Common Core and Related Assessments WASA Special Education Conference August 1, 2013

1. Common Core and Related Assessments WASA Special Education Conference August 1, 2013 Jessica Vavrus, Asst. Superintendent OSPI Teaching and Learning Robin Munson, Asst. Superintendent OSPI Assessment and Student Information

2. Our time together… • Get a Lay of the Land: Overview and Timelines • State Standards: Common Core and Next Generation Science • Access to Standards • Smarter Balanced Assessment System • Consider Resources • Educators • Communities / Families • Key Reflection: How might we foster a collective responsibility for the achievement of all students, including those with disabilities?

3. Washington’s Education Reform Context BEA Funding and Policy Recommendations District-directed professional learning structures Career and College Ready State Learning Standards for ALL Students Student and School Success Aligned Federal and State Programs Connected Assessment & Accountability Systems Basic Education Act: State Learning Goals McCleary Court Decision Research Demonstrating Student Achievement Nine Characteristics of High Performing Schools National Board Certification Educator Effectiveness Systems Comprehensive Mentor & Induction Programs (BEST) Professional Learning Aligned to Standards Pre-Service Programs Regional Support Systems (ESDs)

4. We have a choice. What’s next for YOU and your district?

5. Getting a Lay of the Land State Context

6. Washington’s State Learning Goals are the Foundation (HB 1209+; RCW 28A.150.210) • Read with comprehension, write effectively, and communicate successfully in a variety of ways and settings and with a variety of audiences; • Know and apply the core concepts and principles of mathematics; social, physical, and life sciences; civics and history, including different cultures and participation in representative government; geography; arts; and health and fitness; • Think analytically, logically, and creatively, and to integrate technology literacy and fluency as well as different experiences and knowledge to form reasoned judgments and solve problems; and • Understand the importance of work and finance and how performance, effort, and decisions directly affect future career and educational opportunities. • Updated in 2011: SSB 5392

7. Washington’s K-12 Learning Standards Landscape(CCSS-M, CCSS-ELA, EALRS, GLEs, PEs,)

8. Washington’s K-12 Learning Standards Landscape, Continued(CCSS-M, CCSS-ELA, EALRS, GLEs, PEs,)

9. CCSS and NGSSWashington’s Implementation Phases and Timelines

10. Washington’s CCSS Involvement & ProcessSummer 2009 to Present We are here

11. Washington’s NGSS Involvement & ProcessSummer 2011 to Present We are here

12. Moving toward Career and College Ready Standards “These standards are not intended to be new names for old ways of doing business.” CCSS-M, page 5

13. Vision Every Washington Student and Educator Purpose Core Values Career and college ready learning standards for K-12 All students leave high school college and career ready Our Purpose: To develop a statewide system with resources that support partners at all levels in their preparation of ALL educators and ALL students to implement the CCSS. 13

14. “Dramatic shift in teaching…” “The dramatic shift in teaching prompted by the common core will require practical, intensive, and ongoing professional learning – not one-of “spray and pray” training that exposes everyone to the same material and hope it sticks” --Stephanie Hirsch, Learning Forward

15. Washington Ongoing: Statewide Coordination and Collaboration to Support Implementation (Professional Learning Providers and Partners Across WA ) • Including: • School Districts (CCSS District Implementation Network) • Higher Education • Education and Educator Content Associations • Business Partners

16. Common Core ELA and Math Shifts • Shifts in ELA • Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction and informational texts in addition to literature • Reading and writing grounded in evidence from the text • Regular practice with complex text and its academic vocabulary These apply to content area (social studies, science, and technical subject) teachers as well as to English teachers. • Shifts in Mathematics • Focus: 2-3 topics focused on deeply in each grade • Coherence: Concepts logically connected from one grade to the next and linked to other major topics within the grade • Rigor: Fluency with arithmetic, application of knowledge to real world situations, and deep understanding of mathematical concepts

17. State Standards Students System inputs and considerations… Educators

18. “Intentional design limitations” of standards • Standards define what all students are expected to know and be able to do, not how teachers should teach. • Standards set grade-specific expectations but do not define the intervention methods or materials necessary to support students who are well below or well above grade-level. • It is also beyond the scope of state standards to define the full range of supports appropriate for English language learners and for students with special needs.

19. Changing Understanding…Changing Expectations A Strengths Based Approach to Education for All Students

20. All students, including students with disabilities, are a heterogeneous group of learners… Relative to that belief… • It is important to remember that the CCSS do not • Dictate how teachers teach • Dictate what instructional/curricular materials should be used • Most important in reaching the diverse needs of all students is how the CCSS standards are taught and assessed.

21. Here’s why that’s even more relevant… Most students with disabilities (at least 80% according to disability categorical descriptions – refer to Figure 1) are able to meet challenging grade level standards when given appropriate access to instruction, supports, accommodations, and assessments that allow them to demonstrate their knowledge and skills on the constructs being measured. These are students with learning disabilities, speech-language disabilities, emotional-behavioral disabilities, sensory disabilities, and other health impairments – students who do not have intellectual disabilities (sometimes called “cognitive disabilities”). Even for students with cognitive disabilities, one cannot predict which students will (or will not) achieve high standards when they are effectively taught (see Kaufman & McGrew, 2012; McGrew & Evans, 2004) and are provided appropriate accommodations and assessments that allow them to demonstrate their grade-level knowledge and skills. Creating Accessible PARCC Reading Assessments. 2012 Weiner and Thurlow p. 9

22. WA Students in the General Ed Classroom… WA FFY 2011

23. State Standards are for All Students • IDEA requires that students with disabilities have access “to the general education curriculum, so that the child can meet the educational standards… that apply to all children.” (300.39 IDEA 2004) • IDEA and NCLB require that students with disabilities participate in testing used for school and district accountability…

24. A Functional Model of Disability… ...a disability is a function of the relationship of personal capacity and the demands of the environment…. ... not simply the incapacity of a person to meet the demands of the environment. Disability Environment Adapted from: Michael Wehmeyer. May 16, 2013 ASES SCASS Summit on Implementing College and Career Readiness Standards: Implications for States Supporting Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities Personal Competence

25. Implications for the Education of Students with Disabilities • Access to the general education curriculum • Inclusive practices • Universal Design for Learning • Multi-tiered systems of supports • A focus on self-determination and student directed learning • Creating effective ways for special educators to work alongside, and in full partnership with, general educators through co-teaching and collaboration. From: Michael L. Wehmeyer. May 16, 2013 ASES SCASS Summit on Implementing College and Career Readiness Standards: Implications for States Supporting Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

26. How might we foster a collective responsibility… …for the achievement of all students, including those with disabilities? • …help teachers define their role in providing access to the standards. If teachers do not deeply understand the standards, they will be unable to design supports and accommodations or instruction that will provide a potential for mastery. • If teachers are not familiar with various methods of assessing progress, they won’t know how to adjust instruction to increase the probability of mastery. • If teachers are not deeply knowledgeable about the various effective strategies for teaching reading and math that have been shown to produce results, the likelihood that any student (including students with a disability) will be able to navigate these standards in English language arts and math is slim. Adapted from: Six principles for principals to consider in implementing CCSS for students with disabilities. Margaret J. McLaughlin Principal, September/October 2012

27. Special Education Professional Development Gap Analysis (Fromme) Standards for educator Skills, Knowledge and Dispositions Special Education rules and regulations, program requirements PreK-12 Student Learning Goals (CCSS, CCEEs, IEPs, Learning Maps) Actual APR Special Education Program Data (Student Achievement, Program Review, etc.) Actual Student Performance (Outcomes) Actual Educator Skills, Knowledge and Dispositions Program Improvement Technical Assistance and Professional Development Needs Student Learning Gaps Educator Knowledge, Skills and Dispositional Learning Needs Educator Professional Development needs to close student learning gaps SNPs, ESDs, Grant Projects, Professional Organizations. OSPI, IHEs, Districts Improved Student Achievement

28. Topics for joint professional development – state, regional, local levels: • Implementing the CCSS (and NGSS); • Universal Design for Learning; • Writing and implementing standards- based IEPS; • Monitoring progress; • Assessment literacy; • Using assistive and instructional technology to facilitate instruction and provide accommodations. • Other?

29. A Look at the Assessment System

30. The Assessment Challenge ...to here? Common Core State Standards specify K-12 expectations for college and career readiness All studentsleave high school college and career ready ...and what can an assessment system do to help? How do we get from here...

31. A Balanced Assessment System Summative: College and career readiness assessments for accountability Teachers and schools have information and tools they need to improve teaching and learning Common Core State Standards specify K-12 expectations for college and career readiness All students leave high school college and career ready Formative resources: Supporting classroom-based assessments to improve instruction Interim: Flexible and open assessments, used for actionable feedback

32. A Balanced Assessment System English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics, Grades 3-8 and High School School Year Last 12 weeks of the year* DIGITAL CLEARINGHOUSE OF FORMATIVE TOOLS, PROCESSES AND EXEMPLARS Released items and tasks; Model curriculum units; Educator training; Professional development tools and resources; Scorer training modules; Teacher collaboration tools; Evaluation of publishers’ assessments. Optional Interim Assessment Optional Interim Assessment • PERFORMANCE TASKS • ELA/Literacy • Mathematics • COMPUTER ADAPTIVE TESTS • ELA/Literacy • Mathematics Computer Adaptive Assessment and Performance Tasks Computer Adaptive Assessment and Performance Tasks Re-take option Scope, sequence, number and timing of interim assessments locally determined *Time windows may be adjusted based on results from the research agenda and final implementation decisions.

33. Digital Library Features One Stop: • The Digital Library will have links to all test engine systems through a single sign-on with user permission levels so teachers, parents, and students have access to all of the curriculum and professional learning resources. • Assessment literacy • Formative assessment resources • Links to other resources and other components of the Smarter online system • Includes resources for each grade band that address English Language Learners and Students With Disabilities Interactive Teacher Space • Opportunities to keep journals of practices • Key words or phrases in the journals will generate suggested lists of resources. • Record resources consulted and suggest others. • Teachers can request resources matched to student assessment results.

34. Smarter Balanced Timeline – Washington’s Involvement (http://www.k12.wa.us/SMARTER/default.aspx) • OSPI staff involved in workgroups 2010-2014 • Teachers involved in item writing • Sample Items and Performance Tasks – October 2012 (view the OSPI webinar!) • Pilot in Spring 2013 • Practice Tests widely available • Digital Library - State Network of Educators (92 from Washington) will begin vetting resources to populate the library starting Fall 2013 • Vetted resources to be available in late Spring 2014 • Comprehensive field test in 2013-14 • Operational use in 2014-15

35. Evolution to Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments in Washington

36. Summative High School Assessments in 2014–15 and beyond

37. Peeking Under the Hood…Practice Test now on the Web • Shows item types and tools/features • All grades, both content areas • Expanded features being released over the summer

38. Learn More and Stay Engaged • Visit us at: SmarterBlanced.org • Follow on Twitter: @SmarterBalanced

39. Purposes and Users for the Summative Assessments

40. HS Testing for Graduation (new June 30) Graduation Assessment Requirements • Classes of 2013 and 2014 • HSPE Reading, HSPE Writing, 1 EOC Math • Classes of 2015 – 2018 • ELA exit exam, 1 EOC Math exit exam, EOC Biology • Class of 2019 and beyond • College and Career Ready Tests in ELA, Math, Science (Biology or NGSS)

41. Students with Severe Cognitive Disabilities Lesley Siegel is covering this… tomorrow. • Common Core Essential Elements • Transition from extensions • WAAS – Portfolio supports for 2013-14 • Next steps…

42. Assessments are Tied to Learning Standards Current State Learning Standards Current General Assessments (MSP, HSPE, EOC) Extensions of Learning Standards WAAS-Portfolio

43. Assessments will be Tied to New Learning Standards 2015-16 Dynamic Learning Maps Common Core State Standards Smarter Balanced Assessments 2014-15 and beyond Common Core Essential Elements 2014-15 Transitional Portfolio Extensions of CCEE (learning map nodes)

44. Common Core Essential Elements: • The CCEEs are statements of knowledge and skills linked to the grade-level expectations identified in the Common Core State Standards. • The CCEEs create comparable expectations for students with significant cognitive disabilities. • Essential Elements specify learning targets for students with significant cognitive challenges. The Essential Elements do not describe all the ways that students engage in curricular activities or demonstrate evidence of learning.

45. Third Grade Reading: Literature

46. CCEEs Linked to Extensions:3rd Grade Reading

47. Resources for you!

48. Building Educator Capacity is KEY “The dramatic shift in teaching prompted by the common core will require practical, intensive, and ongoing professional learning – not one-off “spray and pray” training that exposes everyone to the same material and hope it sticks” ~Stephanie Hirsh, Learning Forward (2011) “Current teachers must receive extensive professional development on the Common Core standards, curricular materials, and strategies on teaching that now require students to delve deeper and develop critical thinking and analytical skills that previous standards did not adequately address…” ~ National Association of State Boards of Education (2011)

49. Where to Start…FIRST: Phase 1 – CCSS Exploration and Awareness Among… • District leaders and leadership teams • Building leaders and building teams Take the time to immerse yourself in and learn about… • The WHY - The background and vision of the CCSS • The WHAT - The major CCSS shifts in ELA and Math • The HOW – • Our state’s approach toward supporting implementation • Emerging resources and support systems What has your district done to support this for ALL educators? How have Special Education leaders and educators been involved? Who are key partners for making connections across program areas?

50. NEXT: Consider Phase 2 within your Building Context Who is a member of your district’s CCSS leadership team? What is the vision for professional learning to support ALL educators in the transition to CCSS? What opportunities already exist to foster educator professional learning across ALL program areas? Start the transition by Setting the Course! • Identify a core group of leaders (across grades and subjects; parents? Community partners?) as a lead CCSS implementation team • Take stock of current instructional practices, strengths, and challenges • Establish a shared vision that will guide CCSS implementation with all students and educators – what will it mean for your district/building? • Develop School-Specific CCSS Transition / Implementation Plans • In relation to your district’s overall vision and transition plan • Access Achieve and Learning Forward materials to inform professional learning • Establish short and long term goals to begin moving forward