The Missouri Learning Standards define the knowledge and skills students need in each grade level and course for success in college, other post-secondary training and careers. These expectations are aligned to the Show-Me Standards, which define what all Missouri high school graduates should know and be able to do. In January 1996, Missouri adopted the Show-Me Standards, a demanding set of content and process standards that have proved to be an excellent frame of reference for student performance in Missouri. Grade-level expectations (GLEs) were then developed to provide grade by grade targets for instruction for teachers. Those expectations were revised regularly based on teacher feedback and new research. As End-of-Course (EOC) assessments were developed at the high school level, Course-level expectations (CLEs) were created to provide teachers with course-specific objectives.
The latest iteration of expectations aligned with the Show-Me Standards are called the Missouri Learning Standards. The Missouri Learning Standards help ensure students learn basic and higher-order skills, including problem solving and critical thinking. The standards are relevant to the real world and reflect the knowledge and skills students need to achieve their goals. Learning outcomes improve when students, parents and teachers work together toward shared goals. The Missouri Learning Standards give school administrators, teachers, parents and students a road map for learning expectations in each grade and course.
The Missouri Learning Standards do not dictate curriculum. Local districts and schools make their own decisions about curriculum, instructional strategies, materials and textbooks.
Curriculum is strictly a local decision made by teachers, administrators, and the community, and is approved by the West Platte Board of Education. As West Platte works to implement the Missouri Learning Standards, our local educators are helping make decisions based on local needs, just as teachers adjust their classroom instruction to meet the learning needs of their individual students. The MLS do provide illustrations and examples of the content described by the standards, but they don’t represent a local curriculum or mandate how or what we teach at West Platte.
As West Platte continues to develop and adjust our local curriculum to make sure our students are reaching the Missouri Learning Standards, we need the support of parents, students and the general public. The ultimate goal of standards and curriculum is to help our students graduate from high school fully prepared for career, college, post-secondary training, and life.
If you have questions about the Missouri Learning Standards or the local curriculum, please contact your child’s principal or the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. We will be happy to meet with you individually and answer any questions you may have about the learning expectations which have been established for West Platte Students.