Aligning Instructional Strategies and Competency-Based Assessments
Michael McDowell's article emphasizes the importance of aligning instructional strategies and competency-based assessments in education. It highlights using proficiency scales, particularly Robert Marzano's 4.0 scale, to measure and assess student skills and knowledge. This scale ranges from 0.0, indicating a student's inability to reach basic proficiency even with teacher support, to 4.0, representing a student's ability to transfer knowledge and skills across various contexts.
The article suggests that teachers must tailor their instruction and feedback methods based on the student's position on this scale. For instance, at the 2.0 level, students are building foundational knowledge, requiring direct instruction and corrective feedback. As they progress to 3.0, strategies shift towards collaboration, involving group discussions and problem-solving. The 4.0 level focuses on application-based learning, encouraging students to apply skills in diverse situations. For students struggling at the 1.0 level, high-impact interventions are recommended, and for those at 0.0, brainstorming for new strategies is suggested. McDowell parallels this educational approach and learning to ride a bike, where different strategies are required at different learning stages. The article concludes that properly aligning teaching methods to the appropriate proficiency level is crucial for effective learning and progress.
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