Michael Rush
Debra Synatschk
June 25, 2011
A Process for Transitioning to
the Common Core State Standards
Decision Making Process
Attained
Curriculum
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Developing a collective understanding of who teaches
what and when
Constructing a progression of skills
Vocabulary is key
Collaboration among teachers
Aligning assessments to skills
Repository for multiple resources
Provides a guide for all teachers
Demonstrates fidelity of implementation
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Diary
Consensus
Master
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Who creates these maps?
What is their purpose?
Advantages/Disadvantages?
What is their intrinsic value for your teachers?
How do you use them?
What do you look for when you are using the maps?
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Constitute the “critical elements” of the curriculum
within and across grade levels
Are concept-based
Focus on the Securely Held Content (mathematics) and
the Core Capacities (ELA) students must truly
understand
Are developed vertically in
order to ensure consistency
and alignment
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Reflect on what is “essential” in the operational
curriculum
 Identify the content and skills that are critical for students to
know and be able to do
 Understand the “whys” for what we teach
 Match “whys” to the critical elements of the curriculum
Curriculum maps, if available, should be used to facilitate the
reflection process
Discuss and Prioritize
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What are the concepts that are driving instruction?
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What is common?
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What is not essential?
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How these concepts will be integrated
into the curriculum - with consistency?
Build a strong verbal and written vocabulary across
disciplines
Grade 4 Informational Text
Determine the meaning of general academic and
domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a
grade 4 topic or subject area.
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 Where does essential content and skills reside in the
standard?
 What are the learning targets?
 What is the level of thinking/rigor as students move
from grade to grade?
 How aligned is our vocabulary to the standards?
 How do we determine the appropriate rigor for
standards that cross multiple grades?
Grade 2: Determine the meaning of words and phrases
in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject
area.
Grade 3: Determine the meaning of general academic
and domain-specific words and phrases in a
text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.
Grade 4: Determine the meaning of general academic
and domain-specific words or phrases in a text
relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
Kindergarten:
Grade 1:
Grade 2:
Grade 3:
Fluently add and subtract within 5.
Demonstrate fluency for addition and
subtraction within 10.
Fluently add and subtract within 20 using
mental strategies. By end of Grade 2, know
from memory all sums of two one-digit
numbers.
Fluently add and subtract within 1000 using
strategies and algorithms based on place value,
properties of operations, and/or the
relationship between addition and subtraction.
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on the agreed upon Essential Elements:
 Establish the content and skills
 Identify the learning progression within and
across grade levels
 Stop occasionally for vertical review
 Develop a set of units that incorporate a
identified skills
 Units should be one to two weeks in length
 Sequence the units over the year
 As the units are developed, stop occasionally
for vertical review
 Compare prioritized lists of Essential Elements
among disciplines to identify commonalities
 Identify the common elements that cross
disciplines
 Establish an overall sequence for building
Essential Maps
Mathematics
Science
NUMBER SENSE & COMPUTATION LIFE SCIENCE
Whole Number
Animal Life Cycles
1. Count whole numbers up to
1. Identify the stages in an
20
animal's life cycle such as frog,
butterfly, bird, and mammal using
2. Identify whole numbers up to 20
appropriate scientific vocabulary.
1.1.1
2.
3.
Write whole numbers up to
20 1.1.1
4.
Compare whole numbers up to
20 1.1.5
3.
Build new mathematical
knowledge through problem
solving
4.
5.
6.
Use math terms and vocabulary:
greater than, less than, and equal
to
7.
Use a number line or hundred
chart to show one more and one
less
Social Studies
Civics and Government
2.2.1 - Explain that the United States
government is founded on the belief
of equal rights for its citizens. (Use
specific words and phrases from the
text)
2.2.2 - Explain why it is important for
a community to have responsible
Describe the sequence of the life government.
cycle: birth, growth, reproduction 2.2.7 - Explain the consequences of
and death.
violating laws, including punishment
Describe body structures at each of those who do wrong, and the
importance of resolving conflicts
stage of the life cycle.
appropriately.
Compare and contrast the body 2.2.4 - Describe how people of
structure through the life cycle.
different ages, cultural backgrounds
and traditions contribute to the
community and how all citizens can
respect these differences.
Use appropriate vocabulary to do the
following:
- Analyze the need for
government (2.2.1)
- Classify Government Roles
(2.2.2)
- Differentiate between right and
wrong choices (2.2.7)
- Examine jobs of community
Leaders (2.2.3)
- Analyze contributions of
different cultures to society (2.2.4)
 How
do we assess this?
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what ways do we know that our students are moving
toward the “essential” elements?
 Are
we assessing just the content and skills or are we
assessing their understanding?
 What
makes the assessments authentic?