March 10, 2014

North Chicago District-Wide Parent Meeting

The Core Coalition is a diverse group of organizations committed to providing the children of Illinois with the best education

possible.

The Real Learning for Real Life campaign is funded in part by: State Farm, Boeing, The Joyce Foundation and CME Group Foundation

The Common Core State Standards Video by the Council of Great City Schools

What are Standards?

• Standards define what students should know and be able to do at each grade level.

• Curriculum is the planned combination of practices and materials used to teach.

• Illinois voluntarily adopted the Common Core Standards.

• There is no statewide curriculum.

What is the Common Core?

The Common Core State Standards are: • A set of common, voluntary academic standards for each grade

level, K-12, in English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA) and Math. • Aligned with college and work expectations • Higher, clearer, deeper and consistent across states • Internationally-benchmarked • Include rigorous content and application of knowledge through

higher-order skills • Built upon strengths and lessons of current state standards • Evidence-based • Real Learning for Real Life!

Adopted by 45 states, they will be fully implemented across Illinois fall of 2013. Standards in other subjects are under development.

Why the Common Core?

• PREPARE – In Illinois, only 1 in 4 students graduate high school prepared for college or career

• COMPETE - The standards are international, so students are prepared to be competitive on a global scale.

• EQUALITY – CCSS are consistent for all students nationwide and addressing student mobility and differences between states

• CLARITY – CCSS are focused, coherent and clear so students can understand what is expected

• COLLABORATE – Resources can be shared across states and districts. Expertise, best practices, assessments, and other materials can be shared.

Sample change in 4th Grade English Standards

Illinois Learning

Standards (ILS) Gr 4-1B2a

CCSS RI.4.1.2

Identify explicit main ideas.

Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details;

summarize the text.

Sample changes in Grade 5 Math Standards

Solve one- and two-step problems involving whole numbers, fractions and decimals using addition,

subtraction, multiplication and division.

Explain why multiplying a given number by a fraction greater than 1 results in a product greater than the given number

(recognizing multiplication by whole numbers greater than 1 as a familiar case); explaining why multiplying a given number by

a fraction less then 1 results in a product smaller than the given number; and relating the principle of fraction equivalence

a/b=(nxa)/nxb) to the effect of multiplying a/b by 1.

IL BM 6B2

CCSS

How are they different?

English Language Arts/Literacy: • Regular practice with complex text and its academic language • Read like a detective, write like a reporter! Reading and writing grounded

in evidence from the text • Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction • Reading and writing in all subjects

Math: • Deeper focus on fewer concepts • Coherence: Think across grades, and link to major topics within grades • Rigor: In major topics pursue conceptual understanding, procedural skill

and fluency, and application with equal intensity

Skills: • Four C’s: collaboration, critical thinking, communication and creativity

What are Characteristics of Complex Text?

• Subtle and/or frequent transitions

• Multiple and/or subtle themes and purposes

• Density of information

• Unfamiliar settings, topics or events

• Lack of repetition, overlap or similarity in words and sentences

• Complex sentences

• Uncommon vocabulary

• Lack of words, sentences or paragraphs that review or pull things together for the student

• Longer paragraphs

10

Reading and Writing Grounded in Evidence from Text

11

In “Casey at the Bat,” Casey strikes out.

Describe a time when you failed at

something.

In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Dr.

King discusses nonviolent protest.

Discuss, in writing, a time when you

wanted to fight against something that

you felt was unfair.

What makes Casey’s experiences at bat

humorous?

What can you infer from King’s letter

about the letter that he received?

Not Text-Dependent Text-Dependent

Does this worksheet require conceptual understanding of place value…?

Conceptual understanding of place value…?

What can families do? Six Steps to Success

English Language Arts 1. Read equal amounts of fiction and non-fiction with children

2. Focus on books which are of interest to individual children

3. Read more challenging texts with children

4. Look for evidence in reading and review

5. Write about nonfiction using evidence

6. Read by example and focus on vocabulary development

What can families do? Six Steps to Success

Math

1. Spend time on high priority concepts

2. Find out what children are struggling with and offer support on those gap skills

3. Know what facts children should have memorized, work on memorization with them

4. Brush up on math children need to learn so you can help

5. Engage children in solving everyday math problems

6. Practice the skills in which child is weakest

What will be the impact of the Common Core State Standards?

Grading – students’ grades may drop during the ramp-up period to the higher standards

New tests will be substantially more difficult and differentiated, initially yielding lower scores

Low-performing schools already struggling will require additional supports

Cut scores on current standardized tests will be elevated in advance of the Common Core- aligned PARCC assessment

Principal and Teacher evaluations, based in part on the growth of their students in a more rigorous environment, are likely to be impacted

Teacher preparation – schools of education will have to align their curriculum to prepare new teachers for the Common Core classroom

Better prepared students! The Common Core will better prepare students for college- so they require less remediation and are more likely to get a college degree- and a global workplace.

State tests are changing too…

ISAT: Illinois Standards Achievement Test

Given in Grades 3-8

• Spring 2013: Illinois raised expectations for students on ISAT

Cut score raised

• Spring 2014: 100% Common Core-aligned ISAT

Field testing PARCC

New Standards, New Test…

• Spring 2015: – PARCC replaces ISAT & PSAE given in Grade 11

– Computer-based

– No more “fill in the bubble”, focus on critical thinking skills and justifying answers

– Results will eventually be received same school year to individualize instruction

PARCC: Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Career

The Real Learning for Real Life Campaign

@commoncoreil

commoncoreil.com

What can you do? • Visit www.CommonCoreIL.org • Spanish resources available • Sign up for the newsletter • Join the Coalition • Like us on Facebook • Follow us on Twitter

info@CommonCoreIL.org