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Essential Standards
The purpose of these essential standards is to guide teachers as they plan learning objectives and develop grade-level curricula that align with and support Colorado Model Content Standards. These standards are meant to reinforce instruction in a way that will be consistent and will create articulation of skills. Skills listed should be mastered at the grade-level where they appear. Not every skill listed will be tested on CSAP, but all skills listed are considered essential learnings in Poudre School District. For example, cursive handwriting is not required on CSAP tests, yet it is a skill that should be taught to mastery in the third grade.
During the past decade in Poudre School District, we have been working on establishing a direction for learning by creating a standards-based, articulated curriculum. Much work was done in 1996 with committees working with our then new state standards and creating Standards in Poudre School District. Work in Summer Standards Institute helped teachers integrate standards-based instruction in to their individual curricula. As the Colorado Model Content Standards were modified and supported with CSAP testing over the past six years, standards and high-stakes assessment were linked and caused us to refocus on our curriculum.
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