District 11 Diamond Units/Lessons provide the framework for a balanced, quality education. Although many school districts have narrowed their focus to only achieving exemplary CSAP scores, mastering CSAP means students have achieved only a minimum standard of educational excellence. District 11 Diamond lessons provide instructional supports for those performing below minimum expectations. They also provide extension/enrichment opportunities for students through activities that draw students toward application of higher order thinking skills. Our goal is to provide a balanced education.

Opportunities Above the Line of Minimum Expectation

Rigor is found in diamond lessons as activities direct students to Levels 1 through 4 of Daggett's Application Taxonomy. Activities at this level are directed toward meeting the requirements in the District 11 Profile of a Graduate. They also incorporate what the Partnership for 21st Century Skills claims are necessary skills for graduates to possess if America is to retain its viability as an economic leader in a global market place.

Daggett’s Application Taxonomy Level 4 - Apply knowledge within a discipline Level 3 - Apply knowledge across disciplines Level 2 - Apply knowledge in real-world predictable situations Level 1 - Apply knowledge in real-world unpredictable situations

Opportunities - At the top of this diagram, we see the goal is to provide relevant opportunities for students to develop cognitively by mastering rigorous coursework, while developing the affective traits of citizenship, personal mastery, and leadership. The District 11 comprehensive Visual and Performing Arts program, in conjunction with other exemplary programs, play a vital role in developing each learner's unique talents and abilities.

Lessons designed using the Understanding by Design framework focus on developing understanding by including left-brain functions (explain, apply, interpret) and right-brain functions (empathy, perspective, self-knowledge). The Diamond Lesson Model carries this concept further by addressing both the cognitive and affective needs of learners. By addressing each of the issues contained in the Diamond Lesson Model, we can ensure that every student receives a quality, balanced education.

The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development’s Commission on the Whole Child in 2006, composed of leading thinkers, researchers, practitioners from a wide variety of sectors, was charged with recasting the definition of a successful learner from one whose achievement is measured solely by academic tests, to one who is knowledgeable, emotionally and physically healthy, civically inspired, engaged in the arts, prepared for work and economic self-sufficiency, and ready for the world beyond schooling."

Support Systems Below the Line of Minimum Expectation

Supports - Response to Intervention (RtI) is the district-adopted methodology for helping students achieve minimal expectations. Tier 1 instruction should address the needs of 80% of the student population. Differentiated instruction is the protocol we use to make sure that students do not "fall through the cracks." For students that need additional support, Tier 2 strategies are in place to provide individual and small group tutorial and remediation supports so students can return to Tier 1. For those needing more intensive supports, Tier 3 provides a plan for immediate knowledge and skill development so students can perform at grade level and return to Tier 1 instruction.

Positive Behavior System (PBS) - students needing assistance in recognizing and exhibiting appropriate levels of self-discipline are supported by strategies and interventions to help them master these crucial social skills.