SUMMARY: The Maine Department of Education Regulation 132 - The Maine Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction establishes parameters for essential teaching and learning in grades Pre-Kindergarten through Diploma across eight content areas and supports the goals outlined in the Guiding Principles. The Maine Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction will inform the blueprint for item development of the large-scale State assessments aligned to the federal accountability standards found in Maine Department of Education Regulation 131 – The Federal, State, and Local Accountability Standards. High school, middle school, and elementary school programming in Maine’s publicly supported schools must be aligned to the knowledge and skills described in the Maine Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction.
The proposed Maine Department of Education Regulation 132 - The Maine Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction augments and expands upon the content standards for federal accountability (Maine Department of Education Regulation 131: The Maine Federal, State, and Local Accountability Standards) by describing details for essential teaching and learning for eight content areas. These learning goals identify the knowledge and skills required for college, career and citizenship in the 21st century.
THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES –The knowledge and skills described in the Maine Department of Education Regulation 132 support Maine students in achieving the goals established in Maine’s Guiding Principles. The Guiding Principles state that each Maine student must leave school as:
A clear and effective communicator who:
Demonstrates organized and purposeful communication in English and at least one other language;
Uses evidence and logic appropriately in communication;
Adjusts communication based on the audience; and
Uses a variety of modes of expression (spoken, written, and visual and performing including the use of technology to create and share the expressions);
A self-directed and lifelong learner who:
Recognizes the need for information and locates and evaluates resources;
Applies knowledge to set goals and make informed decisions;
Demonstrates reliability and concern for quality; and
Uses interpersonal skills to learn and work with individuals from diverse backgrounds;
A creative and practical problem solver who: [1995, c. 649, §1 (new).]
Observes and evaluates situations to define problems;
Frames questions, makes predictions, and designs data/information collection and analysis strategies;
Identifies patterns, trends, and relationships that apply to solutions;
Generates a variety of solutions, builds a case for a best response and critically evaluates the effectiveness of the response;
Sees opportunities, finds resources, and seeks results;
Uses information and technology to solve problems; and
Perseveres in challenging situations;
A responsible and involved citizen who:
Participates positively in the community and designs creative solutions to meet human needs and wants;
Accepts responsibility for personal decisions and actions;
Demonstrates ethical behavior and the moral courage to sustain it;
Understands and respects diversity;
Displays global awareness and economic and civic literacy; and
Demonstrates awareness of personal and community health and wellness;
An integrative and informed thinker who:
Gains and applies knowledge across disciplines and learning contexts and to real life situations with and without technology;
Applies systems thinking to understand the interaction and influence of related parts on each other and on outcomes.
CAREER AND EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT Career and education development helps all students gain the knowledge, skills, and behaviors to interact with others, set goals, and make decisions related to career, college, and citizenship. Success in the twenty-first century differs significantly from the twentieth century model. Lifelong employment with a single employer has virtually vanished. Success today is increasingly dependent on a sophisticated knowledge base, the ability to enhance that base, to collaborate, to self-direct, and to adapt to change. Individuals will need to adapt their goals and decisions over their lifetimes in relation to school and workplace requirements and personal responsibilities. As part of career and education development, students must see education as a continuous lifelong process that will prepare them for and make them adaptable in a complex, information-rich, and fast-changing world.
Embed Career and Education Development Instruction -The knowledge, skills, and behaviors outlined in Career and Education Development Standards are essential for all students. It is important that the knowledge, skills, and behaviors of career and education development be connected to the context of schools, career, and community. Although stand- alone courses in career and education development may serve to help students focus on career, college, and citizenship goal, all content areas need to embed career and educations standards to enable students to make the connection between content areas schoolwork, and career, college, and citizenship goals. School administrative units should determine the most appropriate content areas and school settings in which to embed these standards.
OUTLINE OF CAREER AND EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AND PERFORMANCE INDICATOR LABELS A. Learning about Self-Knowledge and Interpersonal Relationships
4. Societal Needs and Changes that Influence Workplace Success
Learning About Self-Knowledge and Interpersonal Relationships:Students identify, demonstrate, analyze, and evaluate:
self-knowledge related to interests, skills, work, and school;
positive personal traits, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, habits of mind, and experiences that lead to success in school, work, and community;
their ability to build and maintain a positive self-concept; and
their ability to develop and recognize the positive interpersonal skills that effectively influence work and relationships with others.
Although the performance indicators of Career and Education Development identify specific levels of performance at each grade span for the purpose of assessment, students at all grade spans should have opportunities to identify, demonstrate, analyze, and evaluate.
A1 Self-Knowledge and Self-Concept
Performance Indicators & Descriptors
Pre-K-2
3-5
6-8
9-Diploma
Students identify interests, skills, and habits of mind that build a positive self-concept.
Students identify and demonstrate interests, skills, habits of mind, and experiences that build and maintain a positive self-concept.
Studentsexplain how interests, skills, habits of mind, and experiences support and maintain a positive self-concept.
Students reflect on and/or analyze interests, skills, habits of mind, and experiences to maintain a positive self-concept and to aid them in making career and life decisions.