Standards: Coverage Validator
Comprehensively validate standards coverage, depth, and assessment alignment for accountability and compliance.
When to Use
- End-of-year curriculum validation
- Textbook/program adoption decisions
- Accreditation reviews
- District curriculum audits
- Administrator reporting
- Board presentations
Validation Dimensions
1. Coverage Completeness
Check:
- All required standards addressed
- No standards omitted
- Optional vs. required distinction
Thresholds:
- ✓ 100% required standards
- ⚠ 95-99% (note missing)
- ✗ <95% (insufficient)
2. Depth of Coverage
Levels:
- Insufficient: Mentioned only, no instruction
- Basic: Introduced, minimal practice
- Proficient: Taught, practiced, formative assessment
- Comprehensive: Mastery expected, multiple assessments
Validation: Each standard meets minimum depth requirement
3. Cognitive Rigor
DOK/Bloom's Alignment:
- Instruction matches standard's cognitive level
- Practice at appropriate complexity
- Assessments test required thinking
Example:
- Standard requires "analyze" (DOK 3)
- Instruction must go beyond recall
- Assessment must include analysis tasks
4. Assessment Alignment
Verify:
- Each standard has assessment items
- Assessment difficulty matches standard
- Sufficient items per standard
- Varied item types
Quality Checks:
- Clear alignment (not inferential)
- Valid measurement
- Reliable scoring
5. Instructional Time
Adequacy Check:
- Sufficient time allocated
- Matches standard complexity
- Proportional to test weight
6. Prerequisite Coherence
Sequence Validation:
- Prerequisites taught before dependent standards
- Logical progression
- Spiraling/review appropriate
Validation Report Components
Executive Summary
Key Metrics:
- Overall coverage: X% of standards
- Depth score: Average depth level
- Assessment alignment: X% fully aligned
- Critical gaps: [list if any]
- Recommendation: Approved / Conditional / Not Approved
Detailed Standards Matrix
| Standard | Covered | Depth | DOK Match | Assessed | Time (min) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.NS.A.1 | ✓ | Proficient | ✓ | ✓ | 120 | ✓ Pass |
| 7.NS.A.2 | ✓ | Basic | ✗ (DOK 2 needed, only DOK 1) | Partial | 45 | ⚠ Needs Improvement |
Coverage by Domain/Strand
Visualization:
- Pie chart or bar graph
- % coverage per strand
- Balance assessment
Timeline Analysis
Pacing Validation:
- Standards coverage over school year
- Front-loaded vs. back-loaded
- Adequate review time before tests
Assessment Blueprint Comparison
Test Alignment:
- Curriculum emphasis vs. test emphasis
- Over-coverage or under-coverage by domain
- Item count adequacy
Validation Criteria
Passing Thresholds
Minimum Requirements:
- 100% of standards addressed
- Average depth: Proficient (3/4)
- 95% assessment alignment
- No critical gaps
- Prerequisite sequence valid
Conditional Approval
Remediation Needed:
- 95-99% standards covered (minor gaps)
- Some depth issues (average 2.5-3)
- 85-94% assessment alignment
- Condition: Address gaps by [date]
Not Approved
Significant Issues:
- <95% standards covered
- Insufficient depth (<2.5 average)
- <85% assessment alignment
- Critical prerequisites missing
Administrative Reporting
Board Presentation Format
Slides Include:
- Executive Summary (1 slide)
- Coverage Overview (visual)
- Depth and Rigor Analysis
- Assessment Alignment Summary
- Comparison to District/State Benchmarks
- Recommendations
Accreditation Documentation
Required Evidence:
- Standards crosswalk
- Scope and sequence
- Assessment blueprints
- Sample assessments with alignment tags
- Validation summary
CLI Interface
# Full validation
/standards.coverage-validator --curriculum "full-year-math-7/" --standards "CCSS-Math-7" --comprehensive-report
# Quick validation
/standards.coverage-validator --content "ela-units/" --standards "State-ELA-5" --quick-check
# Comparison validation
/standards.coverage-validator --program-a "textbook-a/" --program-b "textbook-b/" --standards "NGSS-MS-LS" --compare
# Board report generation
/standards.coverage-validator --curriculum "district-science/" --standards "NGSS-HS" --report-type "board-presentation" --output board-report.pptx
# Accreditation package
/standards.coverage-validator --all-curricula "k-12-curricula/" --standards "all-applicable" --accreditation-package --output accreditation/Output
- Comprehensive validation report
- Standards coverage matrix
- Pass/Conditional/Fail determination
- Detailed recommendations
- Board presentation (slides/PDF)
- Accreditation documentation package
- Comparison reports (if comparing programs)
Composition
Input from: All curriculum and standards skills Final validation after: /standards.gap-analysis, /standards.us-state-mapper, /curriculum.analyze-outcomes Output to: Administrative reports, compliance documentation
Exit Codes
- 0: Validation passed
- 1: Validation failed (critical issues)
- 2: Conditional approval (minor issues)
- 3: Insufficient data for validation