The Standards-Aligned Classroom Initiative (SAC) is the first undertaken by the Statewide System for Professional Development. The Standards-Aligned Classroom Initiative was developed by the Regional Offices of Education (ROEs) and Intermediate Service Centers (ISCs) in Illinois, in collaboration with and funded by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

The Standards-Aligned Classroom Initiative was created to address the need for teachers to engage in meaningful staff development and study in order to impact the work of teachers and students on a day-to-day basis, so as to create measurable changes in the classroom.

This Initiative does not primarily address “Aligning Curriculum at the School or District-level to the Standards.” While that process may provide value, it has not proven to impact classroom level work on a day-to-day basis, and that is why the Standards-Aligned Classroom Initiative was created.

There are a number of key components in this professional development model. All based on what research has shown to be qualities of effective staff development:

• The training portion of SAC is job-embedded. That means participants' studying, learning and doing occurs in the context of real work being done by teachers in their classrooms.
• Participants work and study together in school-based “learning teams.” They study texts and workbooks on standards-aligned lessons and assessments, and share their classroom practices, trials, errors, and successes.
• Evidence-based curricular models, resources, assessment and instruction methods are studied throughout the year by participants in SAC.
• The SAC Design Team has implemented world-class instructional design people and processes. The Design Team has also worked closely with Dr. Rick Stiggins of the Assessment Training Institute, and has chosen Dr. Stiggins’ texts to be a part of the SAC curriculum. The Design Team has also engaged the talents and expertise of dozens of experienced staff developers, curriculum experts, and instructional designers from the ROEs and ISCs. The Team has also called upon independent consultants, members of the ISBE staff, practicing administrators and, of course, classroom teachers.  More than six months were dedicated to designing and developing the training process, training materials, and training the trainers and coaches. All SAC materials have been extensively piloted and they continue to undergo annual reviews and revision.
• Teachers participating in this Initiative may attend Alignment and Assessment Conferences held throughout the State. They may also attend keynote presentations by nationally recognized experts in assessment and standards. Participants share the products of their work with other teams at round-table sharing sessions, poster sessions, and seminars.
• Participants submit classroom-tested aligned lesson or unit plans and aligned-assessments to a review team. Approved lesson or unit plans and assessments are posted on a searchable website linked from the ISBE. Any teacher in the State is able to access and download high quality, classroom-tested lessons and units aligned to the learning standards.

All 48 ROEs and ISCs in the State are actively involved in this Initiative. Over the past three years, more than 6,000 teachers and administrators from 22% of the school districts in the State have participated. More than 75 highly trained coaches from ROE and ISC offices are currently supporting the schools.

Through this Initiative, the Illinois Learning Standards are influencing teaching and learning, as increasing numbers of Standards-Aligned Classroom lessons and units are being written and applied. In addition, more and more teachers now apply the principles of sound instructional and assessment design as a way to incorporate the State Standards into their lesson plans.

And it works!

The Design Team has been evaluating the Initiative based on the goals set forth in the original design proposal. The evaluation has been performed by Michigan State University, and MetriTech, Inc. [ view test results ].

Who's Who in SAC

This professional development program was designed by an instructional Design Team, appointed by the Professional Development Committee of the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools.

The chair of the Statewide Design Team is Dr. Jay Linksman, Executive Director of the Professional Development Alliance, an agency of the Regional Offices of Education in Will and Grundy/Kendall Counties. 

The members of the Design team are: Vicki Hensley, ROE 32; Marie Joy, ROE 10; Marjorie Cave, ROE 19; Kevin Seymour, ROEs 9 and 54; Kay Poyner-Brown, West Cook ISC, ROE 55; Donnette Nailor. ROE 4, 16, 44;  Ann Schwarm, ROE 3; Dr. Ed Suddarth, ROE 25; Dr. Sally Weber, Two Rivers Professional Development Center, ROEs 33 and 48; Marci Englum-Miller, ROE 11; and Joyce Krumtinger, ISBE.

The Project Manager for the Standards Aligned Classroom Initiative is Penny Murphy, whose office is located at the Two Rivers Professional Development Center, Edwards, IL.

A team of writers and designers developed the training, materials and manuals delivered statewide through the Regional Offices of Education and Intermediate Service Centers. The members of the writing team have included: Jay Linksman, Chair, Professional Development Alliance, ROEs 56 and 24; Penny Murphy, Project Manager for Standards-Aligned Classroom Initiative; Richard Carlson, Illinois State Board of Education;  Adrianne Roggenbuck, Professional Development Alliance; Cheri Leveling, Professional Development Alliance; Lori Loving, Two Rivers Professional Development Center; Dr. Ed Suddarth, ROE 25; and Donnette Nailor, KIDS.

A Special Education Advisory group was formed in 2005 and consists of Debbie Alletto, Maria Bohascik, Richard Carlson, Jean Chrostoski, Kathryn Dortch, Kay Dugan, Sharon Duncan, Meg Fitch, Penny Greenwood, Kim Jachim, Gayle Johnson, Chris Koch, Joyce Krumtinger, Suzanne Lee, Cheri Leveling, Marilyn Leveque, Jay Linksman, Becky McCabe, Bob Nielson, Teresa Putnam, Cindy Sanders, John Strauch, Melissa Taylor, Shirley Carlson, and Pam Wells.

The Design Team gratefully acknowledges Rick Stiggins and Judy Arter of the Assessment Training Institute of Portland, Oregon, for their assistance in developing the assessment learning team process and for supplying the writers with insights based on their research and experience working with school-based teams. 

Finally, acknowledgements are due to Dr. Christopher Koch, State Superintendent, and Joyce Krumtinger, Curriculum and Instruction Division, key members of the Illinois State Board of Education whose leadership and commitment to Standards-Aligned Classrooms have been unwavering.