An Introduction to the Common Core State Standards What they mean for you and your children St. Mary’s School June 5, 2013 EngageNY.org

What are the Common Core Standards? http://vimeo.com/51933492

Tonight’s Objectives Help parents understand what college readiness is and why it matters. Introduce parents to the new standards and help them understand what to look for and how to help their children at home. Help parents understand how the Common Core State Standards are implemented at St. Mary’s School

College and Career Readiness What does it mean? EngageNY.org

College and Career Readiness The new standards will get students ready for success in college and the workforce. …but what does that mean? EngageNY.org

College Readiness College readiness means that graduates have the skills they need to do well in college. “College” doesn’t just mean a four-year degree. It can mean any program that leads to a degree or certificate. Being “ready” means that students graduate from high schools with key skills in English and mathematics. EngageNY.org

Career Readiness Career readiness means that high school graduates are qualified for and able to do well in long-term careers. “Career” doesn’t just mean a job. It means a profession that lets graduates succeed at a job they enjoy and earn a competitive wage. EngageNY.org

Why does this matter? Because it’s what our students need For every 100 ninth graders… 65 graduate from high school 37 enter college 24 are still enrolled in sophomore year 12 graduate with a degree in six years

… and only 6 get a good job after graduation EngageNY.org

The new standards will… Prepare students to succeed in college and the workforce Ensure that every child—regardless of race, ethnicity or zip code—is held to the same high standards and learns the same material Provide educators with a clear, focused roadmap for what to teach and when EngageNY.org

What are the Common Core Standards? A single set of clear standards for English language arts and mathematics A tool to help students and parents set clear and realistic goals for success A first step in providing young people with the high-quality education that will prepare them for success in college and careers EngageNY.org

States that adopted the Common Core

What’s different in the new standards? English Language Arts/Literacy: Focus on non-fiction, careful reading Discuss reading and write using evidence Increase academic vocabulary Mathematics Learn more about fewer concepts Focus on skill building, speed and accuracy Use of real world examples to better understand concepts EngageNY.org

ELA Test Question – Pre Common Core In both the Demosthenes biography and the Icarus and Daedalus myth the main characters are given advice from other people. Do you respond to advice from other people more like Demosthenes or more like Icarus? Write an essay in which you explain who you are more like when it comes to taking advice and why. Use details from both articles to support your answer.   In your response, be sure to do the following:   tell whether you are more like Demosthenes or Icarus explain why you are respond to advice similar to Demosthenes or Icarus use details from both passages in your response EngageNY.org

ELA Test Question – Post Common Core In both the Demosthenes biography and the Icarus and Daedalus myth the main characters exhibit determination in pursuit of their goals. Did determination help both main characters reach their goals, or did it lead them to tragedy? Write an argument for whether you believe determination helped or hurt the two main characters.  In your response, be sure to do the following:   describe how determination affected the outcome in Demosthenes describe how determination affected the outcome in Icarus and Daedalus explain the similarities or differences that exist in the ways determination played into the outcome of both texts use details from both passages in your response EngageNY.org

Math Test Question: Pre-Common Core 7.G04 Determine the surface area of prisms and cylinders, using a calculator and a variety of methods. In order to solve this problem, students need to: Calculate the surface area with the given dimensions. Then, calculate the surface area given a different dimension. Then, find the difference (to the nearest hundredth) between the two measurements.

Math Test Question: Post Common Core 6.G.1 Find the area of right triangles, other triangles, special quadrilaterals, and polygons by composing into rectangles or decomposing into triangles and other shapes; apply these techniques in the context of solving real-world and mathematical problems. 6.RP.1 Understand the concept of a ratio and use ratio language to describe a ratio relationship between two quantities. For example, “The ratio of wings to beaks in the bird house at the zoo was 2:1, because for every 2 wings there was 1 beak.” “For every vote candidate A received, candidate C received nearly three votes.” In order to solve this problem, students need to: First find the area of the triangle using the measurements given. Then, use the area of the triangle and create a ratio of triangle ABE with ADE, or other equivalent ratio, then find the ratio of the triangle CDE (students have to know that CDE is the same as ABE) with the total rectangle. How these problems are different: 1. Old problem uses only surface area in isolation with basic operations (subtraction) to find the difference between two surface areas; new problem requires that students calculate area and relate it to ratios (multi-standard) 2. Old problem is multi-step, but again simple steps that really require fluency, whereas, the new problem requires multi-steps of different concepts (both area and ratio) and pushes kids to create ratios given different information and shapes within the diagram. This new problem forces kids to use ratio language to describe a ratio relationship between two quantities. 3. Old problem is rote use of the standard algorithm for finding surface area (fluency) whereas new problem requires that students decompose a polygon and the information given to determine the area of a part of the polygon.

So, what can parents really do to help? EngageNY.org

Parent support can help students succeed By staying involved, informed and engaged, parents can help students be successful There are many ways to help: Read with your children Review and discuss their homework Communicate with their teachers Attend meetings to learn more Learn about the standards and how they affect your child’s education and school Look through your child’s backpack each afternoon EngageNY.org

After school routines How do you help your child with homework? How closely do you review it? How closely do you review their schoolwork? How often do you communicate with their teachers? How do you celebrate your child’s success in school? How do you address poor performance? What is your favorite part of your after school routine? EngageNY.org

Backpacks: What you should see Books that are both fiction and non-fiction Real-world examples that makes what they’re learning in English and math make more sense Writing assignments that require students to use evidence instead of opinion Math homework that asks students to write out how they got their answer Math homework that ask students to use different methods to solve the same problem

Some questions to ask your child Did you talk about anything you read in class today? Did you use evidence when you talked about what you read? How did you use evidence in school today? Where did you get it? How often did you use math today? How did you use it? Did you learn any new words in class today? What do they mean? How do you spell them?

Talking to your kids about school What strategies do you use to get your kids talking about their days after school What questions do you ask? Do you discuss what they tell you? How do you get them excited to talk? What do you do when they refuse to talk? EngageNY.org

What works best? EngageNY.org

A Closer Look: ELA/Literacy Shifts Read as much non-fiction as fiction Learn about the world by reading Read more challenging material closely Discuss reading using evidence Write non-fiction using evidence Increase academic vocabulary EngageNY.org

ELA Shift #1: Read as much non-fiction as fiction Students MUST Parents SHOULD Read more non- fiction Understand how non-fiction is written and put together Enjoy and discuss the details of non-fiction Supply non-fiction texts to read Read non-fiction books aloud or with your child Have fun with non-fiction in front of your children EngageNY.org

ELA Shift #2: Learn about the world by reading Students MUST Parents SHOULD Learn more about Science and Social Studies through reading Use “primary source” documents Get smarter through the use of texts Supply texts on topics that interest your child Find books that explain how things work and why Discuss non-fiction texts and their ideas EngageNY.org

ELA Shift #3: Read more complex material carefully Students MUST Parents SHOULD Re-read Read books at their comfort level and more challenging texts Not just read, comprehend Handle frustration and keep pushing to improve Provide more challenging texts their children want to read in addition to books they can read easily Know what is grade level appropriate Read challenging books with your child Show that challenging books are worth reading EngageNY.org

ELA Shift #4: Discuss reading using evidence Students MUST Parents SHOULD Find evidence to support their arguments Form judgments and opinions Become scholars Discuss what the author is thinking Make predictions Talk about texts Demand evidence in everyday discussions, debates and disagreements Read aloud or read the same book as your child and discuss with evidence EngageNY.org

ELA Shift #5: Write from sources Students MUST Parents SHOULD Make arguments in writing using evidence Compare multiple texts in writing Learn to write well Encourage writing at home Write “books” together using evidence and details Review samples of student writing: http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_C.pdf EngageNY.org

ELA Shift #6: Build an academic vocabulary Students MUST Parents SHOULD Learn the words they will need to use in college and career Get smarter at using the “language of power” Read often and constantly with young children Read multiple books about the same topic Let your children see you reading Talk to your children, read to them, listen to them, sing with them, make up silly rhymes and word games EngageNY.org

A Closer Look: Mathematics Shifts Focus: learn more about less Build skills across grades Develop speed and accuracy Really know it, Really do it Use it in the real world Think fast AND solve problems EngageNY.org

Traditional U.S. Approach K 12 Number and Operations Measurement and Geometry Algebra and Functions Statistics and Probability

Common Core State Standards approach Operations and Algebraic Thinking Expressions and Equations Algebra → Number and Operations— Base Ten The Number System Number and Operations—Fractions K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 High School

Math Shift #1: Focus: Learn more about less Students MUST Parents SHOULD Keep building on learning year after year Be aware of what your child struggled with last year and how that will affect ongoing learning Advocate for your child and ensure that support is given for “gap” skills: negative numbers, fractions, etc. EngageNY.org

Math Shift #2: Learn skills across grades Students MUST Parents SHOULD Spend more time on fewer concepts Go more in-depth on each one Know what the priority work is for your child at their grade level Spend time with your child on that work Ask your child’s teacher about his or her progress on the priority work EngageNY.org

Math Shift #3: Develop speed and accuracy Students MUST Parents SHOULD Spend time practicing by doing lots of problems on the same idea Push children to know, understand and memorize basic math facts Know all of the fluencies your child should have; prioritize learning of the ones they still find difficult EngageNY.org

Math Shift #4: Really know it, really do it Students MUST Parents SHOULD Make the math work, and understand why it does Talk about why the math works Prove that they know why and how the math works Notice whether your child really knows why the answer is what it is Advocate for the time your child needs to learn key math skills Provide time for your child to work at math skills at home Get smarter in the math your child needs to know EngageNY.org

Math Shift #5: Use it in the real world Students MUST Parents SHOULD Apply math in real world situations Know which math skills to use for which situation Ask your child to do that math that comes up in your daily life EngageNY.org

Math Shift #6: Think fast and solve problems Students MUST Parents SHOULD Be able to use core math facts quickly Be able to apply math in the real world Notice your child’s strengths and weaknesses in math Make sure your child practices the math facts that prove most difficult Make sure your child thinks about math in real life EngageNY.org

Resources for parents EngageNY.org

EngageNY EngageNY.org

Additional resources www.achievethecore.org www.pta.org/4446.htm http://www.cgcs.org/Domain/36 http://parcconline.org/parcc-content-frameworks

Closing discussion What strategies did we discuss today that you think you might use with your children? What other information would be helpful to you? What other questions do you have? EngageNY.org

Thank you EngageNY.org