Transcript Demystifying the Common Core Standards

PARCC Parent
Information
Evening
Joyce Edwards
Director of Instructional
Services
March 20, 2014
Agenda
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Welcome and Introductions
Background
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The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and
MA Curriculum Frameworks
MCAS Testing and PARCC testing
Family Support
We want you to know…
Questions
Explore sample questions
Background
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The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are
shared expectations for knowledge and skills in
ELA and Math.
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Adopted by Massachusetts and over 40 other
states
Franklin students learn these standards as part of
the 2011 MA Curriculum Frameworks in English
Language Arts and Math
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This is what we are mandated to teach and what
is tested on both Massachusetts Comprehensive
Assessment System (MCAS) and Partnership for
Assessment of College and Career Readiness
(PARCC)
Background
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MCAS has been the required state testing for more
than a decade
 Measures the old standards but would need to
adapt to new standards if kept
Massachusetts is continuing MCAS testing in the
Spring of 2014 as the measure of accountability
PARCC is the next generation of testing based on the
CCSS
PARCC assessments will be field tested in the Spring
of 2014 (about 19 states)
PARCC will be pilot tested 2014-2015
It is likely that PARCC assessments will replace MCAS
tests in the future
Common Core State
Standards
 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
 CCSS+10-15% additional standards= MA
Frameworks
ELA Key Shifts
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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
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
Math Practice Standards
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
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.
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
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
CCS 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
MCAS Testing
 MCAS
testing continues this year in ELA
and Math for most students

PARCC field testing this year
 Exemptions
taken wherever allowed to avoid
double testing of students
 Science
test will remain MCAS
 High school competency determination
will remain MCAS driven until at least 2018
PARCC Testing
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The field test is:
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a test of the test
required-there is not an opt out option
In Massachusetts:
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1,097 Schools are participating in at least one
grade (from 357 Districts)
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639 are participating in the Performance Based
Assessments (from 272 districts)
Franklin PARCC Testing
School
Grade Subject
Mode Type
# of
Sessions
Jefferson
3
ELA
Paper
2
Keller
3
Math
Online PBA &EOY
4
Kennedy
4
ELA
Online PBA
3
Parmenter
3&4
Math
Paper
EOY
2
ASMS
6
ELA
Online PBA
3
RMS
6
ELA
Online PBA
3
RMS
7
Math
Online EOY
2
HMMS
7
Math
Online PBA
2
HMMS
8
ELA
Online EOY
2
FHS
Alg. I &
II
Math
Online EOY
2
EOY
PARCC Testing
 PARCC
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field tests include:
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 be multiple choicecomputer scored
PARCC Testing in Franklin
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Massachusetts determined which districts and
schools would participate
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Classrooms randomly generated
The state/PARCC assigned:
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School
Grade
Subject
Type(s) of test
Method of testing
The testing window
The amount of time for each test session
PARCC Testing
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Number of test session
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ELA: PBA= 3 sessions
Math: PBA=2 sessions
ELA: EOY=2 sessions
Math: EOY=2 sessions
Time for test sessions
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ELA: PBA=75-120 minutes per session
ELA: EOY=75-105 per session
Math: PBA=75-100 per session
Math: EOY=85-105
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Varies by grade and/or type of session and
includes additional time (50%) for all
PARCC Testing
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Accessibility features for ALL students built into the
test
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Additional time for all (50%)
All formulas embedded in the test
Blank paper provided
Speech to text
Text to Speech
Large Print
Students not allowed to use graphic organizers or
personalized Math reference sheets
As of next year:
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Extended time will need to be part of IEP process
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This year it is up to the principal
PARCC Testing is Not…
 This
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test is not about college OR careers
All students must master the material for
college AND careers
 Students
are not tracked or separated based
on results
 This
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is not an aptitude test
The test measures academic achievement
based on the Common Core State
Standards in ELA and Math
Testing Results
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No scores will be available from PARCC field
tests
Participation results count
State item level results will be to evaluate the
test
MCAS results will be reported
Exempt students will count toward MCAS
participation rates
MCAS parent/guardian reports will indicate
an MCAS exemption
PARCC Testing
 Technology
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readiness
Infrastructure of bandwidth in place
Purchase of laptops
Purchase of headphone/microphones
Training for teachers to administer the test
underway
Will do trial with students prior to testing
PARCC Testing in the Future
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Will most likely shift to PARCC
Eventually moving to all electronic testing
grades 3-11
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
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Only if as rigorous or more so than MCAS
Likely as of 2015-2016 school year
Family Support
 How
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can families support children?
Talk, play, and read with your children
 Less
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screen time
Support their social interactions with peers
Support their everyday school work and
homework
 Partner
schools
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with teachers, administrators, and
Make sure children eat well, sleep enough,
and have downtime
We Want You to Know…
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From some of administrators:
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We expect kids to do their best 180 days a year. Test days are
some of those days.
This is a test...only a test. We should use this as a learning
experience.
We are looking at a test to replace MCAS which will give us
better and more timely data to impact student learning.
Standardized testing isn't going away so let's embrace the
search for a better test
Whatever our state mandated tests are, we do a fine job of
preparing our students to take them!
PARCC is grounded in the Common Core State Standards - just
like MCAS was grounded in the State Standards. Those
standards have changed (less for Mass than other states) so we
need a new assessment to measure our progress toward
mastering the new standards.
Resources
 Common
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Core State Standards:
http://www.corestandards.org/
Massachusetts Frameworks:
 http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/curren
t.html
 PARCC:
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http://www.parcconline.org/
 Sample
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Questions:
http://practice.parcc.testnav.com/#
Questions
 Questions
 Divide
by level to look at sample
questions