Common Core and Essential Standards for Parents and the Community Randolph County Schools

1. Common Core and Essential Standards for Parents and the CommunityRandolph County Schools

2. Overview of the Common Core Initiative • Nearly all 50 states have adopted the Common Core State Standards and Essential Standards. • State-led and developed Common Core Standards for K-12 in English Language Arts and Mathematics along with all other Essential Standard subjects • The focus will be on learning expectations for students, not how students get there

3. Common Core State Standards North Carolina Essential Standards • English Language Arts • Mathematics • Arts Education • Career and Technical Education • English as a Second Language • Exceptional Children • Healthful Living • Instructional Technology • Science • Social Studies • World Languages North Carolina Standard Course of Study.

4. Rationale • EquityStudents expectations the same regardless of where they live • College and Career ReadinessStudents need to be more than proficient • Comparability State results will be comparable through common assessments • Sharing of ResourcesThe ability to share instructional materials across state lines can improve practice • Economies of ScalePossible savings due to sharing of resources and assessments • Student MobilityStudents moving into and out of states will have the same standards

5. ELA Standards Advances • Text complexity • Balance of literature and informational texts • Direct link to college and work readiness • Literacy standards for science and social studies • Clear vertical progressions across grades

6. Math Standards Advances • Focus in early grades on arithmetic and operations to build a solid foundation in math • Consistent pacing across all grade levels • High school math will focus on using math and solving complex problems, similar to what we would see in the real world • Problem-solving and communication is emphasized

7. What Are The ELA Common Core Standards? The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (“the Standards”) are the culmination of an extended, broad-based effort to fulfill the charge issued by the states to create the next generation of K–12 standards in order to help ensure that all students are college and career ready in literacy no later than the end of high school.

8. What Are The ELA Common Core Standards? • The Common Core State Standards set requirements not only for English language arts (ELA) but also for literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects. Just as students must learn to read, write, speak, listen, and use language effectively in a variety of content areas, so too must the standards specify the literacy skills and understandings required for college and career readiness in multiple disciplines.

9. Common Core State Standards • New standards • Different assessments • New emphasis on • Integrated content • Increased rigor • Higher‐order thinking • College and career readiness • Depth over breadth

10. What Are The Math Common Core Standards? For over a decade, research studies of mathematics education in high-performing countries have pointed to the conclusion that the mathematics curriculum in the United States must become substantially more focused and coherent in order to improve mathematics achievement in this country.

11. What Are The Math Common Core Standards? • To deliver on the promise of common standards, the standards address the problem of a curriculum that is “a mile wide and an inch deep.” • These standards are a substantial answer to that challenge.

12. Common Core State Standards • Six Shifts in ELA/Literacy • Balancing Informational and Literary Text • Building Knowledge in the Disciplines • Staircase of Complexity • Text-Based Answers • Writing From Sources • Academic Vocabulary • Six Shifts in Math • Focus • Coherence • Fluency • Deep Understanding • Applications • Dual Intensity

13. FAQ’s • Is having common standards the first step toward nationalizing education? • No. The Common Core State Standards are part of a state-led effort to give all students the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. The federal government was not involved in the development of the standards. Individual states choose whether or not to adopt these standards.

14. FAQ’s • Will the common core state standards keep local teachers from deciding what or how to teach? • No. The Common Core State Standards are a clear set of shared goals and expectations for what knowledge and skills will help our students succeed. Local teachers, principals, superintendents and others will decide how the standards are to be met. Teachers will continue to devise lesson plans and tailor instruction to the individual needs of the students in their classrooms.

15. FAQ’s • Will more standards mean more tests? • No. For states that choose to adopt these common standards, having one set of standards will make it easier for states to pool information and resources to develop a shared set of high-quality tests to better evaluate student progress. The goal is not to have more tests, but to have smarter and better tests that help students, parents, and teachers.

16. Closing • We need parent and community support as we implement this new curriculum. We believe this is the best curriculum for the way our students of today learn. • Any questions?