Understanding the
PA Common Core
April 2013 Update
Curriculum Department
Shaler Area School District
Agenda
• Background on Common Core Standards
– PA Common Core Standards
• Webb’s Depth of Knowledge
• English Language Arts
– Sample Writing Activity
• Mathematics Standards
– Sample Mathematics Activity
• PACC Transition Plan
– Shaler Area SD Transition Plan
Background Information
• In 2009 the National Governor’s Association and the
Council of Chief State School Officers began developing a
set of national standards for English Language Arts and
Mathematics.
• A total of 45 states and the District of Columbia four
territories, and the Department of Defense Education
Activity have adopted the standards.
• States are allowed to add 15% more content to the national
standards.
• PA adopted the CC standards in 2010 and opted to craft a
set of standards now know as the PA common core
standards which included the additional 15%.
Module 1
English Language Arts
Writing
Speaking and Listening
Depth and Rigor
The new PA Common Core Standards (PACC)
emphasize depth and rigor using Webb’s Depth
of Knowledge (DOK) Levels.
1. Recall- Requires simple recall of such
information as a fact, definition, term, or simple
procedure.
2. Skill/Concept- Involves some mental skills,
concepts, or processing beyond a habitual
response; students must make some decisions
about how to approach a problem or activity.
Keywords distinguishing a Level 2 item include
classify, organize, estimate, collect data, and
compare data.
3. Strategic Thinking- Requires reasoning
planning, using evidence, and thinking at a
higher level.
4. Extended Thinking- Requires complex
reasoning, planning, developing, and thinking,
most likely over an extended time. Cognitive
demands are high, and students are required to
make connections both within and among
subject domains.
Overarching Themes
• Common Core supports a high degree of rigor and student
collaboration.
• An emphasis on non-fiction occurs throughout the grades as
well as increasing the amount of student reading.
• Technology is embedded and emphasizes the use of digital
resources.
• Speaking and Listening standards are much more specific.
• Writing on a daily basis for a variety of purposes is
encouraged.
• Text complexity is a prominent addition with exemplar texts.
– Specificity and scaffolding of standards providing vertical articulation
to support text complexity.
• Text connections are emphasized throughout grade levels.
Reading Informational Text
• Students read, understand, and respond to informational text with an
emphasis on comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and making
connections among ideas and between texts with a focus on textual
evidence. Increased emphasis in non-fiction reading.
• When students graduate and go to college and beyond, most reading is
non-fiction.
• Students must be prepared to read and analyze non-fiction works
throughout grades K-12. Science, Social Studies and other subject areas
must assist in this increased reading and analysis of non-fiction. We
must consistently utilize Science and Social Studies textbooks.
• By high school, students should be reading up to 75% non-fiction.
Anchor Standards for Reading
•
•
•
•
•
Key Ideas and Details
Craft and Structure
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Vocabulary Integration and Use
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
Foundational Skills K-5
•
•
•
•
•
Book Handling
Print Concepts
Phonological Awareness
Phonics and Work Recognition
Fluency
• Thinking is KEY!
Range of Reading and
Level of Text Complexity
• Read and comprehend complex literary and
informational texts independently and
proficiently.
• “…students must read deeply and widely from a
broad range of high quality, increasingly
challenging literary and informational texts.”
• “…when the curriculum is intentionally and
coherently structured to develop rich content
knowledge within and across grades.”
Writing
• Students write for different purposes and audiences. Students
write clear and focused text to convey a well defined
perspective and appropriate content.
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
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Informative/Explanatory
Opinion/Argumentative
Narrative
Response to Literature
Production and Distribution of Writing
Technology and Publication
Conducting Research
Credibility, Reliability, and Validity of Sources
Range of Writing
Source: http://static.pdesas.org/content/documents/PA_CC_Standards_PreK-5_ELA.pdf
Writing
• A shift away from narrative writing and focus more on
evidence based writing.
• Students must argue based on evidence and reliable
sources.
• Use evidence from informational texts when writing.
• Use grade appropriate grammar, spelling, punctuation,
etc.
Sample Writing Activity
• Owl Moon – Grade 2
• Find a partner who selected the same Student
Sample. Using the PA Common Core Grade
Level Standards associated with your Student
Sample and referencing your Student Sample,
list three or more Standards in Column 1 and
cite the evidence from the student sample.
Research begins in Kindergarten
• K – Participate in shared research and writing projects.
• 4th – Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through
investigation of different aspects of a topic.
• 7th – Conduct short research projects to answer a question,
drawing on several sources and generating additional related,
focused question for future research.
• 11th/12th – Conduct short as well as more sustained research
projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question)
or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when
appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject,
demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
Speaking and Listening
• Students present appropriately in formal speaking
situations, listen critically, and respond intelligently
as individuals or in group discussions.
– Comprehension and Collaboration
– Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
– Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
– Conventions of Standard English
Source: http://static.pdesas.org/content/documents/PA_CC_Standards_PreK-5_ELA.pdf
PACC
Transition Guides
• Transition Guides are
available for:
-Math (Grades K-8)
-ELA (Grades K-8)
• Highlights standards
and concepts that
require continued
emphasis and specific
PA Common Core
Standard to emphasis
for skills.
• Available at pdesas.org
GRADE 4 PA COMMON CORE STANDARDS TRANSITION GUIDE *
CONTINUED EMPHASIS
Comprehension Skills
(Fiction and Non-Fiction)
Vocabulary Development
Word Recognition Skills
Decoding Skills
Fluency
Types of Writing
Quality of Writing
Research
Speaking and Listening
Conventions of Standard
English
Technology Literacy
SPECIFIC PA COMMON CORE EMPHASIS
 Increasing reading of non-fiction texts (goal of 50% @ end of Grade 4)
(Introduction to ELA: Key Design Considerations)
 Reading mythology, traditional literature, and multicultural texts (CC.4.R.I.4)
(CC.1.3.4.H, CC.1.3.4.K)
 Comparing point of view across texts (CC.1.2.4.D) (CC.1.3.4.D)
 Assessing how illustrations/multi-media contribute to text
presentation (CC.1.2.4.G)
 Providing explicit support when drawing inferences (CC.1.2.4.B)
(CC.1.2.4.C)
 Citing reasons and evidence used by the author (CC.1.2.4.H) (CC1.3.4.B)
 Integrating information on a single topic from two texts (CC.1.2.4.I)
(CC.1.5.4.C)
 Using multiple strategies to determine meaning of unknown words (context
clues) (CC.1.1.4.E) (CC.1.2.4.K) (CC.1.3.4.I)
 Developing vocabulary through the use of dictionaries and
thesaurus (CC.1.2.4.K) (CC.1.3.4.I)
 Incorporating the use of figurative language, word relationships, and
nuances to determine word meaning (CC.1.2.4.F, CC.1.3.4.F)
 Using combined knowledge of all letter/sound correspondence, syllabication
patterns, and morphology (CC.1.1.4.D)
 Connecting fluency explicitly to comprehension (CC.1.1.4.E)
 Instructing fluency for accuracy, expression, and rate (CC.1.1.4.E)
 Providing writing activities that that require a response to reading
(CC.1.4.4.A)
 Providing writing activities that require varied time frames for completion
(CC.1.4.4.X)
 Undertaking research projects that build upon comparisons made in text(s)
(CC.1.4.4.V)
 Analyzing and reflecting upon text sources and citing evidence in research
(CC.1.4.4.W)
 Participating in frequent collaborative discussions with diverse partners
(CC.1.5.4.A)
 Posing specific questions that contribute to or enhance group discussions
(CC.1.5.4.A)
 Providing opportunities for structured oral response (e.g., paraphrase, retell,
recount) (CC.1.1.4.E)
 Applying conventions of language to speaking and listening (CC.1.5.4.G)
 Foundational grammar should be taught in the context of reading,
writing, and speaking (CC.1.4.4.F) (CC.1.4.4.L) (CC.1.4.4.R)
(CC.1.5.4.G)
 Using relative pronouns, progressive verb tenses, modal auxiliary, order of
adjectives, prepositional phrases, homonyms, and complete sentences
(CC.1.4.4.F, CC.1.4.4.L, CC.1.4.4.R) (CC.1.5.4.A)
 Using keyboarding skills to produce a 1-page piece of writing in a single
sitting (CC.1.4.4.U)
Module 2
Mathematics
Mathematics
Standards for Mathematical Practice
• Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
• Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
• Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of
others.
• Model with mathematics.
• Use appropriate tools strategically.
• Attend to precision.
• Look for and make use of structure.
• Look for and make sense of regularity in repeated reasoning.
Mathematics
PACC standards for Mathematics will focus on
four main areas:
1. Numbers and Operations
2. Algebraic Concepts
3. Geometry
4. Data Analysis and Probability
Mathematics Shifts
• Focus: Focus strongly where the standards focus.
• Coherence: Think across grades, and link to major
topics
• Rigor: In major topics, pursue conceptual
understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and
application
Source: www.achievethecore.org
Shift #1: Focus Strongly where the
Standards Focus
•
Significantly narrow the scope of content and
deepen how time and energy is spent in the math
classroom.
•
Focus deeply on what is emphasized in the
standards, so that students gain strong
foundations.
Source: www.achievethecore.org
Key Areas of Focus in Mathematics
Grade
K–2
3–5
Focus Areas in Support of Rich Instruction and Expectations
of Fluency and Conceptual Understanding
Addition and subtraction - concepts, skills, and problem
solving and place value
Multiplication and division of whole numbers and fractions –
concepts, skills, and problem solving
6
Ratios and proportional reasoning; early expressions and
equations
7
Ratios and proportional reasoning; arithmetic of rational
numbers
8
Linear algebra
Source: www.achievethecore.org
Shift #2: Coherence: Think Across Grades, and
Link to Major Topics Within Grades
•
Carefully connect the learning within and across
grades so that students can build new
understanding on foundations built in previous
years.
•
Begin to count on solid conceptual understanding
of core content and build on it. Each standard is not
a new event, but an extension of previous learning.
Source: www.achievethecore.org
Shift #3:Rigor
•
•
The PACC require a balance of:
•
Solid conceptual understanding
•
Procedural skill and fluency
•
Application of skills in problem solving situations
Pursuit of all threes requires equal intensity in time,
activities, and resources.
Source: www.achievethecore.org
Solid Conceptual Understanding
•
Teach more than “how to get the answer” and
instead support students’ ability to access concepts
from a number of perspectives
•
Students are able to see math as more than a set of
mnemonics or discrete procedures
•
Conceptual understanding supports the other
aspects of rigor (fluency and application)
Source: www.achievethecore.org
Application
•
Students can use appropriate concepts and procedures for
application even when not prompted to do so.
•
Teachers provide opportunities at all grade levels for students
to apply math concepts in “real world” situations, recognizing
this means different things in K-5, 6-8, and high school.
•
Teachers in content areas outside of math, particularly
science, ensure that students are using grade-levelappropriate math to make meaning of and access science
content.
Source: www.achievethecore.org
Fluency
•
The standards require speed and accuracy in
calculation.
•
Teachers structure class time and/or homework time
for students to practice core functions such as singledigit multiplication so that they are more able to
understand and manipulate more complex concepts.
Source: www.achievethecore.org
It’s tough stuff!
Grade 4 Sample
A teacher asked her students to use estimation to decide if the sum of
the problem below is closer to 4,000 or 5,000.
496 + 1,404 + 2,605 + 489 =
One student replied that she thinks the sum is closer to 4,000. She
used the estimation shown below to support her reasoning.
Is the student’s reasoning correct? Use numbers and words to explain
why or why not. If the student’s reasoning is not correct, explain how
she should have estimated.
PACC Timeline
• Spring 2013 – Professional Development on PACC
• Fall 2013 – Introduction of PACC Aligned
Curriculum in ELA and Mathematics
• Spring 2015- PSSA’s aligned to PA Common Core
given in grades 3-8.
– Introduction of a combined Reading and Writing
Assessment known as “ELA PSSA”
– Pilot Assessment was given in Grades 3-5 this Winter.