The common core and new state examinations

1. The common core and new state examinations Pelham Memorial High School

2. The common core state standards • In July, 2010, The Board of Regents adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts & Literacy, and Mathematics. • In January, 2011, New York-specific additions were incorporated into the NYS Common Core Leaning Standards (CCLS). • As a result, New York State has been engaged in a revision of the current State assessment program to measure the New York State P-12 CCLS. • In the summer of 2011, NYSED articulated the 12 instructional shifts necessary for alignment with the CCLS. These are:

3. 6 Instructional shifts in ELA

4. In layman’s terms, this means . . . • Students read non-fiction, essays, and speeches in addition to stories. • Students learn through reading rather than other activities. • Reading gets harder each year, leading towards college-level. • Classroom experiences should be rooted in text. • Students use evidence from texts in discussions and written arguments. • Students complete short, focused research writing. • Students build the vocabulary they need to read complex texts at each level.

5. Vocabulary acquisition • An important focus of the CCLS is on students’ ability to independently access texts. • In order to do this, they must develop a wide reaching vocabulary that can be used across all of their subject areas. • We are therefore engaged in an interdisciplinary focus on vocabulary including: • Direct instruction via vocabulary textbooks • 6-12 study of Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes • Collaborative focus on “Tier 2” (general academic) words (calibrate, itemize, periphery, faltered, unabashedly) • Subject specific focus on “Tier 3” (domain specific) words (legislature, circumference, aorta, metonymy) • Alignment of classroom language to CCLS terms (argument, claim, evidence, synthesize, tone, rhetoric)

6. What’s a “lexile”? • A Lexile score is one measure through which the complexity of a particular text can be measured. • The CCLS set target bands for each grade level to “stretch” to if students are to stay on track for college readiness. • For 6th grade it’s 925L to 1070L. For 11th grade it’s 1185L-1385L. • The Hunger Games is 810L. Moby Dick is 1200L. • Most non-fiction texts have a higher Lexile level than fiction texts.

7. 6 Instructional shifts in math

8. In layman’s terms, this means . . . • Students will be instructed in fewer standards in order to gain a deeper understanding. • Content will spiral each year in order to provide building blocks for new content. • Computational Fluency is stressed. • Students can explain “why”, not just the “how,” of mathematics. • Students must apply his/her math knowledge to a given application or scenario. • Both PROCESS and CONTENT are stressed as key aspects of learning in the math classroom.

9. The common core 3-8 exams • In Spring 2013, New York State administered the first ELA/Literacy and Mathematics Common Core tests in grades 3-8. • According to NYSED, these tests were created to provide families and educators with better measures of student proficiency in the knowledge and skills students need to succeed in college and careers. • The tests differed from previous exams in a number of key ways:

10. ela 8 – 2010 vs. 2013 multiple choice 2010 2013

11. Ela 8 – 2010 vs. 2013short response 2010 2013

12. Ela 8 – 2010 vs. 2013extended response 2010 2013 2010 2013

13. Math 8 – 2010 vs. 2013Multiple Choice 2010 2013

14. Math 8 – 2010 vs. 2013Extended Response 2010

15. Math 8 – 2010 vs. 2013Extended Response 2013

16. Ela regents implementation • All students first entering Grade 9 in the 2013-14 school year or thereafter must pass the new Regents Exam in ELA (Common Core) to meet graduation requirements. • All students who first entered Grade 9 prior to the 2013-14 school year may meet the requirements for graduation by passing the new Regents Exam in ELA (Common Core) or the Regents Comprehensive Exam in English (2005 Learning Standards), while that exam is still being offered.

17. Ela regents implementation

18. Math regents implementation • All students first entering an Algebra program in the 2013-14 school year or thereafter must pass the new Regents Exam in Algebra (Common Core) to meet graduation requirements. • All students who first entered an Algebra program prior to the 2013-14 school year may meet the requirements for graduation by passing the new Regents Algebra Exam (Common Core) or the Integrated Algebra Regents Exam (2005 Learning Standards), while that exam is still being offered.

19. Math regents implementation

20. Test blueprint –ccls english regents • PART 1 - READING COMPREHENSION • 60 minutes • 2 – 3 texts • Up to approximately 2,600 words total • Each test will contain at least one literature and one informational text. • Students will perform a close reading of the texts and answer 24 multiple choice questions. • PART 2 – WRITING FROM SOURCES • 90 minutes • 2 – 5 texts • Up to approximately 2,600 words total • Each test will contain at least two informational texts and, in addition, may contain graphics or one literature text. • Students will perform a close reading of the texts and write a source-based argument, as directed by the task.

21. Test blueprint –ccls english regents • PART 3 – TEXT ANALYSIS • 30 minutes • 1 text • Up to approximately 1,000 words • Each test will contain one literature or one informational text. • Students will perform a close reading of the text and write a two to three paragraph response that identifies a central idea in the text and analyzes how the author’s use of one writing strategy (literary element or literary technique or rhetorical device) develops this central idea.

22. What’s “new” about the new english regents? • Emphasizes the use of specific text-based evidence and a demand for close reading of the text.  • Multiple-choice questions may involve multiple steps to arrive at a correct answer. • More complex literary and informational texts. • Students write an evidence-based argument using a collection of authentic texts that relate to a specific event, topic or issue. • Students write a 2-3 paragraph response that identifies a central idea in a text and analyzes how the author’s use of one writing strategy (literary element or technique or rhetorical device) develops this central idea. • No listening section. • No Critical Lens essay.

23. CCLS ELA Regents – 2013 vs. 2014 multiple choice 2013 2014

24. Ccls ela regents – 2013 vs. 2014short response vs. text analysis 2013 2014

25. Ccls ela regents – 2013 vs. 2014critical lens vs. writing from sources 2013 2014

26. TEST BLUEPRINT – ccls Math regents

27. What’s “new” about the new math regents? • Multiple-choice questions may involve multiple steps to arrive at a correct answer. • Questions ask students to compare graphs, functions, or situations that are presented in separate ways (ex: words, graph then table); • Assessments will include more questions that require students to take multiple steps in order to solve them; • Change from 30 to 24 multiple choice questions • Integrated Algebra: 3 2-point, 3 3-point, and 3 4-point questions • Common Core Algebra: 8 2-point, 4 4-point, and 1 6-point questions

28. Ccls Math regents – 2013 vs. 2014 2013 2014

29. Ccls Math regents – 2013 vs. 2014 2013 2014 Donna wants to make trail mix made up of almonds, walnuts and raisins. She wants to mix one part almonds, two parts walnuts, and three parts raisins. Almonds cost $12 per pound, walnuts cost $9 per pound, and raisins cost $5 per pound. Donna has $15 to spend on the trail mix. Determine how many pounds of trail mix she can make. The difference between two numbers is 28. The larger number is 8 less than two timesthesmaller number. Find both numbers.

30. Additional Resources • Parent Links: • http://www.engageny.org/parent-and-family-resources • http://www.engageny.org/sites/default/files/resource/attachments/parent_workshop_common_core_resources_for_parents_to_learn_more.pdf • Sample Questions: • http://www.engageny.org/resource/sample-student-work-from-the-2013-nys-ela-common-core-test • Information about the New Regents: • http://www.engageny.org/resource/regents-exams

31. Questions?