Common Core State Standards

Common Core State Standards Martha Hinman November 19th, 2013 FACT Presentation

Common Core Video • http://www.cgcs.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=125&ViewID=047E6BE3-6D87-4130-8424-D8E4E9ED6C2A&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=898&PageID=1

What are the Common Core State Standards The Common Core State Standards initiative is a state-led effort coordinated by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association. The goal of the CCSS is to provide a single set of clear and consistent educational standards in math and English language arts that states can share and voluntarily adopt. A total of 45 states, the District of Columbia, four territories, and the Department of Defense Education Activity have adopted the Common Core State Standards.

Why do we need new standards? Until now, every state had its own standards and different expectations of student performance. Common standards will help ensure that all studentsare receiving a high quality education consistently, from school to school and state to state. Common Core standards can provide parents with clear expectations for what children should know and be able to do when they graduate high school or advance to a particular grade level. Common Core standards provide consistency for parents and students during transitions and allow parents to Continue to support student learning regardless of changes in ZIP code. In addition, evidence- based standards will more effectively prepare American students to keep up with their peers around the world.

What does Common Core look like in the classroom? Common Core standards are a clear set of shared goals and expectations for what students need to learn, but they will not dictate how teachers should teach. Common Core standards are not curriculum. Teachers and schools will continue to devise curriculum, including lesson plans and tailor instruction to the individual needs of the students in their class rooms. Local teachers, principals, superintendents and school boards will continue to make curriculum decisions.

Were teachers and parents involved in the creation of the CCSS? Yes. Parents and teachers have been a critical voice in the development of the standards. The National PTA, National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Council of Teachers of English and other organizations have been instrumental in bringing together teachers to provide specific, constructive feedback since the standards were first released in 2010.

What’s happening here in Redmond? Oregon State Board of Education adopted the Common Core Learning Standards in October 2010. The standards focus on a deeper level of Subject comprehension and set clear expectations for learning. For the past two years Redmond Teachers have been familiarizing themselves with the CCSS and the related instructional shifts. Over the next two years, RSD is transitioning to full implementation of CCSS: • K-5 Math (2013-14) • K-5 Language Arts (2014-15) • 6-12 Math and Language Arts (2013-14)

What’s new for English Language Arts? Non-fiction makes up the majority of required reading in high school, College and the work place. Since informational text is harder for students to understand than narrative text, more instructional time is needed to practice. The recommended time spent on literary texts to informational texts at the elementary level is 50/50; at the middle level is 45/55 and at the high school Level is 30/70. An emphasis on reading, writing and speaking based on evidence is another shift. This became part of the Common Core Learning Standards because most college and workplace writing requires evidence, being able to take a position or inform others through citing evidence.

Key ELA Shifts

ELA Shifts The shift to regular practice with complex texts and academic language occurred because research showed that there is a gap in the difficulty of what students read by the end of high school and what they are required to read in both college and careers. For all of these shifts the emphasis is on reading more complex texts. The features of complex text include density of information, multiple and/or subtle themes and purposes, unfamiliar settings or events, complex sentences, uncommon vocabulary, longer paragraphs and a text structure that is less narrative.

What’s new for Math? In math, instructional shifts focus on fewer, more central standards, building core understandings and linking mathematical concepts to real-world skills. In developing the shifts in mathematics, the designers of the standards moved away from what has been termed the “mile wide and an inch deep” approach to mathematics instruction in the United States. The Common Core Learning Standards for mathematics stress conceptual understanding of key ideas and organizing principles of mathematics such as place value or the laws of arithmetic. The standards are designed to allow students to progress through mathematics in a coherent way, building skills within and across grades. The Common Core defines what students should be able to do in mathematics through grade-specific standards, emphasizing speed, accuracy and real-life problem-solving skills.

Key Math Shifts

Will the new State tests be different? Yes. State tests aligned with the Common Core State Standards will be administered to students in grades 3-11 during the spring of 2015. Smarter Balanced assessments, that will replace the Oregon state assessments, will go beyond multiple choice questions and include short Constructed response, extended constructed response, And performance tasks that allow students to complete An in-depth project that demonstrate analytical skills and real-world problem solving.

Test sample

Assessment Transition • 2014-2015 OAKS (Reading, Writing, and Math) will be replaced by the Smarter Balanced assessment. Students will still have three assessment options for demonstrating proficiency in the Essential Skills • Through 2013-2014 academic year • OAKS • Work Samples Other standardized assessment • 2014-2015 academic year and beyond • Smarter Balanced Work Samples • Other standardized assessment

Categories of Assessments • Category 1: Statewide Assessments • OAKS (2013-2013) • Smarter Balanced (2014 and beyond)

Assessment Options • Category 2: Other Assessments (all have required levels of scores) • ACT • PLAN • WorkKeys • Compass • Asset • SAT • PSAT • AP/IB • Accuplacer

Assessment Options • Category 3: Work Samples (must be scored with official scoring guides, meet level of rigor required by OAKS, demonstrate proficiency) • Reading 2 samples • 1 informational • Scored by traits • Minimum score of 12 with no traits below 3 • Writing 2 samples • 1 expository or persuasive • Scored by traits • Minimum score of 4 in all traits • Math 2 samples • 1 each for any two of the required content strands (algebra, geometry or statistics) • Scored by process dimensions • Minimum of 4 in all process dimensions

How can I help my child? Learning does not end in the classroom. Children need help and support at home to succeed in their studies. Try to create a quiet place for your child to study and carve out time every day when your child can concentrate on reading, writing and math uninterrupted by friends, family or other distractions. Keep informed about what your child is working on. This will help you know if your child needs help. If your child needs extra help, work with his or her teacher to find opportunities for tutoring, to get involved in\ clubs after school, or to find other resources. For more information visit the RSD website (www.redmond.k12.or.us).

What Parents Can do to help their child prepare for the CCSS • Read a combination of fiction and non-fiction aloud or with your child. Look for subjects that interest your child — from sports heroes to dinosaurs. Select more difficult passages over time. • Read more informational texts including newspapers, magazines, technical manuals, science and social studies articles and books. • Talk with your child and have him or her explain things. • Encourage writing at home. • Help your children know/memorize basic math facts • Discuss and “do” real life math with your children

What Parents can do to help their child prepare for the CCSS • Look for “word problems” in real life • Encourage a good work ethic • Let your children see you read and “do” math • Discuss with your children their performance in school and what they are learning. • Talk about tests with your child and be positive and encouraging. • Talk with your child’s teacher(s) about his or her performance in school. • Talk with your children about the importance of graduating from high school ready for college and career success.

Application to Students with Disabilitiesby Common Core State Standards Initiative Instruction for students with disabilities must incorporate supports and accommodations, including: • Supports and related services • IEP annual goals aligned with grade-level academic standards • Personnel deliver high-quality, evidence-based, individualized instruction

Application to Students with Disabilitiesby Common Core State Standards Initiative Participation in the GE curriculum for SWD, may be provided: • Universal Design for Learning (UDL) • Instructional accommodations • Assistive technology (along with accessible instructional materials) to ensure access

Application to Students with Disabilities By Council for Exceptional Children Identifies six key principles that must be considered when implementing CCSS: • Students with disabilities require individual educational planning • Accommodations vs. Modifications • Evidence-based practices • Assessments measure progress and growth • Alignment of IEP goals with standards • Hire and support the best special educators

What’s Happening in Redmond? • CCSS Teacher Leader Team established to support teachers in writing an implementation of standards based IEPs • Teacher training before school began • SIW time focused on standards based IEPs and implementation • Peer review of IEPS • Classroom show cases of best practices • Special Education Teachers embedded in professional development with general education teachers for ALL aspects of CCSS

Step 1: Consider the student’s grade-level content standards Ask: • What is the content standard saying that the student must know and be able to do? • What are the prerequisites the student may be lacking in order to meet the standard?

Step 2: Examine student data to determine functioning in relation to grade-level standards Ask: • • Has the student been taught content aligned with grade-level standards? • Has the student received appropriate instruction and supports to attain grade-level standards? • Was the instruction evidence-based? • Has attendance/behavior affected the student’s progress?

Step 3: Developing the PLEP • Student Profile/Highlights • Present level of academic performance - Reading - Writing - Math - State, district, ELPA and KG assessment participation/results.

Step 3: Developing the PLEP • Present level of developmental and functional performance - Speech & Language - Behavior - Fine/Gross Motor - Independent Skills - Evaluation Data

Step 3: Developing the PLEP • Parent concerns (include other relevant team member input) • How does the student’s disability affect involvement and progress in general education • Transition - Preferences - Interests - Needs - Strengths

Step 4: Statewide/District-wide assessments • Ask • • What state assessments will the student participate in? • What types of responses do different state assessments require? • What are the administrative conditions of the assessment? (i.e. setting, delivery of instruction, time allotted, etc.) • What accommodations are allowed on the assessment(s)?

Step 5: Develop IEP Goals aligned with CCSS • Ask • • What are the student’s needs as identified in the present level of performance? Prioritize by area of highest need in order to avoid excessive number of goals. • Write IEP goals aligned to CCSS at the student’s instructional level. • What is the specific time frame for the goal? • What can the student reasonably be expected to accomplish in one school year? • Are the conditions for meeting the goal addressed? • How will the outcome of the goal be measured?

Step 6: Assess and report student progress • Ask • • How does the student demonstrate what he/she knows on classroom, district & state assessments? • Are a variety of assessments used to measure progress? • How will the data be collected? • How will progress be reported to parents?

Step 7: Identify specially designed instruction Ask • • Does the student have a goal in this area? If so, include in SDI • What accommodations are needed to enable to student to access the knowledge in the general education curriculum? (Remember an accommodation can be a device, practice, intervention, or procedure provided to a student with a disability that affords equal access to instruction or assessment. Its purpose is to reduce or eliminate the impact of the student’s disability so that he or she can achieve the standard. A modification may also be a device, practice, intervention or procedure. However, in this case a teacher is changing the core content standard or the performance expectation. CAUTION: A high school student who receives modifications to grading/assessments is ONLY eligible to receive at the highest, a modified diploma.) • What accommodations have been used with the student and were they effective? • Has the complexity of the material been changed in such a way that the content has been modified?

Common Core State Standards