Common Core State Standards: An Opportunity for Progress
Lee Ann J. Kendrick, M.Ed. Regional Advocacy Specialist National PTA 15th District PTA CCSSI Team, Louisville, Kentucky Cherie Dimar, PTA President Sharon Whitworth, CCSSI Lead Heather Wampler, 1st V.P. of Programs
Presentation Overview
Current Conditions
Common Core
Solutions
Moving Forward
– The Economic Imperative: A high school diploma is no longer enough; now, nearly every good job requires some education beyond high school and all students need to be academically prepared to compete for good jobs in the global economy.
– The Equity Imperative: Far too many students drop out or graduate from high school unprepared for success. Students in minority groups drop out and fail to attain postsecondary credentials at much higher rates than their counterparts.
– The Expectations Imperative: The bar has been set too low for too long, keeping students from reaching their full potential, closing doors and limiting their post-high school options and opportunities.
Current Conditions
Current Conditions
In 1950, 60% of jobs were classified as unskilled, attainable by young people with high school diplomas or less. Today, 20% of jobs are considered to be unskilled.
One result: The demand for middle- and high-skilled workers is outpacing the state’s supply of workers educated and experienced at that level.
80% of Indiana’s jobs are middle or high skills (jobs that require some postsecondary education or training).
Yet only 33% of Indiana’s adults have some postsecondary degree (associate’s or higher).
National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, analysis of 2009 American Community Survey. http://www.higheredinfo.org
Current Conditions
While there may be jobs available to high school dropouts and graduates, they often pay less and offer less security than jobs
held by those with at least some postsecondary experience.
The link between educational attainment and gainful employment is clear:
More education is associated with higher earnings and higher rates of employment.
National Low Income Housing Coalition, Out of Reach 2012
Are we challenging our students?
Source: College Board’s 2011 “One Year Out” Study.
Too Many Students Remain Off Track to Success: Of Every 100 9th Graders
Source: National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (2008). Student Pipeline - Transition and Completion Rates from 9th Grade to College. http://www.higheredinfo.org
The Public on College and Career Readiness
To really get ahead in life, a person needs more
than just a high school education.
To really get ahead in life, a person needs at least some
education beyond high school, whether that means
university, community college, technical or vocational school.
Source: Achieve (2010). Achieving the Possible: What Americans Think the College and Career-Ready Agenda. http://www.achieve.org/files/AchievingThePossible-FinalReport.pdf
87%
Source: Achieve (2012) Growing Awareness, Growing Support: Teacher and Voter Understanding of the Common Core State Standards & Assessments. http://www.achieve.org/growingawarenessCCSS
Low Levels of Rigor • Current standards feature large amounts of
knowledge and recall learning targets • Under-developing critical thinking abilities • Disadvantaged in college and the workplace
Why do we need Common Standards?
Low-Rigor Standards
Source: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/studies/2011458.pdf
Lack of Clarity • “Write for a variety of purposes.” • “Respond to variety of literary/informational texts.” • “Competently use money.” • Are these standards clear to teachers, students, and
parents?
Why do we need Common Standards?
Inconsistencies • Different states set different learning targets • Different districts set different learning targets • Different classrooms learning different topics • We must expect high achievement from all students
in all classrooms
Why do we need Common Standards?
Results of Inconsistencies
• States requiring different content • Cut scores for proficiency vary by state • Students being taught and assessed at different
levels of rigor based on location • Students who move may be far ahead or far behind • Large groups of students are disadvantaged in the
national and global economies
Barriers to Collaboration • Educators are not working from the same blueprints • Chilling effect on the sharing of best practices • Curricular materials not applicable to all places • This creates an insular education community where
everyone is doing the same work over and over again
Why do we need Common Standards?
A set of clear, consistent, internationally-benchmarked K-12 standards in English
Language Arts and Mathematics that will provide a clear and consistent framework
to prepare our students for college and the workplace.
What is the Common Core?
Important! Standards are the “What”
Standards are the overall goal we hope our children achieve.
Curriculum is the “How”
Curriculum is the individual teaching methodology used in the classroom.
An effort led by the National Governor’s Association, the Council of Chiefs of State Schools, ACT, Achieve, College Board, and many other groups that created standards
voluntarily adopted by states.
What is the Common Core?
• Increased complexity of texts • Focus on foundational math skills and application in
novel real-world situations • A return to depth as opposed to breadth • Increased focus on justifying and presenting results
and methods • Critical reading and writing infused in all curricular
areas • Re-ordering of math content to reflect research-
based path to college and career readiness
How are Common Core Standards better?
Our current standards are low in rigor and do not emphasize the reasoning skills necessary for college
and career success.
Preparation: The CCSS will prepare students for
both college and the workplace and emphasizes higher-order skills instead
of knowledge and recall.
Benefits of Common Core
Competition: The CCSS are internationally-
benchmarked, ensuring that our students are prepared to be
competitive in the global job market.
Benefits of Common Core
Equity: The Common Core will foster
consistent expectations not dependent on state or zip code. We will hold all
students to high academic expectations.
Benefits of Common Core
Clarity: The Common Core are focused, coherent, and clear standards.
Everyone knows what is expected of our students.
Benefits of Common Core
Collaboration: CCSSI will be a foundation for teachers,
states, and districts to work together from the same blueprints. This will
facilitate the sharing of best practices.
Benefits of Common Core
45 states have voluntarily adopted the Common Core, as well as the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Implementation Progress
States and territories who have not yet
adopted: Alaska*, Texas, Nebraska, Minnesota*, Virginia, Puerto Rico,
Guam.
Implementation Progress
The work of implementation will determine whether or not the
Common Core positively impacts student achievement in our nation.
Adoption is just the beginning…
Implementation
Staff Development is key to successful implementation
http://www.ccsso.org/resources/digital_resources/common_core_implementation_video_series.html Math Standards https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlJ44te7jrw&playnext=1&list=PL087DD8418FEDAC32
Resources
4th Grade Classroom Example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0KPlUvH3nI ELA: Working with your child at home http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NnuDKq5qGs&feature=relmfu
The CCSSO has convened the publishing community to ensure that high-quality instructional materials
aligned to the Common Core are being created.
Implementation: Curriculum
I thought there was local control over what was taught. Who gave the state the right to change our curriculum?
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Common Core State Standards Initiative the first step of a federal
take-over of our education system?
Frequently Asked Questions
If our schools are performing poorly now with low-rigor standards, what’s going to happen when the standards
get tougher??
Frequently Asked Questions
What questions can parents ask now to ensure that the Common Core gets properly implemented in their district?
Frequently Asked Questions
What can schools do to keep parents informed about changes to the
standards?
Frequently Asked Questions
Assessment Consortia
Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida,
Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina,
Tennessee
Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Hawaii, Kansas, Iowa, Kentucky,
Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North
Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia,
Wisconsin, Wyoming
PARCC Assessment Design The priority purposes of PARCC Assessments
• Determine whether students are college- and career-ready or on track
• Assess the full range of the Common Core Standards, including standards that are difficult to measure
• Measure the full range of student performance, including the performance high- and low-performing students
PARCC Assessment Design
• Provide data during the academic year to inform instruction, interventions and professional development
• Provide data for accountability, including measures of growth
• Incorporate innovative approaches throughout the assessment system
PARCC Assessment Design
Two summative Required assessment components designed to
• make “college- and career-readiness” and “on-track” determinations,
• Measure the full range of standards and full performance continuum, and
• Provide data for accountability uses, including measures of growth.
PARCC will also use technology throughout the design and implementation of the assessment system. A mix of constructed response items, performance-based tasks, and computer-enhanced, computer-scored items. Assessments will be administered via computer, and a combination of automated scoring and human scoring will be employed.
http://parcconline.org/parcc-assessment-design
Smarter Balance Assessment Design
• Smarter Balanced is guided by the belief that a balanced, high-quality assessment system—including formative, interim, and summative components—can improve teaching and learning by providing information and tools for teachers and schools to help students succeed.
Smarter Balance Assessment Design
• Smarter Balanced assessments will go beyond multiple-choice questions and include short constructed response, extended constructed response, and performance tasks that allow students to complete an in-depth project that demonstrate analytical skills and real-world problem solving.
Smarter Balance Assessment Design
• Smarter Balanced assessments make use of computer adaptive technology, which is more precise and efficient than fixed-form testing.
• Faster results mean that teachers can use the information from optional interim assessments throughout the school year to differentiate instruction and better meet the unique needs of their students.
http://www.smarterbalanced.org/resources-events/faqs/#2446
PARCC and Smarter Balance are collaborating to ensure that there is comparability across the two assessments at the proficiency cut score for every grade. Both consortia will jointly engage with technical and policy advisors to study cross-consortia comparability.
What is a Performance Task?
Performance tasks challenge students to apply their knowledge and skills to respond to real-world problems. These activities are meant to measure capacities such as depth of understanding, research skills, and complex analysis, which cannot be adequately assessed with selected- or constructed-response items.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions What is a summative assessment?
Summative assessment refers to the assessment of the learning and summarizes the development of learners at a particular time. After a period of work, e.g. a unit for two weeks, the learner sits for a test and then the teacher marks the test and assigns a score. The test aims to summarize learning up to that point.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a non-summative assessment? Non-summative or Formative Assessment is part of the instructional process. Think of formative assessment as “practice.” Formative assessment helps teachers determine next steps during the learning process as the instruction approaches the summative assessment of student learning.
Tools you can use
National PTA CCSSI Toolkit http://www.pta.org/advocacy/content.cfm?ItemNumber=3552&RDtoken
=31974&userID=
State Assessment Guides http://www.pta.org/files/Common%20Core%20State%20Standards%20Resources/Assessments%20Resouces/PTA%20Kentucky%20Assessment%20Gui
de.pdf
What questions do you have?
