Common Core State Standards &
Smarter Balanced Assessment
Consortium Parent Training
NICOLE GRAHAM
POST UNIVERSITY
EDU 699
Introductions
 Introductions
 Overview of Session A and Session B
 Download a QR scanner
Session A Agenda
 Common Core Overview
 8 Mathematical Practices & The Standards
 Shifts in Mathematical Teaching
 Questions/Break
 Smarter Balanced Overview
 Links for More Information
 Questions?
Session A Objectives
 By the end of this session, you will be able to:
 Compare and contrast standardized testing theories between
CMT & SBAC
 Explain the math standards for your child’s grade along with
the eight mathematical practices
Common Core Beginning
(CGCS Video Maker, 2013)
Common Core Background
 Adopted voluntarily by 43 states
 Created in 2009 for English Language Arts (ELA)
and Mathematics
 Created to ensure that all students can perform
certain skills at the end of specific grade levels
 Meant to guarantee all students who graduate high
school are college ready with 21st century skills
(Common Core Standards Initiative, 2014)
The Standards Are…
1) Research- and evidence-based
2) Clear, understandable, and consistent
3) Aligned with college and career expectations
4) Based on rigorous content and application of
knowledge through higher-order thinking skills
5) Built upon the strengths and lessons of current
state standards
6) Informed by other top performing countries in
order to prepare all students for success in our
global economy and society
(Common Core Standards Initiative, 2014)
The Standards Are…
 NOT a federal law
 States voluntarily adopted the CCSS and related
assessments
 NOT a national curriculum
 The CCSS provide a common set of goals, but states,
districts, schools, and teachers will continue to
determine how to meet those goals
 NOT a way to promote more standardized testing
(Jones and King, 2012)
Questions?
 What questions do you have about the CCSS?
Shifts in Mathematics
 The CCSS includes 3 major shifts:
1)
Focus
2) Coherence
3) Rigor
 Focuses on a smaller set of topics in each grade
 Students learn a conceptual understanding of topics, develop
procedural skill and fluency, and learn how to apply math
inside and outside the classroom
(Common Core Standards Initiative, 2014)
(Jones & King, 2012)
Shifts in Mathematics (Continued)
 Stress coherence across grades

Topics progress from grade level to grade level and build on prior
knowledge
 Strive for rigor in concepts taught



Conceptual understanding – Learn a variety of ways to represent
topics and find connections between multiple perspectives
Procedural skill and fluency – Practice skills to achieve accurate
calculations
Application – Apply math to real-world scenarios beyond rote
practice
(Common Core Standards Initiative, 2014)
(Jones & King, 2012)
The Standards at a Glance
(Pagano, G., 2014)
The Standards at a Glance (Continued)
(Pagano, G., 2014)
Expressions & Equations Progression
Grade 6
 Apply and extend previous understandings of
arithmetic to algebraic expressions
 Reason about and solve one-variable equations and
inequalities
 Represent and analyze quantitative relationships
between dependent and independent variables
(Common Core Standards Initiative, 2014)
Expr. & Eq. Progression (Continued)
Grade 7
 Use properties of operations to generate equivalent
expressions
 Solve real-life and mathematical problems using
numerical and algebraic expressions and equations
(Common Core Standards Initiative, 2014)
Expr. & Eq. Progression (Continued)
Grade 8
 Work with radicals and integer exponents
 Understand the connections between proportional
relationships, lines, and linear equations
 Analyze and solve linear equations and pairs of
simultaneous linear equations
(Common Core Standards Initiative, 2014)
8 Mathematical Practices
 The CCSS developed 8 overarching mathematical
practices that encapsulate what all math students
should strive for:
1) Make sense of problems and persevere in solving
them
2) Reason abstractly and quantitatively
3) Construct viable arguments and critique the
reasoning of others
(Common Core Standards Initiative, 2014)
8 Mathematical Practices (Continued)
4) Model with mathematics
5) Use appropriate tools strategically
6) Attend to precision
7) Look for and make use of structure
8) Look for and express regularity in repeated
reasoning
(Common Core Standards Initiative, 2014)
Shift in Mathematics Teaching
Formerly
CCSS
Calling digits “numbers”
Specifying that digits are in numerals.
Numerals represent numbers.
Teaching addition makes things get
bigger
Teaching addition is combining
Saying, “We cannot subtract, so we have Saying, “We need to decompose a
to borrow from the 10’s place.”
higher unit value to get the number into
the form we want.”
Saying, “Doesn’t go into.” (For example, Saying, “We can divide 7 by 3, but the
“7 doesn’t go into 3.”
result won’t be a whole number.”
(Kappan, 2013)
Shift in Mathematics Teaching (Continued)
Formerly
CCSS
Canceling out fractions (when
simplifying)
Utilizing the multiplicative identity
property when a number divided by
itself equals 1
Using guess-and-check as a strategy
Using mathematical representations
and models
Answering the question
Justifying your answer
(Kappan, 2013)
Questions?
 What questions do you have about shifts in
mathematics teaching?
New Standardized Tests
 In 2010, US Department of Education created a “Race to
the Top” assessment grant program to support Common
Core Standards
 Two companies: Partnership for Assessment of Readiness
for College and Careers (PARCC) and Smarter Balanced
Assessment Consortium (SBAC) were awarded funds
 States have choice of two assessment tests



Connecticut opted for the SBAC Tests
Some schools piloted the SBAC tests during the 2013-2014
All schools will take the SBAC during the 2014-2015 school year
(Jones & King, 2012)
(Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, 2014)
SBAC Overview
 Designed with a focus on college readiness
 Encompasses state and federal support to use
state-of the-art measurement techniques
 Goal
is to provide a more authentic assessment of
student readiness
 Tests include adaptive computer questions, items
for students to manipulate, and performance
tasks that ask students to use a variety of skills to
solve complex real-world problems
(Jones & King, 2012)
CMT vs. SBAC
CMT
SBAC
Administered to all students in grades 3 – 8
Pencil and paper test
Computer adaptive testing (CAT)
Administered in March
Administered last 12 weeks of school
Based on standards from the
Connecticut Department of Education
Based on Common Core State
Standards
Results in months
Results in weeks
Interim assessments optional
Formative assessments
(Bethany Community School, 2013)
Sample Questions
(Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, 2014)
Sample Questions (Continued)
(Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, 2014)
Sample Questions (Continued)
(Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, 2014)
Compare and Contrast Activity
 Take a look at the examples of former math CMT
questions*
 Identify which Standard the question fits

http://www.corestandards.org/
 How would you turn them into SBAC questions?
 What aspects would you keep?
 What aspects would you change?
 Write down your thoughts
 Share with small group
 Gallery walk
*(Connecticut State Department of Education, 2014)
Want to Learn More?
 Website for Common Core
 http://www.corestandards.org/
 Website for Smarter Balanced Assessment
Consortium

http://www.smarterbalanced.org/
 Contact Me!
 [e-mail address]
Survey
 Please take a few moments and let me know what
you thought about this training!
Session B Agenda
 Brief summary of Session A
 Benefits of Parental Support at Home
 Online Environment
Session B Objectives
 By the end of this session, you will be able to:
 Find or create engaging math activities for your children
 Blog about completing two engaging activities and support one
another in the process
 After engaging in extracurricular activities with you
at home, your children will be able to increase their
academic performance compared to peers who do
not participate in these activities
Parental Support from Home
 Parental involvement is known to increase student’s
academic achievement
 During the middle school years, parental
involvement in the form of engaging in activities that
supplement the curriculum have the most impact on
achievement

Helping with homework was the only form of parental
involvement that has a negative effect on student achievement!
(Altschul, 2011 and Degner, 2013)
Enriching Activities
 Expand on students’ learning outside of the school day
 Are interactive and project focused
 Focus on using previously learned concepts in new ways
 Impart knowledge while being fun
 Apply knowledge and skills learned in school to real-life
experiences
 Develop strong relationships between children and
caring adults
 Provide opportunities for authentic decision-making
 Allow the potential for student leadership
(Learning Point Associates, n.d.)
Online Environment Overview
 Website:
http://mathcommoncoreresources.weebly.com/
Choose an Activity!
 Find at least 1 activity you would like to try with your
child at home




Pick a date on your calendar to do the activity!
Write down the idea you found online
What do you need to accomplish the activity?
What do you want your child to accomplish by the end of the
activity?
Using the Online Environment
 Try at least 2 engaging activities with your children
at home
 Blog about your experience on the resource website





What activity did you try?
Did you modify it from what the website suggested?
How did you implement the activity?
What worked/didn’t work?
Did you find a resource that wasn’t posted on the website?
Want to Learn More?
 Website for Common Core
 http://www.corestandards.org/
 Website for Smarter Balanced Assessment
Consortium

http://www.smarterbalanced.org/
 Contact Me!
 [e-mail address]
Survey
 Please take a few moments and let me know what
you thought about this training!
Resources
 Altschul, I. (2011). Parental involvement and the
academic achievement of Mexican American youths:
What kinds of involvement in youths’ education matter
most? Social Work Research, 35(3), 159-170.
 Bethany Community School. (2013). CMT vs SBAC –
Board of Education Presentation. Retrieved from
http://www.bethany-ed.org/page.cfm?p=1127
 CGCS Video Maker. (2013). Three-minute video
explaining the Common Core State Standards. Retrieved
from http://vimeo.com/51933492
 Common Core State Standards Initiative. (2014).
Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/
Resources (Continued)
 Connecticut State Department of Education. (2014).
Connecticut Mastery Test Fourth Generation Math
Handbook. Retrieved from
http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/csde/cedar/assessment/c
mt/math_handbook.htm
 Degner, K. (2013). Demography as destiny: The role of
parental involvement and mathematics course taking patterns
among 9th grade students. Current Issues in Education, 16(3),
1-18.
 Faulkner, V. (2013). Why the Common Core changes math
instruction. Kappan Magazine, 95(2), 59 – 63.
 Jones, A. G., & King, J. E. (2012). The Common Core State
Standards: A Vital Tool for Higher Education. Change, 44(6),
37-43. doi:10.1080/00091383.2012.706529
Resources (Continued)
 Learning Point Associates. (n.d.). Academic Enrichment
Project. Retrieved from
http://www.learningpt.org/promisingpractices/index.ht
ml
 Pagano, G. (2014, January). Smarter balanced
assessments: Mathematics overview. Connecticut State
Department of Education Literacy Workshops. Retrieved
from
http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/student_assess
ment/smarter_balanced/alw/mathematics_overview.pdf
 Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. (2014).
Retrieved from http://www.smarterbalanced.org/
Resources for Images
 Common Core State Standards Initiative. (2014).
Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/
 Microsoft Word Clipart Gallery. (2014).
 QR Stuff. (2014). Retrieved from
http://www.qrstuff.com/
 Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. (2014).
Retrieved from http://www.smarterbalanced.org/