1. Erie 2 Regional Curriculum Council March 14, 2012
NYSED Updates
Erie 2
Regional Curriculum Council
March 14, 2012

2. ESEA WAIVER INITIATIVE “REGULATORY FLEXIBILITY”
On September 23rd, President Obama announced an Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) regulatory flexibility initiative to revise No Child Left Behind (NCLB).
Flexibility is being offered in the following areas:
Timeline for All Students Becoming Proficient
School and District Improvement Requirements
Highly Qualified Teacher Improvement Plans
Schoolwide Programs
Transferability of Funds
Use of School Improvement Grant Funds
Rewards for Schools
Rural Schools
Twenty-First Century Community Learning Centers program (optional)
In exchange for flexibility, states must:
Set College- and Career-Ready Standards for All Students and Develop and Administer Annual, Statewide, Aligned, High-Quality Assessments that Measure Student Growth.
Develop Systems of Differentiated Recognition, Accountability and Support.
Support Effective Teaching and Leadership, including implementing Teacher and Principal Evaluation in which student growth is a significant factor.
Reduce Duplication and Unnecessary Burden.
NOTE: States have one of three rounds to apply for waivers. Eleven states submitted requests on November 14, 2011 in Round 1. New York State submitted its request on February 28, 2012 in Round 2. A third round will be held at the end of the school year.
NOTE: States have one of three rounds to apply for waivers. Eleven states submitted requests on November 14, 2011 in Round 1. New York State submitted its request on February 28, 2012 in Round 2. A third round will be held at the end of the school year.

3. ESEA Flexibility Request
Revise the Annual Measurable Objectives (AMO)
Align to College- and Career- Readiness
Replace Identification of Districts and Schools for Improvement, Corrective Action and Restructuring with Identification of Priority and Focus Districts and Schools
Replace Identification Of Schools As High Performing/Rapidly Improving With Identification Of Reward Schools
Use Proficiency and Growth Measures to Make Accountability Determinations for Elementary and Middle Schools
Create a Single Diagnostic Tool ("The Diagnostic Tool for School and District Effectiveness") to Drive Improvement
Reframe the Existing Set-Asides in ESEA 3

4. New Developments in NYS Assessments

5. What is new?
Required use of Standardized Scannable Answer Sheets for all Regents Exams starting in June 2012
Beginning in the school year, teachers may no longer score their own students’ exams.

6. What’s Changed for 2012 Grades 3-8 ELA and Math Tests?
ELA and Math Tests will include embedded multiple-choice field test questions
Writing mechanics assessed by inclusion in the English Language Arts Test scoring rubric for extended responses
Schools must schedule 90 minutes of testing time for each session, on each day, at each grade.
Grade 3 ELA Test sessions will not feature separately timed segments.
Students will be given a 5-minute break at the midway point in session one of the ELA Test at all grades.

7. Coming Attractions
To help prepare schools for administering the Grades 3-8 Tests, the following documents will be posted at:
Grades 3-5 and 6-8 ELA and Math Teacher’s Directions (Posted on March 2)
PowerPoint, “Training for Teachers Scoring Extended-Response Questions in the 2012 Grades 3-8 English Language Arts Tests” with the revised rubric (by March 23)

8. Documents to Be Posted (continued)
School Administrator’s Manual (by March 30)
Scoring Site Operations Manual (by March 30)

9. School Year
Transition of State Assessments
(as of 3/1/12, subject to change)
Grades 3-8 ELA Tests aligned to Common Core
Grades 3-8 Math Tests aligned to Common Core
NYSESLAT aligned to Common Core
Regents Exam in English aligned to Common Core
Regents Exam in Algebra I aligned to Common Core
Regents Exam in Geometry aligned to Common Core
NYSAA in ELA and Math aligned to Common Core
PARCC Assessments are scheduled to be operational and are subject to adoption by the Board of Regents
Regents Exam in Algebra II aligned to Common Core
Grades 4, 6*, 7* & 8 Science Tests aligned to Next Generation Science Standards
Regents Exams in Living Environment, Earth Science, Chemistry, & Physics aligned to Next Generation Science Standards
Grades 6-8* Social Studies aligned with the 2012 CC aligned SS Standards
Regents Exams in Global* (Possible split. If so, Global I – 2015 and Global II in 2016), & Regents Exam in US History & Government aligned with the 2012 CC aligned SS Standards
NYSAA in SS and Science aligned to Common Core
* Pending the availability of funding.

10. PARCC Assessments
PARCC assessments are scheduled to be operational in and are subject to Board of Regents adoption.
The PARCC Consortium is developing CCSS aligned ELA and math assessments that will cover grades 3-11

11. Online PARCC Assessments
PARCC Readiness Survey tool expected by March 20
Open source
Data will be collected from states twice annually through 2014
SED seeking funding for small scale pilot for and potential larger pilot for 13-14
PARCC will be computer-based if approved by BOR 14-15

12. Math Tools and Math Shift 3 for 2012-13 Tests: Fluency (Our current draft thinking as of 3/1/12)
Grades 3-8 students must have the use of a ruler for the entire test.
Grades 4-8 students must have the use of a protractor for the entire test.
Grades 3-5 students will not have the use of calculators.
Grade 6 students must have the use of a four-function calculator with a square root key or a scientific calculator for the entire test. (Schools may choose which type they purchase.)
Grades 7 & 8 students must have the use of a scientific calculator for the entire test.

13. Science and Social Studies
Next Generation Science Standards draft and final still in the works on national level.
Common Core aligned SS Standards will be released in spring of 2012.
Global exam will be split into two exams that each cover one year of content. (Pending funding)
After that social studies curriculum modules and assessments that incorporate Common Core-like changes will be developed and released