Standards-Based Learning

Highland Christian School’s curriculum is aligned with Indiana State standards.  These standards, adopted by the State in 2014, have been validated as indicators for college and career readiness.  Standards-based learning focuses on student proficiency against these objective knowledge standards.  From this list of standards, Highland Christian School has identified “Power Standards” that are essential at each grade level.

Along with standards-based learning, we practice standards-based grading.  Standards-based grading (SBG) provides parents and students specific, meaningful information in regard to a student’s mastery of each standard. Standards-based grading is making a substantial educational impact for students from kindergarten to 8th grade, both in our school and schools throughout the nation.  This transition to standards-based grading is beneficial for teachers, parents, and most importantly, the students in the following ways:

  1. SBG allows teachers to clearly define student progress at a given skill.
  2. SBG correlates to higher academic achievement of students.
  3. SBG provides an appropriate game-plan for each student.
  4. SBG promotes student-centered classrooms; not teacher-center classrooms.
  5. SBG (4,3,2,1) is NOT related to an A, B, C, D scale. It solely is based on student mastery. A “3” means a student meets the grade-level skill.

For more information, you may review Indiana's  Department of Education page or these content area standards:  English Language ArtsMathematicsScience and Computer Science, and Social Studies.

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