GENE WILHOIT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

COUNCIL OF CHIEF STATE SCHOOL OFFICERS (CCSSO)

KASS MEETING

OPENING REMARKS

FEBRUARY 4, 2011

Overview of the Initiative

State-led and developed common core standards for K-12 in English/language arts and mathematics

Initiative led by Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and National Governors Association (NGA)

42 states have fully adopted the Common Core, 2 have provisionally adopted them, and 1 state has adopted the ELA standards only.

Common Core State Standards Initiative

Game-Changer

Overview of the Initiative

Standards are essential, but insufficient

Why is This Important for Students, Teachers, and Parents?

Prepares students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in college and work

Ensures consistent expectations regardless of a student’s zip code

Provides educators, parents, and students with clear, focused guideposts

Identify learning progressions that can help target instruction to the learner.

Offers economies of scale

College and Career Readiness

College. Prepare students for success (earn a C or better) in entry-level, credit-bearing, academic college courses (2 and 4 year postsecondary institutions).

Career. Prepare students for success in careers that offer competitive, livable salaries above the poverty line, opportunities for career advancement, and are in growing or sustainable industries.

What’s in the Standards

Statement on Applications for English Language Learners

ELLs should and can learn academic content while learning English. English proficiency is not a prerequisite to students accessing the Common Core State Standards content.

Statement on Application for Students with Disabilities

“Students with disabilities are a heterogeneous group with one common characteristic: the presence of disabling conditions that significantly hinder their abilities to benefit from general education (IDEA 34 CFR §300.39, 2004). Therefore, how these high standards are taught and assessed is of the utmost importance in reaching this diverse group of students.”

“Promoting a culture of high expectations for all students is a fundamental goal of the Common Core State Standards.”

Intentional Design Limitations

What the Standards do NOT define: How teachers should teach All that can or should be taught The nature of advanced work beyond the core The interventions needed for students well below

grade level The full range of support for English language

learners and students with special needs Everything needed to be college- and career-ready

STANDARDS FOR

ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS (ELA)

&

LITERACY IN HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES, SCIENCE, AND TECHNICAL SUBJECTS

Design and Organization

Three main sections K−5 (cross-disciplinary) 6−12 English Language Arts 6−12 Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and

Technical Subjects

Shared responsibility for students’ literacy development

Three appendicesA: Research and evidence; glossary of key terms

B: Reading text exemplars; sample performance tasks

C: Annotated student writing samples

Design and Organization

Four strandsReadingWritingSpeaking and ListeningLanguage

An integrated model of literacy

Media requirements blended throughout

ELA Key Advances

Reading Balance of literature and informational texts Text complexity

Writing Emphasis on argument and informative/explanatory writing Writing about sources

Standards for reading and writing in history/

social studies, science, and technical subjects Complement rather than replace content standards

in those subjects Responsibility of teachers in those subjects

MATHEMATICS

STANDARDS

Design and Organization

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)

Math Key Advances

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

Math Key Advances

Focus in early grades on number (arithmetic and operations) to build a solid foundation in math

Evened out pace across the gradesHigh school math focus on using math and solving

complex problems, similar to what would see in the real world

Problem-solving and communication emphasized

COMMON ASSESSME

NTS

Two Consortia

Led by states; not organized through CCSSO and NGA

Kentucky is a participating member of 2 Assessment Consortia Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and

Careers (PARCC) -$170M (plus $15.8M for transition) from feds SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium - $160M (plus

$15.8M for transition) from feds

New common assessments will be ready for the 2014-2015 school year for grades 3 - high school.

Consortia Similarities

Enhanced item quality (including performance tasks): focus on depth of understanding

Computer-based, with quick turn-around for scoring

Digital libraries of resources, including released items, formative assessments, data-management system, and professional development

Consortia Differences

Computer-based adaptive testing is used in SMARTER Balanced Consortium. PARCC has computer-based, but not adaptive, testing.

Through-course exams given at defined points through the school year in PARCC and are part of the summative assessment. SMARTER Balanced has optional interim assessments and their summative assessment will be offered twice each school year.

Teacher scoring is emphasized in SMARTER Balanced when evaluating performance tasks.

Implementation Considerations

Communications with parents, students, and the community

CurriculumInstructional materialsFormative and interim assessmentsProfessional developmentInterventions for low-performing students

www.corestandards.org