Transcript Common Core Initiative FAQ

Common Core Initiative FAQ
www.corestandards.org
• Who is leading the Common Core State Standards Initiative?
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors
Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center); As part of this process, they
have convened a National Policy Forum composed of signatory national
organizations to share ideas
• How will states adopt the common core state standards?
States will adopt the common core state standards through a process that respects
unique state contexts. CCSSO and the NGA Center will ask states to share their
adoption timeline and process in early 2010, when the K-12 common core state
standards are completed. A validation committee will verify that states have
accurately adopted the common core state standards
• Are these national standards?
No. This initiative is driven by collective state action and states will voluntarily adopt
the standards based on the timelines and context in their state.
• What grades will be covered in the common core state standards?
The English-language arts and math standards will be K-12 standards.
Assessment
• Will common assessments be developed? Will one national test
be created that looks like the current tests we have today?
States know that standards alone cannot propel the systems change
we need. Assessments aligned with the common core state
standards will play an important role in making sure the standards
are embedded in our education system.
Some states will voluntarily come together to develop new innovative,
common assessments as part of the Race to the Top program.
However, states do not want to see one national assessment given
once a year that relies on multiple-choice items. A common
assessment system will include multiple forms of assessment so
that what a student knows and can do, not the form of the
assessment, determines performance. An assessment system must
provide assessment for learning as well as assessment of learning.
Timeline
• What is the timeline for the common core state
standards initiative?
Key dates in the project are identified below.
1. November 2009 – College- and career-readiness
standards validated.
2. Winter 2009/2010 – K-12 common core state
standards in English-language arts and
mathematics completed and publicly released.
3. Early 2010, states submit timeline and process
for adoption of common core state standards in
English-language arts and mathematics.
The Flowchart
Some Controversy (Part 1)
Mathematical Practice (Standard 1)
Proficient students expect mathematics to make
sense. They take an active stance in solving
mathematical problems. When faced with a nonroutine problem, they have the courage to plunge
in and try something, and they have the
procedural and conceptual tools to carry through.
They are experimenters and inventors, and can
adapt known strategies to new problems. They
think strategically.
Mathematical Practice #6
• Make strategic decisions about the use of technological
tools.
Mathematically proficient students consider the available
tools when solving a mathematical problem, whether
pencil and paper, ruler, protractor, graphing calculator,
spreadsheet, computer algebra system, statistical package,
or dynamic geometry software. They are familiar enough
with all of these tools to make sound decisions about when
each might be helpful. They use mathematical
understanding and estimation strategically, attending to
levels of precision, to ensure appropriate levels of
approximation and to detect possible errors. They are able
to use these tools to explore and deepen their
understanding of concepts.
Math Modeling (Standard 7)
Modeling
Core Concepts
• Mathematical models involve choices and assumptions that abstract key
features
• from situations to help us solve problems.
• Even very simple models can be useful.
Core Skills
• Model numerical situations.
• Model physical objects with geometric shapes.
• Model situations with equations and inequalities.
• Model situations with common functions.
• Model situations using probability andstatistics.
• Interpret the results of applying a model and compare models for a
particular situation.
ISN’T THIS FUZZY MATH??
The Modeling standard needs discussion in relation to the other standards. For
example, what is the difference between a geometry task versus a modeling task that
uses geometry? What is the difference between a contextualized algebra problem and
a modeling problem that uses equations to describe a situation? In these standards, a
task is considered to belong more in Modeling, the more it is the case that:
•The math techniques to be used are not stated explicitly in the problem. However,
beginning/developmental modeling tasks can walk the student through the
techniques, as a way to show their use.
•Various assumptions must be imposed by the student to apply the techniques; these
assumptions are not explicitly stated in the problem; and differing sets of assumptions
could all be considered reasonable.
•The task involves making a decision about something.
•The task involves an optimization of some kind.
•The context is not a pretext. While the task inevitably teaches mathematics, its
primary focus is the situation or phenomenon at hand. The phenomenon or situation
is interesting or worthwhile beyond the academic discourse of the classroom.
Some Controversy (Part 2)
4. Core Concept A; Core Concept B; Core Skill 1.
• In a country with 300 million people, about how many
high school math teachers will be needed? Try to
estimate a sensible answer using your own everyday
knowledge about the world. Write an explanation of
your answer, stating any assumptions you make.
• Likewise, estimate the number of people born each day
on planet earth.
• Likewise, estimate the percentage of Americans who
are pregnant at any given time. Also estimate the
percentage of elephants who are pregnant at any given
time.