Essential Standards and Common Assessments

Our approach is guided by the Common Priorities Design Cycle, shown below. The Design Cycle emphasizes the collaborative use of common assessments to prioritize learning goals and improve instruction. Teacher teams become adept at using the Design Cycle framework to carry out well-defined projects streamlining curriculum, analyzing common assessment results, and collaboratively designing lessons.

As a result of engaging in this program teachers will be able to:

• focus and align curriculum around essential standards
• diagnose learning patterns in students
• develop exemplary lessons that are shared across the school
• improve lesson design and assessment design skills
• use planning time effectively and efficiently
• build a culture of collaboration at the school.

The process begins with a collaborative review of current external assessments, such as state tests. Teachers work together to prioritize learning goals and develop common assessments based on these goals. As teachers analyze the results of these assessments, they design lessons that incorporate effective teaching strategies such as content literacy, differentiated instruction, critical thinking skills, and project-based learning. The process invites innovation in lesson design and aligns learning priorities across classrooms.

Cambridge Education (LLC), 400 Blue Hill Drive, Suite 100 Westwood, MA 02090