| name | standards-updates-tracker |
| description | Track changes to standards frameworks over time, identify when standards are revised, analyze impact on existing curriculum, recommend updates, and flag deprecated standards. Use for maintaining current alignment. Activates on "standards updates", "framework revisions", or "standards changes". |
Standards: Updates Tracker
Monitor changes to educational standards and manage curriculum updates in response to revisions.
When to Use
- Standards revision announcements
- Periodic curriculum maintenance
- Multi-year curriculum review cycles
- Staying current with frameworks
- Planning professional development
Types of Standards Changes
1. Major Revisions
Characteristics:
- Complete framework overhaul
- Significant content changes
- Structure/organization changes
- New philosophy or approach
Examples:
- NGSS (2013) replaced previous science standards
- Common Core adoption (2010)
- State standards major updates
Impact: High - may require substantial curriculum rewrite
2. Minor Revisions
Characteristics:
- Clarifications
- Wording improvements
- Minor additions/deletions
- Numbering changes
Examples:
- WCAG 2.1 → 2.2 (additional success criteria)
- State standards annual updates
Impact: Low-Medium - targeted curriculum adjustments
3. Interpretive Guidance
Characteristics:
- No standard text changes
- Clarification documents released
- Examples and non-examples
- Assessment guidance
Impact: Low - may affect instruction emphasis, not content
4. Deprecated Standards
Characteristics:
- Standards removed
- Consolidated into other standards
- No longer assessed
Impact: Medium - remove from curriculum, reallocate time
Change Tracking Process
1. Monitor for Updates
Information Sources:
- State education department websites
- Professional associations (NSTA, NCTM, NCTE)
- Standards organization announcements
- Education news
- District communications
Frequency:
- Annual review minimum
- Alert subscriptions for immediate notification
2. Analyze Changes
For Each Change:
- What changed: Specific additions, deletions, modifications
- Why changed: Rationale (if provided)
- When effective: Implementation date, phase-in period
- Assessment impact: Will tests change?
3. Impact Assessment
Curriculum Impact:
- Which units/lessons affected
- How many standards changed
- Depth of change required
- Timeline for updates
Categories:
- Critical: Affects tested standards, needs immediate update
- Important: Significant but not immediately tested
- Minor: Can wait for next curriculum cycle
4. Change Management
Update Process:
- Prioritize changes (critical first)
- Assign to curriculum writers
- Set deadlines
- Review and approval
- Professional development
- Implementation
- Monitor and adjust
Tracking System
Change Log
Record for Each Update:
- Date Announced: When change published
- Effective Date: When implementation required
- Framework/Standard: What changed
- Type: Major/minor/guidance/deprecated
- Old → New: Specific changes
- Curriculum Impact: Which materials affected
- Action Needed: What must be updated
- Responsible: Who will update
- Due Date: Deadline
- Status: Planned/In Progress/Complete
- PD Needed: Teacher training required
Version Control
Maintain:
- Current standards version in use
- Previous versions (for reference)
- Crosswalks between versions
- Implementation timeline
- Transition period plans
Revision Examples
NGSS Implementation
Timeline:
- 2013: NGSS released
- 2013-2015: State adoption decisions
- 2015-2020: Curriculum development
- 2020+: Assessment alignment
Changes:
- Three-dimensional learning (SEP, DCI, CCC)
- Performance Expectations replace content standards
- Engineering added
- Nature of science emphasized
Curriculum Impact: Complete rewrite required
Common Core to State Variants
Timeline:
- 2010: Common Core released
- 2010-2015: State adoptions
- 2015-2020: Some states withdrew or modified
Changes:
- Some states added standards (financial literacy, state history)
- Some states changed grade-level placement
- Some states renamed but kept content
Curriculum Impact: Moderate - additions and adjustments
WCAG 2.1 → 2.2
Timeline:
- 2018: WCAG 2.1
- 2023: WCAG 2.2
Changes:
- 9 new success criteria added
- Focus on mobile, cognitive disabilities
- No removed criteria
Curriculum Impact: Minor - add coverage of new criteria
Proactive Maintenance
Annual Review Cycle
Schedule:
- Summer: Review for next year
- Fall: Minor updates
- Winter: Assessment for spring testing
- Spring: Plan summer revisions
Curriculum Lifespan
Typical Cycles:
- Textbooks: 5-7 years
- Digital curriculum: 2-3 years (easier to update)
- Standards: 5-10 years major revisions
- Assessments: 3-5 years
Strategy: Plan for mid-cycle updates
CLI Interface
# Check for updates
/standards.updates-tracker --framework "NGSS" --current-version "2013-Final" --check-updates
# Analyze impact
/standards.updates-tracker --old "State-Math-2015" --new "State-Math-2024" --curriculum "existing-math-curriculum/" --impact-analysis
# Generate update plan
/standards.updates-tracker --changes "standards-changes.json" --curriculum "science-program/" --create-update-plan --timeline "1-year"
# Track multiple frameworks
/standards.updates-tracker --monitor --frameworks "CCSS,NGSS,State-Standards,ISTE" --alert-email "curriculum@district.org"
# Version comparison
/standards.updates-tracker --compare-versions --framework "Common-Core-Math" --version-a "2010" --version-b "2024" --crosswalk
Output
- Standards change notifications
- Impact analysis report
- Update priority list
- Curriculum revision plan
- Timeline for implementation
- Professional development needs
- Version comparison/crosswalk
- Ongoing monitoring alerts
Composition
Input from: /standards.us-state-mapper, /standards.subject-standards
Works with: /standards.crosswalk-mapper, /standards.gap-analysis, /curriculum.iterate-feedback
Output to: Updated curriculum, change management plans
Exit Codes
- 0: Tracking complete, updates identified
- 1: Framework version not found
- 2: Unable to access update information
- 3: Critical updates require immediate attention