Dealing with the Common Core K-12 Northeast Consortium for Staff Development January 16, 2013

THANK YOU Melrose North Reading Reading Stoneham Wakefield Wilmington Woburn Seem Collaborative

Understanding by Design (UbD) “Tool” used for planning “Teaching for Understanding” Three stages of development Stage 1: Desired Outcomes Stage 2: Evidence Stage 3: Learning Plan

Powerful Practices to Improve Student Achievement Priority Standards End-of-Course Assessments Common Formative Post-Assessments Data Teams & Effective Teaching Strategies District Benchmark Assessments Performance Tasks & Scoring Guides “Unwrapped” Standards, Big Ideas and Essential Questions Common Formative Pre-Assessments

Stage 1: Desired Outcomes What students should know and be able to do MA State frameworks incorporating the Common Core State Standards Priority/Power Standards The standards that students must know and be able to do to enter the next grade level

Priority and Supporting Standards Defined Priority or Essential Standards are a carefully selected subset of the total list of the grade-specific standards within each content area that students must know and be able to do by the end of each school year in order to be prepared to enter the next grade level or course. Supporting: Supporting Standards are those standards that support, connect to, or enhance the Priority Standards. They are taught within the context of the Priority Standards, but do not receive the same degree of instruction and assessment emphasis as do the Priority Standards.

Like fence posts, Priority Standards provide curricular focus in which teachers need to “dig deeper” and assure student competency. Like fence rails, Supporting Standards are curricular standards that connect to and support Priority Standards Priority Standards Supporting Standards

Post or Rail? How to Decide? When considering whether to select one similar standard over another, determine which one is the more comprehensive or rigorous– not the one that is more foundational. “For students to be able to do this one, they would first have to be able to do this other one.”

Sharing What did you notice about the standards you picked? What did you notice about the standards others picked? What is the benefit of doing this work across grade districts?

SEEM Math Collaboration Three districts had begun work identifying power standards K-4, PARCC Model Content Frameworks Gr. 3-8 Standards based unit design- Connecticut resources One district had begun developing math curriculum maps aligned with the common core Developed standard-based units by grade level 1. Woburn, North Reading, and Wakefield- determining priority standards 2. Discuss research of models used in other states and building standards based units- that ANY resource could be aligned to

Standards-based Units Units developed around connected standards and math progressions MA Frameworks Focus, Rigor, Clarity, Coherence PARCC Model Curriculum Frameworks “Within-grade dependencies” In-depth focus

Stage 2: Evidence Assessments (formative, summative, checks for understanding) provide valid information about the desired results Assessments provide sufficient opportunities for students to reveal their attainment of Stage 1 results Assessment of learning, assessment for learning

Assessment of and for learning SEEM Math group… Identified needs for formative assessments Identified need for benchmark assessments End result Using Backwards Design- developed summer work to create formative test banks and summative benchmark assessments

Why Common Assessments? Benefits of having data across multiple districts Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Stoneham, Wakefield, Wilmington, Woburn Shift to standards, not programs Everyday Math, Math in Focus, Trailblazers, Investigations, etc.

The Charge DSAC- Train participants on Coherence, Rigor, Focus and Clarity of the new Massachusetts state frameworks incorporating the Common Core. Work to build a test bank of multiple choice, short answer, and open response questions. Complete Trimester one assessments by grade level.

Results K-8 formative assessment banks for teachers to use to guide instruction (for learning) Trimester 1 and 2 assessments complete for all grade levels Collaboration between seven districts Common benchmark assessment to compare among districts

Stage 3: Learning Plan Next steps… Identify effective instruction, differentiation, and learning strategies Share best practices Data team to analyze

Benefits Teachers Administration First in-depth work with MA frameworks inc./CCSS Redevelopment of curriculum Standards-based units vs. curriculum resources Reenergized to continue to work together Networking and collaboration Sharing of resources (ie/ OnCore) Smarter, not harder Data across districts Curriculum resources implications Financial resource implications Human resource implications Instructional implications

Lessons learned Don’t reinvent the wheel Small groups (3-4 people) Teams available for vertical consultation Test generator software Vehicle for collection of work Set dates early!

Resources Connecticut resources- http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2618&q=322592 North Carolina- unpacked standards http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/acre/standards/common-core-tools/ North Carolina- assessments Elementary-http://maccss.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/Elementary Middle School-http://maccss.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/Middle+School High School- http://maccss.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/High+School

Questions