At the CoreVolume 1, Issue 1 Orange Board of Education March 2013

At the Core 1

Getting to the CoreOrange Board of Education Professional

Learning CommunityTerri Russo

In July 2012, forty-two educators from the Orange School District joined together to make the shift from the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The new standards were adopted by forty-six states, in order to increase academic achievement for all students and allow our citizens to better compete in the global market place. The Common Core PLC has continued to meet monthly throughout the 2012-2013 school year.

New Jersey adopted the Common Core State Standards in 2010 and published the Model Curriculum in 2012. The Model Curriculum breaks down what should be taught at each grade level in six week units. To date, mathematics, English language arts, world languages, visual and performing arts, and physical education/health have been published. Each unit includes Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) that dig deeper into content but narrow the scope of what must be mastered at each grade level.

Additionally, in ELA and mathematics, each unit has an assessment that measures the extent to which students have mastered the objectives. The teachers and administrators review the results of the assessments to determine curriculum revisions, remediation, and re-teaching for individual student needs. The unit assessments are preparing the students for the transition from NJASK and HSPA to PARCC, which will begin in Spring 2015.

To access the Common Core, please visithttp://www.state.nj.us/education/sca/To access PARCC, please visithttp://www.parcconline.org/parcc-assessment

Science Dennis Peterson* Nicole Pendola-Bruntz* Michael Seeback

The student of the 21st century acquires a comprehensive education encompassing science literacy, language arts literacy, mathematics, social studies, technology and the arts. Subjects can no longer be taught in isolation or in exclusive practices. Concern for educational underachievement has become a national conversation. In response, the United States collaboratively developed the Common Core Initiative to bridge these learning gaps among the states. Common Core allows science education to be integrated with every other discipline.

It allows educators to see the importance, the relevance and the need for collaborative efforts in building science curricula.

Hands-on, inquiry-based science instruction must be married to rigorous informational text that involves higher levels of text complexity, rich vocabulary and strategies to ensure creative, metacognitive levels of reflective problem solving in science education.

Through the use of Common Core Standards, students will develop marketable global skills ensuring preparedness in science, technology, engineering and mathematical aptitude. Collaborative communication is a necessary product of integrated instructional practice producing a well-rounded global citizen. These global citizens will synthesize solutions to existing and future world problems. Implementing Common Core is an on-going initiative that will redefine science instruction. Stay tuned for further information.

At the Core 2

Benefits for the new Common Core are numerous. As we progress through this new chapter of education, we believe the possibilities are endless.

Please visit the websites below for more information.

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/reading-like-a-historian-sourcing

https://teachingchannel.org/videos/inquiry-based-teaching-discussing-non-fiction?fd=1

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=131523

Social StudiesPaul Halligan*Carrie Halstead*Jean Jackson*

Luke Russo* Linda Epps

The new Common Core Standards implementation will change the landscape of education in our country. Specifically the new Common Core Standards as applied to Social Studies will mean a shift to more strenuous and rigorous instruction in our subject matter.

To those in K-5, the change should be great. Studies have shown that in the past only 2% of instruction time is spent on social studies in these grades. The results left large gaps to be taught in grades 6-12.

The new Common Core Standards makes it necessary for these earlier grades to focus more on non-fictional texts, specifically social studies. This new emphasis on teaching across the curriculum should lead to significant gains specifically in Social Studies to fill these gaps. Students will no longer read only fiction but will now be introduced to document based texts, primary source texts, and informational texts.

With this focus, we should see advances in student achievement as they gain background knowledge which will aid them in their comprehension of text. This newly gained comprehension should correlate to a better understanding and ability to compose and retell information.

The new Common Core will also put more of an emphasis on spoken language and listening, both important skills that our students will need to be successful in school as well as when they move on in their careers.

At the Core 3

Career and Technical Education

Justin Niemczyk

With English language arts and math getting a revamp in the new Common Core State Standards, has CTE been left forgotten? Short answer, no. Long answer, nooooooooooooo. The main change to CTE, and not really a change at that, is the focus on student literacy. Reading without a doubt is fundamental to our continuous success. So, why would it be limited to a language arts class?

Drawing attention to literacy in a CTE class is not difficult; in fact, you probably are already doing so. CTE classes often require students to read and decipher manuals and instructions. Manuals are the go to resource for technical help and are a great source of text complexity. Forums and instructions challenge students to follow along and think critically. News articles and journal entries are yet another way to engage students. While reading is the responsibility of all teachers, the new Common Core State Standards make literacy not a burden, but a pleasant expansion.

For additional reading on CTE and the CCSS, visit this great resource:

http://www.achieve.org/files/Achieve-CCSS-CTE-ResourcesDec2012.pdf

Health and Physical Education

JoAnn McKenna

The Common Core provides a clear understanding of what our students are expected to learn with regards to health and physical education. They will know why it is important to exercise various muscle groups, why cardiovascular activity matters, and why certain physical activities benefit the body. The Common Core approach will help prepare our students to think “outside the box”—to be independent. It will create self-direct learners, who can manage and monitor their own health and fitness. Our students will become critical thinkers, who can reason judgment decisions about their health. Our children will develop a better understanding of what responsibility means. They will become productive citizens who have the social and personal skills to take responsible action for their health and the health of others.

Here is a link to give you a better understanding how the Common Core relates to health and physical education:

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play/241043

At the Core 4

Speaking a Universal Language

Samara Malaman, Franklin Tafur, Cindy Varela

World Languages provides the tools needed to help students succeed in reading, writing,

speaking, listening, and using language effectively.

The New Jersey Model Curriculum for the Common Core State Standards guides World Languages educators with seven units for students at the Novice-Mid and Novice-High levels of proficiency. The Model Curriculum for World Languages includes:

- The Linguistic and Cultural content statements addressed in each unit.

- The Cumulative Progress Indicators (CPI) addressed in each unit.

- The knowledge and skills necessary to address the CPI’s that will be addressed.

- Student Learning Objectives (SLO)- Can Do statements.

Useful Websites

http://www.state.nj.us/education/modelcurriculum/wl/

www.actfl.org/commoncore

http://www.state.nj.us/education/aps/cccs/wl

MathematicsFocus on: Pre-Kindergarten – Grade 4

Jamillah Rawls, Tara Stevens, Veronica Torrenegra, Denise White

Welcome Pre K - grade 4 mathematics! This section of the newsletter will focus on information that is vital in partnering with you on this initiative.

The following are two key points in understanding the transition to Common Core State Standards:

1. There are fewer standards which allow teachers to spend more time to dig deeper and prompt students to think critically about mathematical skills. Find a kid-friendly version of your child’s grade level standards (K-2) on the following site: http://teachershero.com/HTML/common_core_ss.html

Also, the National PTA has a two-page Parent Guide by grade level, summarizing what your child will be focusing on in English Language Arts and Mathematics. http://PTA.org/parents/content.cfm?ItemNumber=2583

Take a look at the Measurement and Data Standard 1 across grades K-2. Note how the content of measuring objects is the same; however, the skills delve deeper each successive year:

CCSS.Math.Content.K.MD.A.1 Describe measurable attributes of objects, such as length or weight. Describe several measurable attributes of a single object. (Kindergarten)

CCSS.Math.Content.1.MD.A.1 Order three objects by length; compare the lengths of two objects indirectly by using a third object. (First grade)

CCSS.Math.Content.2.MD.A.1 Measure the length of an object by selecting and using appropriate tools such as rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, and measuring tapes. (Second Grade)

At the Core 5

(Continued from p. 4 Column 2, Math PK-4)

2. In preparation for college readiness, the Common Core has adopted Standards for Mathematical Practice from Pre K to grade 12. Listed below are the eight Standards for Mathematical Practices. These standards guide the students’ thinking through their mathematical problem-solving. Teachers use these practices to guide their lesson planning and students in supporting their findings.

1). Make sense of problems and preserve in solving problems. 2). Reason abstractly and quantitatively. 3). Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. 4). Model with mathematics. 5). Use appropriate tools strategically. 6). Attend to precision. 7). Look for and make use of structure. 8). Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

This image shows how students will be climbing the steps of knowledge, with landings along the way to check for understanding and to test knowledge. By the end of grade 12, our students will have reached the top landing and will be prepared for college and career.

Common Core BuzzPre-K-5 English Language Arts

Stephanie Smith, Adriana Hernandez, Kusum Jethwa & Gianna Pasceri

The new buzz word flying around schools all over the country is Common Core State Standards (CCSS)! But what do we need to understand in order to implement the CCSS for ELA grades Pre-k-5? First, we must understand the 6 shifts in ELA/Literacy. According to Gullen and Zimmerman, "Implementing the standards will mean clear shifts in instructional practice, away from rote activities that involve seeking, writing, and memorizing factual content and toward those that require higher levels of cognitive demand" (2013).

Shift 1Balancing

Informational and Literary

Text

Students read a true balance of informational and literary texts.

Shift 2Knowledge of

Disciplines

Students build knowledge about the world (domains/ content areas) through TEXT rather than the teacher or activities

Shift 3Staircase of Complexity

Students read the central, grade appropriate text around which instruction is centered. Teachers are patient, create more time and space and support in the curriculum for close reading.

Shift 4Text-based

Answers

Students engage in rich and rigorous evidence based conversations about text.

Shift 5Writing from

Sources

Writing emphasizes use of evidence from sources to inform or make an argument.

Shift 6Academic

Vocabulary

Students constantly build the transferable vocabulary they need to access grade level complex texts. This can be done effectively by spiraling like content in increasingly complex texts.

At the Core 6

Continued from page 5 column 2

What About Assessments?As of 2014-2015, the new assessments will be administered online and will go beyond multiple choice questions.

The test will require students to demonstrate research, writing, and analytical skills. In addition to year end tests, teachers will be able to administer interim assessments throughout the school year to monitor students’ progress and makes adjustments to instruction.

Additional Resources for Parents & Teachers:

Analyzing Text Writingwww.teachingchannel.org/videos/analyzing-text-writing

Organize Your Thinking to Critically Analyze Textwww.teachingchannel.org/videos/help-students-analyze-text

Reaching Common Core State Standardshttp://www.learninga-z.com/commoncore/

Assessment Webinarshttp://www.all4ed.org/webinars

10 Steps for Migrating Your Curriculum to the Common Core (White Paper Article)www.arteducators.org/research/10_steps_for_migrating_your_curriculum_to_the_common_core

Common Core ELA grades 9-12Tia Burnett and Holly Gamble

In an effort to better prepare high students for college and the workforce, there has been a shift from the NJCCCS, which emphasized almost exclusively reading literature, narrative writing and persuasive writing being the primary focus of our teaching to the Common Cores Standards. There are four major changes:

Students will read literary and informational text, with the greater emphasis on informational text being taught in conjunction with social studies and science classes

Students will read more challenging text and be asked to use strong text evidence to support their ideas

There will be an increased emphasis on building a strong vocabulary

Students will be asked to write in the following forms: narrative, argumentative and explanatory

Helping students meet the challenge:1. Increase time for conversation at home

and in school. Discuss assignments, activities and homework. Ask student how he/she is performing in class and how you can help.

2. Ask student about his/her academic goals and career interests. Assist in gathering various sources of information on college and career opportunities.

3. Begin to explore colleges and other postsecondary options that are of interest to the student.

At the Core 7

Parent & Student Roadmap to the Common Core

Tyarra Hunter, Elizabeth Tague, Asale Harris

What are the SMP’s? The Standards for Mathematical Practices are 8

practices that describe varieties of expertise that mathematics educators at all levels should seek to develop in their students.

What’s new in grade 5?

Write and interpret numerical expressions5.OA.1 (moved from higher grade)

Understand the place value system5.NBT.1 (moved from a lower grade)5.NBT.2 & 7 (moved from a higher grade)

Use equivalent fractions as a strategy to add and subtract fractions.5.NF.4-7 (moved from a higher grade)

Convert like measurement units within a give measurement system5.MD.4, 5a (moved from a lower grade)5.MD.5b (moved from a higher grade)

Graph points on the coordinate plane to sole real-world and mathematical problems.5.G.1 & 3 (moved from a lower grade)

What’s new in grade 6?

Understand ratio concepts and use ratio reasoning to solve problems.6.RP.1, (Moved from 7th to 6th)6RP2 (Moved from 8th to 6th)6RP3 (Moved from 7th & 8th to 6th)

Compute fluently with multi-digit numbers and find common factors and multiples.6.NS.6 b, c (Moved from 7th to 6th)6NS.7 & 8 (moved from 7th to 6th )

Apply and extend previous understandings of arithmetic to algebraic expressions.6.EE.4Develop understanding of statistical variability.6.SP.1, 2 & 5

What’s new in grade 7?Analyze proportional relationships and use them to solve real-world and mathematical problems.7.RP.1 & 2 (Moved from 8th to 7th)

Solve real-life and mathematical problems using numerical and algebraic expressions and equations.7.EE.4(Moved from 8th to 7th)

Draw, construct, and describe geometrical figures and describe the relationships between them.

7.G.3-6 (Moved from 8th to 7th)

Use random sampling to draw inferences about a population.7.SP.2, 3, 5 & 8 (Moved from 8th to 7th)

What’s new in grade 8?Know that there are numbers that are notrational, and approximate them by rationalnumbers.8.NS.1, 2 (moved from 9th to 8th )

Work with radicals and integer exponents.8.EE.1 & 8(moved from 9th to 8th )

Define, evaluate and compare functions.8.F.1 & 5 (moved from 7th to 8th )

At the Core 8

Success to the Core: Common Core Standards at Grades 6 – 8!

Neurones Plaisimond & Germaine Tarver Why the shift from NCLB to Common Core?No Child Left Behind (NCLB) emphasized in-depth language arts and math instruction to boost test scores whereas the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) address all content areas and how they contribute to the total achievement of the child. There is a focus on cross-curricular instruction to develop higher-order thinking skills through the use of complex texts in all subject areas. With the CCSS the ongoing goal is a focus on preparing students for college and career readiness. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzgzim5m7oU

Enduring RelevanceThe CCSS prepares students to be productive, well-rounded citizens who can compete in a global market place. Critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity and innovation are the driving forces of these standards, preparing students for the 21st century.http://www.skillbott.com/resources/RealWorldSkills.pdf

English Language Arts (ELA)The CCSS connects reading and writing so that it is no longer taught in isolation, thus the switch from “Language Arts” to “English Language Arts”. The needs of the individual student are paramount. Lexile levels help parents and teachers identify texts that are used to address the

requirements of the CCSS. The standards also require the progressive development of reading comprehension so that students advancing through the grades are able to gain more from whatever they read.2

The genre of texts used by students directly correlates to the writing which they will be required to produce. Students are expected to produce argument, explanatory and informational writing pieces. The ability to write logical arguments based on substantive claims, sound reasoning, and relevant evidence is a cornerstone of the writing standards. Students are also required to do research-both short, focused projects (such as those commonly required in the workplace) and longer term in depth research.2

References: 1www.corestandards.org 2http://www.corestandards.org/resources/key-points-in-english-language-arts

Parent & Student Roadmap to the Common Core: MathematicsWhat parents and students need to know about the Common Core

Mr. James DeLoatch* Mrs. Debra Joseph-Charles*

America’s schools are working to provide higher quality instruction than ever before

The way we taught students in the past simply does not prepare them for the higher demands of college and careers today and in the future. Orange High School is working to improve teaching and learning to ensure that all students will graduate high school with the skills they need to be successful.

In high school, the emphasis in instruction is on a few interrelated big ideas that connect the study of mathematics to science, technology, and engineering. Teachers will concentrate on teaching these big ideas using complex and challenging math content, enabling students to illustrate their thinking and apply their knowledge in many different ways.

Students will learn how to use mathematics to analyze and respond to real-world issues and challenges, as they will be expected to do in college and the workplace.

High school learning objectives are organized by concepts—such as algebra, functions, or geometry—that students will learn and master in various mathematics courses. These concepts build on what students learned in grade eight and move toward greater depth of knowledge and skills throughout high school.

Helping your child learn outside of school

1. Encourage your child to be persistent; make sure that he or she knows that mathematics requires patience, practice, and time to think and reflect

2. Encourage your child to review class notes every night.

Partnering with your child’s teacher

Don’t be afraid to reach out to your child’s teacher. Ask to see samples of your child’s work and discuss his or her progress with the teacher using questions like:

• What do you think is giving my child the most trouble? How can I help my child improve in this area?

• Are there options provided by the school for enrichment experiences in mathematics, science, technology, or engineering (STEM areas) or for students having

At the Core 9

Parent & Student Roadmap to the Common Core: MathematicsWhat parents and students need to know about the Common Core

Mr. James DeLoatch* Mrs. Debra Joseph-Charles*

America’s schools are working to provide higher quality instruction than ever before

The way we taught students in the past simply does not prepare them for the higher demands of college and careers today and in the future. Orange High School is working to improve teaching and learning to ensure that all students will graduate high school with the skills they need to be successful.

In high school, the emphasis in instruction is on a few interrelated big ideas that connect the study of mathematics to science, technology, and engineering. Teachers will concentrate on teaching these big ideas using complex and challenging math content, enabling students to illustrate their thinking and apply their knowledge in many different ways.

Students will learn how to use mathematics to analyze and respond to real-world issues and challenges, as they will be expected to do in college and the workplace.

High school learning objectives are organized by concepts—such as algebra, functions, or geometry—that students will learn and master in various mathematics courses. These concepts build on what students learned in grade eight and move toward greater depth of knowledge and skills throughout high school.

Helping your child learn outside of school

1. Encourage your child to be persistent; make sure that he or she knows that mathematics requires patience, practice, and time to think and reflect

2. Encourage your child to review class notes every night.

Partnering with your child’s teacher

Don’t be afraid to reach out to your child’s teacher. Ask to see samples of your child’s work and discuss his or her progress with the teacher using questions like:

• What do you think is giving my child the most trouble? How can I help my child improve in this area?

• Are there options provided by the school for enrichment experiences in mathematics, science, technology, or engineering (STEM areas) or for students having

Newsletter 10