A Road Map of the Show-Me Standards There are 73 standards within the Show-Me Standards, 33 performance standards (what students should be able to do) and 40 knowledge standards (what students should know). While the knowledge standards are discipline-specific, the process standards were conceived by the Educator Work Groups to be the responsibility of all disciplines (including those not named by “The Outstanding Schools Act” and the State Board of Education) and of all grade levels (pre-kindergarten through 12th grade). Readers of the frameworks will find, then, that the framework writers have infused the process standards into all six of the discipline-specific frameworks. Still the knowledge standards are defined more specifically and in greater detail within the curriculum frameworks. Therefore, the following explanations focus only on the process standards organized under the four major Goals of the Show-Me Standards. Goal 1: Students in Missouri public schools will acquire the knowledge and skills to gather, analyze, and apply information and ideas While on the surface this goal appears to outline a research process, on closer inspection one will discover that it actually presents a challenging rubric for constructing meaning from what we learn and discover through study and experience. Too frequently students have been given questions to answer, pre-set experiments to observe or perform, or canned research to evaluate. While these can be worthwhile activities, this goal clearly requires educators and students to go further, giving the students responsibility for raising, evaluating and refining the questions which need answering, designing and conducting their own experiments and research to gather information to answer the questions they have posed, and gathering their own information to bring to bear on the issues they have chosen to explore. This goal also presses students to master technology as a means of gathering and processing information and data, as well as organizing, analyzing and communicating that data to others. Within this process lies a number of other complex processes: 1.1: develop questions and ideas to initiate and refine research The ability to conduct research in all areas, academic or other, is important, but a prior skill is the ability to identify those things which elicit inquiry. Forming questions and theories about phenomena, whether it be in biology, health, fine arts, or literature, is the first step to really defining research and inquiry, narrowing its focus, and determining the most effective approach to conducting that inquiry. The ability to form precise questions, well formed and focused, is an essential skill for every learning activity. 1.2: conduct research to answer questions and evaluate information and ideas Every student must be able to define, organize and conduct research, in and outside the library/media center, based on important questions. Moreover, all students should be able to use research and inquiry to critically examine information and ideas with which they are confronted on a daily basis in school and within the media. Basing decisions and conclusions on good information and inquiry is a skill which will serve students within all educational pursuits, in daily living, and in the workplace. 1.3: design and conduct field and laboratory investigations to study nature and society Every student should be able to engage in structured and disciplined -scientific inquiry, including developing and refining hypotheses, designing a methodology, preparing the experimented procedure, conducting the experiment, observing and recording data, drawing and evaluating conclusions based on the results, and evaluating the experiment based on critical reflection. The discipline and experience of conducting such inquiry will serve- students in every walk of life. 1.4: use technological tools and other resources to locate, select and organize information Research of all sorts is becoming an increasingly technological activity. Computers, CD-ROMS, the Internet, complex laboratory equipment, computer models, and many more, have joined the ranks of books, periodicals, surveys and questionnaires, as well as other sorts of primary sources. Every student must be skilled in the myriad processes and tools available to facilitate in-depth inquiry into many subjects.
1.5: comprehend and evaluate written, visual, and oral presentations and works Closely related to several of the communication arts standards and Goal 2, this standard requires that students not only be able to find information and data in many forms, but also that they be skilled at understanding that information or those ideas. Finding information is of little use if one is unable to understand it. Moreover, students must be able to critically evaluate the information they read and the data they gather or with which they are confronted to en-sure that it is credible, valid and reliable. 1.6: discover and evaluate patterns and relationships in information, ideas and structures Recognizing and creating patterns and relationships are our brains' ways of making sense of the world of stimuli with which it is confronted. Connections among ideas, events, works, people, movements, natural laws, etc. represent the structures that facilitate our understanding and retention of important information and processes. These patterns and relationships are also our means to evaluating the accuracy, value and truth of these things. Students must have ample experience with discovering, describing and evaluating patterns and relationships in all disciplines as a means of constructing meaning. 1.7: evaluate the accuracy of information and the reliability of its sources Students must be aware that information is frequently only as reliable as its source. Too often students accept opinions, fallacious reasoning, hearsay, and all media as “fact.” Students must, however, be able to took beyond information to its sources to determine the- credibility of both. Good decisions, effective problem solving, good communication, and deep understanding are dependent on the quality of the information upon which they are based. organize data, information and ideas into useful forms (including charts, graphs, outlines) for analysis and presentation Again, closely related to communication standards, this standard recognized the usefulness of arraying information in various concrete forms to facilitate understanding, communication and analysis. Students must be skilled in the many ways of arraying information for a variety of purposes and audiences. 1.9: identify, analyze and compare the institutions, traditions, and art forms of past and present societies Societies are complex gathering places for diverse peoples and institutions. This is true in a local community as much as it is within the larger world. Every society, past and present, including our own is a product of the interaction of different people, beliefs and influences. In order to fully understand the content areas, one must be able to draw on a broad and rich understanding of the world, locally and at large. Such understanding begins with the ability to identify cultures and is refined by the experience of analyzing and comparing the social systems and artifacts of those cultures. Students should see such study as a window into a broader understanding of the world and their own American culture. 1.10: apply acquired information and ideas to different contexts in the school, the workplace and everyday life If we cannot apply what we have teamed in school to life, then have we really teamed anything? This is an important question and speaks to the highest levels of thinking: synthesis and application. One sure sign that a student has deeply understood what he or she has been asked to learn is his or her ability to apply that information to new situations, problems, and tasks. Such application may be creating something new with that learning or interpreting something differently using that learning. Students must be challenged to go beyond rote memorization to apply their learning in many ways and to many different situations. Goal 2: Students in Missouri public schools will acquire the knowledge and skills to communicate effectively within and beyond the classroom Communication is an essential activity in every walk of life. What's more, as has been discovered by all the major content areas, communication is an essential part of the learning process. The ability to express one's ideas and comprehension to another through some means of communication is an indicator of one's understanding of the basic concepts one has mastered. Moreover, communication in the classroom is an excellent way to gather evidence 1.8:
of student understanding of important processes, as those students describe the thinking process they used to address an issue or form a solution to a problem. But at the heart of this standard is the basic but very complex process of communicating, that is, forming ideas into language, symbols or other communicative forms and expressing those ideas to others. This process is the flipside of Goal 1, which focuses primarily on gathering information and processing it. Goal 2 asks students to put that information, data and those conclusions into forms that can be easily and effectively understood by another person or groups of people. It also asks students to be active participants in exchanges of information, being able to understand what others have said and being able to respond in thoughtful and reasoned ways. Communication is a two-way street requiring both taking in and producing. Communication also takes a myriad forms from writing and speaking, to formulas and graphs, to artworks and computer designs. All these forms must at base be understood, if not wholly mastered, by students so that they can understand them, use them when necessary, and critically evaluate them and what they express in order to respond to them. 2.1: plan and make written, oral and visual presentations for a variety of purposes and audiences All effective communication employs a process of determining what one's purpose is, what audience is being addressed, and what one is trying to say (the message). There are three basic purposes for communication: entertainment, information and persuasion. Each of these requires a different approach, different sets of structures and a different attitude toward the subject of the communication and the audience for whom it is being produced. To entertain, for example, one may choose a poetic form or the short story structure. In each of these, patterns of arrangement and development become important (e.g., rhyme and meter, story structure, character development, metaphor and imagery). In persuasive writing or expository writing, other patterns and requirements come into play (e.g., thesis statements, supporting arguments, documentation, and argumentative structures). If a communicator is to be in control of his or her communication, he or she must decide on a purpose before ever constructing the piece itself. Moreover, the communicator must define his or her audience-“To whom am I communicating?” Aristotle taught us many centuries ago the importance of understanding the audience for our communication. Different audiences require different levels of language, different examples, different styles. In order to most effectively communicate, one must understand these particular requirements and use them as guidelines for building the communication. 2.2: review and revise communications to improve clarity and accuracy In the complex process of communication, the hardest part is determining what one wants to say and how to say it. But that is not enough. At base is the need to get grammar, usage and punctuation correct in written and oral presentations; symbols and labels in the correct place for formulae, tables and charts; and to get figures and conclusions clearly stated in reports. In addition to these, however, is the task of observing or taking feedback and refining one's communication to ensure that it accurately presents information, data and arguments in the clearest, most effective way. Such decisions may be matters of style, or tone, perhaps simply matching language level to age group; whatever it may be, it is an essential part of the process required to create effective communication. 2.3: exchange information, questions, and ideas while recognizing the perspectives of others While some communication (e.g., writing) may be only a one-way street, most communication involves more than one person and more that one perspective. An essential skill for good communication is the ability to listen to, read or view carefully and critically other's communications to understand their ideas and positions, including the reasoning behind those positions. This ability to “take in” and analyze others communication helps the student understand better and respond more effectively to works of literature and art, arguments presented in editorials or essays, advertisements and speeches, as well as data and conclusions based on scientific study. 2.4: present perceptions and ideas regarding works of the arts, humanities and sciences Taking in, or perceiving, works of the arts, humanities and sciences is a matter of critical observation/listening and understanding. The ability to express those perceptions and ideas is key to clarifying and presenting them to others. The knowledge and skills necessary to do this are varied and range from simply having the vocabulary and concepts in mind to forming ideas into communications to the ability to form complex thoughts or- conclusions into meaningful statements which clearly present thoughts and conclusions in a reasoned and convincing way.
2.5: perform and produce works in the fine arts and practical arts The fine and practical arts ought not be ignored as media for communication, for indeed they are the most tangible forms of expression. The fine arts are avenues to culture, and one cannot be fully educated without experience with and understanding of the fine arts. Music, dance, theater, and the visual arts bring a pleasure and quality to life which help students understand and appreciate the role of the arts in the community and in daily life. Such understanding and appreciation will also help students develop and refine their abilities to critically analyze, interpret and evaluate works of art. The practical arts are frequently an avenue to understanding because they put learning into practice, frequently utilizing the concepts and content of other disciplines within an applied context. Taking theory and content into practice is a valuable link for students as they begin to see the practical application of their learning. Moreover, the reality of the practical arts can be a welcome opportunity for students with different ways of learning to succeed in truly engaging with the content they are learning. Moreover, the practical arts provide excellent opportunities for students to engage in creative problem solving as they are confronted with non-routine problems arising in realworld contexts. 2.6: apply communication techniques to the job search and to the workplace Two important areas for practical application of communication are job searches and the workplace. Workers must be able to apply the same sorts of thinking outlined above in their own efforts to find jobs and their communication requirements on the job. Having a clear idea of purpose, audience and message before embarking on resume writing or producing an application letter is critical for success in those endeavors. Moreover, few communication situations are more complex than the workplace where one is likely to be communicating with a dozen different audiences throughout the work day. The ability to quickly shift styles based on audience and purpose, as well as message, will serve every employee and his or her employer. 2.7: use technological tools to exchange information and ideas Technology on the job, in school and at home, especially in the area of communication, is g-rowing and changing very quickly. At base, however, every student ought to know how to keyboard and how to use a computer as a word processor, a graphics creator, a research tool, and a mail system. Students ought to know what a fax machine is and how to use it to transmit information. While video and audio production are not essential areas of knowledge, students ought to know how to use video and audio technology as ways of recording and transferring information and ideas to larger audiences. The bottom line is that communication technologies are too powerful a set of tools for students not to understand them, be able to use them, and understand their effect on people and communication. Goal 3: Students in Missouri public schools will acquire the knowledge and skills to recognize and solve problems. This goal has two obvious parts: recognizing problems and solving problems. Too often emphasis is placed on merely solving problems, and routine problems, at that. Students, however, must be able to recognize, identify, and define problems that they confront. Few problems outside the classroom are routine; most are out of the ordinary and much more complex that the usual school fare. A good portion of problems are present but not always easy to see, so students must develop the ability to discover problems for themselves as part of a useable problem-solving process. Problem-solving itself is also more complex than many people understand. It is indeed more than just solving a problem. It is a process of steps which frequently loop back on themselves as the process, and subsequently the solution, evolve. Problem solving is also a way of thinking that is reasoned and informed, as well as structured. This goal attempts to identify the important activities within that process, as well as the ways of thinking associated with it, as they interact to create workable solutions. 3.1: identify problems and define their scope and elements Problem-solving is a recursive process that frequently doubles back on itself as new information, additional problems, or solutions begin to emerge. Problem identification and definition are important first elements in this process. In order to succeed in this part of the process, students must b-e able to approach a situation and determine within a mass of information and data what root problem(s) exists and what contributing problems exist.
This ability to sort through information and narrow one's problem-solving focus helps students hone their critical analysis skills while also giving them experience with budgeting time and effort. Once a problem has been identified, if must be defined. This definition process requires that one frames the problem, that is, determine its component and contributing parts. Students must have frequent experience in the activity of developing a clear understanding of the problem, who owns it, what its parameters are, and what its causes are. With this sort of definition in hand, students then may begin the process of information gathering necessary to begin developing a solution. This process includes determining what is known about a problem, sorting relevant information from irrelevant information, and determining what else one needs to know (research and information) in order to attack the problem. Also a part of this process is the establishment of a set of clear criteria and procedures (e.g., pro/con analysis, costbenefit analysis, risk analysis) for selecting and evaluating potential and actual solutions. 3.2: develop and apply strategies based on ways others have prevented and solved problems This standard and the one following are part of the idea-generation process. This inductive activity draws on all the information gathered through identification and definition to begin developing, brainstorming, if you will, possible solutions. Inherent within this standard is also a connection to Goal 1 (gather, analyze, and apply information and ideas), representing, in part, application of the gathered information. It is essential that students know how to connect their learning, their research and their study to the task of problem solving. 3.3: develop and apply strategies based on one's own experience in preventing and solving problems Just as one must be able to connect knowledge acquired through study to a problem, one must also be able to draw on personal experience and understanding to solve problems. Students bring a lot of knowledge, experience, and common sense with them to education and to problems. Frequently this personal knowledge can add a level of practicality or reality to the problem-solving process. Students need to be able confidently to bring their own experience and personal knowledge to problem solving rather than relying wholly on theoretical constructs for solutions. 3.4: evaluate the processes used in recognizing and solving problems Students are frequently criticized for not being reflective, that is, for not being able to look back, at their work, identify problems or weaknesses, and then develop plans for improving on past performance. This standard asks students to utilize reflection as part of the problem-solving,, process. To ensure the most appropriate solution has been developed, problem solvers must be able to critically review the thinking which has gone into solving a problem to determine if, indeed, it was appropriate, informed, and reasonable. 3.5: reason inductively from a set of facts and deductively from general premises Logical reasoning is par-t of the problem-solving process. Students must be able to reason well to solve problems. This standard focuses on inductive and deductive reasoning as appropriate tools. Inductive reasoning is the process by which researcher/thinkers gather evidence, examples or instances and, then based on their gathered information, they develop conclusions. Deductive reasoning begins with general conclusions and applies them to various situations to test their viability, application and generalizability. Students should be able to perform both kinds of reasoning in and out of problem-solving situations. 3.6: examine problems and proposed solutions from multiple perspectives We rarely solve problems in isolation. In most instances, problems, and their solutions, are part of more complex webs of people, systems, and interactions. Once one element is altered, the likelihood that others will be altered is almost certain. Therefore, anyone attempting to solve a problem must look at the problems and their potential solutions from many perspectives to ensure that the solutions selected and implemented will not only solve the problem being addressed, but also not create new problems or more serious problems than the original. This does not mean that all problem-solving involves group thinking, but students should be aware of the complexity of problem solving as it affects other lives and systems. 3.7: evaluate the extent to which a strategy addresses the problem Determining a solution to a problem is not the end of the process. Indeed, problem-solvers need to take a longer view of the process and include critical follow up among the activities inherent in good problem solving. Whether it
be following the progress and impact of a solution in action or using logical progression to predict the outcomes of solutions, students need to be willing and able to review solutions to evaluate their effectiveness. 3.8: assess the costs, benefits and other consequences of proposed solutions Closely related to Standard 3.7, this standard is an important reflective activity. Before implementing a solution, students should be able to accurately assess the costs of their solutions, the benefits, and the consequences in tern-ts of dollars, but also in terms of human costs, goodwill costs, physical consequences, aesthetic consequences, etc. This activity within the process is tantamount to “looking before you leap.” Doing this before implementing a solution is critical in order to prevent other problems or at least anticipate consequences before they are reality. Goal 4: Students in Missouri public schools will acquire the knowledge and skills to make decisions and act as responsible members of society. What does it mean to be a citizen? How does one le&-n how to be a citizen? Plato believed that all education was intended to prepare individuals to be “good” citizens. Thomas Jefferson, as did our other forefathers, believed also that an educated citizenry was a necessary safeguard for democracy. Making good, reasoned and informed decisions is an excellent place to start for any citizen. Acting responsibly is the second half of that good beginning. This Goal attempts to address, within the limits appropriate for public schools, what educators may do to assist in preparing Missouri's children for the requirements of citizenship and the roles they will play in their communities. 4.1: explain reasoning and identify information used to support decisions Inherent within this standard is the expectation that all students will be able to use information and logical reasoning to make decisions. Once decisions are made, however, students ought to be able to explain how they arrived at those decisions: the reasoning processes employed and the information, premises, and/or data used to inform that reasoning. In a nutshell, this standard requires students and educators to follow up the question “What?” with the additional question “Why?” 4.2: understand and apply the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in Missouri and the United States Citizenship guarantees each person certain rights which must be understood and protected. Understanding is essential to protection and must be the goal of instruction relevant to such rights. Accompanying any rights of citizenship, however, are also responsibilities which citizens must recognize and know how to practice. No one can make another person exercise rights and responsibilities; however, all citizens must understand their rights and responsibilities in order to make fully informed decisions and to act responsibly. 4.3: analyze the duties and responsibilities of individuals in societies The duties of an individual in society vary from society to society and have changed/evolved throughout time. The conception of the individual is a significant foundation for American democracy and the controlling philosophy for our national character. In other countries with like or different governance systems, the conception of the individual is radically different. As an issue within the area of decision-making, the roles and responsibilities of the individual within American society and within our communities can affect the directions our decisions take. Students, in order to be informed decision makers, ought to have done some foundational thinking about these roles and responsibilities. In more practical terms, the issue of career and workplace readiness necessarily includes exploration of individuals within differing roles in the community with wide-ranging responsibilities. Schools ought to help students develop a clear conception of the notion of careers and how to prepare for them and function within them. 4.4: recognize and practice honesty and integrity in academic work Honesty and integrity are important character traits within school and outside schools. Students ought to understand the rules governing academic honesty and the expectations for such honesty within the academic setting. Connections ought also to be made to honesty in other arenas, as well. Integ7ity is a much more complex issue and trait to define. However, it too arises out of the notion that students need to have a clear set of personal criteria for governing their behavior and be able to apply that criteria to academic endeavors. Consistency of application is the heart of integrity, and students should be able to express their criteria and apply it within various setting and situations. Again, no one may force any student to be honest and exhibit integrity, but they must recognize that such an expectation exists within the academic arena.
4.5: develop, monitor and revise plans of action to meet deadlines and accomplish goals Students need to be exposed to and practice the processes and thinking involved in planning, implementing, and revising plans. This is an essential skill for the workplace and for education. Again it requires solid task analysis and thoughtful development of plans of action, much like the problem-solving processes laid out in Goal 3. It also requires the ability to reflect on and evaluate the effectiveness and appropriateness of plans, allowing for and informing the revisions of those plans. 4.6: identify tasks that require a coordinated effort and work with others to complete those tasks While individual work is important in all areas of education and daily living, much work within these settings requires the ability to work well with others. Students ought to understand the dynamics, processes and requirements of groups and how to function within them. This includes knowledge of the roles individuals play within groups and the communication processes required for group functions (Roberts Rules of Order, parliamentary procedures, interpersonal communication, non-verbal communication, leadership, etc.). 4.7: identify and apply practices that preserve and enhance safety and health of self and others Health and safety practices are important in every setting, whether in the classroom, the laboratory, the shop, on the job, or at home. Students ought to develop the ability to assess health and safety risks in every setting; develop or identify, and then implement safe behavior; and employ appropriate interventions when necessary (e.g., the Heimlich Maneuver, CPR, etc.). 4.8: explore and prepare for educational and job opportunities Graduates of public education have two paths they may follow after graduation: continued education, work, or both. Students should, then, gain throughout their education insights into the workplace and its requirements, the skills necessary for effective functioning in the workplace, and the solid foundation of skills and knowledge necessary (including study skills, content knowledge, test-taking skills) for success in continued education.