Demystifying the Core
Common Core Development
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The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Initiative is a state
led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association
Center for Best Practices (NGS Center) and the Council of Chief
State School Officers (CCSSO).
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The standards were developed in collaboration with teachers,
school administrators and content experts in English language
Arts/Literacy and mathematics to provide a clear and consistent
framework to prepare our children for the rigors of college and
the workforce.
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Forty-eight states and territories have adopted the Common Core
State Standards. Pennsylvania is one of them.
Rationale
To be effective in improving education and
getting all students ready for college,
workforce training, and life, the Standards
must be partnered with a content-rich
curriculum and robust assessments, both
aligned to the Standards.
Video:
http://vimeo.com/51933492
Big Ideas of the Common Core Standards
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Develop independent critical thinking skills
Increase in rigor across all grades
Focus on literacy across Science, Social Studies, and technical
subjects
Focus on argumentative writing
Focus on informational text
Supports effective teaching and new teacher evaluation systems
Conceptual understanding and procedural skills interrelated and
woven together for deep understanding
Focus on key ideas, understandings, and skills as well as a
deep learning of concepts is emphasized
Learning through the lens of the 8 Standards of Mathematical
Properties
Apply concepts and skills to new situations
PA Core vs. Common Core
PA Core and Common Core State
Standards are very similar
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Most standards are exactly the same
A few standards have different wording
PA added a few standards
PA removed a few standards
The order of the standards is slightly different
Literacy Standards
What are the PA Common Core State
Five StandardStandards?
Categories for Literacy
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Foundational Skills (PreK-5) are designed as a comprehensive
early reading program to develop proficient readers.
Reading Informational Text enables students to read, understand,
and respond to informational text.
Reading Literature enables students to read, understand, and
respond to works of literature.
Writing develops the skills of informational, argumentative, and
narrative writing as well as the ability to engage in evidence-based
analysis of text and research.
Speaking and Listening focuses students on communication skills
that enable critical listening and effective presentation of ideas.
Foundational
Skills
(K-5)
Media And
Technology
Reading
Literature
Language
Speaking
and
Listening
Common
Core State
Standards
Reading
Informational
Writing
Characteristics of the English Language
Arts PA Core
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A high degree of rigor and student
collaboration
An emphasis on reading; especially nonfiction
Embedded technology
Specific speaking and listening skills
Daily academic writing
Text complexity
Text connections
What is unique about the CCSS for literacy?
Four Major Shifts in Literacy
Standards increase in complexity from
K-12 and articulate what students
need to know at each grade level
ICS ELA
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In reading class, students will read text closely,
make logical inferences and cite evidence from the
text. They will analyze the structure of text, evaluate
arguments and interpret words and phrases to gain
a deep understanding of the text.
Students are being exposed to a mixed of grade
level text and leveled text.
Use of Reading Wonders Curriculum in 3rd and 4th
grade.
Incorporation of Achieve3000 in grades 3rd – 8th
grade.
Alignment of 5th – 8th grade curriculum to PA Core
Meeting Literacy Shift 1
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Achieve3000
Time for Kids
Reading Wonders
Revising M.S. curriculum to add
informational text from various
sources
Teachers College Reading
Writing Project
Meeting Literacy Shift 2
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New Science Curriculums
Connected Math for MPS
Alignment and Integration of
Historical Fiction
Revised curriculum to add
informational text from various
sources such as web, public
domain, newspaper, etc.
Meeting Literacy Shift 3
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Achieve3000
Reading Wonders Curriculum
Alignment of Reading Core
Books
Meeting Literacy Shift 4
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Revise curriculum to address
argumentative writing (6-8)
Revise curriculum to address
opinion writing (K-5)
Math Standards
What are the PA Common Core State Standards?
Four Standard Categories for Math
1.
Numbers and Operations relate to making sense of numbers and place
value, understanding ratio concepts, developing and analyzing proportional
relationships, and applying properties of rational and irrational to solve real
world problems.
2.
Algebraic Concepts relate to representing and extending problems to find
solutions, detecting patterns, generating rules and relationships, writing
equations and defining, evaluating, comparing, and interpreting functions.
3.
Geometry develops the ability to identify, describe, compare, create, and
compose shapes, apply concepts of transformation, symmetry, translation, and
partitioning , and develop theorems and formulas for proofs.
4.
Data Analysis and Probability develops the ability to describe and
compare measurable attributes of objects, tell and write times, represent and
interpret data and probability models, and apply statistical properties to justify
conclusions based on surveys, experiments, and observational studies.
Characteristics of the Math
PA Core
The PA Common Core Standards for
Math have a dual focus--what the
children need to know and do, and to
what extent they can do it. There is a shift
away from procedures, to children
learning to apply their knowledge in
meaningful and multiple ways. These
standards are focused, coherent and
rigorous. Students need to know and do
math more deeply and robustly. The PA
Common Core Math Standards also
include a set of eight (8) Standards of
Practice that will guide teaching and
learning.
They are:
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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 express regularity in
repeated reasoning
What is unique about the CCSS for Mathematics?
Three Major Shifts in Math
Greater
FOCUS on
fewer topics
Coherence:
Linking topics
and thinking
Clarity and
Specificity
What is unique about CCSS specific for
Mathematics?
Coherence
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Articulated progressions of topics and performances that are
developmental and connected to learning trajectories
Conceptual understanding and procedural skills interrelated and woven
together for deep understanding
Focus
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Key ideas, understandings, and skills are identified
Deep learning of concepts is emphasized
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Deeper understanding of fewer topics
Clarity
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That is, time is spent on a topic and on learning as well. This
counters the “mile wide, inch deep” criticism leveled at most
current US standards.
and Specificity
Skills and Concepts are learned through the lens of the 8 Standards of
Mathematical Practice
Being able to apply concepts and skills to new situations is expected
Meeting Mathematics Shift 1
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Greater FOCUS
on fewer topics
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Curriculum shift to Investigation
(K-5)
Curriculum Connect Math 3 (68)
Hiring Math Specialist
iXL.com (K-8)
Revised Curriculum
Weekly team Math Meetings
Meeting Mathematics Shift 2
Coherence:
Linking topics
and thinking
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Curriculum shift to Investigation
(K-5)
Curriculum Connect Math 3 (68)
Hiring Math Specialist
iXL.com (K-8)
Revised Curriculum
Weekly team Math Meetings
Meeting Mathematics Shift 3
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Clarity and
Specificity
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Curriculum shift to Investigation
(K-5)
Curriculum Connect Math 3 (68)
Hiring Math Coach
iXL.com (K-8)
Revised Curriculum
Weekly team Math Meetings
Common Assessments
CCSS Consortiums
Smarter Balance Assessment Consortium (SBAC)
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23 Member States
http://www.smarterbalanced.org
Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College
and Careers (PARCC)
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25 Member States
www.parcconline.org
Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE)
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Member of both Consortiums
Characteristics of the Social Studies PA
Core Standards:
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Based on the new PA Common Core Standards in Social Studies, a link
will be created between Reading and Social Studies, and Writing and
Social Studies. The purpose is to develop students' knowledge about
the world through the use of informational text. Students will be asked
to use and interpret text evidence, construct meaning from the text, and
support their reasoning with evidence from the text.
Additionally, in Social Studies students will write. They will write from
sources, write arguments focused on content, and write
informative/explanatory pieces. Most importantly, they will read for
information, make assertions, and use evidence from the text to support
their assertions.
Characteristics of the Science PA
Common Core Standards:
The PA Common Core Standards also
generate an important link between Science
and Reading, and Science and Writing.
Elementary students will engage in focused
reading related to science content. They will
study text components such as headings,
figures, bold words and morphology. The text
will get more complex through the grades.
They will participate in purposeful reading.
Additional Parent Resources
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Council of the Great City Schools
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National PTA
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Parent Roadmaps to Common Core
http://www.cgcs.org/domain/36
Common Core Parent Guidelines_By Grade
http://www.pta.org/parents/content.cfm?ItemNumber=2583
Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE)
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Eligible Content Review
http://paacademicreview.org
PSSA
Dates
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ELA (Grades 3-8)
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MATH (Grades 3-8)
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4 days: Tuesday, April 14th – Friday 17th
3 days: Tuesday, April 21st – 23rd
SCIENCE (Grades 4 & 8)
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2 days: Tuesday, April 28th & Thursday, April 30th
What’s New
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Administration Dates (Format)
No Writing
ELA (No Reading)
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Text Dependent Analysis (4-8)
Writing Prompt (3-8)
MC Language (3-8)
Evidence Based Selected Response
Math
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Change in Open Ended Structure
Sample ELA
MATH Sample
Parent Resources for PSSA
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Pennsylvania Department of Education
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http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/com
munity/state_assessment_system/20965/pennsylv
ania_system_of_school_assessment_%28pssa%
29/1190526
PDE-Standards Aligned System
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http://www.pdesas.org/module/assessment/pages/
referencematerials/