1. The Parent’s Guide to The Common Core and PARCC Assessment
Morris school district
Spring 2014

2. What is the Common Core?

3. Common Core Standards
Common Core State Standards (CCCS) provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn to be college and career ready. The PARCC Assessments measure student progress toward standards.
In June 2010, the New Jersey State Board of Education (NJBOE) and the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) adopted the CCCS.
These Educational standards in Math and English Language Arts were developed nationally in collaboration with teachers, school administrators, and experts to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare our children for college and the workforce.

4. Common Core Standards The Common Core Standards
Are aligned with college and work expectations;
Are clear, understandable, and consistent;
Include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills;
Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards; and,
Are evidence based.

5. 46 States and DC Have Adopted the Common Core Standards

6. How Will The Standards Be Different?
Include rigorous content and application of knowledge through higher-order thinking skills
Provide performance-based collaborative activities and assessments
Integrate literacy across content areas including Science and Social Studies
Place stronger emphasis on informational text, research, and media skills

7. Instructional Shifts in ELA
Read as much nonfiction as fiction
Learn about the world by reading
Read more challenging material closely
Discuss reading using evidence
Write non-fiction using evidence
Increase academic vocabulary

8. Instructional Shifts in Math
6 Shifts in Mathematics
Focus: Learn more about fewer, key topics
Coherence: Build skills within and across grades
Fluency: Develop speed and accuracy
Deep Understanding: Really know it, really do it
Application of Concepts: Use them in the real world
Dual Intensity: Practice/Understand-Think fast & solve problems

9. ELA Shift 1: Read as Much Non-Fiction as Fiction
Students Must...
Parents Can…
Read more non-fiction
Supply more non-fiction
Know the ways non-fiction can be put together
Read and discuss more non-fiction with your child
Enjoy and discuss the details of non-fiction
Have fun with non-fiction in front of children

10. ELA Shift 2: Learn About the World by Reading
Students Must…
Parents Can…
Build proficiency in Science and Social Studies through reading
Supply series of text on topics of interest
Handle “primary source” documents
Find books that explain
Get “smarter” through text
Discuss non-fiction text and the ideas within

11. ELA Shift 3: Read More Complex Material Carefully
Students Must…
Parents Can…
Re-Read
Provide more challenging text that students WANT to and can read
Read material at comfort level AND work with more challenging text
Know grade level/reading level appropriate text
Unpack text
Read challenging text with student
Handle frustration and keep pushing
Show that challenging text is worth unpacking

12. ELA Shift 4: Discuss Reading Using Evidence
Students Must…
Parents Can…
Find evidence to support their arguments
Talk about text
Form judgments
Demand evidence in every day discussions/disagreements
Become scholars
Read aloud or read the same book and discuss with evidence
Discuss authors’ point of view

13. ELA Shift 5: Discuss Reading Using Evidence
Students Must…
Parents Can…
Make arguments in writing using evidence
Encourage writing at home
Compare multiple texts in writing
Write “books” together and use evidence/details
Write well

14. ELA Shift 6: Academic Vocabulary
Students Must…
Parents Can…
Learn the words that they can use in college and career
Read often and constantly with your children
Get smarter about using
“language of power”
Provide multiple books on the same topic
Talk to your children about reading
Listen to your children read
Play word and rhyming games with your children

15. Mathematics Shift 1: Focus: Learn More About Less
Students Must…
Parents Can…
Spend more time on fewer concepts
Know what the priority work is for their children and grade levels
Spend time with their children on priority work
Ask teachers about progress on priority work

16. Mathematics Shift 2: Coherence: Skills Across Grades
Students Must…
Parents Can…
Keep building on learning year after year
Be aware of child’s struggles and how they could impact future learning
Advocate for their child and ensure that support is given for “gap” skills

17. Mathematics Shift 3: Fluency: Speed and Accuracy
Students Must…
Parents Can…
Spend time practicing many problems on the same idea
Push children to know/memorize basic math facts
Know all fluencies their child should have and prioritize learning the ones children haven’t mastered

18. Mathematics Shift 4: Deep Understanding: Know It/Do It!
Students Must…
Parents Can…
UNDERSTAND why the math works. Make the math work.
Notice whether your child REALLY knows why the answer is what it is
TALK about why the math works
Provide time your child needs to learn key math
PROVE that they know why and how the math works
Be familiar with the math your child needs to know

19. Mathematics Shift 5: Application of Concepts: Real World
Students Must…
Parents Can…
Apply math in real world situations
Ask your children to do the math that comes up in their daily life
Know which math to use for which situation

20. Mathematics Shift 6: Dual Intensity: Practice & Understand/Think Fast & Solve
Students Must…
Parents Can…
Be able to use core math facts FAST
Notice which skills your child is smart in and where they need to get smarter
Make sure your child is PRACTICING math facts he/she struggles with
Be able to apply math in the real world
Make sure your child is thinking about math in real life

21. Mathematical Practice Standards
Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
Reason abstractly and quantitatively
Construct viable arguments & critique the reasoning of others
Model with mathematics
Use appropriate tools strategically
Attend to precision
Look for and make sense of structure
Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning

22. PARCC Assessments What is PARCC? What will it look like?
How will it be different from NJASK?
When will PARCC assessments be administered?

23. PARCC Assessments
The Partnership for Assessments of College and Careers (PARCC) is a group of 19 states working together to develop a common set of computer-based K-12 assessments in English Language Arts/Literacy and Math linked to the new, more rigorous Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

24. Why New Assessments Now?
Current state assessments were not designed to:
Assess and signal whether students are on track for success in college or careers
Produce timely, actionable data for students, teachers and parents
Test key skills, such as critical thinking and ability to problem solve

25. PARCC Priorities
Determine whether students are college and career ready or on track
Connect to the Common Core Standards
Measure the full range of student performance, including that of high and low achieving students
Provide educators data throughout the year to inform instruction
Create innovative 21st Century, technology-based assessments
Be affordable and sustainable

26. How Will PARCC Be Different
Students: Will know if they are on track to graduate ready for college/careers
Teachers: Will have earlier access to data to plan for learning and instruction for the following year
Parents: Will have clear and timely information about student progress
States: Will have valid results that are comparable across borders

27. How Will PARCC Be Different
For Teachers and Schools:
Computer-based testing will boost student engagement and scores
More efficient than pencil-paper
Timely data during the year will aid instruction, professional development
Tests will assess the full range of student performance
Tests will measure student growth at all levels as well as measuring proficiency

28. PARCC Assessments
Beginning in , PARCC Assessments will replace NJASK in grades At the high school level, End of Course exams will be introduced for English 9, 10, 11 and Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra 2.
PARCC Assessments are comprised of two sections:
Performance Based Assessment (PBA)
End of Year Assessment (EQY)

29. Two Required Assessments Yield Overall Score
Beginning of School Year
End of School Year
Flexible administration
Performance-Based
Assessment
Diagnostic Assessment
Mid-Year Assessment
End-of-Year
Assessment
Speaking and Listening Assessment
Key:
Optional
Required

30. PARCC Assessments
Teachers, students, parents, and others can engage with the sample items using computer-based tools such as drag-and-drop, multiple select, text highlighting, and an equation builder. PARCC has also released online tutorials that demonstrate how students will navigate the test, how to use the computer-based tools, and features that make the test more accessible for all students, including those with disabilities and English learners.

31. In the Morris School District…
Are we prepared for PARCC?
Full Implementation of CCSS for
Focus on informational text (non-fiction), citing text, and critical analysis in ELA
Focus on fact fluency and problem solving in Mathematics

32. In the Morris School District…
What about the technology needs that are required for computer-based testing?
Technology specifications for computer-based testing was sent to districts two-years ago.
Recent upgrades to our network systems and the additional purchasing of equipment has put MSD “ahead of the curve” in the area of PARCC preparedness.
Increased focus on technology skills such as typing, “click & drag”, and utilizing multiple windows has been a priority at each school.

33. Questions?

34. Resources and References