For decades, education policy and practice has created a vision of grade level standards as a finish line for students to cross. Instead, for students who reach or exceed grade level standards, this should be viewed as either a continuing or starting point in their learning trajectory.
Tasked with the critical goal of helping all students reach grade level proficiency, instruction that reaches beyond grade level is often seen as "icing on the cake" instead of a mandatory mechanism to keep students appropriately challenged and engaged in their every day school learning experience.
Thus, once students reach or exceed grade level standards, very few school districts have comprehensive K-12 strategies to help students continue their academic learning in a systematic and sequential manner.
In order to promote and support academic excellence, a mindset shift is required.
Tasked with the critical goal of helping all students reach grade level proficiency, instruction that reaches beyond grade level is often seen as "icing on the cake" instead of a mandatory mechanism to keep students appropriately challenged and engaged in their every day school learning experience.
Thus, once students reach or exceed grade level standards, very few school districts have comprehensive K-12 strategies to help students continue their academic learning in a systematic and sequential manner.
In order to promote and support academic excellence, a mindset shift is required.