common core state standards: an opportunity for progress
TRANSCRIPT
Common Core State Standards:An Opportunity for Progress
Presentation Overview
The Value of Education
Are we challenging our students?
Source: College Board’s 2011 “One Year Out” Study.
Are we challenging our students?
Source: http://www.act.org/research/policymakers/pdf/current_standards.pdf
Are our current standards rigorous?
• 2007: “The state of Georgia declared 88% of 8th graders proficient in reading, even though just 26% scored at or above the proficiency level on the NAEP.”
• 2007: “If you believe those who set the Illinois standards, 82 percent of its 8th graders are proficient in reading, even though the NAEP says only 30 percent are.”
Source: <http://educationnext.org/few-states-set-worldclass-standards/>
Are our current standards rigorous?
• 2009: “For example, on the 4th-grade math test in 2009, West Virginia reported that 60.8 percent of its students had achieved proficiency, but 28.1 percent were proficient on the NAEP.”
• 2009: “Delaware claimed that 77 percent of its 4th-grade students were proficient in math, when NAEP shows that only 36 percent were.”
Source: <http://educationnext.org/state-standards-rising-in-reading-but-not-in-math/>
Are we preparing our students?
Source: http://www.act.org/research/policymakers/cccr11/pdf/ConditionofCollegeandCareerReadiness2011.pdf
Student achievement is drastically low. Our nation is at
a moment of crisis when it comes to preparing our
students for the rigors of college and the demands of the increasingly global workplace.
Are our current standards rigorous?
• What type of thinking is involved? Teachers assess by looking at the verb that appears in a standard.
• How deeply do you need to understand a topic to interact with the content being presented?
• What kinds of cognitive tasks are being asked of students? Simply recall a fact? Analyze a complex argument?
Low Levels of Rigor• Current standards feature large amounts of
knowledge and recall learning targets• Under-developing critical thinking abilities• Disadvantaged in college and the workplace
Why do we need Common Standards?
Low-Rigor Standards
Source: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/studies/2011458.pdf
• 25 states have moved backwards in the quality of their standards from 2005 to 2010.
• 21 states’ ELA standards received D or F grades in terms of rigor and clarity.
• 18 states’ Mathematics standards received D or F grades.
• The vast majority of states have standards that scored lower than the Common Core.
Fordham Institute Grades Standards
Source: http://www.edexcellence.net/publications/the-state-of-state-of-standards-and-the-common-core-in-2010.html
Lack of Clarity• “Write for a variety of purposes.”• “Respond to variety of literary/informational texts.”• “Competently use money.”• Are these standards clear to teachers, students, and
parents?
Why do we need Common Standards?
Inconsistencies• Different states set different learning targets• Different districts set different learning targets • Different classrooms learning different topics• We must expect high achievement from all students
in all classrooms
Why do we need Common Standards?
Results of Inconsistencies
• States requiring different content• Cut scores for proficiency vary by state• Students being taught and assessed at different
levels of rigor based on location• Students who move may be far ahead or far behind• Large groups of students are disadvantaged in the
national and global economies
Barriers to Collaboration• Educators are not working from the same blueprints• Chilling effect on the sharing of best practices• Curricular materials not applicable to all places• This creates an insular education community where
everyone is doing the same work over and over again
Why do we need Common Standards?
A set of clear, consistent, internationally-benchmarked K-12 standards in English
Language Arts and Mathematics that will provide a clear and consistent framework
to prepare our students for college and the workplace.
CCSSI Video
What is the Common Core?
An effort led by the National Governor’s Association, the Council of Chiefs of State Schools, ACT, Achieve, College Board, and many other groups that created standards
voluntarily adopted by states.
What is the Common Core?
• Increased complexity of texts• Focus on foundational math skills and application in
novel real-world situations• A return to depth as opposed to breadth• Increased focus on justifying and presenting results
and methods• Critical reading and writing infused in all curricular
areas• Re-ordering of math content to reflect research-
based path to college and career readiness
How are Common Core Standards better?
Our current standards are low in rigor and do not emphasize the reasoning skills necessary for college
and career success.
…you own a company with fifty different stores. If each had its own goals and objectives and approached them in
different ways, would your company be able to implement your vision?
Imagine…
Preparation:The CCSS will prepare students for
both college and the workplace and emphasizes higher-order skills instead
of knowledge and recall.
Benefits of Common Core
Competition:The CCSS are internationally-
benchmarked, ensuring that our students are prepared to be
competitive in the global job market.
Benefits of Common Core
Equity:The Common Core will foster
consistent expectations not dependent on state or zip code. We will hold all
students to high academic expectations.
Benefits of Common Core
Clarity:The Common Core are focused, coherent, and clear standards.
Everyone knows what is expected of our students.
Benefits of Common Core
Collaboration:CCSSI will be a foundation for teachers,
states, and districts to work together from the same blueprints. This will
facilitate the sharing of best practices.
Benefits of Common Core
45 states have voluntarily adopted the Common Core, as well as the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Implementation Progress
States and territories who have not yet adopted: Alaska*, Texas, Nebraska, Minnesota*, Virginia, Puerto Rico,
Guam.
Implementation Progress
The work of implementation will determine whether or not the
Common Core positively impacts student achievement in our nation.
Adoption is just the beginning…
The CCSSO has convened the publishing community to ensure that high-quality instructional materials
aligned to the Common Core are being created.
Implementation: Curriculum
Implementation: Assessment
Diagnostic and interim assessments (optional)
Most assessments are traditional pencil and paper
Results available to schools in two-to-four weeks
Support for both traditional and integrated math course sequences
Field testing begins 2012, operational by 2014
Diagnostic and interim assessments (optional)
Assessments are computer-adaptiveMost results are available instantly,
though some items may require human grading
Reports link directly to professional development and research-based
strategies for instructionField testing begins 2013,
operational by 2015
I thought there was local control over what was taught. Who gave the state the right to change our curriculum?
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Common Core State Standards Initiative the first step of a federal
take-over of our education system?
Frequently Asked Questions
If our schools are performing poorly now with low-rigor standards, what’s going to happen when the standards
get tougher??
Frequently Asked Questions
What questions can parents ask now to ensure that the Common Core gets properly implemented in their district?
Frequently Asked Questions
What can schools do to keep parents informed about changes to the
standards?
Parent Guides to Student Success
Frequently Asked Questions
What questions do you have?
For more information contact:David Musselwhite, Michigan PTA
Lee Ann Kendrick, National [email protected]
571-329-9365