1. Common Core State Standards in Connecticut ELMS PTA Presentation October 16, 2012 Dr. Judy DeLeeuw, Principal Jason Bitgood, Assistant Principal Jennifer Frost, Literacy Specialist Carla Woitovich, Library Media Specialist

2. What are the Common Core State Standards? A bipartisan, state led effort to define the knowledge and skills students need to master to succeed in college and careers Adopted by 48 states as of June 2012 Developers of the CCSS: National Governors Association, Council of Chief State School Officers, State Representatives, educators, content experts, researchers, national organizations, community groups

3. Why were the Common Core State Standards developed? Currently, every state has its own set of academic standards, meaning public education students in each state are learning to different levels All students must be prepared to compete with not only their American peers in the next state, but with students from around the world

4. What are the Common Core State Standards? Aligned with college and work expectations Focused and coherent Include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards Internationally benchmarked so that all students are prepared to succeed in our global economy and society Based on evidence and research

5. How will student progress be measured? Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) no longer used after 2013-2014 New CCSS assessment system under development by the Smarter Balanced assessment consortium New assessment system in place 2014-2015 http://www.smarterbalanced.org/about/

6. Language Arts/Literacy Standards Reading- text complexity and comprehension growth Writing- text types, responding to reading, research Speaking and Listening- flexible communication and collaboration Language – conventions, effective use, and vocabulary Define what students should know and be able to do, not how teachers teach Do not define the instructional methods or materials

7. What is the Different about Language Arts Standards? Grades K-5 requires 50/50 balance of narrative and informational text Grades 6-12 reading closely and critically in content area text and writing about it All students access appropriately complex text Questions based on what was read Writing to inform and persuade using evidence Emphasis on academic vocabulary

8. What are the standards for literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, & the Technical Subjects? Standards for reading and writing Complement rather than replace content standards in those subjects Responsibility of teachers in those subjects Alignment with college and career readiness expectations

9. Mathematics Standards for Mathematical Practice Carry across all grade levels Describe habits of mind of a mathematically expert student Standards for Mathematical Content K-8 standards presented by grade level Organized into domains that progress over several grades Grade introductions give 2–4 focal points at each grade level High school standards presented by conceptual theme (Number & Quantity, Algebra, Functions, Modeling, Geometry, Statistics & Probability)

10. What is different about the Mathematics standards? Focus and coherence Focus on key topics at each grade level Coherent progressions across grade levels Balance of concepts and skills Content standards require both conceptual understanding and procedural fluency Mathematical practices Foster reasoning and sense-making in mathematics College and career readiness Level is ambitious but achievable

11. Assured Research Experiences Grades 5-8 Goal: To create a cohesive multi- disciplinary research unit at each grade level that will embed 21 st century literacy skills into content area standards. Grade 5: Social Studies/Exploration Grade 6: Science/Ecology Grade 7: Science/Human Body Systems Grade 8: Social Studies/American Revolution

12. Assured Research Experiences Each project will incorporate the following: Enduring learning standards Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Nation Education Technology Standards (NETS) Collaboration

13. What work is being done at ELMS to implement the CCSS? LANGUAGE ARTS/LITERACYMATHEMATICS Subject area meetings: overview, studying standards, gap analysis, curriculum alignment, review of test item exemplars Development of Common Assured Research Experiences in Science and Social Studies all units have been written for grades 5 & 6 6 units out of 8 will be implemented this year for grade 5, and 6 units out of 8 will implemented for grade 6 as required by the CT department of education transition guide Integration of CCSS-like assessment items and scoring procedures into the common assessments used 3x yearly 4 out of 7 units have been written for grade 7 --all 4 will be implemented 4 out of 7 units have been written for grade 8 --all 4 will be implemented Assessment and alignment of instruction materials (eg: fiction and non-fiction) Ongoing professional development Ongoing communication with CT state department of education

14. CCSS Resources http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2618 &q=322592 http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2618 &q=322592 PTA Parent Guides ◦ http://pta.org/3rd_Grade_June30.pdf http://pta.org/3rd_Grade_June30.pdf Council of Great City Schools Parent Roadmaps Council of Great City Schools Parent Roadmaps ◦ Grade Eight Grade Eight

15. Common Core State Standards Questions?