Implications for Leadership: The
Common Core State Standards
NCPEA Executive Board Meeting
Houston, Texas
February 17, 2012
Dick Flanary, Senior Director,
Leadership Programs & Services
Common Core State Standards
A sea change that is
going to require
teachers to teach
differently.
If teachers are to
teach differently,
then principals
need to lead
differently.
What is the Common Core (CCSS)?




A state-led effort to develop a common set of standards in English
language arts (ELA) and math that:
• Align college and workplace expectations
• Are rigorous and evidence-based
The CCSS have been adopted by 46 states
The CCSS will affect all public schools in adopted states
• Implementation beginning now
• New state assessments in 2014-15
A parallel effort is underway to develop Next Generation Science
Standards that will be released by December 2012
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The CCSS Initiative

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

National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of
Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) convened a state-led
process in 2009 to develop common ELA and Math
standards.
By joining the CCSS Initiative, governors and state
commissioners are committing to join the state-led process.
There has been increased congressional support for the
CCSS (not national standards).
The CCSSO and NGA joined with 49 states and territories to
develop them.
Partnership was also formed with Achieve, ACT and the
College Board.
States can include additional standards beyond the CCSS as
long as the CCSS represent at least 85%.
Common Core
Adoptions 46
Common Core State
Standards

The Three C’s:
 College
 Career
 Citizenship
6
Key Characteristics

Fewer

Higher

Broad Expectations

Consistent Across Content Areas

"Staircase of Increasing Complexity Across Grades"

"Progressive Development"

College, Workforce Training Expectations
7
Common Core =
Major Change and Mindset Shift
We need to shift our focus from high
school completion to college and career
readiness for all students.


The Common Core State Standards:
• Are for all students, not just students seeking
accelerated learning.
• Will impact all teachers, not just ELA and math
teachers.
• Is happening now.
School level leaders will need to play a central role in
implementing the new standards and in cultivating this
mindset shift.
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Common Core: A Fast Timeline
Implementa
tion is NOW!
February 2012
June 2010
March
2010
Formal
Release of
K-12 CCSS
K-12 Draft
Released
for Public
Beginning Comment
June
2009
of CCSS
Initiative
9
47 States Have
Adopted CCSS
2014 - 2015
Participating
States
Administer New
CCSS
Assessments
Average is Over
"There will always be change — new jobs, new
products, new services. But the one thing we
know for sure is that with each advance in
globalization and the I.T. revolution, the best
jobs will require workers to have more and better
education to make themselves above average."
Thomas L. Friedman
New York Times, January 24, 2012
10
U.S.
Percent of Schools Not Making AYP
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Center on Education Policy. Education Week. May 11, 2011.
*2012*
Changing Paradigm
 While
you slept, the national educational
paradigm shifted from guaranteeing
universal access to guaranteeing
universal performance.
Changing Demographics
Globalization
Alarming Dropout Rates
Graduation Rates
Number of Non-Graduates for Class
of 2011
1,154,132
Diplomas Count. Beyond High School, Before Baccalaureate. Education Week. June 9, 2011
The Reality of Practice
Accountability for principals is unlike any other
profession.
Whether a principal’s first day or their 10th year
the level of accountability is the same.
Physicians, lawyers, architects – when starting
their professional practice – get mentors.
Principals get tormentors.
Generational Differences
Technological Changes
Do you remember when?
Applications were sent to colleges.
Linked-In was a jail.
Skype was a typo.
Twitter was a sound.
4G was a parking spot.
Tom Friedman. Meet the Press. September 4, 2011.
Almost everyone wants
schools to be better,
but almost no one wants
them to be different.
Why Common Core State Standards?
Low College Completion Rates
Remediation rates and costs are staggering
• As much as 40% of all students entering 4-year colleges
need remediation in one or more courses
• As much as 63% in 2-year colleges
100%
Degree attainment rates are disappointing
• Fewer than 42% of adults aged 25-34 hold college degrees
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Enter High School Graduate from
High School
Enroll in College
Persist to
Bachelor's Degree
Sophomore year
within 6 yrs
Source: The College Completion Agenda 2010 Progress Report, The College Board
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Why Common Core State Standards?
More Students Need a More Rigorous
Curriculum


Adelman et al. (2003)
 15% of students in the top quintile in academic rigor
required remediation
 57% of students in the bottom quintile in academic
rigor required remediation
Adelman (2006)
 83% of students whose highest math class was
calculus graduated within 8 years
 40% of students whose highest math class was
Algebra II graduated within 8 years
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Why Common Core State Standards?
Inconsistent State Standards
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Benefits of Common Core
State Standards
Consistency
• Previously, every state had its own set of
academic standards and different
expectations of student performance.
Equity
• Common standards can help create more
equal access to an excellent education.
Competition
Clarity
Collaboration
• All students must be prepared to compete
with not only their American peers, but also
with students from around the world.
• Clear and coherent standards will help
students (and parents and teachers)
understand what is expected of them.
• Common Standards create a foundation for
districts and states to work collaboratively.
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Features of the Common Core State
Standards – English Language Arts
Balance between informational text and
literature
 Comprehending complex texts
 Writing in response to texts
 Conducting and reporting on research
 Language and grammar skills
 Speaking and listening
 Cross-content literacy

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Features of the Common Core State
Standards – Math
Emphasis on mathematical practices
 Attention to focus and coherence
 Increased focus on algebraic concepts and
expressions in middle grades
 Problem solving and reasoning
 Mathematical modeling
 Standards for STEM readiness

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What comes next after adoption?
Changes in curriculum &
instruction
Understanding current
alignment
Implementation
Professional Development
Preparing for new assessments
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Understanding Current
Alignment
Alignment is one of the first steps for states and districts
towards implementing the Common Core.
Content Alignment
• To what degree does the Common Core and
state standards address the same content
knowledge and skills?
Rigor
• Are the state standards and assessments at the
same level of rigor as the Common Core?
Progression
• Do the state standards and assessments address
Common Core content at the same grade level?
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Lexiles
A vertical scale
from zero to 2000.
Lexile
Lexile measures evaluate how complex a
text will likely be for a reader to
comprehend so that the reader can be
matched with texts that best
complement his or her unique ability
level and reading goals.
33
2005-06 Lexile Framework® for Reading Study
Summary of Text Lexile Measures
Interquartile Ranges Shown (25% - 75%)
Text Lexile Measure (L)
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
High
College
High
College
School Literature School Textbooks
Literature
Textbooks
Military
* Source of National Test Data: MetaMetrics
Personal Entry-Level SAT 1,
Use
Occupations ACT,
AP*
2005–06 Lexile Framework® for Reading Study
Summary of High School Textbook Lexile Measures
Interquartile Ranges Shown (25% – 75%)
1400
Text Lexile Measure (L)
1300
1200
1100
1000
900
800
ELA
Math
Science
Social
Studies
Subject Area Textbooks
Arts
CTE
Common Core State Standards –
Grade level Targets
Grade
Lexile Target
3
800
5
950
8
1100
10
1200
12
1300
Common Core State Standards
– Grade level Targets
Grade
Lexile Target
3
800
5
950
8
1100
10
1200
12
1300
Lexiles & Quantiles


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www.Lexile.com
www.Quantiles.com
Changes in Curriculum and Instruction
The Common Core will require significant curricular and
instructional shifts that will impact all classrooms.
Curriculum
Alignment
• To what degree will district and state curricula
need to change to be aligned to the Common
Core?
Instructional
Strategies
• What new instructional approaches are needed
to teach to these new standards?
Materials and
Resources
• What new resources and instructional materials
are needed? What resources are available?
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Impact

Organizational Changes
 Require K–12 aligned curricula
 "Staircase
of growing complexity
across all grades."
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Professional Development
To effectively implement and embrace the Common Core,
rich professional development will be required.
For Teachers
For School Leaders
• Unpacking the standards
• Content-specific workshops
• Assessing the standards
• Cross-content literacy
• Vertical teaming and vertical alignment
• Observing the Common Core in the classroom
• Implementing a cross-content literacy program
• Building local assessments; preparing for
common assessments
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Impact – Big Changes

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

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Know and be able to do
Rigor
Skill
Teaching and Learning
Application
School Wide
Impact

Change the way we teach
 Depth over Breadth
 Literacy Rich
 Media Skills
 Know the answer vs. Find the answer
...and explain
 Engagement > MUST
 Research Skills
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Common Assessments
Two state consortia are building
assessment systems to measure the
Common Core State Standards.
The assessments systems will:

Provide a common measure of college and career readiness

Be computer-based and include innovative item types

Measure higher order skills and application of knowledge
through multiple assessment formats

Include formative assessments and performance tasks

Provide timely data to educators and parents

Ensure comparable expectations regardless of where students
live
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Assessments

Target 2014 – 2015

Consortia

SMARTER Balanced - http://www.k12.wa.us/smarter/

Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for
College and Careers (PARCC)
http://www.parcconline.org/

New Tests

Provide timely, frequent and actionable diagnostic feedback to
the teachers and students to inform teaching and learning.
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Integrative Summative/Formative
Assessment System
End of School
Year
Beginning of
School Year
Digital Library of Formative Assessment Materials
Periodic
Assessments
Periodic
Assessments
Periodic
Assessments
and / or
and / or
and / or
Project-Based
Component
Project-Based
Component
Project-Based
Component
Source: Education Testing Service
End of Year,
Course or
Domain
Summative
Test
Notable Differences between SBAC and PARCC
SBAC
Assess Grades 3-8, 11

One summative assessment in last
12 weeks of school year (required)
PARCC
Assess Grades 3-11

 Selected response, short constructed
response, extended constructed
response, technology enhanced, and
performance tasks

1. End-of-Year Assessment
 ELA: reading comprehension
 Math: machine-scorable items
2. Performance based assessment:
 Extended tasks
 Applications of concepts & skills
Interim Assessments (optional)
 Available throughout the year
 Selected response, short constructed
response, extended constructed
response, technology enhanced, and
performance tasks

Computer Adaptive assessment
Two summative assessments close to
end of school year (required)
Two Formative assessments
(optional)
1.Beginning of year
2.Mid-Year


Computer-based but a single form for all
students.
Paper & pencil for grades 3-5 (initially).
ELA Impact
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
Raises text complexity at least 2 years

Vocabulary –All teachers must teach the academic
vocabulary of their discipline. Significant impact at high
schools

Critical Reading

Expect all students to respond in complete sentences

Informational Texts vs. Narrative

Writing

Speaking

Listening

Textbooks are outdated

Cross-Content Literacy
Math Impact

Conceptual Understanding

Algebra – Grade 8

Significant impact for retraining
elementary teachers in mathematics.

Statistics & Probability
49
Assessment Impact

Technology Dependent
 Hardware
 Logistics
 Bandwidth
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Recommendations for
Schools

Begin PD today

School wide literacy

K–12 Alignment

Writing

Multi-tiered interventions

Student Engagement

Transparent Practice
Questions for NCPEA


How does the CCSS impact principals
preparation?
What responsibility does NCPEA have for
getting principals ready to lead CCSS
implementation?
Resources
 The
Common Core State Standards
Initiative:
http://www.corestandards.org/
 SMARTER Balanced:
http://www.k12.wa.us/smarter/

Partnership for the Assessment of
Readiness for College and
Careers(PARCC):
http://www.parcconline.org/
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Contact Information
Dick Flanary
NASSP
Senior Director, Leadership Programs and Services
1904 Association Drive
Reston, Virginia 20191
flanaryd@nassp.org
800-253-7746 Ext. 294
www.nassp.org