Transcript Demystifying the Common Core Standards

Demystifying the Common
Core State Standards
Joyce Edwards
Director of Instructional Services
January 28, 2014
Agenda
The Common Core State
Standards
MA Frameworks
Implications for Teaching and
Learning
MCAS and PARCC testing
Questions
Common Core State Standards
 The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are
shared expectations for knowledge and skills in
ELA and Math.
 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
ELA Key Shifts
 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. 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.
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.
CCSS 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
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
 Reading and writing across all content areas
Teaching and Learning
 Increased use of non-fiction with supporting
evidence from text
 Increase in writing types - narrative, informative,
persuasive (opinion)
 Math content proficiency is required
 Incorporation of Math Practice Standards is
required
Testing
 MCAS testing in ELA and Math will most likely shift to
PARCC
 Science test will remain MCAS
 PARCC field tests this year including in Franklin
 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 likely be multiple choice
Testing
 PARCC
 Some electronic and some paper/pencil testing this year
and for the next few years
 Eventually moving to all electronic testing
 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
 Only if as rigorous or more so than MCAS
 Likely as of 2015-2016 school year
 Retests for High School through 2018
Resources
http://www.doe.mass.edu/candi/co
mmoncore
http://www.corestandards.org/
http://www.parcconline.org/