Providence School Board Presentation April 14, 2014 Rhode Island’s Transition to the Common Core

Agenda  What is the Common Core?  What will change in the classroom?  How are we preparing?  Questions and Discussion Rhode Island Department of Education  

Council of Great City Schools Video Rhode Island Department of Education  

What Is the Common Core?

What are Learning Standards?  Learning standards describe what students should know and be able to do at each step in their education. Rhode Island Department of Education   The Common Core State Standards apply only to the subjects of English Language Arts/Literacy and Math.

Why the Common Core State Standards?  By 2018, more than 60% of all jobs will require at least some college education.  Remediation is a growing concern: – Frustrates and discourages students entering college – Costs an estimated $3.6 billion per year – Results in lower wages for those who don’t complete college – Reduces the United States’ ability to compete for jobs internationally Rhode Island Department of Education  

Why Have Common Standards?

Principles of the CCSS  ClearerFewer  Higher  Aligned to requirements for college and career readiness  Based on evidence  Honest about time Rhode Island Department of Education  

Standards, Curriculum, and Instruction Rhode Island Department of Education   Standards  Learning goals  Adopted by the state Curriculum  Plans for meeting standards  Developed/adopted locally Instruction  Strategies teachers use to promote student understanding  Implemented in the classroom

What will and will not change in the classroom?

What Won’t Change?  Teachers are still the best source of information about student progress.  Teachers still have control over what happens in the classroom.  Students will still receive supportive assistance as needed. Rhode Island Department of Education  

What Will Change? Rhode Island Department of Education   Content Shifts  “What we teach” o Some content is moving between grade levels o Some content is new o Some previous content will no longer be included Conceptual Shifts  “How we teach” o Some things will be taught in greater depth o We’ll ask students to think about content in new and different ways &

In Math, students will be doing… Rhode Island Department of Education   Less:More: Skimming the surface of a lot of math topics Prioritizing concepts and learning at greater depth Relying on worksheets Applying math to real-world situations Learning math “tricks” Discussing math concepts and problems Disconnected math instruction Topics that connect and build off each other

In English Language Arts, students will be doing… Rhode Island Department of Education   Less:More: Reading just fiction Reading a blend of non-fiction and fiction Learning vocabulary from lists Learning vocabulary from texts students are reading Reading of simple textsReading difficult texts Learning from lecturesLearning from texts

Common Core Standards Rhode Island Department of Education    Clearer  Fewer  Higher

Rhode Island’s Transition to the CCSS Adoption July 2010: The Rhode Island Board of Regents adopt the CCSS for ELA and Math Transition SY : RI districts and schools begin to revise curriculum and instruction Full Implementation SY : All RI schools are using new standards Assessment SY : RI schools administer new PARCC assessments to evaluate student progress Rhode Island Department of Education   We are here.

Rhode Island is committed to…  Increasing awareness and understanding of the CCSS.  Encouraging collaboration between districts and teachers.  Helping teachers to help students transition to the CCSS.  Monitoring our progress and analyzing data. Rhode Island Department of Education  

Increasing Awareness  Outreach events (like this!)  Web resources:  Ready, Set, Go Common Core page:

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