New State Standards: 2014-2015 School Year Beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, Florida’s public schools will transition to the new, Florida Standards adopted in the February of 2014. Previously, the transition in Standards-based education was to the Common Core State Standards, which after public input and review, led to the adoption of the Florida Standards for all school districts in the state. The Florida Standards New State Standards: 2014-2015 School Year

The Florida Standards Why Are We Changing? Emphasize success in college and careers Prepare students with 21st century skills Provide more rigorous content and application of knowledge Place emphasis on critical and analytical thinking Establish clear, consistent guidelines for instruction The intent of the new Florida Standards is to provide for more rigorous instruction so that students have the knowledge and skills to meet the demands of the 21st century: “college and career ready” “success for any path that a student takes in life” Students must be better prepared to compete in the global job market with a skill set and knowledge base that is changing as new technologies and careers evolve. These standards will drive this change.

The Florida Standards What Subjects Are Included? Language Arts Florida Standards (LAFS) and Mathematics Florida Standards (MAFS) provide a clear set of goals and expectations Define what students should know and be able to do at each grade level – kindergarten through grade 12 The new Florida Standards will address; MAFS - mathematics and (LAFS) English language arts Other subject areas (science, social sciences) will continue under the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards

The Florida Standards What Do They Mean For Teaching and Learning? MAFS Deeper understanding of mathematical concepts Builds habits of mind of productive mathematical thinkers Real-world applications Modeling with pictures technology, graphs, manipulatives LAFS Regular practice with complex text & academic language Reading, writing, listening and speaking grounded in evidence from text Real world applications Build knowledge through content-rich text Teaching and learning will change as a result of the Florida Standards. Important instructional shifts for Language Arts include: Building knowledge through content-rich non-fiction text Use of literary and informational text as a basis for reading, writing, and speaking Reading and practicing with complex text and academic language Important instructional shifts for Mathematics include: Deep and narrow focus on concepts that are prioritized in the standards to build strong foundational knowledge Students’ conceptual understanding builds over time Rigor is defined through four components to guide instruction to include: 1. Mathematical fluency 2. Deep understanding 3. Application 4. Dual intensity or a balance between “drills” and application of concepts Mathematics includes two types of standards – Standards for Mathematical Practice and Standards for Mathematical Content

The Florida Standards What About the New Assessments? LAFS and MAFS will be assessed with the new Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) Spring 2015 administration of middle school assessments will include: English Language Arts (ELA): Grades 6-8 ELA Writing Component: Grades 6-8 Mathematics: Grades 6-8 Grades 6-8 will have Computer Based Testing for all of these assessments Student progress and achievement of the Florida Standards in Language Arts and Mathematics will be assessed with the new Florida Standards Assessments for the first time during the 2014-2015 school year. Paper-based accommodations will be available for eligible students with disabilities at all assessed grades.

What Are the Standards and Assessments For Science and Social Sciences? 2008 Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS) remain for science and social sciences Science FCAT 2.0: Grade 8 Civics End-of-Course (EOC) Exam: Grade 7 This is a computer based test

The Florida Standards How May I Help My Child? Read different types of books and informational text with your child Ask your child to find answers to questions in the text of books, newspaper articles, manuals, etc. Encourage your child to form and defend opinions by supporting these with facts, details and reasons from text Discuss mathematics ideas with your child have them explain these to you using pictures, graphs, etc. Visit the Florida Standards Assessment online portal at: www.fsassessments.org to become familiar with the new assessments. Refer to Parent Brochures as another resource for information.