1. Common Core and PACC State Standards
Parent Presentation
Changes in State Standards
January 31, 2013
MS Auditorium – 7:00 PM
February 1, 2013
MS Auditorium – 12:00 PM

2. A Major Change at the State Level
The Keystone Exams
will begin to count for
Graduation starting withh
the class of 2017 – our
current 8th grade
students

3. Graduation Requirements
Beginning with the class of 2017 (current 8th grade) students must pass the Algebra 1, Biology, and Literature tests in order to graduate
Passing scores are banked and used for:
AYP at the end of their 11th grade year
Graduation in 12th grade
Students take the test at the end of the year in which they take the course
Currently Algebra 1 is 7th-9th grade
Currently Biology is 9th grade
Literature is 10th grade
This is a state law and is intended to become part of the new Pennsylvania Graduation Requirements

4. Some changes ( ) PSSA
2013 – 11th grade PSSA test eliminated – Keystones reinstated
PSSA-M is eliminated
2013 – Writing Field Test 3rd-5th grades – (1- 1 ½ hours)
LM and JPLIS – 2/5 HW and LB – 2/6
2014 – Writing Field Test 6th-8th grades
2015 – Writing test for 5th grade eliminated
2015 – New Reading/Writing (ELA) test for 3rd-5th grades
These dates are new from PDE as of 1/31/13
Writing Test for 8th grade eliminated
New Reading/Writing (ELA) test for 6th-8th grades

5. Current PSSA Test Questions 3rd – 8th Grades
2013 and 2014 tests continue to be aligned to current state standards
Not the PA Common Core Standards – yet
Embedded Field Test items aligned to PACC Standards
Field Test Items are not scored – don’t count
Students do not know which questions are Field Test (don’t count) and which are Operational (do count)

6. Spring 2015 Reading, Writing and Math for 3rd to 8th grades
Spring rd - 8th Grade PSSA
All 3rd - 8th grade students will now take the new ELA Common Core aligned PSSA which includes reading and writing for all 6 grades
Writing no longer a separate test for 5th and 8th grade only
All 3rd – 8th grade students will now take the new Math Common Core aligned PSSA
Grades 3-8 Math and ELA Tests based on new PA Common Core State Standards
State will continue to embed Field Test items aligned to PACC Standards

7. Science PSSA At this time, the current plan remains for Science
Science PSSA is given in only 4th and 8th grades
We will update you in the future on any changes to the Science PSSA test

8. History of the Common Core State Standards
Each of the 50 states created their own sets of standards
Realization that there is a disconnect and a need for continuity
Feedback from the College and Career Community that our graduates are not prepared for the type of math, reading, writing, speaking and listening skills expected in the “real world”
2010 – ELA and Math Common Core Standards
Each state could add to the original document by as much as 15%
PA made some changes
Ex. Added a Pre-K component
Slight structural change
Original ELA Common Core vs. PA ELA Common Core
Original Math Common Core vs. PA Math Common Core

9. ELA Common Core Standards
ELA – English and Language Arts
Original 10 Standards for Reading and Writing
Progression Pre-K - 12
Focus is on:
Reading Literature and Informational text
Growth of Comprehension and Text Complexity
Writing
Informational, Argumentative and Narrative
Engage in evidence-based analysis of what they’ve read and researched
Speaking and Listening
Language
Conventions of Standard English and Vocabulary

10. How is the demand of this standard rising across the grades?
7th – 8th Progression
7th Grade
8th Grade
2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and
analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting,
and plot;
provide an objective summary of the text.
In grade 7, students are asked to provide an objective summary, and in grade 8, students are required to consider the relationship between theme and characters, setting, and plot.
How is the demand of this standard
rising across the grades?

11. How is the demand of this standard rising across the grades?
9th – 12 Progression
9th -10th Grade
11th -12th Grade
2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its
development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is
shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the
text.
2. Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development
over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another
to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.
In grades 9 and 10, students are asked to provide a detailed analysis of the development of theme across the course of the text. In grades 11 and 12, students are asked to determine multiple themes and how they interact and build to provide complex analysis.
How is the demand of this standard
rising across the grades?

12. CCSS Reading Standards Informational

13. What are the ELA expectations?
Be prepared in PA to take higher rigor 3rd-8th grade tests in 2015
Close gap between level of reading and writing expected in HS vs College and Career - VIDEO
Exposure at all grades to more complex text
More writing in response to the reading
Citing of textual evidence
More application of their knowledge
Greater emphasis on non-fiction reading and writing
50% by 4th grade
70% in HS – this includes content areas not just English

14. Text Complexity Text complexity is defined by: Quantitative
Qualitative
Qualitative measures – levels of meaning, structure, language conventionality and clarity, and knowledge demands often best measured by an attentive human reader.
Quantitative
Quantitative measures – readability and other scores of text complexity often best measured by computer software.
Reader and Task
Reader and Task considerations – background knowledge of reader, motivation, interests, and complexity generated by tasks assigned often best made by educators employing their professional judgment.
Quantitative Measures are factors of the text that can be counted (number of words in a sentence, length of passage, word repetition and comparison of words versus a word list separated by grade level) and typically are measured electronically.
Qualitative Measures are the factors that have to be determined by educators. While a book may be at the ‘reading level’ of a student based on Quantitative Measures, the content may not be age appropriate and other factors (such as knowledge and language demands and levels of meaning/purpose) should come into play.
The Reader and Task are incredibly important factors of this determination. While a text may be appropriate for a certain grade level overall, a teacher may know that a certain group of students have more/less background knowledge on the subject, for example.

15. What are the Math Expectations
Focus and Coherence
Focus on key topics at each grade level
Reduction in number of topics
Greater depth of understanding for each topic
Possible delay in topic introduction. Ex. mult/div at 3rd grade - VIDEO
Coherent progressions across grade levels
Balance of Concepts and Skills
Standards require both conceptual understanding and procedural fluency

16. Math Common Core Standards Mathematical Practices
Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
Reason abstractly and quantitatively
Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
Model with mathematics
Use appropriate tools strategically
Attend to precision
Look for and make use of structure
Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning

17. For example:

18. Math problem comparison
Martha’s Carpeting
Fencing
Ms. Brown’s class will raise rabbits for their spring science fair. They have 24 feet of fencing with which to build a rectangular rabbit pen to keep the rabbits.
If Ms. Brown’s students want their rabbits to have as much room as possible, how long would each of the sides of the pen be?
How long would each of the sides of the pen be if they had only 16 feet of fencing?
How would you go about determining the pen with the most room for any amount of fencing? Organize your work so that someone else who reads it will understand it.
Martha was recarpeting her bedroom which was 15 feet long and 10 feet wide. How many square feet of carpeting will she need to purchase?
Both tasks:
Stein, Smith, Hennigsen, and Silver, 2000

19. Thank You!
Questions????