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Why?
In February 2020, the Florida State Board of Education adopted the Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T) Standards and approved the most aggressive 3-year timeline in Florida’s history for transitioning from the state’s current academic standards to these new standards. This rapid transition will require substantial changes to curriculum and assessment, placing a burden on all levels of the state’s education system. This project will support the Florida Department of Education in ensuring that the standards implementation uses a strategic approach, grounded in improvement science.
What?
Through an improvement science lens, R7CC will provide support to expand state education agency (SEA) capacity and knowledge to support regional education agencies (REAs) and local education agencies (LEAs) in understanding and implementing the new state learning standards. Activities that will be undertaken as part of the project include: (1) reviewing and providing feedback on draft standards; (2) cocreating a 3–5-year implementation plan; (3) codeveloping guidance and tools for LEAs, school leaders, and classroom teachers; (4) identifying evidence-based materials and resources to support implementation efforts; and (4) identifying roadblocks to successful implementation and developing strategies for overcoming roadblocks.
Results?
Short-term outcomes include increasing SEA staff knowledge to support REAs and LEAs in new Grades K–12 standards implementation. Midterm outcomes include an increase in SEA materials and assets to support educators and leaders in Grades K–12 standards implementation efforts. Long-term outcomes include full implementation of new Grades K–12 math and English language arts standards by the LEAs, schools, and classroom teachers.
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