skills include the ways of thinking, working, communicating, reasoning, and investigating that characterize each subject area. Content standards may emphasize interdisciplinary themes as well as concepts in the core academic subjects.

Continuous Improvement—A process by which staff engages in collaborative inquiry, focused on consistent assessments, monitoring, adjusting, implementing, and evaluating to increase student achievement.

Core Curriculum—A curriculum, or course of study, that is deemed central and usually made mandatory for all students of a school or school system based on state standards. Michigan’s core curriculum addresses English language arts, math, science, social studies, and arts education.

Curriculum—A coherent plan for instruction and learning. Curriculum serves as the basis for teachers’ and students’ active involvement in the construction and application of knowledge.

Curriculum Map—A tool and a way of collecting data for aligning, pacing, and sequencing instruction and assessment in a classroom, grade level, content area, school, district, or all. Curriculum maps, which are calendar based, show what students are learning in classrooms. Curriculum maps can be used to ensure vertical and horizontal alignment of school or district curriculum and delineation of the instructional program within building or district. It includes learning objectives, essential content, resources, assessment tools, pacing guides, and process.

Data—Factual information organized for analysis or used to reason or make decisions.

Data-Based Decision Making—Analyzing existing sources of information such as class and school attendance, grades, test scores and other data (portfolios, surveys, interviews, etc.) to make decisions. The process involves organizing and interpreting the data, creating action plans, and monitoring the effect actions have when implemented.

Differentiated Instruction—Planning for teaching and learning in ways that are designed to meet the needs of learners at differing levels of the learning continuum.

Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCE)—Outline of learning expectations that are used to drive grade level assessments based on state standards and benchmarks.

Highly Qualified Teacher—A requirement that all teachers in Michigan meet specific guidelines as outlined in No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and by the Michigan Department of Education to be considered highly qualified. Visit www.michigan.gov/opps to review current information.

Learning Community—A professional environment in which the teachers, administrators, and support staff in a school continuously seek and share learning and then act on what they learn to improve and enrich their effectiveness as content providers and instructional coaches.

Michigan Curriculum Framework (MCF)—The Michigan Curriculum Framework is a resource for helping Michigan’s public and private schools design, implement, and assess their core content area curricula. The content standards identified in this document are presented as models for the development of local district curriculum by the Michigan State Board of Education and the Michigan Department of Education. They represent rigorous expectations for student performance and describe the knowledge and abilities needed to be successful in today’s society. When content, instruction, and local and state assessments are aligned, they become powerful forces that contribute to the success of student achievement.

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001—This law redefines the federal role in K-12 education and is aimed at closing the achievement gap between disadvantaged and minority students and their peers. It is based on four basic principals: stronger accountability for results, increased flexibility and local control, expanded options for parents, and an emphasis on teaching methods that have proven to work. Visit www.nochildleftbehind.gov.

Results Driven Instruction—Instruction informed by data and focused on results.

Rubric—An established and written set of criteria for scoring or evaluating one’s performance in relationship to the established criteria.

School Improvement—A collaborative process through which staff identifies strengths and weaknesses of the school program and uses that information as a basis for making positive changes in observable and measurable student outcomes.

School Improvement Plan—A tool for creating and managing change. This written plan identifies student performance goals, support data for the goals, assessments, research, strategies/ interventions, professional development, resources, a timeline, and persons responsible for implementing the actions identified within the plan. See Michigan Complied Law (MCL) 380.1277 for details regarding the requirements. Visit www.legislature.mi.gov for more information.

School Improvement Team—The job of this team is to develop, implement, and monitor the school's improvement plan. The team is comprised of a representative group of people from the school and community. Each school improvement team has a chairperson or co-chairs assigned to coordinate the activities of the committee. The committee ensures that all components of the process are addressed and that tasks are completed in a timely fashion. Specific membership requirements can be found in MCL 380.1277. For Title I schools, parents of Title I students and Title I staff will need to be represented on the school improvement team/steering committee.

Shared Leadership—A condition in which structures and processes exist to support leadership in which all staff has ownership and responsibility for student learning.

Strand—Clusters of related content standards often representing disciplines (geometry, physical science, or history) or a cross-cutting theme (inquiry).

Source: Michigan Department of Education, Office of School Improvement.

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