1. Introduction to Delaware’s Standards and Assessments

2. What are the Delaware Standards?
Adopted from the Common Core State Standards

3. “…Standards are not just promises to our children, but promises we intend to keep.”
-- The Common Core State Standards in Math, page 5
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4. Tonight’s Objectives
Help parents understand what college readiness is and why it matters.
Introduce parents to the Delaware Standards and help them understand what to look for and how to help their children at home.
Introduce parents to the state’s assessments and what to expect in the year ahead.

5. Activity: What is college readiness?
At your table, discuss:
What does college-readiness look like?
When is a student is ready for college?
What do children need to learn to be ready for college?
How can parents help?

6. So? What does it mean?
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7. College and Career Readiness
The Delaware Standards get students ready for success in college and the workforce.
…but what does that mean?
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8. 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.
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9. 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.
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10. Why does this matter? Because it’s what our students need
For every 100 Delaware ninth graders…
75 graduate from high school on time
37 enter college the next fall
30 still enrolled by sophomore year

11. The Delaware Standards…
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
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12. What are the Delaware 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
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13. What’s included in the standards?
English Language Arts/Literacy:
Regular practice with complex text and its academic language
Reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from text, literary and informational
Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction
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14. What’s included in the standards?
Mathematics:
Focus strongly where the Standards focus
Coherence: Think across grades and link to major topics within grades
Rigor: In major topics, pursue with equal intensity conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency and application
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15. What are the assessments?
Smarter ELA and Smarter Mathematics
For grades 3-8
Replaces DCAS ELA, Mathematics
First statewide administration in Spring 2015
Taken once a year (spring)
SAT
For grade 11

16. What are the assessments?
Smarter assessments go beyond multiple-choice questions and include short constructed response, extended constructed response, and performance tasks that allow students to complete an in-depth project that demonstrate analytical skills and real-world problem solving.
SAT assessments measure the essential ingredients for college and career readiness and success, as shown by research, have a stronger connection to classroom learning, and inspire productive practice.

17. What are the assessments?
Accommodations for students with disabilities and English language learners are built into these systems so that the progress of students can be accurately measured.

18. What are the assessments?
The Smarter Analytics reporting system provides clear, easy-to-understand data on student achievement and growth. These reports present teachers, principals, and other local and state leaders with information they can use to help students make even greater progress.

19. This year’s Family Score Report provides more meaningful information on student understanding of the standards
Family score report helps parents and students better understand how well students are learning the Delaware standards
Will be mailed to families this summer
Includes detailed information about how students scored on different parts of ELA/Literacy and Mathematics
Shows how students are progressing through the standards and across grades
2016 Family Score Report

20. Why change to Smarter and SAT assessments?
All students deserve an education that prepares them for their next step in life—whether that’s going on to postsecondary education or starting a career.
These assessments give parents and students accurate information about whether students are on track to graduate high school ready for college and the workplace.

21. Why change to Smarter and SAT assessments?
Teachers are also provided with resources to tailor instruction to student needs through a digital library of instructional best practices.
Importantly, educators are able to easily compare student achievement between schools, districts, and states to ensure that students are making progress.

22. How the tests are different
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23. How the tests are different
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24. So, what can parents really do to help?
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25. 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 public 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
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26. Activity: After school routines
Grab a partner and discuss your after school routines. Be specific!
Ask each other questions:
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?
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27. So? What works best?
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28. 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

29. 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?

30. Activity: Talking to your kids about school
At your table, talk about strategies 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?
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31. What works best?
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32. 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
DelExcels.org

33. 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
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34. Parent Resources

35. Family Guides provide families with resources for better understanding of what students should learn each year
Parent Guides provide more information on what a student should have learned last year and what students should be able to do this year
Based on the Delaware standards
Shows how parents can support their children’s learning at home
Arrive with the Family Score Reports
While teachers have had access to assessment data in Smarter Analytics 3 weeks after the tests were submitted for scoring, families and students will receive Family Guides this week in preparation for their scores. Family Score Reports will begin arriving in homes next week – these include the student score and also information on the state and district results.

36. DelExcels.org
DelExcels.org

37. Additional resources DelawarePTA.org www.achievethecore.org
Smarterbalanced.org

38. 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?
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39. Classroom Visits Please head to your children’s classrooms
Their teachers want to show your kids have been learning
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40. Thank you