Pelham Memorial High School THE COMMON CORE AND NEW STATE EXAMINATIONS In July, 2010, The Board of Regents adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts & Literacy, and Mathematics. In January, 2011, New York-specific additions were incorporated into the NYS Common Core Leaning Standards (CCLS). As a result, New York State has been engaged in a revision of the current State assessment program to measure the New York State P-12 CCLS. In the summer of 2011, NYSED articulated the 12 instructional shifts necessary for alignment with the CCLS. These are: THE COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS Common Core Shifts in ELA/Literacy Shift 1Pre-K-5, Balancing Informational & Literary Texts Shift 26-12, Knowledge in the Disciplines Shift 3Staircase of Complexity Shift 4Text-based Answers Shift 5Writing from Sources Shift 6Academic Vocabulary 6 INSTRUCTIONAL SHIFTS IN ELA Students read non-fiction, essays, and speeches in addition to stories. Students learn through reading rather than other activities. Reading gets harder each year, leading towards college- level. Classroom experiences should be rooted in text. Students use evidence from texts in discussions and written arguments. Students complete short, focused research writing. Students build the vocabulary they need to read complex texts at each level. IN LAYMANS TERMS, THIS MEANS... An important focus of the CCLS is on students ability to independently access texts. In order to do this, they must develop a wide reaching vocabulary that can be used across all of their subject areas. We are therefore engaged in an interdisciplinary focus on vocabulary including: Direct instruction via vocabulary textbooks 6-12 study of Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes Collaborative focus on Tier 2 (general academic) words (calibrate, itemize, periphery, faltered, unabashedly) Subject specific focus on Tier 3 (domain specific) words (legislature, circumference, aorta, metonymy) Alignment of classroom language to CCLS terms (argument, claim, evidence, synthesize, tone, rhetoric) VOCABULARY ACQUISITION A Lexile score is one measure through which the complexity of a particular text can be measured. The CCLS set target bands for each grade level to stretch to if students are to stay on track for college readiness. For 6 th grade its 925L to 1070L. For 11 th grade its 1185L-1385L. The Hunger Games is 810L. Moby Dick is 1200L. Most non-fiction texts have a higher Lexile level than fiction texts. WHATS A LEXILE? Common Core Shifts in Mathematics Shift 1Focus Shift 2Coherence Shift 3Fluency Shift 4Deep Understanding Shift 5Application Shift 6Dual Intensity 6 INSTRUCTIONAL SHIFTS IN MATH Students will be instructed in fewer standards in order to gain a deeper understanding. Content will spiral each year in order to provide building blocks for new content. Computational Fluency is stressed. Students can explain why, not just the how, of mathematics. Students must apply his/her math knowledge to a given application or scenario. Both PROCESS and CONTENT are stressed as key aspects of learning in the math classroom. IN LAYMANS TERMS, THIS MEANS... In Spring 2013, New York State administered the first ELA/Literacy and Mathematics Common Core tests in grades 3-8. According to NYSED, these tests were created to provide families and educators with better measures of student proficiency in the knowledge and skills students need to succeed in college and careers. The tests differed from previous exams in a number of key ways: THE COMMON CORE 3-8 EXAMS ELA 8 2010 VS MULTIPLE CHOICE ELA 8 2010 VS SHORT RESPONSE 2010 ELA 8 2010 VS EXTENDED RESPONSE MATH 8 2010 VS MULTIPLE CHOICE 2010 MATH 8 2010 VS EXTENDED RESPONSE 2013 MATH 8 2010 VS EXTENDED RESPONSE All students first entering Grade 9 in the school year or thereafter must pass the new Regents Exam in ELA (Common Core) to meet graduation requirements. All students who first entered Grade 9 prior to the school year may meet the requirements for graduation by passing the new Regents Exam in ELA (Common Core) or the Regents Comprehensive Exam in English (2005 Learning Standards), while that exam is still being offered. ELA REGENTS IMPLEMENTATION All students first entering an Algebra program in the school year or thereafter must pass the new Regents Exam in Algebra (Common Core) to meet graduation requirements. All students who first entered an Algebra program prior to the school year may meet the requirements for graduation by passing the new Regents Algebra Exam (Common Core) or the Integrated Algebra Regents Exam (2005 Learning Standards), while that exam is still being offered. MATH REGENTS IMPLEMENTATION PART 1 - READING COMPREHENSION 60 minutes 2 3 texts Up to approximately 2,600 words total Each test will contain at least one literature and one informational text. Students will perform a close reading of the texts and answer 24 multiple choice questions. PART 2 WRITING FROM SOURCES 90 minutes 2 5 texts Up to approximately 2,600 words total Each test will contain at least two informational texts and, in addition, may contain graphics or one literature text. Students will perform a close reading of the texts and write a source-based argument, as directed by the task. TEST BLUEPRINT CCLS ENGLISH REGENTS PART 3 TEXT ANALYSIS 30 minutes 1 text Up to approximately 1,000 words Each test will contain one literature or one informational text. Students will perform a close reading of the text and write a two to three paragraph response that identifies a central idea in the text and analyzes how the authors use of one writing strategy (literary element or literary technique or rhetorical device) develops this central idea. TEST BLUEPRINT CCLS ENGLISH REGENTS Emphasizes the use of specific text-based evidence and a demand for close reading of the text. Multiple-choice questions may involve multiple steps to arrive at a correct answer. More complex literary and informational texts. Students write an evidence-based argument using a collection of authentic texts that relate to a specific event, topic or issue. Students write a 2-3 paragraph response that identifies a central idea in a text and analyzes how the authors use of one writing strategy (literary element or technique or rhetorical device) develops this central idea. No listening section. No Critical Lens essay. WHATS NEW ABOUT THE NEW ENGLISH REGENTS? CCLS ELA REGENTS 2013 VS MULTIPLE CHOICE CCLS ELA REGENTS 2013 VS SHORT RESPONSE VS. TEXT ANALYSIS CCLS ELA REGENTS 2013 VS CRITICAL LENS VS. WRITING FROM SOURCES TEST BLUEPRINT CCLS MATH REGENTS WHATS NEW ABOUT THE NEW MATH REGENTS? Multiple-choice questions may involve multiple steps to arrive at a correct answer. Questions ask students to compare graphs, functions, or situations that are presented in separate ways (ex: words, graph then table); Assessments will include more questions that require students to take multiple steps in order to solve them; Change from 30 to 24 multiple choice questions Integrated Algebra: 3 2-point, 3 3-point, and 3 4-point questions Common Core Algebra: 8 2-point, 4 4-point, and 1 6-point questions CCLS MATH REGENTS 2013 VS. 2014 Donna wants to make trail mix made up of almonds, walnuts and raisins. She wants to mix one part almonds, two parts walnuts, and three parts raisins. Almonds cost $12 per pound, walnuts cost $9 per pound, and raisins cost $5 per pound. Donna has $15 to spend on the trail mix. Determine how many pounds of trail mix she can make. CCLS MATH REGENTS 2013 VS The difference between two numbers is 28. The larger number is 8 less than two timesthe smaller number. Find both numbers. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Parent Links: rkshop_common_core_resources_for_parents_to_learn_more.pdfrkshop_common_core_resources_for_parents_to_learn_more.pdf Sample Questions:common-core-testcommon-core-test Information about the New Regents: QUESTIONS?