Common Core State Standards What are they? Why do we need them? What do they mean to us? Prepared by Grace Lee-Sim

What are the Common Core State Standards? Common Core State Standards - (aka CCSS) are educational standards in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. o It includes literacy in history/social studies, science and technical subjects. Currently adopted by 45 states and 3 US territories Presently for grades k-12 They are fewer, clearer, higher

Who created the CCSS? Created by a joint effort between the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA) along with parents, teachers, school administrators and experts from around the country. o Research and evidence based o Rigorous o Aligned with college and work expectations; o Are clear, understandable and consistent o Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards o Informed by other top performing countries, so that all students are prepared to succeed in our global economy and society o Internationally benchmarked It is intended to be a living work – being revised as new, better evidence emerges.

Why Do We Need the CCSS? To ensure that all students, regardless of where they live or go to school, are college and career ready by the time they finish high school. They will prepare students with knowledge and skills that they will need to succeed in college and work settings. Provide teachers, students and parents with clear guidelines and expectations.

What does it mean to be “College and Career Ready”? They can demonstrate independence – become self directed learners They build strong content knowledge They respond to varying demands of audience, task, purpose and discipline They can comprehend and critique They value evidence They use technology and digital media They understand other perspectives and cultures

ELA Standards Overview Standards are divided into 3 main sections o K-5 section o 6-12 ELA section o 6-12 history/social studies, science and technical studies Each section is divided into strands o K-5 & 6-12 ELA Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language strands o 6-12 history/social studies, science and technical studies Reading and writing

Key Features of ELA Standards Reading – text complexity and growth of comprehension o Each year builds upon the year before o Staircase of complexity Writing – text types, responding to reading and research o Writing types – arguments, informative/explanatory texts and narratives Speaking and listening – flexible communication and collaboration Language – Conventions, effective use and vocabulary

Standards for Mathematical Practices Describe varieties of expertise that should be developed in students Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them Reason abstractly and quantitatively Construct viable arguments and critique reasoning of others Model with mathematics Use appropriate math tools Attend to precision Look for and make use of structure Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning

What does the CCSS mean for students? It will not prevent different levels of achievement among students Ensure more clear and consistent exposure to materials and learning experiences ELLs and SWDs must be given support and opportunities to meet the same high standards Many States are beginning to develop assessments to measure achievement of the CCSS for the school year NYS will roll out CCSS aligned tests in the year

Additional Resources /default.htm /default.htm ocs/nyslsprek.pdf ocs/nyslsprek.pdf Apple App Store – Common Core app