More Goals of Curriculum Frameworks
Organized by content strands and learning standards, each framework gives ABE teachers across the state a common roadmap for what students should learn about the subject covered. The frameworks are not curricula themselves. Rather, the frameworks offer a basic structure for how and what we teach in adult basic education programs. They describe the components with which each program and teacher can design a curriculum that is relevant to the needs of their particular group of learners.
The frameworks were developed by teams of experienced ABE educators, and encompass both statewide learning standards and educational practices developed at the classroom level. Each framework provides examples of learning activities and instructional strategies that have proven successful for other teachers. Each of the frameworks has been field-tested by adult basic education teachers and students. By making the standards and benchmarks the same across the state, the frameworks establish a basis for making learning outcomes more objective and consistent for all Massachusetts adult learners.
Massachusetts ABE Curriculum Frameworks have the following components:
Core Concept: Explains why the subject of a framework is important to adult learners.
Guiding Principle: Beliefs and assumptions that help make teaching effective and meaningful for students. They describe effective learning, teaching or assessment in a subject area. If Habits of Mind help provide guidance for students, guiding principles help provide guidance to teachers in their instruction. (Example from English Language Arts Framework: Students practice all of the skills of language arts curriculum in the classroom with varied materials and multiple formats.)
Habit of Mind: A quality that makes learning effective, active and purposeful. Habits of Mind are ways of thinking about learning that help make students successful in the learning process. If internalized, they will help guide the student as a lifelong learner. (Examples: perseverance, curiosity, considering the source when evaluating information.)
Content Strand: Within the Frameworks, they are the broad categories of the main topics within the framework. Examples of Content Strands:
| In ESOL Framework: | Listening; Speaking; Reading; Writing; Navigating Systems |
| In Math Framework: | Number Sense; Patterns, Functions and Algebra; Geometry and Measurement |
| In ELA Framework: | Reading; Writing; Oral Communication; Critical Thinking |
Learning Standard: Within the broad Content Strand, they describe what students should know and be able to do. They allow the alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Examples of Learning Standards:
| In ESOL Framework: | "English Language Learners will read and comprehend a variety of English texts for various purposes." (from Reading Strand, Standard 1, ESOL Framework) |
| In Math Framework: | "Compute fluently and make reasonable estimates." (from Number Sense Strand, Standard 3, Math and Numeracy Framework) |
| In ELA Framework: | "Learners will demonstrate conscious awareness of their own knowledge and thinking processes and apply strategies to monitor and direct their own thinking." (from Critical Thinking Strand, Standard 2, English Language Arts Framework) |
Proficiency Levels are within the standards for the three skills Frameworks: English Language Arts, Math, and ESOL. Proficiency Levels include Benchmarks, which describe what each level of proficiency "looks like" within a standard.
Benchmarks are concrete, observable; they provide checkpoints to monitor progress towards meeting a standard. They build in complexity as the proficiency level progresses. Benchmarks are indicators of performance within a standard that help teachers
- determine a students' level of proficiency, target areas for improvement, and
- design instruction and assessment that will meet student needs.
Standards tell us what skills and content are most important, while Benchmarks help us determine how we'll know when a student has learned the skills and content identified in each framework.
Examples of Benchmarks, comparing progression of skill across levels:
| Framework (Standard stays the same for all levels) |
Benchmark at Low Level |
Benchmark at Higher Level |
| ESOL |
Read and follow simple, familiar one-step written directions (e.g., turn the page; copy the word.") (from Reading Strand, Standard 1, Low Beginning Level) |
"Read, comprehend, and analyze multi-paragraph materials on everyday subjects (e.g., health brochure from a doctor, newspaper article, work newsletter, short story)" (from Reading Strand, Standard 1, Advanced ESOL Level) |
| Math |
"Add two- and three-digit whole numbers flexibly, efficiently, and accurately." (from Number Sense Strand, Standard 3, level 2) |
"Add, subtract, multiply and divide decimals up to three places." (from Number Sense Strand, Standard 3, level 6)</td>
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| ELA |
"Identify what they know and don't know about a topic." (from Critical Thinking Strand, Standard 2, Benchmark "a" in Level 1, Basic.) |
"Employ repair strategies when they have failed to understand information being communicated to them (e.g. ask questions, re-read, research additional questions." (from Critical Thinking Strand, Standard 2, Benchmark "a", Level 3 Accomplished.) |
last updated: November 19, 2008
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