Dr. Detrius Jones Georgia PTA Board Member, Chair of Education

1. Dr. Detrius Jones Georgia PTA Board Member, Chair of Education

2. The National PTA believes that all levels of the government have an important role in providing services that support public education and must share in providing adequate funding for our schools.

3. Myth: CCSS is a Federal Takeover of our Education System • CCSS are adopted by states voluntarily using the same systems that have always been in place in each state. • Not every state has adopted Common Core, and some states who initially did adopt have decided to change their standards. • CCSS allows an additional 15% to be added which allows for states to tailor the standards to meet their unique goals and needs.

4. Myth: Standards Dictate How Teachers Teach • Standards only set expectations for what students should know at the end of each year. • Curriculum is the “how” – states, districts and teachers will use the same process for selecting curriculum and designing lesson plans and homework as they always have. • CCSS does not dictate reading lists, homework, assessments, etc.

5. Myth: Race to the Top Mandated the Adoption of CCSS • Race to the Top required college and career ready standards – CCSS was one way to meet this requirement. • Virginia received this funding without adopting Common Core. • Just like CCSS, Race to the Top applications were voluntary, and this criteria only made up 8% of the total application.

6. Myth: CCSS will lead to National Standardized Testing • As always, states are able to choose which assessments they will use to measure student achievement. • Georgia, Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee have all opted to not move forward with PARCC/SBAC and no Race to the Top penalties have been imposed.

7. Georgia • In 1950, 60% of jobs were classified as unskilled, attainable by young people with high school diplomas or less. Today, 20% of jobs are considered to be unskilled. • One result: The demand for middle- and high-skilled workers is outpacing the state’s supply of workers educated and experienced at that level. • 81% of Georgia’s jobs are middle or high skills (jobs that require some postsecondary education or training). • Yet only 36% of Georgia’s adults have some postsecondary degree (associate’s or higher). Sources: Carnevale, Anthony P. and Donna Desrochers (2003). Standards for What? The Economic Roots of K-12 Reform. Education Testing Services. http://www.learndoearn.org/For-Educators/Standards-for-What.pdf ; Skills to Compete. http://www.skills2compete.org National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, analysis of 2009 American Community Survey. http://www.higheredinfo.org

8. Georgia Georgia Statistics: Total Unemployment: 10%, Mean Income: $31,528 Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2011). Current Population Survey. Figures are based on the total persons in the civilian labor force. http://www.census.gov/cps/data/cpstablecreator.html

9. Georgia Source: Annie E. Casey Foundation. Kids Count Data Center. 2010, Teens ages 16 to 19 who are not in school and are not high school graduates by race (Percent). http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/acrossstates/Rankings.aspx

10. Too Many Students Remain Off Track to Success: Of Every 100 9th Graders in Georgia… Source: National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (2008). Student Pipeline - Transition and Completion Rates from 9th Grade to College. http://www.higheredinfo.org

11. Enrollment in College Does NOT Equal College Readiness in Georgia Note: A benchmark score indicates a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher or about a 75% chance of obtaining a C or higher in the corresponding credit-bearing college courses. Source: ACT (2012). College Readiness Benchmark Attainment by State. http://www.act.org/newsroom/data/2012/benchmarks.html

12. How are Common Core Standards Better? • Increased complexity of texts • Focus on foundational math skills and application in novel real-world situations • A return to depth as opposed to breadth • Increased focus on justifying and presenting results and methods • Critical reading and writing infused in all curricular areas • Re-ordering of math content to reflect research-based path to college and career readiness

13. Benefits of Common Core • Preparation: The CCSS will prepare students for both college and the workplace and emphasizes higher-order skills instead of knowledge and recall. • Competition: The CCSS are internationally benchmarked, ensuring that our students are prepared to be competitive in the global job market. • Equity: The CCSS will foster consistent expectations not dependent on state or zip code, holding all students to high academic expectations.

14. Benefits of Common Core (cont.) • Clarity: The CCSS are focused, coherent and clear standards. Everyone knows what is expected of students. • Collaboration: The CCSS are a foundation for teachers, states and districts to work together, facilitating the sharing of best practices.

15. CCSS: An Opportunity for All Children • All levels of government have the responsibility to ensure that children get a quality education, but states should remain as the key decision maker. • The federal government can and should incentivize innovation in education, this is not an overreach but an opportunity to improve the education system!

16. CCSS: An Opportunity for All Children • Georgia PTA and its nearly 300,000 members strongly supports the adoption and implementation of the Common Core State Standards. • Georgia must focus on the opportunities CCSS brings and end the politicization of our education system and children. • Now is the time to support teachers, students and parents to effectively implement and assess proficiency of the new standards.

17. Contact Information Dr. Detrius Jones Georgia PTA, Education Chair detriusjones@gmail.com (404)656-9210