Common Core State Standards in Kansas

The Common Core State Standards Initiative

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Beginning in the spring of 2009, Governors and state commissioners of education from 48 states, 2 territories and the District of Columbia committed to developing a common core of state K-12 English-language arts (ELA) and mathematics standards.

The Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI) is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).

www.corestandards.org

Why Common Core State Standards?

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Preparation: The standards are college- and career-ready. They will help prepare students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in education and training after high school.

Competition: The standards are internationally benchmarked. Common standards will help ensure our students are globally competitive.

Equity: Expectations are consistent for all – and not dependent on a student’s zip code.

Clarity: The standards are focused, coherent, and clear. Clearer standards help students (and parents and teachers) understand what is expected of them.

Collaboration: The standards create a foundation to work collaboratively across states and districts, pooling resources and expertise, to create curricular tools, professional development, common assessments and other materials.

Common Core State Standards Design

4 *Ready for first-year credit-bearing, postsecondary coursework in mathematics and English without the need for remediation.

Building on the strength of current state standards, the CCSS are designed to be:

Focused, coherent, clear and rigorous

Internationally benchmarked

Anchored in college and career readiness*

Evidence and research based

Common Core State Standards Evidence Base

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Evidence was used to guide critical decisions in the following areas:

Inclusion of particular content

Timing of when content should be introduced and the progression of that content

Ensuring focus and coherence

Organizing and formatting the standards

Determining emphasis on particular topics in standards

Evidence includes:

Standards from high-performing countries, leading states, and nationally-regarded frameworks

Research on adolescent literacy, text complexity, mathematics instruction, quantitative literacy

Lists of works consulted and research base included in standards’ appendices

Common Core State Standards Evidence Base

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For example: Standards from individual high-performing countries and provinces were used to inform content, structure, and language. Writing teams looked for examples of rigor, coherence, and progression.

Mathematics

1.Belgium (Flemish)2.Canada (Alberta)3.China4.Chinese Taipei5.England6.Finland7.Hong Kong8.India9.Ireland10.Japan11.Korea12.Singapore

English language arts

1.Australia• New South Wales• Victoria

2.Canada• Alberta• British Columbia• Ontario

3.England4.Finland5.Hong Kong6.Ireland7.Singapore

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January 2010 – An executive committee of ELA teachers from across the state is formed to review and provide feedback upon the various drafts of the Common Core Standards and begin crafting the “Kansas 15%,” the portion of the standards each state is allowed to develop individually.

June 2010 – Final version of Common Core Standards released by CCSSO.

July 2010 – The common core standards with the “Kansas 15%” were posted on the KSDE website for public comment and feedback.

September 2010 – The Kansas Common Core Standards were formally presented to the Kansas State Board of Education with a recommendation for adoption.

October 2010 – The Kansas State Board of Education adopted the Kansas Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics.

The Common Core Standards Timeline in Kansas

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ELA Executive Committee Members and Schools

James Heiman Kansas City USD 500

Carolyn Boyd Lansing USD 469

Sandee Morris Royal Valley USD 366

Vicki Seeger Seaman USD 345

Judy Beemer Junction City USD 475

Rebecca Hochstein Goddard USD 265

Sheryl Plattner Sabetha USD 441

Leigh Ann Roderick Garden City USD 457

Ruthann Harris Wichita USD 259

Julie Aikins Chanute USD 413

The Kansas ELA Executive Committee Members

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The ELA Executive Committee’s Process

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Dates of Meetings – 9 days of meetings

Feedback we provided – 3 formal rounds and several more informal conference calls with writers and other states

Feedback we gathered and reviewed –

Formal feedback gathered through the Common Core Standards Website

Feedback gathered through KSDE website and presentations

Review of multiple rounds of feedback provided by professional organizations, including:

American Council on Education (ACE)

American Federation of Teachers (AFT)

International Reading Association (IRA)

Modern Language Association (MLA)

National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)

National Education Association (NEA)

Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Kansas Advantages to Common Core Standards

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• A focus on college and career readiness

• Inclusion of the four strands of English Language Arts:• Reading• Writing• Listening and speaking• Language

• The benefits of an integrated literacy approach – all Kansas educators have a

shared responsibility for literacy instruction, regardless of discipline or content area. • A focus on results rather than means – (“the Standards leave room for

teachers, curriculum developers, and states to determine how those goals should be reached and what additional topics should be addressed” (p. 4).)

• Efficiencies of scale – common standards allow for greater collaboration among states in the areas of

• Professional development• Resource development• Teaching tools

Common Core State Standards for

English Language Arts and

Literacy in History/ Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

Cover of ELA standards

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Common Core State Standards for

English Language Arts and

Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

College and Career Readiness (CCR) Standards – Overarching standards for each of four strands that are further defined by grade-specific standards

Reading – 10 standards Writing – 10 standards Speaking and Listening

– 6 standards Language – 6 standards

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Common Core State Standards for

English Language Arts and

Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

Grade-Level Standards in English Language Arts K-8, grade-by-grade 9-10 and 11-12 grade bands for high school Format highlights progression of standards across grades

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Overview of Reading Strand

Reading

Progressive development of reading comprehension; students gain more from what they read

Emphasize the importance of grade-level texts that are of appropriate difficulty and are increasingly sophisticated

Standards for Reading Foundational Skills (K-5)

Reading Standards for Literature (K-12)

Reading Standards for Informational Text (K-12)

Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies (6-12)

Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects (6-12)

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Overview of Text Complexity

Reading Standards include over exemplar texts (stories and literature, poetry, and informational texts) that illustrate appropriate level of complexity by grade

Text complexity is defined by:

Qua

litat

ive

1. Qualitative measures – levels of meaning, structure, language conventionality and clarity, and knowledge demands Q

uantitative

2. Quantitative measures – readability and other scores of text complexity

Reader and Task

3. Reader and Task – background knowledge of reader, motivation, interests, and complexity generated by tasks assigned

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Example of Grade-Level Progression in Reading

CCR Reading Standard 3: Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

Reading Standards for Literature Reading Standards for Informational Text

Grade 3: Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.

Grade 3: Describe the relationships between a series of historical events, scientific ideas of concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.

Grade 7: Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot)

Grade 7: Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).

Grades 11-12: Evaluate various explanations for characters’ actions or for events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.

Grades 11-12: Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.

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Overview of Writing Strand

Writing

Expect students to compose arguments and opinions, informative/explanatory pieces, and narrative texts

Focus on the use of reason and evidence to substantiate an argument or claim

Emphasize ability to conduct research – short projects and sustained inquiry

Require students to incorporate technology as they create, refine, and collaborate on writing

Include student writing samples that illustrate the criteria required to meet the standards (See standards’ appendices for writing samples)

Example of Grade-Level Progression in Writing

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Writing Standards

Grade 4: Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.

Grade 7: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

Grades 11-12: Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation

CCR Writing Standard 8: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.

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Overview of Speaking and Listening and Language Strands

Speaking and Listening

Focus on speaking and listening in a range of settings, both formal and informal – academic, small-group, whole-class discussions

Emphasize effective communication practices

Require interpretation and analysis of message as presented through oral, visual, or multimodal formats

Language

Include conventions for writing and speaking

Highlight the importance of vocabulary acquisition through a mix of conversation, direct instruction, and reading

To be addressed in context of reading, writing, speaking and listening

Media and Technology are integrated throughout the standards.

Achieve, Inc. (2010, June.) Understanding the common core state standards. Retrieved from http://www.achieve.org/files/CCSSJune22010FINAL.ppt

Common Core State Standards Initiative. (2010.) Common core state standards for English language arts and literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf

References

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