So, What Do You Know About the Common Core Standards?

1. So, What Do You Know Aboutthe Common Core Standards? An AMAPS Presentation by Sonia Buszwatiuk, Carol Ying & Rosalyn Fitzgerald October 21, 2010

2. TRUE or FALSE? They are a national curriculum for math and ELA mandated by the federal government.

3. FALSE! • The federal government was not involved in the development of these standards. • The initiative was state led.

4. WHAT ARE THEY? A set of expectations for student knowledge and skills that high school graduates need to master to succeed in college and careers.

5. WHAT ARE THEY? They are voluntary standards resulting from an initiative by governors and state commissioners of education from 48 states, two territories, and the District of Columbia to develop a common core of state standards in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics for grades K-12.

6. WHAT ARE SOME KEY FEATURES? • Aligned with college and work expectations • Include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills • Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards

7. WHAT ARE SOME KEY FEATURES? • Informed by top-performing countries, so that all students are prepared to succeed in our global economy and society • Evidence and/or research-based

8. Key Advances as listed in a slide from the power point presentation from the core standards website Focus and coherence • Coherent progressions across grade levels. • Focus on key topics at each grade level. Balance of concepts and skills • Content standards require both conceptual understanding and procedural fluency. Mathematical practices • Foster reasoning and sense-making in mathematics. College and career readiness • Level is ambitious but achievable.

9. This means an emphasis on…. • Developing Procedural skillsandConceptual Understanding… • Problem-Solving • Communication

10. Why? To make sure students are learning and absorbing the critical information they need to succeed at higher levels. As opposed to current practices by which many students learn enough to get by on the next test, but forget it shortly thereafter, only to review again the following year.

11. STANDARDS FOR MATHEMATICAL PRACTICE 1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. 2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively. 3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. 4. Model with mathematics.

12. STANDARDS FOR MATHEMATICAL PRACTICE 5. Use appropriate tools strategically. 6. Attend to precision. 7. Look for and make use of structure. 8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

13. CCS Domain Conceptual Categories Mathematical Practices Clusters Standards Current NYS Standards Strands Content Strands Process Strands Bands Within theContent Strands Performance Indicators HOW DO THEY COMPARE WITH OUR CURRENT STATE STANDARDS?

14. ORGANIZED BYCONCEPTUAL CATEGORIES • NUMBER & QUANTITY • ALGEBRA • FUNCTIONS • MODELING • GEOMETRY • STATISTICS & PROBABILITY

15. HIGH ORDER THINKING SKILLS Verbs used in the language of the standards are indicative of higher levels of thinking in Bloom’s Taxonomy. Examples: Create, Prove, Derive, Interpret, Distinguish between, Summarize, Develop, Represent…

16. Math standards in the Early Grades… • Focus on developing a solid foundation in whole numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions and decimals, so students can successfully apply more demanding math concepts and procedures, and move into applications • Provide for a continuous progression from grade to grade

17. In middle school… • Having built a strong foundation K-5, students can do hands on learning in geometry, algebra and probability and statistics. • Students who have completed 7th grade and mastered the content and skills through the 7th grade will be well-prepared for algebra in grade 8.

18. Algebra in the 8th Grade??? One of the grade 8 standards is for example: “Analyze and solve linear equations and pairs of simultaneous linear equations” This includes: • solving equations whose solutions require expanding expressions using the distributive property and collecting like terms. • Solving real-world and mathematical problems leading to two linear equations in two variables.

19. HIGH SCHOOL STANDARDS Call on students to practice applying mathematical ways of thinking to real world issues and challenges; they prepare students to think and reason mathematically.

20. HIGH SCHOOL STANDARDS Set a rigorous definition of college and career readiness, by helping students develop a depth of understanding and ability to apply mathematics to novel situations, as college students and employees regularly do.

21. HIGH SCHOOL STANDARDS Emphasize mathematical modeling, the use of mathematics and statistics to analyze empirical situations, understand them better, and improve decisions. predictions with data.”

22. Appendix A of the Core Standards Document Designing High School Mathematics Courses Based on the Common Core State Standards

23. A TRADITIONAL PATHWAY Algebra I Geometry Algebra II AN INTEGRATED PATHWAY Mathematics 1 Mathematics 2 Mathematics 3 Model Pathways for High School

24. “ACCELERATED” TRADITIONAL PATHWAY CompactedGrade 7 8th Grade Algebra I Geometry Algebra II “ACCELERATED” INTEGRATED PATHWAY Compacted Grade 7 8th Grade Mathematics 1 Mathematics 2 Mathematics 3 Model Pathways for Accelerationin Middle School: 3yrs in 2

25. FOURTH YEAR OPTIONS “Students should continue to take mathematics courses throughout their high school career to keep their mathematical understanding and skills fresh for use in training or course work after high school.” Pre-Calculus Discrete Math Calculus (after Pre-Calculus) Modeling Probability & Statistics Advanced Statistics Other College-Level Options

26. Why do some standards have a (+)? STANDARDS WITHOUT IT Should be in the common mathematics curriculum for all college and career ready students. This “college and career ready line” is the minimum for all students. STANDARDS MARKED (+) Additional mathematics that students should learn in order to take advanced courses May also appear in courses intended for all students. They are included to increase coherence, but are not necessarily expected to be addressed on high stakes assessments

27. THE GOAL: For all students to reach the college and Career ready line by the end of the eleventh grade, ending their high school career with one of several high-quality mathematical courses. Stretching 3 yrs of math over 4 years and watering-down courses discouraged.

28. How do we support students that progress more slowly than others? Creating a school-wide community of support for students Providing students a “math support” class during the school day After-school tutoring Extended class time (or blocking of classes) in math Additional instruction during the summer

29. Limitations of the CCS The standards set grade-specific standards but do not define the intervention methods or materials necessary to support students who are well below or well above grade-level expectations.

30. ELL and Special Needs Students It is also beyond the scope of the Standards to define the full range of supports appropriate for English Language Learners and for students with special needs.

31. Will there be a national assessment? • The goal is for a national assessment in June 2014… this is not definite and we are awaiting more information. • Secretary of Education Arne Duncan • Pledges $350 million from the Recovery Act to develop assessments to measure the CCSS • Race to the Top Program

32. IMPLICATIONS FOR TESTING No changes yet for this June 2011 In the future: less multiple choice more open-ended problems Begin Inclusion of Rich Tasks in Instruction

33. LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION • NYSED Process: Common Core State Standards Initiativehttp://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/common_core_standards.html • Common Core State Standards Initiative www.corestandards.org • National Governors Association (NGA)www.nga.org • Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)www.ccsso.org