Introducing the Common Core to Parents and Community Members

Introducing the Common Core to Parents and Community Members

www.achievethecore.org 2

http://vimeo.com/51933492

http://vimeo.com/51933492

www.achievethecore.org

What are the Common Core State Standards?

The Common Core State Standards set grade-by-grade learning expectations for students in grades K-12 for Mathematics and for English Language Arts and Literacy.

While states have had standards for more than 15 years, this set of standards is more focused on preparing students for success in college and career. They set clear, consistent and high learning goals.

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Common Core Across the Nation

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What Should I Expect with CCSS?

More time to focus on preparing students for college and career readiness.

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The Critics’ Claims

Common Core is a federal mandateCommon Core is dumbing down existing state standardsParents and policymakers had no inputCommon Core dictates the classroom curriculumThe standards will lead to more testingCollecting student data is an invasion of privacy


What do the polls say on national level?

34% of parents don’t know if their state has implemented Common Core or not; 49% say their state has implemented and 17% are unsure47% of teachers have “a lot” of information about PARCC and CCSS, 37% have received some” while 14% say they have “not much or no information.”82% of principals and 69% of teachers are confident that CCSS will improve student achievement


Common Core: It Takes All of Us!

• Parents • Community members• Colleges and universities• Technical training programs

CCSS Video

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http://flash.aetn.org/aetnjwplayer.html?source=mp4:edu/gen/2014/CCSS2014ShortVer_AETN-Education-HD.mp4


Eptstein’s Six Types of Parental Involvement

1.Parenting2.Communicating3.Volunteering4.Learning at Home5.Decision Making6.Collaborating with

Community


Communicatinghttp://www.cgcs.org/domain/36

http://www.pta.org/files/PTA%20Arkansas%20Assessment%20Guide.pdf

http://pta.org/parents/content.cfm?ItemNumber=2910

http://www.parenttoolkit.com/index.cfm?objectid=313B2E50-2088-11E3-8EC10050569A5318

http://www.cgcs.org/domain/36


http://helloliteracy.blogspot.com/search/label/parents


Parent-Teacher Communication

Parent-Teacher Collaboration


Why?Parent-Teacher CollaborationThe kind of parent involvement that most benefits students is tied to what they’re learning in the classroom, according to Anne Hendersen, top expert in the field of parent involvement.


Why?Parent-Teacher Collaboration

85% of parents spend 15 minutes helping their children at home. But, would be willing to spend an average of 40 minutes a night helping their children if they had directions from the teacher about how to help their child.




Type standard here.

Type a simple activity idea here. Type a simple activity idea here.

Type standard here.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Erin-Wing



7 Common Core Questions:

1. How might the Common Core change my child’s homework?2. Will my child’s test scores go down?3. There’s been a lot of negative press. Does our school believe

the Common Core is a good thing for our students or not?4. How much will implementing the Common Core cost our

school?5. Will it dumb down standards or raise them?6. What resources will the school be offering to help students

catch up if they are struggling?7. What’s a reliable resource for more information?

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The Shifts in ELA/Literacy

1. Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction

2. Reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational

3. Regular practice with complex text and its academic language


The Shifts in ELA/Literacy

4. Students read, write and speak about discipline-related topics to build content knowledge –disciplinary literacy.

5. Students engage in writing arguments in which they support claims with reasons and evidence.

6. Students conduct research both short and long term projects.


How can you help your child in literacy?

-Ask your child specific questions about what they read.

-Encourage children to read, then write and speak about, nonfiction text such as newspapers, magazines, and biographies.

-Encourage children to research topics of interest and read series that relate to a central topic.

-Have your child follow step by step instructions or a set of directions in order to accomplish a task, such as building a sandcastle or operating a game.


ELA Big Shift #1- Increased Reading of

Informational Text

Throughout the school day, students at K-5 read a balance of 50% literature and 50% informational texts


ELA Big Shift #1- Increased Reading of

Informational Text

Take HomeLitera

cy Bags

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Freebie-Fall-Themed-Book-Bag-Activity-Sampler-Pack-953450


ELA Big Shift #2- Reading and Writing Grounded in Evidence

Requires close reading and deep understanding of the text


ELA Big Shift #3- Appropriate Text

Complexity Regular Practice with Complex Texts and Academic Language


ELA Big Shift #3- Appropriate Text

Complexity

myON reader allows families without Internet access to download up to 20 books using a free iTunes app,

while at school or near a community hot spot and read them offline.

http://thefutureinreading.myon.com/


ELA Big Shift # 4 Disciplinary Literacy

Students read, write, and speak about discipline-related topics to build content knowledge. In the early grades, students read informational texts that include historical, scientific, and technical texts to prepare for the demands of reading discipline-specific texts in later grades. At grades 6-12, students grapple with discipline-specific complex texts that deepen their understanding of a topic and develop an understanding of the norms and conventions of each discipline; they demonstrate mastery by applying that knowledge when writing or speaking.

http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/historical-picturebooks.pdf


ELA Big Shift #5- Argumentative Writing

Throughout the school day, all students write about topics or texts, some of which have differing viewpoints. In grades K-5, 30% of student writing should be writing opinions. In grades 6-8, 35% of student writing should be writing arguments in which they support claims with reasons and evidence. In grades 9-12, 40% of student writing should be well-developed arguments.


Friday Journals

Grade Specific Standard: CCSS 2nd Grade W.2.1-Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, use linking words to connect…..

ANCHOR STANDARDWrite arguments to support claims in

an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid

reasoning and relevant

and sufficient evidence.

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/CCRA/W/1/

http://smilinginsecondgrade.blogspot.com/2011/10/friday-friday-gotta-get-down-on-friday.html


Class Mascot Writing Project

Grade Specific Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3b Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations.

ANCHOR STANDARDCCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured event sequences.

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/3/3/b/



http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2013/04/engaging-young-writers-home-class-mascot-writing-project


Are you into blogging?

Grade Specific Standard:CCSS-Writing: W.3.6 With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

Anchor Standard:CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

http://tomsawyergame.weebly.com/what-were-doing.html


ELA Big Shift #6- Short and Sustained Research

Projects

Students conduct research, both short and long term, in which they synthesize information from many sources, construct knowledge, use technology when appropriate, and present findings in a variety of formats.


ELA Big Shift #6- Short and Sustained Research

Projects

Black History MonthAutobiography Project

1st Grade


The Shifts in Mathematics

1. Focus: Focus strongly where the standards focus

2. Coherence: Think across grades, and link to major topics

3. Rigor: In major topics, pursue conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application with equal intensity


How can you help your child in math?

-Help children practice their addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts.

-Encourage children not to give up while solving problems, to build stamina and develop their critical thinking skills. Don’t give them the answers - ask them to think of different ways they can solve problems.

-Have children illustrate the math they were thinking in their head and discuss it out loud.

-Have children apply their math knowledge to a real-world scenario at home, such as doubling a recipe or calculating the area of a room.


SHARING MATH SHIFTS THROUGH TEAM/PLCACTIVITIES

More learning time in kindergarten should be devoted to number than any other topic.

In order to devote this time, some things that were in the Arkansas Mathematics

Frameworks for Kindergarten are not found in the CCSSM.


The Issues

Politics: some are considering sacrificing the assessments to preserve the standards—political horse trading Costs: in some states, the consortia assessments will cost more than the current tests Testing Time: concerns that new tests will take more time, take time away from instruction Stakes: Concerns about the pacing of tying consequences for teachers and schools to new tests and high-stakes testing for students


Horse Trading

May be politically expedient, but shortsighted and damaging to studentsFor Common Core to be successful, states need assessments truly capable of measuring the knowledge and skills embodied in the standardsThis is hard to do; old ways of building tests may be insufficient


Costs

Technology readiness a key factorDoubtful states can develop high quality assessment as sophisticated as consortia tests on their own for lessCosts of testing very small percentage of overall education spending- less than 1%


Stakes

Concern is understandable: introducing new, more demanding standards and assessments requires real adjustments in schools; consequences change the dynamic But: many states are accounting for that and aligning the cut scores used for accountability so the growth expectations for schools and teachers aren’t significantly impacted Some states are phasing the consequences in more slowly


Key Points

Worthwhile tests worth takingProblem solving, critical thinking, writingCost$29.50: Slightly less than the median for all states, including scoring, for both ELA and math (similar to what AR currently spends)TimeCompares to current3rd grade 8 hours; 9 hours for 4-5 and 9.5 hours for 5th and up , including writing, for ELA and mathLess than 1% of school year


Key Points continued…

These are replacement summative tests, NOT additional tests.Time spent is less than 1% of student’s total time in school. K-12 spending is one of top three line items in each state’s budget. Spending less that 1% of K-12 budget to measure impact of is not excessive.


How can we explain lower scores?Lower scores on a test assessing more challenging content in a different way does not mean students are learning less; it means we are holding students to higher standardCurrently only 25% of high school graduates are ready for college level courses. Remedial levels in college sky high so need more rigor in K-12Much better for students if any academic weakness can be discovered in 3rd, 5th or even 10th grade when teachers still have resources and time to help, than after graduation when it is too late…


University of Arkansas Office for Education Policy

This office completed a research paper, “Common Core: Possible Benefits, Causes for Concern, Red Herrings and Arkansas Recommendations”

http://officeforedpolicy.com/2014/06/11/common-core-possible-benefits-causes-for-concern-red-herrings-and-arkansas-recommendations/



Possible Benefits:1. Increased Rigor for Arkansas Students2. New Testing Regime3. Greater Access to Instructional

Resources4. National Curricular Coherence



Possible Causes for Concern:1. Federal Overreach2. No Proven Track Record of Success3. “Fuzzy” Math and Lack of Literature4. Breaches in Student Data Privacy5. Lots of Harmful Testing



The Red Herrings of Common Core:1. Lack of Rigor2. Centralized Control of Standards is Harmful3. Higher Standards Do Not Affect Achievement4. Implementation Challenges including Rushed

Accountability, Lack of Externally-Vetted, High-Quality CCSS Materials and Lack of Technological Infrastructure



Recommendation:Continue on the track of implementation of Common Core Standards in the coming school year and into the future


Be able to answer the tough questions:

There is too much testing. Why do we need another one?These tests will be too hard and scores will drop. How can that be good for kids or teachers?These tests are too expensive. How can we afford them?


What’s your message?

What are the 3 main benefits for your students of these new, more challenging standards and tests?

1.…………….2.…………….3.……………..

How has/will your teaching change for the better (be specific)?


Bottom Line

The biggest risk to Common Core and common assessment is not any single particular opposition message, but the seed of doubt that can grow when the public has not heard positive messagesPoll respondents overwhelmingly agreed: Teachers, and others who are closely associated with public education, are the most credible and effective messengersNational online survey of 20,000 K-12 teachers by Scholastic found:• 77% of math and/or ELA teachers said the standards will have a

“positive” or “very positive” impact• 12% said the impact would be “neither positive or negative”• 10% “don't know enough to say”• 1% said the impact would be negative


Ways to Engage…

Send a monthly e-mail to target audiences with information about any changes to implementation, progress being made and key upcoming milestones. Also include best practices and professional development opportunities in which your staff participates, and any changes your school has made in response to community feedback (e.g., we heard you).Speak at events held by community- civic groups, PTO...Provide information to partner organizations to include in their communications on their websites (e.g. local newspaper, radio stations, chamber of commerce).


Ways to Engage continued…

Submit op-eds and letters to the editorParticipate in editorial board meetingsVolunteer to be interviewed or serve as an expert “source”• Be prepared with key messages and talking points;• Be on ongoing source• Do your homework• Tell stories with specifics


Support in Arkansas

Common Core Attack Rebuttal based on YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZEGijN_8R0) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1j3HMiGNf5ze6udSUFflUAoOB5Wngzd55xvDwu-6L7ak/mobilebasic?pli=1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKvNd-_WZo8

Why I don’t hate Common Core: http://wisdomfromthemiddle.blogspot.com/2014/01/why-i-don-hate-common-core.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZEGijN_8R0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZEGijN_8R0

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1j3HMiGNf5ze6udSUFflUAoOB5Wngzd55xvDwu-6L7ak/mobilebasic?pli=1




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKvNd-_WZo8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKvNd-_WZo8

http://wisdomfromthemiddle.blogspot.com/2014/01/why-i-don-hate-common-core.html




Support in Arkansas

Videos from schools with their thoughts on Common Core:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFf3xX3_E_o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj6d0i8bh3A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVkscnIerwg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2kdxUwLwAM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_5Xow7UHwM












Final Thoughts…

Kids lose if we end up with Common Core standards as our instructional goals but we don’t have assessments capable of measuring them with fidelity.As leaders in your building, help to disentangle the standards from the assessment from the stakes- concerns about consequences should not lead to a rejection of the assessment itself.


Additional Resources

Council of the Great City Schools Parent Roadmaps:• Math http://www.cgcs.org//site/Default.aspx?PageID=244• ELA / Literacy http://www.cgcs.org/Page/328• National Parent Teachers Association (PTA)

http://pta.org/parents/content.cfm?ItemNumber=2583• Achieve the Core www.achievethecore.org• Common Core State Standards Text Exemplars http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_B.pdf

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http://www.cgcs.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=244

http://www.cgcs.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=244

http://www.cgcs.org/Page/328





http://www.achievethecore.org/

http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_B.pdf

http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_B.pdf

Documents

Introducing the Common Core to Parents and Community Members