JUSD Common Core Priority Standards for

ELA

SEE THE “BIG PICTURE” FIRST

Building the Foundation

2 Minutes: You are teaching one summer school session. You only have two weeks to teach EVERYTHING you would normally teach in one semester.

1. Choose your course/grade level.2. List the skills/concepts you would

choose to teach (emphasize).3. Be ready to justify/share your

choices. (1 minute report to your group)

Prioritizing Activity

Priority Standards Defined

Priority Standards Defined

Priority Standards are “those standards that, once mastered, give a student the ability to use reasoning and thinking skills to learn and understand other curriculum objectives.”

- Dr. Douglas Reeves

Supporting Standards Defined

Supporting Standards Defined

Supporting standards are those standards that support, connect to, or enhance the Priority Standards. They are taught within the context of the Priority Standards, but do not receive the same degree of instruction and assessment emphasis as do the Priority Standards.

Priority and Supporting Standards

• Like fence posts, Priority Standards provide curricular focus in which teachers need to “dig deeper” and assure student competency.

• Like fence rails, “Supporting Standards” are curricular standards which connect to and support the Priority Standards.

Priority Standards

(Essential)

Supporting Standards (connecting)

An Important Message to Continually Communicate

Prioritization, Not Elimination!

Prioritization, Not Elimination!

Readiness(for next level of learning)

Priority Standards

External Exams(Critical Areas of Focus)

Endurance(concepts and skills that last over time)

Leverage (crossover application to other areas)

Table Groups:

1. Create pictorial representation

2. Share with Others (Give-n-Get)

JigsawActivity

Guiding Questions Used for Identifying Priority Standards

• Which of these standards represent necessary academic, career or life skills? (ENDURANCE)

• Which standards provide knowledge and skills that will be of value in multiple disciplines? (LEVERAGE)

• Which grade- or course-level standards are critical for our students to know and understand to be prepared for the next level of learning? (READINESS)

Let’s Try One Domain Together…

Step 1: Make Initial Selections

a) Choose one domain (e.g., Geometry) of the standards.

b) Using selection criteria (endurance, leverage, readiness, Critical Focus Areas), select “fence posts” or priority standards by yourself first.

c) Compare/contrast your selections with grade-level/course colleagues.

d) Reach initial consensus about those you believe are ESSENTIAL for students to know and be able to do in that particular grade by the end of the school year.

Advice on Reaching Consensus

• Forget the myth of 100% agreement—aim for a “supermajority” consensus.

• Ask yourselves: “What can we agree on that all of our students need to know and be able to do by the end of each grade or course?”

Step 2: Chart Your Selections

• Head a piece of chart paper with the grade level and name of domain (e.g., Geometry).

• Label the Priority Standards you have identified by number (6.G, # 1).

• Copy the a short summary of the text of the proposed Power Standard after each number (enough for teachers to understand the essence of the standard).

Step 3: Vertically Align Selections

• Post your charts in sequence (e.g., K-6, 6-8, 8-12)

• Compare one grade’s selections to the grade above and the grade below.

• Identify gaps, or omissions.• Change selections as needed to ensure

the vertical “flow” from grade to grade.

Step 4: Acquire Feedback, Revise, and Publish

• To promote a sense of shared ownership across the district, and to ensure the highest quality document possible, we are asking ALL teachers to review first draft selection and to provide feedback.

• JUSD will incorporate collective feedback and input into second draft—then publish.

• Remember — This is a living-breathing document that will be reviewed each year for changes.

Which Brings Us to Your Task:

1. Carefully review initial priority standards selected by the committee.

2. Review the grade level BELOW and ABOVE, to see the vertical flow.

3. As a grade-level or Data Team, discuss, as appropriate and reach CONSENSUS:

Do you AGREE Do you RECOMMEND CHANGES – Must

provide rationale for consideration