1. Common Core State Standards
Komarek School District 94
Parent University
Common Core State Standards
1/21/16
Brian

2. Purpose of Today’s Overview
Build your familiarity with the CCSS
Brian

3. What Brought Us Here Today
What have you heard about the Common Core State Standards?
What are you hoping to learn about Common Core?
What are your expectations for your child’s education?
Brian

4. Review of Key Ideas: CCSS
Goal is for all students graduating from high school to be College and Career Ready (CCR)
Development of CCSS was led by the states - not a federal initiative
PARCC: New assessment that replaced ISAT in the spring of Aligned to CCSS standards and expectations.
Brian

5. Overview of Common Core
Play Video
Discussion Question
What types of skills will your child need to be successful in college and future jobs?
Brian

6. Key Advances of the Common Core
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS/LITERACY
Balance of literature and informational texts; focus on text complexity
Emphasis on argument, informative/ explanatory writing, and research
Speaking and listening skills
Literacy standards for history, science and technical subjects
TALKING POINTS Casimira
Fewer, clearer and higher
Rigorous content AND application of higher order skills
Why does the complexity of what a
student reads matter?
Expectations for reading have increased in post- secondary life: college & career
Two key phrases
complex text
independently
More emphasis on USE of content
Transfer to new situations
Focus, coherence and clarity
MATHEMATICS
Focus on key topics at each grade level
Coherent progressions across grade levels
Addresses long-heard criticism of mile-wide, inch-deep math curricula
Procedural fluency and understanding of concepts and skills
Content standards require both conceptual understanding and procedural fluency
Mathematical proficiencies
Mathematical proficiencies students should develop (e.g., abstract reasoning, modeling, precision, perseverance, strategic use of tools, making arguments)
Using mathematics to understand a problem – even in new or unfamiliar contexts
Organized around conceptual categories
Standards are organized into conceptual categories and models of traditional, integrated, & advanced courses
Promotes various approaches to high school curriculum
ELA/LITERACY
Reading
Balance of literature and informational texts
Focus on text complexity and what students read
Writing
Emphasis on argument and informative/explanatory writing
Writing about sources (evidence) – answer questions that require students to have read the text
Speaking and Listening
Inclusion of formal and informal talk
Literacy standards for history, science and technical subjects
Promotes the idea that teaching literacy skills is not just the job of the English teacher
Complements rather than replaces those subjects
BOTH CONTENT AREAS
Anchored in college and career readiness
Explicitly define the knowledge and skills that students must master to be college and career ready by the end of high school, and the knowledge and skills in each grade that build towards that goal

7. Shift 1: Increase Reading of Informational Text
Casimira

8. Shift 2: Text Complexity
Research shows that the reading difficulty of textbooks Kdgn - Gr. 12 has declined since 1962 while reading level of college texts has increased.
The result is that a gap of 350 Lexiles between the texts used in Grade 12 and those used at the college level
Casimira

9. Shift 3: Academic Vocabulary
Domain Specific Vs. General Academic
Most southern blacks were denied their right to vote. The biggest obstacle was the poll tax, a special tax that was required of all voters but was too costly for many blacks and for poor whites as well.
Freedman, Russell. Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
New York: Holiday House (2006)
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
Casimira

10. Shift 4: Text-Based Questions & Answers
Readers depend on evidence from text to reach conclusions and build arguments
Read like a detective and write like an investigative reporter
Kurt

11. Text Based? According to the author how do drops of rain form?
What do you know about water treatment in our community?
What kinds of clues might detectives use to solve crimes?
Yes, you must have read the text.
Not text based, may already know it, or need to do further research.
Kurt

12. Shift 5: Writing from Sources
Respond through writing to ideas and facts presented in texts
Read effectively and also organize ideas in writing
Requires a higher level of thinking than answering multiple choice or short answer questions
Includes short, focused research projects
Kurt

13. Examples of Writing in Response to Reading
Based on the information in the text "Biography of Amelia Earhart,” write an essay that summarizes and explains the challenges Earhart faced throughout her life.
The Board of Education is discussing a policy on the sale of energy drinks in vending machines. Using the information in these articles, write an argumentative essay supporting your stand on this topic.
Kurt

14. Shift 6: Literacy Instruction in All Content Areas
Content-area teachers at grade levels 6+ need to emphasize reading and writing as part of teaching their domain
Teach students to read and write like scientists, historians, and mathematicians
These literacy standards are not meant to replace content standards, but to supplement them
Kurt

15. Solve. Let’s Do Some Math ☺
A vacuum company wants to sell 28 vacuums each week. There are 7 sales people. How many vacuums must each person sell?
The Answer?
Todd

16. Advances in Common Core
Math instruction in the U.S. has been described as “A mile wide and an inch deep” With common core the instruction will be on fewer concepts at each grade level. However, the students will be expected to have a much deeper understanding. Students will be expected to problem solve and apply the skills they’ve learned.
Todd

17. The Common Core State Standards in Mathematics
Two sets of standards:
Content
Mathematical Practice
The CCSS in math consist of 2 sets of standards Pete
The content standards tell us what to teach, what the students need to know.
The mathematical practice standards tell us HOW to teach.
You can have content without Mathematical Practices but you can’t have mathematical practices without content.

18. K-8 Mathematics Standards
The K-5 standards provide students with a solid foundation in
whole numbers
addition, subtraction
multiplication, division
fractions and decimals
The 6-8 standards describe learning in
geometry
algebra
probability and statistics
Pete
Focus in early grades will be on numbers (arithmetic and operations) to build a solid foundation in math. Some skills, such as subtraction,will be introduced in an earlier grade. And other skills, such as time and money, will be taught later than they currently are.
At middle school the focus is on geometry, algebra, probability and statistics. Modeled after the focus of standards from high-performing nations.
There is also focus on communication, use of technology, problem solving - 21st century skills

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

20. What the Standards Don’t Address
How to teach
Intervention methods or materials to support students who are well below or well above grade level expectations
Range of supports appropriate for English language learners and students with special needs
Brian

21. Means Drive Ends
When the means drive the ends……what you expect is what you get. When you do not design programs with specific “ends” in mind, you have less clarity/control over the results . Need to know what results are expected (i.e. mastery of standards) before designing Programs, Procedures, Policies, Practices
Steve
© 2012 Action Learning Systems, Inc./SchoolCity, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

22. Ends Drive Means
The ends must drive the means. What you expect is what you get. Use the standards/objectives to drive your developing of Programs, Procedures, Practices and Policies.
Steve
© 2012 Action Learning Systems, Inc./SchoolCity, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

23. DISTRICT 94’S CCSS ALIGNMENT
The materials do not drive the boat. They are a tool to implement the curriculum/standards.
Our new CCSS aligned curricula are standards based. They are a continuous work in progress. They will continue to be reviewed and enhanced on a consistent basis.
Steve

24. Alignment Process
Develop a strong CCSS-based order of introduction, scope and sequence.
Pace the CCSS into integrated units.
Create rigorous measurable objectives for each CCSS standard to drive lessons.
Build CCSS progress monitoring assessments into scope and sequence.
Determine the use of current instructional materials as a tool to teach the CCSS.
Steve E.
© 2012 Action Learning Systems, Inc./SchoolCity, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

25. Next Steps
Continue to write CCSS aligned units in ELA. Each grade level will complete 8 units per year
Revisions of ELA units
Maintain a strong focus on writing in all subject areas
Develop a math scope and sequence and align curriculum accordingly.
Continue professional development in the area of curriculum writing and Instructional strategies professional development
Align social studies curriculum to ELA units of study
Align science curriculum to ELA and math units of study
New tools/resources
Enhance consistency and alignment of our report card grading system
Identify learning gaps and areas for acceleration
Brian

26. Helping at Home
Handouts
Questions?
Brian and Steve E.