1. A mile wide and a foot deep vs. A foot wide and a mile deep
Mile Wide -> No Progress
Mile Deep -> Support Extensive Progress

2. Welcome to the Common core
Freehold Borough Common Core Black Belt Team
October 18, 2012

3. Common Core Black Belt Team
What is the Common Core?
A nationally-developed set of standards designed to prepare all students for college and careers
Common Core Black Belt Team
A team of teachers and administrators engaging in a year-long training program focused on strategies for successful transition to the Common Core State Standards
FOCUS: College & Career Readiness as a Goal

4. Comparison of Skills Needed for College Readiness & Career Readiness

5. Right now, three-quarters of the fastest-growing occupations require more than a high school diploma. And yet, just over half of our citizens have that level of education.
The Common Core State Standards were created to ensure we compete – as an Individual School, as a State, as a Nation. Consider..

6. The quality of our math and science education lags behind many other nations. America has fallen to 9th in the proportion of young people with a college degree.
The Competitiveness of each of our schools rests on the Rigor of our instruction.

7. Now take it to the next level: Think Globally
In relation to other countries, where do you think we rate in English Language Arts? Compare the USA to Hungary? To Slovenia? To Estonia? To Austria?
Pause to give audience members a chance to consider.
Consider having audience members discuss with a neighbor for seconds

8. Note the target, our current position (red arrow), and how far we need to move (blue arrow)

9. How about Math?
Compare the USA to the same countries from the slide before. Add some more – China Netherlands Canada
Pause to give audience members a chance to consider.
Consider having audience members discuss with a neighbor for seconds

10. Note the target, our current position (red arrow), and how far we need to move (blue arrow)

11. Chance of later success
ACT Study – Schmeiser, 2006
Chance of later success 1%
32%
Science
15%
67%
Mathematics
Unprepared in Reading
Prepared
in Reading
And yet.. If I am not prepared to read, I have almost no chance to succeed in Science or Math. The ability to read academic, non-fiction text increases my Science and Math ability exponentially. The Common Core Focus especially on Reading – across the content areas.

12. K-12 reading assignments have become much less demanding.
College reading assignments have moved in the opposite direction.
K-12 teachers commonly give students many kinds of support and coaching to help them figure out the material.
College teachers expect students to pull the knowledge from the text on their own.
K-12 has decreased expectations while Post-Secondary has increased expectations

13. Research Based Answers
Our current lexile growth over the K-12 years does not prepare us for the expectations of various careers

14. Conditions for Successful Implementation
Vision
Skills +
Incentives
Resources
Action Plan =
Sustainable
Change
Confusion
Anxiety
Resistance
Frustration
Treadmill
Key Questions:
-- "Do we have tools, time, and training to map effectively?"
-- "Over the next three years, do we have attainable
timelines and goals? Who will be the responsible parties for
implementations, monitoring, and feedback?"
-- "Why are we doing this?"
-- "How do we build effective maps?"
-- "How will mapping improve
teaching and learning?"
Your plan for implementation must include each element.
Knoster, T., Villa, R., & Thousand, J. (2000) 14

15. Common Core Vision – preparing our students for college and careers
Reduce the need for remedial courses
Increase students’ abilities to apply deep understanding of academic content to find solutions to 21st Century issues.
Fewer
Clearer
Higher
Narrowing down the amount of content covered in a year
Clear language with examples of what students should know, understand, and be able to do
Increased focus on developing a deeper understanding of academic content
Good time to refer back to “Mile Wide – Foot Deep” vs. “Foot Wide – Mile Deep”

16. Common Core State Standards
Shifting Gears
FEWER!
Fewer, Clearer, Higher
Nj Math standards (2008)
Common Core State Standards
Math – Grade 6
4.1 Number & Number Operations (20)
4.2 Geometry & Measurement (21)
4.3 Patterns & Algebra (8)
4.4 Data Analysis, Probability, & Discrete Math (14)
TOTAL = 63 CPI’s
Math – Grade 6
Ratios & Proportional Relationships (3)
The Number System (8)
Expressions & Equations (9)
Geometry (4)
Statistics & Probability (5)
TOTAL = 29 Standards
Fewer Skills/ Topics

17. Common Core State Standards
Shifting Gears
Fewer, Clearer, Higher
CLEARER
Nj Math standards (2008)
4.1.2.A: “Demonstrate an understanding of whole number place value concepts.”
Common Core State Standards
2.NBT.1. Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones; e.g., 706 equals 7 hundreds, 0 tens, and 6 ones. Understand the following as special cases:
100 can be thought of as a bundle of ten tens — called a “hundred.”
The numbers 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900 refer to one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine hundreds (and 0 tens and 0 ones).
Clearer description of what students whould know, understand, and be able to do

18. Common Core State Standards
Shifting Gears
Fewer, Clearer, Higher
Nj LAL standards (2004)
HIGHER!
3.1.4.A-2: Recognize purposes and uses for print conventions such as paragraphs, end-sentence punctuation, and bold print.
Common Core State Standards
Reading for Literature (RL) 4.3: Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).
Higher expectations for deeper understanding

19. Common Core is cross-content…
In order for students to be successful, literacy skills must be addressed and infused in all content areas.
Language Arts and Mathematics are not the only areas that are affected.
We are all advocates for literacy.
Advocates for Literacy in ALL CONTENT AREAS: domain-specific vocabulary, working with informational text, text-dependent questions, evidence-based writing

20. Pair new, rigorous Non-Fiction with Existing lower-level Fiction (connection)
The goal is to create a balance between literature and informational texts
BALANCE!!!! We still work with literature, we just need to look for some opportunities to transition to informational text over the course of a unit

21. NOT JUST ANOTHER TREND
The Common Core Standards are the single largest enterprise wide initiative ever undertaken in American K-12 Schools.
This process has been funded by private business to assist the United States in cultivating a work force that can compete internationally.
These nationally developed standards have been voluntarily adopted by 46 states.
FOCUS – backed by private industry, adopted by 46 states

22. Conditions for Successful Implementation
Vision
Skills +
Incentives
Resources
Action Plan =
Sustainable
Change
Confusion
Anxiety
Resistance
Frustration
Treadmill
Key Questions:
-- "Do we have tools, time, and training to map effectively?"
-- "Over the next three years, do we have attainable
timelines and goals? Who will be the responsible parties for
implementations, monitoring, and feedback?"
-- "Why are we doing this?"
-- "How do we build effective maps?"
-- "How will mapping improve
teaching and learning?"
Your plan for implementation must include each element.
Knoster, T., Villa, R., & Thousand, J. (2000) 22

23. Conditions for Successful Implementation
Vision
Skills +
Incentives
Resources
Action Plan =
Sustainable
Change
Confusion
Anxiety
Resistance
Frustration
Treadmill
Key Questions:
-- "Do we have tools, time, and training to map effectively?"
-- "Over the next three years, do we have attainable
timelines and goals? Who will be the responsible parties for
implementations, monitoring, and feedback?"
-- "Why are we doing this?"
-- "How do we build effective maps?"
-- "How will mapping improve
teaching and learning?"
Move Quickly through this slide – just mention what can happen when pieces are missing
Knoster, T., Villa, R., & Thousand, J. (2000) 23

24. PARTING GIFTS Literacy Focus for all Freehold Borough teachers
Domain (content) specific vocabulary
Evidence-based writing
Text dependent questions
Increase Non-fiction
To improve student achievement. Fewer, clearer, higher. College and career readiness. Private industry investments. Development of common resources.

25. How can I teach my kids to get the answer to this problem?
PARTING GIFTS
USA:
How can I teach my kids to get the answer to this problem?
Use what they already know.
Easy, reliable, works with bottom half, good for classroom management.
Japan:
How can I use this problem to teach the content of this unit?
Make learning relevant to the students’ lives

26. Be that guy!

27. Questions & Comments
Please discuss today’s presentation with your colleagues and forward questions and comments to Rich Pepe.