Demystifying the Common Core State Standards

1. Demystifying the Common Core State Standards Joyce Edwards Director of Instructional Services January 28, 2014

2. Agenda • The Common Core State Standards • MA Frameworks • Implications for Teaching and Learning • MCAS and PARCC testing • Questions

3. Common Core State Standards • The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are shared expectations for knowledge and skills in ELA and Math. • Emphasis on both content and skills • Initiative led by states with continued partnership by states that chose to adopt the standards • Establish what students should learn and teachers develop lesson plans to meet the needs of all learners

4. ELA Key Shifts • Requires systematic approach to reading, writing, listening, and speaking • Maintains base of critical content within ELA including literature • Increase in non-fiction reading and writing for students • Text complexity critical component of expectations • All content area teachers now have literacy responsibilities

5. Math Key Shifts • Solid foundation of content knowledge and skills • Uses foundational approach • Accuracy is critical • Content shifts between grades from previous standards • Requires application of skills • Incorporates 8 Math Practice Standards

6. Math Practice Standards • 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.

7. CCSS Myth Corrections • CCSS is not a federal program • CCSS is not a national curriculum • Does not eliminate use of novels or literature • Requires the right answer in Math • Does not dictate teaching practices • No plans to extend beyond ELA and Math • There is no federal data base

8. MA Frameworks • State frameworks are more rigorous in many cases than the CCSS • This is our teaching mandate as MA teachers in a public school district • Approximately 85-90% of MA Frameworks are based on CCSS-meaning MA added 10-15% additional standards • MCAS tests based on MA Frameworks

9. Teaching and Learning • Significant shift of focus from teaching to learning • Curriculum and instruction must align with both content and skills from the MA Frameworks, based on the CCSS • RIGOR MATTERS • Increased emphasis on student skills • Reading and writing across all content areas

10. Teaching and Learning • Increased use of non-fiction with supporting evidence from text • Increase in writing types - narrative, informative, persuasive (opinion) • Math content proficiency is required • Incorporation of Math Practice Standards is required

11. Testing • MCAS testing in ELA and Math will most likely shift to PARCC • Science test will remain MCAS • PARCC field tests this year including in Franklin • Two components: Performance Based Assessment (PBA) and End of Year (EOY) • PBA is more hands on application of knowledge and skills and includes more writing • EOY is summative and will likely be multiple choice

12. Testing • PARCC • Some electronic and some paper/pencil testing this year and for the next few years • Eventually moving to all electronic testing • Next year we will choose between all MCAS or all PARCC • Data gaps as a result of field tests and pilots • Shift to PARCC if state board votes to adopt • Only if as rigorous or more so than MCAS • Likely as of 2015-2016 school year • Retests for High School through 2018

13. Resources • http://www.doe.mass.edu/candi/commoncore • http://www.corestandards.org/ • http://www.parcconline.org/