Let’s Learn about the Common Core State Standards & Smarter Balanced Testing By Mary Harbolt Instructional Coach at Faubion School

How did we get Common Core State Standards? The nation's governors (Governors Association Center for Best Practices) and education commissioners (Council of Chief State School Officers) led the development of the Common Core State Standards. Teachers, parents, school administrators, and experts from across the nation, together with state leaders, provided input into the development of the standards. The actual implementation of the CCSS, including how the standards are taught and the curriculum and materials used to support teachers as they help students reach the standards, is led entirely at the state and local levels.

Why did we get CCSS? It’s all about fairness in preparedness. Not all schools are the same and not all districts are the same. The CCSS are there to make sure every child is given the same stringent education so every child is equally prepared to graduate. This way no one stumbles on their college entrance exams or applying for a job because in fifth grade they moved from Oregon to Ohio or across a district. What’s happening in fifth grade at one school should be happening in fifth grade at all schools.

What is the purpose of the CCSS? Our current and future job markets have become global. For our students to succeed in this global market, we need people who have built a strong knowledge base through content rich texts. Our competing workforce needs to read, write, and speak with evidence to support their views and ideas. We need people who can construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others while being grounded in evidence. In other words, we need students to move beyond regurgitating facts and become creative applied thinkers.

So where does Smarter Balanced fit in? Smarter Balanced is the name of the new state assessments in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. We will administer this summative assessment in the spring to allow students to demonstrate their critical-thinking and problem- solving skills. This spring assessment also includes a Performance Task that challenges students to apply their knowledge to respond to complex real-world problems.

In other words, Smarter Balanced is one of several tools used to determine if students are proficient at the CCSS. It also helps hold schools, districts, and states accountable for making sure your child attains the knowledge and skills needed for college and career-readiness.

So let’s have some fun and take a look at Smarter Balanced questions!

This concludes the math portion of Smarter Balanced. Are you ready for some English Language Arts?

Thank you!