ABSTRACT
Teachers that plan their instruction without knowing and unpacking their standards are the educational equivalent of Lawnchair Larry; although their feet may be planted firmly in the classroom, they might as well be drifting through the clouds. Oftentimes at least one of the parties involved in the decision-making process is being particularly obstinate and is creating unnecessary roadblocks or refusing to bend on a particular and often crucial point. In 2001 Marzano shared his belief to Educational Leadership that the current standards needed to be reduced by approximately two-thirds. At the time Marzano shared this there were approximately 130 standards across 14 different subject areas, and he estimated that students would need an additional 10 years of schooling in order to acquire all the skills. The mastery of power standards has a prevailing influence in determining a student’s likelihood of success from one grade level to the next, hence the name “power” standard.
