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Standards Alignment

Standards alignment is critical in the provision of a framework to help the instructor
remain on the track while making plans and teaching. The beauty of alignment is that it allows
for progression and continuity of learners from one level to another. Alignment allows room for
continuity which is instrumental in making education purposeful and meaningful. The paper
outlines steps that are necessary to ensure alignment of instruction, the impact of NEU’s group
system in aligning standards, and the importance of differentiating between pacing and
alignment when preparing an instructional plan.

Aligning Standards to Instruction

Steps for Alignment
The process of aligning standards can be simplified through following laid down steps. In
ensuring that the standards align with my instruction, I will first identify the specific skills to be
taught to learners. The skills will be derived from the sub-standard being taught (Lopez, 2013).
For instance, I may want to teach students skills, such as expression fluency and pacing. The
second step will be securing various ways through which I will assess the learners during the
lesson. Assessments vary depending on the content and the goals to be achieved. I may select
assessment methods such as using reading inventories to test learner’s fluency. Instructional
methods are the tools that drive teaching (Lopez, 2013). Thus, the third step will entail
brainstorming on the instructional techniques that will be appropriate for use during the lesson.
Some instructional techniques appropriate for this lesson might include a poem or short reading
as well as fluency timings. These will be used to teach fluency and pacing. The last step will be

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to compile a list of resources that I will need in carrying out instruction. The above four steps
make the road map that I will use.
Assessments are aimed at revealing how well learning has taken place. They are the tools
that a teacher uses to know how well the students have understood what he or she wanted them
to learn. Instruction, on the other hand, ensures that students learn what the teachers want them
to learn. Therefore, for all this to happen, learning objectives, assessments, as well as
instructional techniques, must be well aligned. The alignment of these tools ensures that they
reinforce each other. Proper alignment of the three components of an instructional plan ensures
that learning and learner motivation are enhanced. Further alignment of activities, objectives and
assessments ensure that the course is effective and properly coordinated. It ensures that students
get the right message on what exactly they are supposed to learn. They get to understand the
learning process, and this ensures that they remain motivated. Besides, alignment ensures that
students spend quality time on activities that lead to the achievement of intended goals. Besides,
alignment ensures that instruction is effective and helps in the achievement of set objectives.
NEU’s Group System
According to Lopez (2013), alignment ensures that an instructor creates a system that
comprises of skills, assessment methods, instructional techniques and resources. Through
alignment, teaching becomes practical. Alignment at the instruction level is critical in the
creation of constructive coherence between instruction, learning, and how the teacher assesses
learners (Wijngaards-de Meij & Merx, 2018). Through alignment, a teacher achieves practical
and quality instruction. Keeping it practical in the development of an instructional plan ensures
that learning objectives are actualized into learning outcomes. Consequently, learning is
optimized. Practicality ensures that learning activities in the classroom help in the achievement

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of learning objectives. Constructive alignment is practical. Each of the four elements of an
instructional plan is well coordinated.
Alignment helps keep instruction practical by ensuring that learners are aware of the
position and role in the learning process. It keeps it clear on the role of the teacher and the
learner in the learning process. Alignment is a step-by-step process that is visible to the learner,
enhances learning. It makes teaching practical in the sense that the teacher has the learning
outcomes, but then, through alignment, he or she plans teaching and learning strategies that will
support the achievement of the outcomes. It also ensures that the instructional plan is
implementable.

Exceptional Collaboration

On the exceptional system staircase, collaboration comes first and is then followed by
standard alignment (Lopez, 2013). The two have a complementary relationship of some sought.
Alignment entails creating a framework that brings together resources, and the other three
components of an instructional plan. One way of ensuring that a teacher has enough resources is
through collaboration. Joining forces with other colleagues and members of staff both at the
grade level where the teacher instructs, and at other levels, one is able to get the necessary
resources. Collaboration ensures that a teacher taps on their knowledge and benefits from the
knowledge of other people as well. Therefore, through collaboration, a teacher has access to
quality instructional resources, and this consequently means that he or she achieves quality
alignment of standards.
In my career as a teacher, I will collaborate with colleagues in, among other things,
alignment of standards. Through collaboration, I will effectively align standards, and this will

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benefit my students. Collaborative efforts allow for the transfer of ideas and exchange of
knowledge which will be instrumental in sharpening my skills. As I benefit, my students will
benefit through quality lessons. Through collaboration, I will be able to identify some mistakes,
learn from them, and become better at my practice. Wijngaards-de Meij & Merx (2018), state
that constructive alignment can be a fairly difficult task and can, at times, prove to be a very
difficult one. I think that it can be fairly easy through collaboration with my colleagues and very
difficult if I decide to walk the path alone. As a result, I will seek collaborative effort to achieve
the task with much ease but with the perfection and expertise required.
Pacing versus Alignment

Pacing entails how instructors move through lesson plans. Through pacing guides, the
teachers are able to make the most use of class time, without being too brief or too fast. The
guides pace instruction both in the long-term and on a daily basis (Appalachia Educational
Laboratory, 2020). Pacing is an important component of instruction. Hence the reason why
pacing guides are distributed to teachers to help them manage time. Instructors need a pacing
guide for them to effectively and logically develop instructional plans that are properly aligned
with state standards. Using the guide, instructors correlate the content with the skills that they
want learners to learn. They also correlate content with available resources even as they develop
their instructional plans. Pacing ensures that teachers are time-conscious even as they develop
their instructional plans. Through pacing, administrators determine whether the operational
curriculum is in line with standards. Thus, the pacing is important in the detection of alignment.
Alignment, on the other hand, ensures creating an objective framework used to ensure
that objectives and assessments agree with the content and instructional techniques used to teach.
Alignment ensures that students are assessed on what they are taught, and the teacher knows how

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well the content is taught. Therefore, there exists a difference between pacing and alignment.
Pacing gives instructional a certain level of consistency so that teachers remain on track in
ensuring that state standards are effectively taught (Lopez, 2013). It ensures that planning is
possible both at the classroom level and at the state level. Through pacing, instruction is
progressive. A learner moves from one grade to another after covering the curriculum of one
grade level satisfactorily. Alignment the other hand ensures that there are coordination and
collaboration in the content being delivered, how it is delivered, the assessment methods used as
well as the set learning objectives. It is important to know the difference because each of these
terms ensures that an instructor teaches correctly as per the state requirements.

Conclusion

Overall, standard alignment is fundamental in the preparation of my instructional plan. I
will use alignment to ensure that instruction is focused and that I assess my students on what I
have taught them. Besides, the alignment will help me focus, ensuring that I remain on track and
make proper use of allocated time. Besides, I will only be able to ensure that I provide authentic
assessment if it is aligned with the curriculum. Through alignment, everyone will benefit because
there will be coordination between daily instruction, assessment, as well as the activities carried
out in the classroom.

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References

Appalachia Educational Laboratory (AEL). (2020). School Improvement Specialist Training
Materials: Performance Standards, Improving Schools, and Literature Review Module
6— Aligned and Balanced Curriculum. Retrieved 29 June 2020, from
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED489150.pdf
Lopez, D. (2013). No Excuses University: How six exceptional systems are revolutionizing our
schools (2nd ed.). Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu
Wijngaards-de Meij, L., & Merx, S. (2018). Improving curriculum alignment and achieving
learning goals by making the curriculum visible. International Journal for Academic
Development, 23(3), 219-231.