preparing dc’s students to be college and career ready
TRANSCRIPT
Preparing DC’s Students to Be College and Career Ready
Introductions
Welcome to the 2013 Parent Summit
Heidi Beeman, Program Manager
Elementary and Secondary Division
Office of the State Superintendent of Education
What do you need to know about our educational system to ensure your kid(s) are
ready for college and/or a career?
Common Core State Standards
• The Common Core State Standards are educational standards in mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) that ensure your child has the skills and knowledge to be successful
• The Common Core is designed to provide clear 21st century goals for student learning.
The Common Core State Standards • The CCSS do not tell teachers how to
teach, but instead provide a map of what to teach at each grade level.
• So far, these standards have been adopted by 46 states
• That means, if you move from DC to Los Angeles, your child will not have to adapt to new (as possibly less rigorous) standards
What is College and Career Ready?
In English Language Arts the standards focus on:
• Reading • Writing • Speaking • Listening • Language
What is College and Career Ready?
• Independent thinking• Strong content knowledge• Respond to demands of audience, task,
purpose, discipline• Comprehend as well as critique!• Value evidence• Use technology and digital media
strategically and capably• Understand other perspectives and
cultures
What is College and Career Ready?
What does David Coleman, co-author of the CCSS ELA Standards, say?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GgGLpKVXdY&feature=related
ELA Instructional Shifts
1. Increased emphasis on informational text
2. Building knowledge in the disciplines
3. Increase complex text
4. Evidence/text based answers
5. Writing from primary and secondary sources
6. Academic vocabulary such as: analyze, source, evaluate, synthesize
Homework Tips!
• Time management.
• Be positive about homework
• When your child does homework, you do homework
• When your child asks for help, provide guidance, not answers
• When the teacher asks that you play a role in homework, do it
• Help your child figure out what is hard and what is easy homework
• Watch your child for signs of failure and frustration
• Don’t assume homework is done, check it
• You don’t have to know all the answers. Learn together!
Common Core State Standards – Math
• Written by national experts• Designed to be more concentrated at each
grade level giving students greater opportunity to explore and understand the mathematics at their grade level
• Focus on a connection between the mathematics and getting students ready for college and careers
11
K 12
Number and Operations
Measurement and Geometry
Algebra and Functions
Statistics and Probability
Traditional U.S. Approach
12
Focusing Attention Within Number and Operations
Operations and Algebraic Thinking
Expressions and Equations
Algebra
→ →
Number and Operations—Base Ten →
The Number System
→
Number and Operations—Fractions
→
K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 High School
13
Grade Focus Areas in Support of Rich Instruction and Expectations of Fluency and Conceptual Understanding
K–2 Addition and subtraction - concepts, skills, and problem solving and place value
3–5 Multiplication and division of whole numbers and fractions – concepts, skills, and problem solving
6 Ratios and proportional reasoning; early expressions and equations
7 Ratios and proportional reasoning; arithmetic of rational numbers
8 Linear algebra
Key Areas of Focus in Mathematics
Ways You Can Do Math with Your Child
• Find It. • Give your child plenty of opportunities to
count and measure.• Find ways to practice number operations.• Find ways to collect and organize
information.• Find ways to develop reasoning skills.
http://www.dreambox.com/parent-tips
Math: Tips and Strategies
• Problems can be solved in different ways• Wrong answers can be useful• Being able to do mathematics in your head
is important• It is sometimes okay to use a calculator to
solve mathematics problems• Problem solve, reason, communicate,
connect – college and career ready skills!
http://www2.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/math/brochure.html
Math Tips: Learning Together
• What is the problem you are trying to solve?• What do the directions say?• Where do you think you should begin?• Tell me what you have done so far.• Are there similar problems you’ve done so far?• What did your teacher ask you to do?• Who can we call / Where can we look to get help?• Can you get extra help from your teacher?• Should we tackle this when you are not so tired?
http://www.figurethis.org/fc/family_corner_homework.htm
How will the CCSS Standards in English and Math be Tested?
• We currently use the DC CAS but we are in the process of transitioning to the next generation of assessments
• In DC we will use the PARCC assessment. (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of College and Career) starting in the 2014-2015 school year.
• DC is on the governing board of PARCC. That means OSSE is helping shape what PARCC will look like.
• PARCC will replace the DC CAS in the 2014 – 2015 school year
• The administrative goal for PARCC is to be an online test, which means we will get the results much faster!
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
• K-12 Science Standards• Created through a collaborative, state-led process,
and informed by community stakeholders.• Drafted based on the Framework for K-12 Science
Education, which was developed by the NRC.• Identifies what students need to know and be able
to do to be a functional citizen, which includes being scientifically literate and an effective member of the U.S Workforce.
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
• During the coming months, the DC State Board of Education will determine whether to adopt the Next Generation Science Standards.
• Office of the State Superintendent of Education staff, in collaboration with a state leadership team and teacher advisory board, will review the final NGSS, and provide analysis, including a comparison to the District’s current Science Academic Content Standards, as well as develop a timeline for adoption, transition, implementation, and assessment.
Why Science Matters
• Science is all around us!
• From investigating how electricity works to light up the world, to discovering a cure for cancer, the opportunities are endless.
• Science allows us to understand life, nature, and the universe in
which we live. • In school, students have the opportunity to explore their
communities through science, and make discoveries of their own.
• When families and schools work together to support learning;
our children tend to succeed not only in school but also throughout life. Here are some helpful hints to get your scientist going!
Supporting Science
Enjoy science together as a family and encourage science as a hobby
Take it outside. Watch what's happening around you, and have your child keep track of things like the temperature or the time the sun sets. Visit one of our local free museums or the zoo.
Get Active. Activities, like cooking, working in the garden, hiking, and doing chores around the house encourage students creativity and problem solving ability.
Be Curious. Join your children in learning new things about science and technology. Take advantage of not knowing all the answers to your children’s questions and embrace opportunities to learn together!
Read and explore with your children.
You don’t need to have all the answers. When your child asks you “why”? Use books, apps, videos, and other resources, to find out more about a topic! Help them read and discover more.
Explore your Library. Our local librarians can help you find books about topics your students may be interested in.
Encourage your children to ask questions and pursue answers.
Chat and Chew. Ask questions and engage in conversation during mealtime around things they have observed. Ask 3. Three basic questions can help lead children to a better understanding of the world: What do you see? How does it work? Why do you think _____________ I spy… Use the trip between school and home to develop student’s observation skills.
Help your kids with “hands-on” assignments when necessary.
Reach out for resources. Talk to your student’s teacher or other community resources (Rec centers, etc.) about how best to help your child with their project.
Network: Find support for your student in your community. Talking about your child’s project with family, friends, doctors, neighbors, at church, or even at the grocery store, can help connect you with resources. As your child gets older, have them begin these conversations.
Google –it! Online resources for parents and students around hands on projects can help relieve a lot of stress and help guide the process. Use recommended sites, as they will have age appropriate and safe projects for students to conduct.
Encourage older children in science.
College and career ready. Students studying in STEM fields will be better prepared to participate in the 21st-century workforce. Find Mentors: Mentors and internships will develop your student’s confidence and ability in the Sciences. Your student’s teachers
or counselors can connect you with resources in the community. Get Help Early On! –Science can be difficult for students at times. Help them connect them with tutorial options at school or in
the community, before it becomes a problem. Be Informed. Connect with teachers and school staff around the science program and expectations around science at your
student’s school.
Questions…