A Publication of the
Madison Public
Schools Office of
Curriculum and
Instruction
February 2014
A Walk in the PARCC aims to provide all those with an interest in the Madison Public
Schools with the latest information about the
Common Core State
Standards and PARCC assessments.
Masthead Design:
Dani Bratton
Madison High School Teacher
The first PARCC field tests are coming to Madison Public Schools in March. Two Madison High
School English classes will take the English Language Arts 9 assessment on March 24, 25, and
26. Two Central Avenue School classes will begin taking the Mathematics 4 assessment on
March 31.
Additional field testing will take place at Central Avenue School (April 1-4), Kings Road School
(May 19-20), Madison Junior School (April 7-11 and May 14-15), and Madison High School
(May 6, 16).
Four Madison schools were randomly selected by the New Jersey Department of Education to participate in the field test. Within those schools, we were required to use a random selection process to determine which classes would participate in the field test. Letters are being sent home to parents of students in classes selected for the field test with more information.
In preparation to meet the Common Core State Standards and the demands of the upcoming
PARCC assessments, our K-2 teachers have begun implementing Math in Focus, a comprehensive math program aligned to the standards, this school year. They have been engaged in professional development opportunities throughout the year. Most recently, the teachers observed model lessons in the classroom engaged in a workshop focused on number sense at East-West Math with Dr. Makoto Yoshida.
Dr. Yoshida leads 2 nd
Grade Workshop at 1 st
Grade Math in Focus model lesson
East-West Math on subtraction with regrouping
Photos and article provided by Kathryn Lemerich, Supervisor of Mathematics and Business
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With a group of lead teachers, the math scope and sequence for each grade level was adjusted based on the results of a Common Core gap analysis. Standards that needed to be further addressed and/or needed supplemental work were identified. From this, lessons and/or units from Math in Focus were selected and are being piloted this year in our classrooms. Most recently, our teachers of each grade from grades 3-5 attended their first full day of a Math in Focus Instructional Strategies workshop and will be attending half-day professional development workshops on number sense and bar modeling in the months of
February and March.
During a grade group meeting, teachers of grades 3-5 collaboratively reviewed the released sample PARCC items and task prototypes to become more familiar with the rigor and depth of understanding that is being required on these future assessments.
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Grade teachers working through a rich 3 rd
Grade students are working with mathematics problem at the Math in Focus bar models
Instructional Strategies Workshop
Photos and article provided by Kathryn Lemerich, Supervisor of Mathematics and Business
Teachers of grades 6-12 mathematics have been reviewing sample PARCC items and task prototypes, as well as the recently released sample items on the technology platform that students will use when taking the field test later this spring for mathematics in Grades 4 and
7. By working through and discussing these sample items and tasks, teachers are familiarizing themselves with the design of both the Performance Based Assessment and End of Year
Assessment. Teachers have begun to think about how these assessment questions can directly tie into their instruction and assessment, as well as how to adjust current assessment questions to meet the rigor and depth of those seen in the PARCC sample items and tasks. We encourage students and parents to engage with the different types of items (drag-and-drop,
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multiple select, etc.) and computer based tools (calculator, highlighter, etc.) that will be available, regardless of whether or not the students will be involved in the field test. These sample items are web-based, available 24/7, require no log in or password, and can be accessed here: http://practice.parcc.testnav.com/#.
Photos and article provided by Kathryn
Lemerich, Supervisor of Mathematics and
Business
PARCC sample items now online.
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Grade students model the Distributive
Property with Algebra Tiles
This summer the K-5 Language Arts Literacy curriculum was revised to align to the Common
Core State Standards for English Language Arts. These standards set the stage for what PARCC will ultimately be assessing moving forward. Pacing calendars were added to all reading units and new common core Teachers College Writing rubrics and learning progressions are being utilized.
K-5 classroom and special education teachers have begun their second year of Common Core
State Standards English Language Arts professional development. These sessions focus on instructional shifts related to the Common Core, as well as strategies to help prepare students for the PARCC assessments. These professional development workshops involve model lessons for teachers to see first-hand what Common Core lessons look like in classrooms. After each model lesson the presenter meets with the teachers to reflect on the lesson and answer any questions.
On December 16, grades 3-5 teachers participated in an elementary grade group meeting that focused on reviewing released PARCC samples, as well as previewing interactive questions.
This provided time for grade-level colleagues to collaborate across buildings to analyze the samples and discuss how to best prepare students for these types of assessments.
Article provided by Janine Loconsolo, Supervisor of Elementary Education
New curricula will be prepared throughout the summer months
The Madison High School English Language Arts and Mathematics programs are currently in the process of undergoing a curriculum review as part of a district-wide five year program evaluation. Each of these two reviews will be led by the content supervisors, Mark DeBiasse,
Supervisor of Humanities, and Kathryn Lemerich, Supervisor of Mathematics, as well as the
Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Matthew Mingle.
The reviews each involve a committee comprised of administrators, high school teachers from the content areas, special education teachers, as well as representatives from the junior school programs. The 9-12 English Language Arts Program Evaluation and 9-12 Mathematics
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Sarah Tantillo
Program Evaluation committees are evaluating the existing programs using research, the
Common Core State Standards, comparable schools data, and a survey of teachers, students and parents to guide their work.
The committees are making recommendations for programmatic changes that more fully embrace the expectations and rigor of the Common Core State Standards and future PARCC assessment program. The program evaluations will conclude in the spring of 2014 and new curricula will be prepared throughout the summer months.
Article provided by Kathryn Lemerich, Supervisor of Mathematics and Business
Teachers at Madison Junior School have been working collaboratively throughout the 2013-14 school year to prepare students to meet the challenging demands of the Common Core State
Standards and coming PARCC assessments.
Language Arts teachers are spearheading a drive to incorporate the development of open-ended response strategies into all subject areas, leading workshops during faculty and team meetings, sharing resources, and coaching staff members to better align scoring techniques. With the adoption of the “RACER” method (Rephrase,
Answer, Cite, Extend, Restate) now school-wide, teachers of science, physical education, history and world languages report an improved ability to assess student mastery in their subject areas as well as higher quality writing—more focused and detailed—across the board. The development of uniform writing standards for open-ended prompts is expected to pay enormous dividends as the district transitions to PARCC next year.
In addition, district administrators have planned targeted professional development workshops in support of these objectives. For example, the district was able to secure the services of Sarah Tantillo, a nationally recognized leader in literacy instruction, to deliver three workshops throughout the fall and winter of 2013-14. The first session, "Comprehension 101 and Paraphrasing" unpacked the fundamental thinking processes that help students construct meaning from text, described four key reading skills that all students must master, and provided a systematic approach to paraphrasing that can be used with all variety of textbased resources. Sessions two and three, entitled “Close Reading, Parts I and II," explored a variety of strategies related to the analysis of challenging texts, particularly the ability to ask questions and draw inferences that research shows can aid the comprehension process.
These efforts are part of a “Tested Area Support Initiative (TASI),” conceived by MJS Principal
Nicole Sherrin and Supervisor of Humanities Mark DeBiasse, to ensure that all teachers are prepared to actively support language arts standards that will be assessed by PARCC in the
2014-15 school year.
Graphic and article provided by Mark DeBiasse, Supervisor of Humanities
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Standards define the knowledge and skills students should acquire within their
K-12 education careers
Office of Curriculum and
Instruction
On February 5, 2014, the New Jersey State Board of Education adopted a resolution reaffirming the state’s commitment to the standards.
“WHEREAS, the New Jersey State Board of Education adopted rigorous Common Core State
Standards on June 19, 2010, and adopted rigorous Core Curriculum Content Standards and associated cumulative progress indicators in January 2008, which established the basis for local curricula and instruction for all students, the Statewide assessment system, and the evaluation of district boards of education; and
“WHEREAS, the New Jersey State Board of Education is empowered, pursuant to P. L. 1990, c.
52, P. L. 1991, c. 3 and P. L. 1991, c. 62., with the authority to establish the State's educational goals and standards; and
“WHEREAS, along with the adoption of the standards, the New Jersey State Board of
Education directed school districts to align their curricula for all students with the K-12 standards in mathematics, language arts literacy, social studies, science, visual and performing arts, health and physical education, world languages, technology, and 21 st
century life and careers; and
“WHEREAS, the standards and accompanying indicators serve as the basis for State or local assessments deemed appropriate by the State Board and the Department of Education; and
“WHEREAS, the standards define the knowledge and skills students should acquire within their K-12 education careers to graduate high school with the ability to succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing academic college courses and in workforce training programs; and
“WHEREAS, the Common Core State Standards are deemed to be internationally benchmarked high standards that provide students with a clear year-to-year progression to ensure New Jersey students graduate high school ready for college and career and endowed with the critical thinking skills required of all graduates in the 21st century; and
“WHEREAS, district boards of education shall fully comply with this directive and shall implement all State standards, align their curricula to the standards, and ensure all students learn and are assessed as required by federal law, according to the standards, including
Common Core aligned assessments; and, therefore, be it
“RESOLVED, the New Jersey State Board of Education hereby reaffirms its commitment to the implementation of the adopted Core Curriculum Content Standards, including the Common
Core State Standards; and be it further
“RESOLVED, that the New Jersey State Board of Education reminds district boards of education of their obligation to implement all Core Curriculum Content Standards, including the Common Core State Standards, and to ensure students meet the expectations and proficiency standards as measured by current and future State and local assessments.”
Madison Public Schools
359 Woodland Road
Madison. NJ 07940 www.madisonpublicschools.org
@MadisonNJPS
Matthew A. Mingle, Director
“A Walk in the PARCC” is designed to keep the entire Madison learning community informed as we transition to new educational standards and assessments. Please take a moment to complete a brief survey to guide the development of future newsletters.
The survey can be accessed at http://tinyurl.com/AWalkInTheParcc .
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