Opportunities to Learn

All students must have the resources and supports needed for them to perform successfully in school and meet high standards. Opportunities to learn constitute every element that contributes to full access to learning for all students and impacts when and how students learn.
These include:

• Organizational Structures
  Policies, protocols and procedures that determine how the school operates must ensure student-centered teaching and learning that welcomes family and business/community participation
• Educator Qualifications
  Teachers must hold the certification(s) and training required for highly qualified status under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 (NCLB)
• Instructional Strategies
  Pedagogy must be developmentally appropriate, student-centered, differentiated and research-based
• Curriculum Materials
  All resources used for instruction must be high quality, current, adequate and meet the needs of diverse learners
• Technology
  Computers and other technologies must be sufficient in number and type to allow for their regular integration in teaching and learning
• Environmental Conditions
  The physical setting must be conducive to learning (i.e. emotionally and physically safe, sufficient space, proper temperature, appropriate noise level, disruption-free)

All students must have the resources and supports needed for them to perform successfully in school and meet high standards. For all students to meet and exceed rigorous expectations, the PK-16 education system, in collaboration with families and the business community, must be deliberate in recognizing and addressing individual student needs. Each student possesses a unique set of knowledge and skills that determines how he/she makes meaning out of the information.  Diverse learners must have equally diverse opportunities.  All students require specialized supports.

Opportunities to learn exist in school, at home and in the community. The Rhode Island Statewide Curriculum provides resources for all stakeholders striving to build quality educational experiences for diverse students.  Classroom teachers can access model lessons and assessments linked to specific Grade Level Expectations (GLEs) and Grade Span Expectations (GSEs).  Each example describes the opportunities to learn within the lesson.

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