Common Core State Standards CCSS What Parents & Board Members Need to Know

College and career readiness standards developed in summer 2009 Based on the college and career readiness standards, K-12 learning progressions developed Multiple rounds of feedback from states, teachers, researchers, higher education, and the general public Final Common Core Standards released on June 2, 2010 Key component of Race to the Top applications

Preparation: The standards articulate college- and-career-readiness. They will help ensure that students acquire the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in post-secondary education and training. Competition: The standards are internationally benchmarked. Common standards will help ensure our students are globally competitive. Clarity: The standards are focused, coherent, and clear. Clearer standards help students (and parents and teachers) understand what is expected of them.

How teachers should teach All that can or should be taught The nature of advanced work beyond the core The interventions needed for students well below grade level The full range of support for English language learners and students with special needs Everything needed to be college and career ready Definition of college and career ready: Ready for first-year credit-bearing, postsecondary coursework in mathematics and English without the need for remediation.

Reading o Combination of literature and informational texts o Text complexity increased Writing o Emphasis on argument/informative o Evidence-based writing Speaking and Listening o Inclusion of accountable talk o Referencing discussion points made by others

Language o Focus on general academic and domain- specific vocabulary o Emphasis on usage, less on rules What’s different? Emphasis on research and using evidence Spiral curriculum for mastery 1O ELA anchor standards K-12

Understanding numbers and quantities Algebraic thinking Less quantity—deeper understanding Modeling—real life applications Proofs, justification, mastery Increased use of statistics and probability Emphasis on mathematical practice & real life experiences 3 Integrated Math courses (formerly Algebra I, II, and Geometry) One higher-level math course

PARCC—Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career SMARTER—Balanced Assessment Consortium For NAD schools: Iowa Assessment (formerly ITBS)

90% of fastest growing jobs require at least 2 years of education beyond high school. 80% of all jobs require some training beyond high school. 10% is the percentage of increase in college graduates needed to meet job demand

Read the English-Language Arts standards and Math standards at commoncore.org As your children complete homework, help them hone in on the most important aspects and core concepts When you read with your child, ask in-depth why and how questions Build your child’s home library with high-quality informational text Encourage your child to research a topic of interest using informational texts and original documents Ask your child to explain or show you how she’s solving problems Ask your child how someone might use what he’s working on in real life Stay in contact with your child’s teacher

Read English-Language Arts standards and the Math standards at commoncore.org Set clear and high expectations (students need to know and do) Create conditions for success (PD for teachers, update technology) Hold systems accountable (monthly success reports—teacher evaluations should reflect success level) Create public will to succeed (short-term and long-term goals) Learn together as a board (board training, partnerships, community discussions)

Despite commonality of the CCSS, students still need to do the following: -write across the curriculum -attend school regularly -read increasingly difficult material -read to build knowledge in all content areas -memorize times tables -explain formulas, rules, and procedures

Despite commonality of the CCSS, teachers still need to do the following: -individualize/differentiate instruction -find additional time for some students -enrich higher performing students -believe that all children will learn -select materials for instruction

Despite the intentions of the government to align America’s students more closely to higher performing students in the world, there are concerns with the CCSS: Expensive: technology, online testing, PD Not addressing childhood poverty Standards mean “like everybody else” What happens to innovation America in lock-step formation