Transitioning to the
Common Core State Standards
What Can You Do Now?
California Academic Partnership Program
High School Leadership Initiative Summer Seminar
June 22, 2012
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Today’s Workshop
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
• Brief history of the standards
• Overview and resources for
mathematics
• Overview and resources for English
language arts and literacy
• Overview and resources for
assessment
• Questions and answers
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College and Career
Readiness Standards
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
• In 2009, the Council of Chief State School
Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors
Association Center for Best Practices (NGA
Center) committed to developing a set of
standards that would help prepare students for
success in college and career.
• In September 2009, College and Career
Readiness standards were released.
• This work became the foundation for the
Common Core.
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The Common Core State
Standards
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
• Feedback and review from national
organizations, including:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
American Council on Education
American Federation of Teachers
Campaign for High School Equity
Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences
Modern Language Association
National Council of Teachers of English
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
National Education Association
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The Common Core State
Standards
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Benefits:
• Internationally benchmarked
• Evidence and research-based
• Consistent expectations – no matter
where you live
• Opportunity for shared resources and
reduced costs
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California and the Common
Core State Standards
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Senate Bill 1 from the Fifth
Extraordinary Session (SB X5 1):
– established an Academic Content
Standards Commission (ACSC) to develop
standards in mathematics and English–
language arts
– stated that 85 percent of the standards
were to consist of the CCSS with up to 15
percent additional material
– directed the State Board of Education to
adopt or reject recommendations of the
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ACSC
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Source: http://www.corestandards.org/in-the-states
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TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Source: http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/cc/
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TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
9
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
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Common Core State Standards
for Mathematics
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
The standards for mathematics:
• are focused, coherent, and rigorous
• aim for clarity and specificity
• stress conceptual understanding of key ideas
• balance mathematical understanding and
procedural skill
• are internationally benchmarked
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Mathematical Proficiency
as defined by the California Framework (2006)
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Conceptual
Understanding
DOING
MATH
Problem
Solving
Procedural
Skills
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Two Types of
Interrelated Standards
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
 Mathematical Practices (the
same at every grade level)
 Mathematical Content
(different at each grade level)
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Standards for Mathematical Practice
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Describe ways students engage with the subject
matter throughout the elementary, middle, and
high school years
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.
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
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reasoning.
CCSS Domains K–5
Domain
K
1
2
3
4
5
Counting and Cardinality (CC)

Operations and Algebraic
Thinking (OA)
     
Number and Operations in
Base Ten (NBT)
     
Measurement and Data (MD)
     
Geometry (G)
     
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Number and Operations –
Fractions (NF)
  
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CCSS Domains 6–8
6
7
Ratios and Proportional
Relationships (RP)


The Number System (NS)



Expressions and Equations (EE)



Geometry (G)



Statistics and Probability (SP)



Domain
8
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Functions (F)

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High School Mathematics
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
The CCSS high school standards are organized in 6
conceptual categories:
– Number and Quantity
– Algebra
– Functions
– Modeling (*)
– Geometry
– Statistics and Probability
California additions:
– Advanced Placement Probability and Statistics
– Calculus
Modeling standards are indicated by a (*) symbol.
Standards necessary to prepare for advanced courses
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in mathematics are indicated by a (+) symbol.
High School Mathematics
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Build a function that models a relationship between
two quantities (F-BF)
1. Write a function that describes a relationship between
two quantities. *
a. Determine an explicit expression, a recursive
process, or steps for calculation from a context.
b. Combine standard function types using
arithmetic operations. For example, build a
function that models the temperature of a
cooling body by adding a constant function to a
decaying exponential, and relate these functions
to the model.
c. (+) Compose functions. For example, if T(y) is
the temperature in the atmosphere as a function
of height, and h(t) is the height of a weather
balloon as a function of time, then T(h(t)) is the
temperature at the location of the weather
balloon as a function of time.
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Conceptual Category Overview
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
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Format of
High School Standards
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Conceptual
Category
Domain
Standard
Cluster
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TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Source: http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards/
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Model Course Pathways for
Mathematics
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Courses in higher level mathematics: Precalculus, Calculus (upon completion of
Precalculus), Advanced Statistics, Discrete Mathematics, Advanced Quantitative
Reasoning, or other courses to be designed at a later date, such as additional
career technical courses.
Algebra II
Mathematics
III
Geometry
Mathematics II
Algebra I
Mathematics I
Pathway A
Pathway B
Traditional in U.S.
International Integrated approach 22
(typical outside of U.S.)
Transitioning to the CCSS
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
1. Focus strongly where the Standards
focus
2. Coherence: Think across grades, and
link to major topics within grades
3. Rigor: In major topics, pursue
conceptual understanding,
procedural skill and fluency, and
application
Source: http://www.achievethecore.org/
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TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Source: http://insidemathematics.org/
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TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Source: http://illustrativemathematics.org/
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TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Source: http://commoncoretools.me/
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What Can You Do Now?
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
• Identify 3 steps your school
community can take now to
support implementation of the
Common Core State Standards for
Mathematics.
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Literacy Standards
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
• Literacy standards for grade 6 and
above are predicated on teachers
of ELA, history/social studies,
science and technical subjects
using their content area expertise
to help students meet the
challenges of reading, writing,
listening, speaking and language
in our respective fields.
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Literacy Standards
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
It is important to note that the
6-12 LITERACY standards in
history/social studies,
science, and technical
subjects are not meant to
replace content standards in
those areas but rather to
SUPPLEMENT them!
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Fundamental Differences in
Literacy Standards
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
• Literacy across-the-curriculum
• Spotlight on text complexity
• New grounding in informational texts
(from 50:50 to 75:25)
• Writing about texts (drawing evidence
from texts)
• Particular emphasis on marshaling
arguments
• Conducting short, focused research
projects
• Focus on academic vocabulary
• Evidence, evidence, evidence!
S. Pimentel, Primary Author CCSS
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Major Shifts in Literacy
Instruction
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
• An emphasis on text
complexity and the language
and vocabulary of complex text.
• A new focus on reading and
writing grounded in evidence
from text.
• A focus on building knowledge
through increased content
reading.
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CCSS GOALS for LEARNING
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
CAREER Ready
and
COLLEGE Ready
and
LIFE Ready
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Text Complexity
Defined by Three Factors
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
1. Quantitative measures: word length,
word frequency, word difficulty, sentence
length, text length and cohesion
2. Qualitative measures: levels of
meaning, structure, language conventionality
and clarity, and knowledge demands
measured by an attentive reader
3. Reader and Task considerations:
background knowledge, interests, motivation,
“grade levels of content,” assigned
tasks
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Meaning: Text Dependent
Questions and Tasks
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
• Can be addressed only through careful
scrutiny of the text and do not rely on
outside information
• Students draw evidence from the text
and explain the evidence (orally and in
writing)
• Students demonstrate understanding of
what is read before engaging opinions,
evaluations, or interpretations
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Appendix A
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Research Supporting Key Elements of
the ELA Standards Including:
– Complexity of Texts
– Foundational Skills
– Writing
– Speaking and Listening
– Language
– Glossary of Key Terms
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Appendix B: Text Exemplars
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
• Includes examples by grade level with
sample performance tasks
• Stories, poetry, drama, and
informational text
• Gives teachers an idea of achievement
expectations for each grade level
• Includes examples for History/Social
Studies, Science, and Technical
Subjects
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Appendix C:
Samples of Student Writing
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
• samples of student writing for each grade level with
annotation describing what the writer did well.
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Writing Standards
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
“The Common Core Standards require
students to show that they can analyze and
synthesize sources and present careful
analysis, well defended claims and clear
information.”
“…the writing standards…require students to
draw evidence from a text or texts to support
analysis, reflection or research.”
Source: Draft Publisher’s Criteria for the Common Core State
Standards in ELA & Literacy, Grades 4-12
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Writing Types and Purposes
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
NAEP Writing Framework Foundation
Purposes for and Recommended Writing Types
Grade
To
Persuade
To
Explain
To Convey
Experience
4
30%
35%
35%
8
35%
35%
30%
12
40%
40%
20%
Source: National Assessment Governing Board. (2007). Writing
framework for the 2011 National Assessment of Educational
Progress, http://www.nagb.org/publications/frameworks/writing2011.doc
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Range of Writing
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Write routinely over extended time frames
(time for research, reflection, and revision)
and shorter time frames (a single sitting or
a day or two) for a range of discipline-
specific tasks, purposes, and
audiences. (2-12.W.10)
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Speaking and Listening
Standards
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
“…engaging discussions around grade
level topics and texts that students have
studied and researched in advance.”
“…strengthening students listening skills
as well as their ability to respond to and to
challenge their peers with relevant follow
up questions and evidence.”
Source: Draft Publisher’s Criteria for the Common Core State Standards
in ELA & Literacy, Grades 4-12
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Language Standards
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
“…gain adequate mastery of the
essential “rules” of standard written
and spoken English.”
“…learn how to approach
language as a matter of craft so
they can communicate clearly and
powerfully.”
Source: Draft Publisher’s Criteria for the Common Core State
Standards in ELA & Literacy, Grades 4-12
42
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Literacy in History/Social
Studies, Science, and Technical
Subjects
• Builds upon the same anchor standards
for reading and writing
• Includes a focus on discipline-specific
vocabulary
• Acknowledges the unique text
structures found in informational text
• Focuses on expectation that students
will develop content knowledge AND
informational/technical writing skills
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Technical Subjects
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Technical subjects – A course devoted
to a practical study, such as
engineering, technology, design,
business, or other workforce-related
subject; a technical aspect of a wider
field of study, such as art or music
Source: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical
Subjects: Appendix A
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Reality Check: Increase
Teacher Collaboration
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
• Interdisciplinary planning
– Allows for multiple points of access to
subject matter
– Deepens student understanding of
content
– Ensures adequate reading and
writing of informational text
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Meeting English Learners’
Needs
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
• Approximately 25% of California
students are English learners.
• Many CCSS support English language
development.
• The CCSS set rigorous grade-level
expectations.
• They assert that all students should be
held to the same high expectations.
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Common Core: Important Skills
for English Learners
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
• Apply knowledge of language to understand how language
functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for
meaning and style, and to comprehend more fully when
reading or listening. Knowledge of language should include:
– Pragmatic knowledge--knowledge of language use in
context (status/purpose of speaker, genre structures)
– Linguistic knowledge--knowledge of the functional
demands of writing and speaking (e.g., formulate
questions, compare/contrast, summarize, draw
conclusions
• Recognize variations from standard English in their own and
others’ writing and speaking and identify and use strategies
to improve expression in conventional language
Source: Diane August, Center for Applied Linguistics
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TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
48
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
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Implications For Your Team
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
• So What? Now What?
• What do you already do that is
interdisciplinary in nature?
• Think about ‘piloting’ some tasks, units,
common reading and writing activities
and review student work together next
year.
• What can you do to learn more and
practice some of the ideas from others?
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California Joins SMARTER Balanced
Assessment Consortium
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
• On June 9, 2011 California joined
the SMARTER Balanced
Assessment Consortium (SBAC)
– Memorandum of Understanding
signed by Superintendent Torlakson,
Governor Brown, and State Board of
Education President Micheal Kirst
– Governing state role
• Decision-making capacity
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SBAC Landscape
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
• 27 states
representing
43% of K-12
students
• 21 governing,
6 advisory
states
Using Computer Adaptive
Technology for Summative
and Interim Assessments
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Faster results
• Turnaround in weeks compared to months today
Shorter test length
• Fewer questions compared to fixed form tests
Increased precision
• Provides accurate measurements of student growth over
time
Tailored to student
ability
• Item difficulty based on student responses
Greater security
Mature technology
• Larger item banks mean that not all students receive the
same questions
• GMAT, GRE, COMPASS (ACT), Measures of Academic Progress
(MAP)
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Assessment System Components
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Summative Assessment
• Assesses the full range of Common Core in English
language arts and mathematics for students in
grades 3–8 and 11 (interim assessments can be
used in grades 9 and 10)
• Measures current student achievement and growth
across time, showing progress toward college and
career readiness
• Can be given once or twice a year (mandatory testing
window within the last 12 weeks of the instructional
year)
• Includes a variety of question types: selected
response, short constructed response, extended
constructed response, technology enhanced, and
performance tasks
54
Assessment System Components
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Interim Assessment
• Optional comprehensive and content-cluster assessment
to help identify specific needs of each student
• Can be administered throughout the year
• Provides clear examples of expected performance on
Common Core standards
• Includes a variety of question types: selected response,
short constructed response, extended constructed
response, technology enhanced, and performance tasks
• Aligned to and reported on the same scale as the
summative assessments
• Fully accessible for instruction and professional
development
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Assessment System Components
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Performance Tasks
• Extended projects demonstrate real-world writing and
analytical skills
• May include online research, group projects,
presentations
• Require 1-2 class periods to complete
• Included in both interim and summative assessments
• Applicable in all grades being assessed
• Evaluated by teachers using consistent scoring
rubrics
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Assessment System Components
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Formative Assessment Practices
• Research-based, on-demand tools and resources for
teachers
• Aligned to Common Core, focused on increasing
student learning and enabling differentiation of
instruction
• Professional development materials include model
units of instruction and publicly released assessment
items, formative strategies
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Assessment System Components
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Online Reporting
•Static and dynamic reports, secure and public views
•Individual states retain jurisdiction over access and
appearance of online reports
•Dashboard gives parents, students, practitioners, and
policymakers access to assessment information
•Graphical display of learning progression status
(interim assessment)
•Feedback and evaluation mechanism provides
surveys, open feedback, and vetting of materials
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More SBAC Information
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
For more information, visit the
CDE SBAC Web page at
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sa
/smarterbalanced.asp
Contact: Kristen Brown, PhD
SBAC State Coordinator
kbrown@cde.ca.gov
916-319-0334
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Subscribe:
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
join-commoncore@mlist.cde.ca.gov
subscribe-sbac@mlist.cde.ca.gov
Contact us:
commoncoreteam@cde.ca.gov
Nancy Brownell 916-319-0693
Barbara Murchison 916-319-0490
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