Standards: Target Browser Creation & Management
No matter what they are called, Standards, Competencies, Learning Targets, or Proficiency Scales, they are clearly the building blocks of Competency-based Systems and Empower. Once standards are entered into Empower, schools always have the ability to edit and modify them as needed.
The Target Browser
The Target Browser is a visual representation of your Learning Targets. It can show all of the expectations for any content area or you can filter and search to see only the pieces that are useful to you. We use these targets as Lego blocks to build almost everything else in Empower. This article discusses how to create and manage this content.
This Tutorial Video will show more detail.
Building Manually
The Standard's Editor
The Standard's Editor is the chief tool used to create and edit content areas, standards, scales, and checklists.
It can be found on the tools menu.
It can be found on the tools menu.
This tutorial shows everything you need to know.
Developmental Levels
Developmental Levels refer to the colors on the target browser. They represent the level at which a student normally covers this content. Commonly these are grade levels like K, 1, 2....
Admin users can change the labels and colors and create new levels using the Developmental Levels Tool in the Tools Menu.
This tutorial shows that process.
Possible Scores
Different content areas may have different scores it is possible to receive. Additionally, a school may want particular scoring functions turned on or off, such as the missing designation (M).
Turning Possible Scores on or off
This process must be completed for each content area individually.
- Go to the Tools Menu
- Open the Standard's Editor
- Select the Content Area
- Edit the Content Area
- Open the Possible Score dropdown and select or deselect the scores as desired
- Save and Exit
For more information about M (missing) and how it calculates, please see the FAQ article on that topic.
This video shows how to turn on or off which scores are possible in a content area
Adding New Possible Scores
If there are scores or labels that you would like to use in Empower that you don't see in your system, you can let us know in a helpdesk ticket. All scores which are not binary (+ for completion, M for missing, etc.) will want to be mapped to a numerical value so that Empower's scoring algorithms can function properly behind the scenes.
Be sure to include...
- The full name of the score.
- A 1 or 2 letter abbreviation for the score.
- How that score should be interpreted numerically by the system.
Soft Skills (Habits of Mind)
There is an option on the Big Idea if you'd like to keep Soft Skills separated from the academic Content Targets.
If you don't see these distinctions in the Big Idea, ask in a Helpdesk Ticket to turn on the Habits of Mind section here and include this picture (or a link to this article for clarity), if you can. You can also call it something else if you use different language. Just request that language in the ticket you make.
To add the HOM standards, use the Standards Editor, just like academic standards, but go to the Content Area Editor and set Area Type to "Life Long Learning"
Import by Spreadsheet
Attached to this article is the file to fill out and return to Empower's Helpdesk to load standards via spreadsheet. It is important to read the notes and watch the video below before beginning.
Please watch the video below before beginning.
- Do not use this process for revisions. Contact us for best practices to manage your revisions.
- Columns A, B, C, D & E are required. F OR G are also required.
- It is problematic to use the same Standard Name across Levels. It will be confusing to the users.
- It is very helpful for Empower's Client Service Rep to review this before submitting to the Helpdesk.
Column Definitions
Column A: Measurement Topic Full Name - Defines the row in which this standard exists
Column B: Grade Level - Defines the grade level this standard is aligned to.
Anything put here that is not already in the system will be created.
Column C: Content Area - Defines the Content Area in which the standard exists
Column D: Title - The title that will appear to users in the gradebook and on the tiles.
Column E: Scale Level - Identifies which level in the proficiency scale the term(F) or element(G) relate to.
Column F: Vocabulary Term - Becomes a checklist item aligned to the standard and scale level (E).
Column G: Element - Becomes a bullet item in the Proficency Scale Description for this standard and scale level.
Column H: Leave Blank - Leave it blank...
Column I: Standard ID - A unique identifier Empower users to identify the standard. Can be left blank for new imports. Is useful for revisions.
Revisions
Most revisions can be performed in the Standard's Editor (see above), but sometimes more complex revisions are necessary. Empower's Manage Revisions Tool is designed to help with these. This tool can be found on the Tools Menu.
Possible reasons for using this tool instead of the Standard's Editor include...
- Changes made in the Standard's Editor are live and universal. The Manage Revisions tool gives users the option to work on changes and withhold publishing them until a later date.
- Splitting a target into multiple targets or combining multiple targets into one while controlling how scores from the original targets are honored or ignored in the new targets.
There are currently no resources for this tool. For help here, please contact your Empower representative.
Troubleshooting
Readiness Assessment and Troubleshooting Decisions Tree
1) Check the Target Browser
THIS VIDEO shows all about the Target Browser where you can view your Standards to see if all's well or what needs to be changed.
2) Activate Content Areas
THIS VIDEO shows how to ensure the content areas are active for every school.
3) Existing Content Areas
If a content area has been previously entered into Empower, say, at a different district, we can grab it from there and load it to your instance with the permission of that site's administrator. You can request that we load these in a HelpDesk ticket. In all cases, we will ask for proof of purchase or agreement with the owners of the IP before we load anything.
4) Standards Entry
THIS VIDEO shows The Standards Editor, the main interface in Empower to create and manage your standards. You can build everything from the group up here right in Empower if you'd like.
We also can do this via a spreadsheet upload. Download the file at the bottom of this article. Don't start on it without watching THIS VIDEO.
5) HelpDesk
Still need help? Contact us at the HelpDesk.
The Two Most Common Mistakes with Standards Creation
The below video discusses the two most common mistakes that users make when creating their content: Activating the Content Area and Enabling Possible Scores.
Related Articles
Video: Two Common Standards Issues: Activate Content Areas and Possible Scores
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