-Common Core Parent Night- November 13, 2014 Preparing Maple Hill Students for College and Career Readiness

The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort, coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers, to ensure that every student in the United States receives a world-class education and is prepared to be a literate person in the 21 st century regardless of Zip code (Los Angeles County Office of Education).

Teachers Played a Critical Role in the Development Stages The Common Core State Standards drafting process relied on teachers and standard experts from across the country. Teachers were involved in the development process in four ways: 1.Teachers served on the Work Groups and Feedback Groups for the ELA and Math standards. 2.The National Education Association (NEA), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), among other organizations were instrumental in bringing together teachers to provide specific, constructive feedback on the standards. 3.Teachers were members of teams states and convened to provide regular feedback on drafts of the standards. 4.Teachers provided input on the Common Core State Standards during the two public comment periods.

Structure of Common Core Anchor Standards Anchor Standards for K-12

Structure of Common Core Standards STANDARDSSTANDARDS

*Parents can find the standards online at: *Standards can also be downloaded on a smart device. The app is called Common Core Standards-Mastery Connect. Where to get the standards for your child’s grade level

There are six (6) major shifts for English Language Arts/Literacy What is a “shift”? A shift is the transition from present work based on state standards to the common core standards. 1.Balancing informational and literary text. 2.Building knowledge in the disciplines. 3.Staircase of text complexity. 4.Text-dependent questions, text- dependent answers. 5.Writing from sources. 6.Academic Vocabulary

Shift #1: Balancing Information and Literary Text K-5 “Read Just As Much Non-Fiction as Fiction” *Students should read a true balance of informational and literary texts. *In grades K-5, students will read 50% fiction and 50% nonfiction. In grades 6-12, students will read 30% fiction and 70% nonfiction. *Students should access the world-science, social studies, the arts, literature-through text.

Shift #1: Balancing Information and Literary Text K-5 Why informational text? *Much of our knowledge base comes from informational text. *Makes up vast majority of required reading in college/workplace 80%, yet in most school classrooms 80% of what a student reads is fiction (literary). *Informational text is harder for students to comprehend, but critical. *By high school, 70% of a student’s reading should be informational.

Shift #1: Balancing Information and Literary Text K-5 Students must…Parents can… *Read more non-fiction.*Supply more non-fiction text. *Know the ways non-fiction can be put together. *Read non-fiction texts aloud or with your child. *Enjoy and discuss the details of non-fiction. *Have fun with non-fiction in front of your child.

Shift #2: Building Knowledge in the Disciplines “Learn About the World by Reading” *Students build knowledge about the world through TEXT rather than receiving all information from just the teacher.

Shift #2: Building Knowledge in the Disciplines Students must…Parents can… *Acquire new knowledge in science and social studies through reading. *Supply series of texts on topics of interest. *Handle “primary source” documents. Ex: journals, charts/graphs, songs, autobiographies, letters, autobiographies, diaries, poetry, maps, artifacts, photographs, etc. *Find books that explain. *Gain new knowledge through texts. *Discuss non-fiction texts and the ideas within.

Shift #3: Staircase of Text Complexity “Read More Complex Material Carefully” ”Unpacking” the text

What are the Features of Complex Text? Subtle and/or frequent transitions Multiple and/or subtle themes and purposes Density of information Unfamiliar settings, topics or events Lack of repetition, overlap or similarity in words and sentences Complex sentences Uncommon vocabulary Lack of words, sentences or paragraphs that review or pull things together for the student Longer paragraphs Any text structure which is less narrative and/or mixes structures 15

Shift #3: Staircase of Text Complexity Students must…Parents can… *Re-read*Provide more challenging texts and provide texts your child wants to read and can read comfortably. *Read material at comfort level and work with some more challenging text. *Know what grade level is appropriate for your child. *”Unpack” (note taking/outlining) text. Read like a detective, write like a reporter. *Handle frustration and keep pushing. *Read challenging text with them. Show that challenging text is worth “unpacking”

Shift #4: Text- Dependent Questions, Text- Dependent Answers *Teachers will train students to go back to the text to find evidence to support student response. *Teachers will design work, tests, and tasks that require students to respond both orally and in writing to questions about a text in which the answers are found within the text, and not based on prior knowledge, experience, or opinions. “Prove it! No guessing!” “Discuss Reading Using Evidence”

18 In “Casey at the Bat,” Casey strikes out. Describe a time when you failed at something. In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Dr. King discusses nonviolent protest. Discuss, in writing, a time when you wanted to fight against something that you felt was unfair. In “The Gettysburg Address” Lincoln says the nation is dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Why is equality an important value to promote? What makes Casey’s experiences at bat humorous? What can you infer from King’s letter about the letter that he received? “The Gettysburg Address” mentions the year According to Lincoln’s speech, why is this year significant to the events described in the speech? Not Text-DependentText-Dependent Text-Dependent Questions

Shift #4: Text- Dependent Questions, Text- Dependent Answers Students must…Parents can… *Find evidence from the text to support their arguments. *Talk about text. *Form judgments based on evidence from the text. *Ask your child for evidence in every day discussions. *Discuss what the author is “up to” by referring to evidence from the text. *Read aloud or read the same book and discuss with evidence.

Shift #5: Writing From Sources *Students should write from multiple sources about a single topic. *Writing needs to use evidence to inform or make an argument. *Writing should respond to ideas, events, and facts read in texts. Three Types of Writing 1.To provide an opinion. 2.To inform and explain. 3.To write narratives. “Writing from Sources”

Student Sample: Grade 2 This example exhibits the level of quality required to meet the writing standards for this grade. Writing Style: Opinion Student’s opinion is supported with evidence from the text.

Shift #6: Academic Vocabulary Student Behaviors: Look for your child to be… *…engaging in multiple learning activities that support acquisition of vocabulary or provide strategies to identify word-meaning. *…learning and applying academic vocabulary in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. *…understanding how to identify the meaning of words. *…spending more time learning words, word nuances, and associating words with others instead of learning individual isolated vocabulary.

There are six (6) major shifts for Mathematics 1.Focus 2.Coherence 3.Fluency 4.Deep Understanding 5.Application 6.Dual Intensity

Shift #1: Focus “Focus-An inch wide and a mile deep” *Teachers significantly narrow and deepen the scope of how time and energy is spent in math. They do so in order to focus deeply on only the concepts that are prioritized in the standards.

Shift #2: Coherence “Skills Across Grade Levels” *Teachers carefully connect the learning within and across grades so that students can build new understanding onto foundations built from previous years.

Shift #3: Fluency “Speed and Accuracy” *Students are expected to have speed and accuracy with simple calculations. Teachers structure class time and/or homework time for students to memorize through repetition. *Spend time practicing lots of problems on the same idea.

“Sprints” Timed Tests where a student’s goal is to improve with each attempt.

Shift #4: Deep Understanding “Know it! Do it!” *Students deeply understand and can operate easily within a math concept before moving on. They learn more than the trick to get the answer right. They learn the math. Understand why the math works. Make the math work. Talk about why the math works. Prove that they know why the math works.

Shift #4: Deep Understanding Instead of just counting the squares to get the area (trick), students have to actually know the concept of area (true understanding).

Shift #5: Application “Apply Math to Real World Situations” *Students are expected to use math and choose the appropriate concept for application even when they are not prompted to do so.

Shift #6: Dual Intensity “Practice and Apply It” *Students are practicing and applying the new concept. There is more than a balance between these two things in the classroom-both are occurring with intensity.

While learning new math skills, your child will be utilizing Mathematical Practices in their every day learning. #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. Eight Mathematical Practices

These 8 Mathematical Practices are evident in the Math Classwork and Homework At Maple Hill.

Here you will find California Math Council’s “Math at Home” booklets which provide brief, helpful information about helping your child with Common Core Math homework. Parent and Guardian Resources Information and resources for parents and guardians that explain mathematics instruction used today and provide suggestions for supporting their child’s academic success

Assessments 3 rd -8 th and 11 th Graders Will Take the S.B.A.C (ELA & Math) on-line

37 Based on student responses, the computer program adjusts the difficulty of questions throughout the assessment. For example, a student who answers a question correctly will receive a more challenging item, while an incorrect answer generates an easier question. This level of tailoring can quickly identify which skills the student has mastered and reduces testing anxiety and frustration. Teachers and parents get testing results in weeks versus months.

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39 See sets of example test questions for grades 3-8 and 11 in both English language arts/literacy and math at the Smarter Balanced Website:

Common Core… What it is. Common Core is… 1. a clear set of shared goals and expectations. Not a curriculum. 2. teacher directed and teacher driven. Teachers tailor instruction to the individual needs of the students in their classroom. Not a national curriculum. 3. accessible to students with special needs, E.L.L learners, and gifted students. Teachers can differentiate the instruction to meet the needs of their students. It’s not a one size fits all approach. 4. teaching students to think critically, develop problem solving skills, become effective communicators regardless of their pathway after high school. 5.is equipping students with the necessary skills to be successful in today’s global market.