Common Core State Standards:

Alignment and Implications

Danielle Luisier, Beth Hart, and Elaine CarmanResearch & Development

The College Board

Guiding Questions

• What is the Common Core State Standards Initiative?

• Why were common standards developed?

• What role did the College Board play in developing these standards?

• What are the defining features of the English Language Arts and Mathematics standards?

• How does our methodology differ when aligning different College Board materials and assessments to the Common Core?

• What are some potential implications for states and districts that will implement these new standards?

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What is the Common Core State Standards Initiative?

• A state-led effort to develop a common set of college and career readiness standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics that

• Align with college and workplace expectations

• Include rigorous content and applications of knowledge

• Are based on evidence

• Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards

• Are informed by frameworks from top performing countries

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Why Common Core State Standards?

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What role did the College Board play?

• The College Board, one of the original partner organizations, has been part of the Common Core effort since the launch of this initiative in the spring of 2009.

• Writing Team: College Board staff served on the original College and Career Readiness Standards writing team

• Feedback Group: College Board staff provided ongoing feedback and reviews of the K-12 standards

• Advisory Group: Member of the 5-organization advisory group guiding the initiative

• Alignment Data: Supporting the development of research and data to assist in the implementation of the standards

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College Board Alignment Studies

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What comes next after the standards are adopted?

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Common Core State Standards for English

Language ArtsOverview, Alignment Methodologies,

and Potential Implications

Overview of the English Language Arts Standards• College and Career Readiness (CCR) Standards

• Overarching standards for each strand that are further defined by grade-specific standards

• Grade-Level Standards in English Language Arts

• K-8, grade-by-grade

• 9-10 and 11-12 grade bands for high school

• Four strands: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language

• Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

• Standards are embedded at grades K-5

• Content-specific literacy standards are provided for grades 6-8, 9-10, and 11-12

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Defining Features of the Reading and Writing Standards

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Alignment to College Board Products

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The CBSCS to the CCSS Methodology

• Standard-to-standard alignment

• Grade levels

• All strands of the ELA CCSS

• Overall coverage, rigor, and rationale for gaps

• Alignment metric:

Strong: ≥ 75%Good: 50%-74%Partial: < 50%

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Common Core – CBSCS Alignment ELA Key Findings

• Overall strong alignment

• 80% of the CCSS are addressed by the CBSCS

• 46% of the CBSCS are addressed by the CCSS

• Generally comparable in terms of rigor

• Variation in terms of specificity

• Required achievements vs. process and strategy

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Example of Strong Alignment

CCSS CBSCSW.9-10.2d (informative/explanatory texts)

Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic.

W.9-10.2d (informative/explanatory texts)

Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic.

W3.2-1.5R Selects precise vocabulary…figurative language…rhetorical questions, and detailed images and examples to develop credibility of voice, to support findings, and to communicate information clearly.

W3.2-1.5R Selects precise vocabulary…figurative language…rhetorical questions, and detailed images and examples to develop credibility of voice, to support findings, and to communicate information clearly.

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SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, and ReadiStep to CCSS Methodology

• Assessment framework-to-standard alignment

• Grades 8, 9-10, 11-12, and CCR

• Aligned to Reading, Writing, and Language strands

• Overall coverage and rationale for gaps

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Skill Categories

Critical Reading Writing

Determining the Meaning of Words

Author’s Craft

Reasoning and Inferencing

Organization and Ideas

Understanding Literary Elements

Manage Word Choice and Grammatical Relationships Between Words

Manage Grammatical Structures Used to Modify or Compare

Manage Phrases and Clauses in a Sentence

Recognize Correctly Formed Sentences

Manage Order and Relationships of Sentences and Paragraphs

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Example of Strong Alignment

CCSS SAT/PSAT/ReadiStep Skill Category L.11-12.4a

Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

L.11-12.4a

Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

Determining the meaning of wordsDetermining the meaning of words

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ACCUPLACER to CCSS Methodology

• Item-to-standard alignment

• Grades 9-10, 11-12, and CCR

• Reading Comprehension, Sentence Skills, and WritePlacer

• Aligned to CCSS Reading, Writing, and Language Standards

• Overall coverage and rationale for gaps

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Example of Strong Alignment

CCSS ACCUPLACER Sentence Skills and

WritePlacer Item Descriptions

W.11-12.1d

Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.

W.11-12.1d

Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.

Sentence Variety and StyleMechanical ConventionsAgreementModifiersDiction/LogicSentence StructureSentence Boundaries

Sentence Variety and StyleMechanical ConventionsAgreementModifiersDiction/LogicSentence StructureSentence Boundaries

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Implications

• Standards and Curricula

• States will have to consider gaps and how filling those gaps will affect curricula and instruction

• Informational Text

• Specific Texts in Reading CCSS

• Language Standards

• Text Complexity

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Implications

• Assessment

• ACCUPLACER and SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, and ReadiStep remain relevant to states

• Skills tested by the College Board assessments are covered by the CCSS

• State Tests

• Assessment Consortia

• CCSS that may be measured only through local classroom and performance assessments

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Common Core State Standards for Mathematics

Overview of the Mathematics Standards

• Grade Level Standards• K-8 grade-by-grade standards organized by domain• 9-12 high school standards organized by conceptual

categories

• Standards for Mathematical Practice• Describe mathematical “habits of mind” • Standards for mathematical proficiency: • reasoning, problem solving, modeling, decision making, and

engagement • Connect with content standards in each grade

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Organizational Structure

The K-8 standards:

K-5 standards provide students with a solid foundation in whole numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions and decimals

The 6-8 standards focus learning on geometry, algebra, and probability and statistics

Modeled after the focus of standards from high-performing nations, the standards for grades 7 and 8 include significant algebra and geometry content

Students who have completed 7th grade and mastered the content and skills will be prepared for algebra, in 8th grade or after

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Organizational Structure

The High School Standards:

Expect students to practice applying mathematical ways of thinking to real world issues and challenges

Require students to develop a depth of understanding and ability to apply mathematics to novel situations, as college students and employees regularly are called to do

Emphasize mathematical modeling, the use of mathematics and statistics to analyze empirical situations, understand them better, and improve decisions

Identify the mathematics that all students should study in order to be college and career ready

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Format of the High School Standards

High school standards are organized around five conceptual categories:

Number and Quantity

Algebra

Functions

Geometry

Statistics and Probability26

What alignment methodology was used to align the Common Core State Standards to the College Board Standards in math?

Methodology

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Methodology

Alignment Considerations:

• Content of the CCSS and of the CB standard

• Level of rigor of the standards being compared

• Clarity (ambiguity) of the standards being compared

• Vertical alignment across multiple grades or conceptual categories

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How do Common Core State Standards Align to …

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CCSS College Board Standards for College Success

CC.8.G.5 Use informal arguments to establish facts about the angle sum and exterior angle of triangles, about the angles created when parallel lines are cut by a transversal, and the angle-angle criterion for similarity of triangles. For example, arrange three copies of the same triangle so that the three angles appear to form a line, and give an argument in terms of transversals why this is so

•MII 2.2.1 Reasons using models and drawings to construct and support convincing arguments about angle relationships in figures.

•MII 2.2.2 Identifies, states, and applies the basic properties associated with complementary angles and angles formed by transversals intersecting pairs of parallel lines.

•MII 2.2.3 Identifies, states, and applies the angle-sum properties for triangles and other polygons.

Understand congruence and similarity using physical models, transparencies, or geometry software

Geometry

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Algebra

Seeing Structure in Expressions

Interpret the structure of expressions

A.SSE.1Interpret expressions that represent a quantity in terms of its context

a)Interpret parts of an expression, such as terms, factors, and coefficients.

E: Division of algebraic fractionsC: Representing perimeter of rectangle algebraically

E: Simplifying algebraic expressions

b) Interpret complicated expressions by viewing one or more of their parts as a single entity. For example, interpret P(1+r)ⁿ as the product of P and a factor not depending on P.

E: Division of algebraic fractionsC: Representing perimeter of rectangle algebraically

E: Simplifying algebraic expressions

Standard Primary testing point

Secondary testing point

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• How might a state or school district look at alignment to CCSS?

• What else might a state or school district need to consider in the alignment process?

State Perspective

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CCSS CT Standard Match CT Assessment Notes

CC.8.G.5 Use informal arguments to establish facts about the angle sum and exterior angle of triangles, about the angles created when parallel lines are cut by a transversal, and the angle-angle criterion for similarity of triangles. For example, arrange three copies of the same triangle so that the three angles appear to form a line, and give an argument in terms of transversals why this is so

CT.8.3.1.4 Apply side and angle relationships in geometric figures to solve problems, including the Pythagorean Theorem and similar figures.

CT.9-12.3.C.1.b.(2) Create logical arguments to solve problems and determine geometric relationships.

CAPT*.3.C.1.b.(2) Create logical arguments to solve problems and determine geometric relationships

*CAPT-Conneticut Academic Performance Test –given in grade 10

Angle sum and exterior angle of triangles, angles created when parallel lines are cut by a transversal and the angle-angle criterion for similarity of triangles are not assessed on the CMT**.

**CMT-Conneticut Mastery Test-given in grades 3-8

Understand congruence and similarity using physical models, transparencies, or geometry software

Geometry

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Function

Interpreting functions

Interpret functions that arise in applications in terms of the contextCCSS CT Standard

MatchCT Assessment Notes

CC.9-12.F.IF.6 Calculate and interpret the average rate of change of a function (presented symbolically or as a table) over a specified interval. Estimate the rate of change from a graph.*

*Modeling standard

CT.9-12.1.C.2.a.(3) Recognize and explain the meaning of the slope and x- and y-intercepts as they relate to a context, graph, table or equation.

CT.9-12.1.E.2.a.(3) Recognize that the slope of the tangent line to a curve represents the rate of change.

CT.9-12.1.C.2.a.(3) Recognize and explain the meaning of the slope and x- and y-intercepts as they relate to a context, graph, table or equation.

CT.9-12.1.E.2.a.(3) Recognize that the slope of the tangent line to a curve represents the rate of change.

The CT standards do not make a connection between slope and average rate of change.

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Contact Information

Elaine Carman Director, Mathematics Curriculum and Standardsecarman@collegboard.org

Beth Hart Director, ELA Curriculum and Standardsbhart@collegeboard.org

Danielle LuisierDirector, Standards and Curriculum Alignment Servicesdluisier@collegeboard.org

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