1. Source: 1 NJASA February 23 rd, 2012

2. 2 Our conversation today  What I bring to the NJDOE  CCSS overview  Regional Achievement Centers overview  Four levers of change and delivery  What you can expect of me

3. Knowledge of curriculum, assessment, instruction and The strategies needed for getting these resources to those who want them and can best improve them What I bring to the NJDOE

4. Curriculum & Assessment Foundation Teacher Should I alone decide what students need to learn in Chemistry, Biology, Health? PLCs using common assessments to share and learn from each other was the most powerful tool for improving student achievement. Principal District curriculum with assessments can help to drive improved student achievement. District leader How can the DOE best support districts and schools to implement CCSS and improve student achievement? State leader

5. The Quiet Revolution Common Core State Standards Fewer, clearer, more rigorous Internationally benchmarked Commonness Leverage state and nation-wide expertise (46 States and DC) PARCC (23 States and DC) Continuous improvement Version 1.0 followed by Version 2.0 5

6. Clearer … The CCSS Difference: Grade 7 ELA Before: NJCCCS (2004) 1. Produce written work and oral work that demonstrate comprehension of informational materials. After: CCSS (2010) 2. Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

7. Before: NJCCCS (2004) 1.Understand and apply the Pythagorean Theorem. After: CCSS (2010) 1.Explain a proof of the Pythagorean Theorem and its converse. 2.Apply the Pythagorean Theorem to determine unknown side lengths in right triangles in real-world and mathematical problems in two and three dimensions. 3.Apply the Pythagorean Theorem to find the distance between two points in a coordinate system. The CCSS Difference: Grade 8 Math

8. Version 1.0Version 2.0 Version 1.0 WHAT Students need to Learn HOW We can best Instruct WHEN do we know students have Learned Standard Student Learning Objectives Instruction Formative Assessments Summative/Formative CCSS Standard 1 SLO #1 SLO #2 Model Lessons Model Tasks Engaging Instructional Strategies Effective checks for understanding Teacher designed formative assessments Unit Assessment SLOs 1-5 CCSS Standard 2 SLO #3 SLO #4 SLO #5 General Bank of Assessment Items 2.0 Student level learning reports - Professional development - Resource reviews Model Curriculum Unit 8

9. CCSS aligned unit-based SLOs Quality 6-week unit assessments Model Lessons by SLO Model formative assessments Instructional resource rating system School, Classroom, Student level assessment reports by SLO Item bank Professional Development: Content & Instructional/Assessment support Model Curriculum 2.0: IIS Leveraging Technology

10. Context for the Regional Achievement Centers (RACs) RACs represent the Department’s most ambitious, focused effort to date to improve student achievement across the state: Shift focus from all schools to low performing schools Significant resources aligned with proven turnaround principles State resources and activities coordinated to support RACs 10 The Department is undergoing a fundamental shift from a system of oversight and monitoring to service delivery and support

11. Regional Achievement Centers overview Identify schools struggling the most Based on NCLB waiver guidelines, NJDOE identifies Priority and Focus Schools this spring Assess needs and develop plans Quality School Reviews (QSR) are conducted Comprehensive School Improvement Plans are developed collaboratively Clear performance metrics are defined Provide targeted interventions aligned to proven turnaround principles RACs led by a Regional Achievement Director and staffed with specialists knowledgeable in school turnaround principles 11 8 Turnaround Principles 1.School climate & culture 2.Principal leadership 3.Quality of instruction 4.Quality of standards- based curriculum, assessment, intervention system 5.Effective use of data to improve student achievement 6.Effective staffing 7.Academically-focused family & community engagement 8.Redesigning school time

12. 12 Great People Clear Plans Effective Tools Stakeholder Commitment Optimally staffed RACs Well-researched intervention strategies tied directly to accountability metrics High-quality resources that maximize fidelity of implementation DOE culture and statewide commitment to RAC success Regional Achievement Centers design

13. 13 RACs are organized geographically; each RAC will have an office within the region #Counties 1Morris - Sussex - Warren 2Bergen - Passaic 3Essex - Hudson 4Hunterdon - Mercer - Somerset - Union 5Middlesex – Monmouth - Ocean 6Camden - Burlington 7 Atlantic - Cape May - Cumberland - Salem - Gloucester Subject to revision

14. Academics: What do students need to learn? Talent: How is that learning best delivered? Performance: How are we doing? Innovation: How can we continue to improve? RACs: “Boots on the ground” It is a moral imperative that we work together to prepare every child for college and career. Four Levers of Change and Delivery

15. Willingness to listen, learn & reflect Quiet determination Persistence Resilience “Be the change you wish to see in the world” Ghandi What you can expect of me…