Overview of the Initiative
State-led and developed common core standards for K-12 in English/language arts and mathematics
Initiative led by Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and National Governors Association (NGA)
Why did governors and chiefs do this?Prepare students with the knowledge and skills
they need to succeed in college and work
Ensure consistent expectations regardless of a student’s zip code
Make states more globally competitive
Provide educators, parents, and students with clear, focused guideposts
Offer economies of scale
College- and Career-Readiness as the Anchor
Career-readiness and college-readiness levels are very similar
There is a gap between high school expectations for students and what students are expected to do in college/career Among high school graduates, only half
are academically prepared for postsecondary education (Greene & Winters, 2005).
Features of the standards
Aligned with college and work expectations
Focused and coherent
Include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills
Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards
Internationally benchmarked
Based on evidence and research
Standards Development Process
College- and career-readiness standards for English/language arts and mathematics developed summer of 2009
Based on the college and career readiness standards, K-12 learning progressions developed
Public comment period with 10,000 responses
Final standards released on June 2, 2010.
44 states and D.C. have fully adopted the Common Core State Standards; 1 state has provisionally adopted the standards; and 1 state has adopted only the ELA standards.
Common Core State Standards Adoption(as of September 2011)
Math Standards: Design and Organization
Standards for Mathematical Practice Carry across all grade levels Describe habits of mind of a mathematically expert student
Standards for Mathematical Content K-8 standards presented by grade level High school standards presented by conceptual theme
Appendix Designing high school math courses based on the Common
Core State Standards
High School
Conceptual themes in high school Number and Quantity Algebra Functions Modeling Geometry Statistics and Probability
College and career readiness threshold (+) standards indicate material beyond the threshold; can be
in courses required for all students.
Math Key Advances
FOCUSCoherenceBalance of concepts and skills
Importance of deep understanding and procedural fluency
Mathematical practices Foster reasoning and sense-making in
mathematicsApplication Problem-solving and communication
New Common Summative Assessments
Two assessment consortia Partnership for Readiness for College and
Career (PARCC) SMARTER Balanced
New summative assessments used for accountability purposes in 2014-2015 school year
Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC)
Governing Board States Participating States
PARCC Assessment Design Within Year
End-of-Year Assessment
•Innovative, computer-based items
Performance-BasedAssessment (PBA)
•Extended tasks•Applications of concepts and skills
Summative assessment for accountability
Formative assessment
Early Assessment•Early indicator of student knowledge and skills to inform instruction, supports, and PD
ELA/Literacy•Speaking•Listening
Flexible
Mid-Year Assessment•Performance-based•Emphasis on hard to measure standards•Potentially summative
Source: Center for K–12 Assessment & Performance Management at ETS
Consortia Similarities
Beyond multiple choice and short answer tests; will include performance tasks
Focus on depth of understanding and higher-order thinking skills
Computer-based, with quicker turn-around for scoringMore precise, actionable information than current testsMore interactive than current testsMore writing (particularly writing to sources) than current
testsDigital libraries of resources, including released items,
formative assessments, data-management system, and professional development
Consortia Differences
Computer-based adaptive testing is used in SMARTER Balanced Consortium. PARCC has computer-based, but not adaptive, testing.
Teacher scoring is emphasized in SMARTER Balanced when evaluating performance tasks.
Performance Event Sample: Literacy in Science/Technical Subjects
Compare what the latest science tells us about Genetically Modified food against the arguments offered for and against Genetically Modified food.
Evaluate the hypotheses, data, analysis, and conclusions of each side, including determining the extent to which each side in the debate over Genetically Modified food relies on the available science, argues from an economic perspective or appeals to political and emotional concerns.
Verify the data from each author and corroborate or challenge the conclusions with other sources of information.
Implementation Timeline and Themes
Some states implementing this year in grades K-2. Full implementation in handful of states and districts.
Key areas of support states/districts are seeking: Instructional materials: what take away from what you’re teaching
along with what you need to add Professional development: beyond awareness of the standards –
professional learning communities, job-embedded professional development
Instruction and assessments: depth of understanding required of students
Literacy in content areas
Mathematics Common Core Coalition (MC³)
Resources
www.corestandards.org
www.ccsso.org
Carrie Heath Phillips
Program Director, Common Core State Standards
Council of Chief State School Officers
Twitter: @cheathphillips
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