Waukee students will become strategic learners who are actively engaged in using literacy habits to process information, construct knowledge, make judgments, and appreciate literacy within and beyond the classroom.
Standards, Benchmarks, & Objectives
In July 2010, the state of Iowa adopted the national standards called the Common Core. The formerly mandated Iowa Core Curriculum became Iowa Core, which is the national Common Core plus a few additional SBOs (no more than 15%).
The Language Arts Committee has worked very hard to horizontally and vertically align the Iowa Core for K-12. In addition to this alignment work, the committee has developed supporting documents, progress reports, and correlating SBO documents.
The new language arts and writing SBOs were presented to Waukee’s Board of Education in the spring of 2011 and were implemented at all grade levels during the 2011-2012 school year.
- ELA Standard 1: Reading Literature (K-12)
- ELA Standard 2: Informational Text (K-12)
- ELA Standard 3: Foundational Skills (K-1)
- ELA Standard 4: Word Work (K-5)
- ELA Standard 5: Fluency (K-5)
- ELA Standard 6: Writing (K-12)
- ELA Standard 7: Language (K-12)
- ELA Standard 8: Speaking & Listening (K-12)
Language Position Statement
Teachers in Waukee utilize the language standards defined by the Common Core to identify grade-specific language skills. These skills are integrated across all content areas through reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Active exploration of language allows students to acquire essential skills for effective communication. Exploration includes noticing and interacting with exemplars, experimenting with key concepts, and reinforcing skills through personal writing. Providing students with authentic opportunities to explore vocabulary, conventions and craft inspires curiosity and interest in language.
