common core and
partnering with K12
Jon Drinnon  Micah Jendian  Sonia Ortiz-Mercado
ASCCC Spring 2012 Plenary Session
Better Together: Equity, Access, and Success
April 19, 2012  Burlingame, CA
P LENARY S ESSION FACILITATORS
increasing college readiness:
a collaborative effort
Jon Drinnon
 English Instructor /
Co-Chair: English,
Humanities, ESL, and
Languages, Merritt
College
 ASCCC Chair, Standards
and Practices
Committee
 ASCCC Area B
Representative
 ERWC Advisory
Committee Member,
ASCCC Liaison
 jdrinnon@peralta.edu
Micah Jendian
 Associate Professor of
English, Grossmont
College
 ERWC Advisory
Committee Member,
English Council of
California’s Two Year
Colleges (ECCTYC)
Liaison
 micah.jendian@
gccccd.edu
Sonia Ortiz-Mercado
 Dean, Student Services
and Special Programs
Division, Chancellor’s
Office of the California
Community Colleges,
Matriculation and Early
Assessment
 sortiz@CCCCO.edu
AIM
to generate support for and inspire efforts
to increase college readiness and success
in this session, we will . . .
provide a context for the session
 enumerate
the reality of the college readiness gap
 highlight the significance of efforts to increase college readiness
 illuminate two prominent efforts to increase college readiness
 the
recently adopted K-12 California Common Core State Standards
 the various components of CCC-CSU Early Assessment Program (EAP)
outline opportunities for your engagement
 note similar CCC reform efforts
 provide a forum for discussion
 The recently adopted
California Common
Core Standards
 The Early Assessment
Program
o the augmented cst/eap
o the erwc
some existing
efforts to
increase
college
readiness
?

What are these efforts?

What are the implications on the
California Community Colleges?
 How Can We Maximize Their Positive
Impact on the California Community
College?
The Broken Educational Pipeline
• Nationally, over 30% of high school freshman drop out
before earning their high school diploma
• Of the 70% of high school students who do earn high
school diplomas, only 32% graduate prepared to go to
college
• The graduation rates of Latino and African-American
students are 52% and 51% respectively.
• Of those that graduate, the college readiness rates of
Latino students is only 16% and only 20% for AfricanAmerican students.
Impact of Poor College Preparation
• Nationally, 30%-60% of college freshmen
require remedial education.
• Roughly 50% of CSU students need English
remediation.
• In the CA Community College system, remediation rates
range between 70-90%
• $3.7 billion per year = cost estimate of poor HS
preparation and need for college remediation (Alliance for
Excellent Education, 2006).
Student 2011 English EAP Outcomes
•
86% of CA’s 11th grade HS students took the English EAP.
(382,917 out of 446,861 students)
•
23% demonstrated readiness for college
•
77% did not demonstrate readiness for college
100%
88%
90%
88%
77%
80%
70%
60%
Ready for College
50%
40%
30%
23%
20%
12%
12%
10%
0%
All 11th Grade
Students Who Took
the EAP
African-American
Students
Latino Students
Not Yet Demonstrating
Readiness
Student 2011 Math EAP Outcomes
•
•
Only those 11th grade students who have completed or are enrolled in
Algebra II qualify to take the EAP math test, fewer students take this
assessment.
190,917 of 239,913 students took the math EAP:
•
•
•
15% were determined as college ready
43% were identified as conditional
42% not yet college-ready.
70%
62%
60%
50%
43%
40%
33%
38%
56%
42%
30%
20%
10%
All 11th Grade Students
Who Took the EAP
African-American
Students
15%
5% 7%
Latino Students
0%
Ready for
College
Conditionally
Ready
Not Yet
Demonstrating
Readiness
The K-12
California Common Core State Standards
At the heart
of the
Common
Core
Standards
“To be ready for college, workforce training, and
life in a technological society, students need the
ability to gather, comprehend, evaluate,
synthesize, and report on information and ideas,
to conduct original research in order to answer
questions or solve problems.”
Common Core Standards
adopted by the CA State Board of Education 8-02-10
The Common Core State Standards
• Rigorous, research-based standards for English-language
arts and mathematics for grades K-12
• Designed to prepare students with the knowledge and
skills needed for success in college and the workforce
• August 2010: State Board of Education adopted the CCSS
• September 2010: Two assessment consortia funded
• Partnership for Assessment Readiness for College & Career
• Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortia
• May 2011: State Board of Education joins the Smarter
Balanced Assessment Consortia as a governing state
Common Core State Standards
• Define the knowledge
and skills students
need for college and
career success
• Provide clear,
consistent and
rigorous standards in
English language
arts/Literacy and
mathematics
• Developed voluntarily
and cooperatively by
states with input from
teachers and college
faculty; more than 40
states have adopted
Source: www.corestandards.org
Common Core State Standards:
An Essential Component of the College Completion
Agenda
Research has
consistently
shown that the
single most
powerful
predictor of
student success
in college is the
rigor of
academic
preparation.
Common Core standards and assessments:
• Anchor K-12 experience in real-world
expectations for success in college and
careers.
• Remove the guesswork for teachers
and schools.
• Allow schools, parents and students to
track progress.
• Identify students who need additional
assistance while still in high school.
• Reduce remediation and increase
college success
A New Vision for Assessing Readiness
Readiness Testing Today
• Each college or system
sets its own standards
and selects its own
measures.
• K-12 has no information
about the standards.
• Students don’t know
about tests and don’t
prepare for them.
• Predictive validity of tests
is unknown.
• Students who “played by
the rules” end up in
remediation.
Smarter Balanced Vision
• Assessments designed
around a known, agreedupon set of content
standards (Common
Core).
• Proficiency standards set
through an open process
with substantial higher
education involvement.
• Everyone (students,
teachers, parents, etc.)
knows the expectations.
• Students address
deficiencies in high
school.
Common Core Advances in English Language Arts
Reading
Writing
Speaking &
Listening
Progression
of text
complexity
Argument
and
explanatory
writing
Academic
discourse
Balance of
fiction and
non-fiction
text
Research and
writing from
sources
One-on-one
and small
groups in
addition to
presentation
Language
Reading &
Writing
Across
Curriculum
Vocabulary
and
conventions
Shared
responsibility
with social
sciences and
sciences
Common Core Advances in Mathematics
Focus and
coherence
Balance of
concepts and
skills
Focus on key
topics at each
grade level.
Require both
conceptual
understanding
and procedural
fluency.
Coherent
progressions
across grade
levels.
Integration of
knowledge and
skills to solve
real-world
problems.
Mathematical
practices
College and
career
readiness
Foster reasoning
and sensemaking in
mathematics.
Level is
ambitious but
achievable.
Common Core Standards Implementation:
Important Roles for Higher Education
Teacher and School Leader Preparation and Professional
Development
Clearly Articulated Expectations (Assessments, Course Requirements)
Aligned Curricula (adult, developmental, and general education)
High School Interventions (early college, dual enrollment, etc.)
New Curricular Materials
A National Consortium of States
• 27 states
representing
43% of K-12
students
• 21 governing, 6
advisory states
• Washington
state is fiscal
agent
A Balanced Assessment System
Common
Core State
Standards
specify
K-12
expectations
for college
and career
readiness
Summative
assessments
Benchmarked to
college and career
readiness
All students
leave
high school
college
and career
ready
Teachers and
schools have
information and
tools they need to
improve teaching
and learning
Teacher resources for
formative assessment
practices
to improve instruction
Interim assessments
Flexible, open, used for
actionable feedback
Summative Assessment:
Two-pronged Approach
Computer Adaptive Test
•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
•Includes a variety of question
types: selected response, short
constructed response, extended
constructed response, technology
enhanced
Performance Tasks
•Extended projects demonstrate
real-world writing and analytical
skills
•May include online research,
group projects, presentations
•Require 1 to 2 class periods to
complete
•Included in both assessments of
English language arts and
mathematics
•Applicable in all grades being
assessed
•Evaluated by teachers using
consistent scoring rubrics.
a cross-disciplinary responsibility
Emphasis in Common Core Standards for English Language Arts &
Literacy History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects in
Key Design Considerations on “Shared responsibility for
students’ literacy development”:
The standards insist that instruction in reading, writing,
speaking, listening and language be a shared responsibility
within the school. The K-5 standards include expectations for
reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language applicable to a
range of subjects, including but not limited to ELA. The grades 612 are divided into two sections, one for ELA and the other for
history/social studies, science, and technical subjects. This
division reflects the unique, time honored place of ELA teachers
in developing students’ literacy skills while at the same time
recognizing that teachers in other areas must have a role in this
development as well.
California Community College Involvement with the
K-12 California Common Core Standards & Assessments
CCC Representation on CA CCSS State Implementation Team &
Smarter Balanced Higher Education Advisory Committee
CCC Faculty, Assessment, and Technology Staff Input on Development
of New Assessments (test items, performance expectations, and specifications)
EAP Transition to New 11th Grade College Readiness Assessment in
2014-2015
12th Grade Curriculum Aligned with CCSS
Analysis of CCSS College Readiness Standards in Comparison to
ICAS Competencies
The CCC-CSU
Early Assessment Program
(EAP)
California State University
Early
Assessment
Program
(EAP)
Collaborators
California Department of
Education
California State Board
of Education
County Offices of Education
California Community
Colleges
ENGLISH
the early assessment program
Purpose of EAP
Early Warning
Identify students before their senior year who
need additional work in English and/or
Mathematics before entering college
Identify Student Readiness
Inform students, families, and high schools of
students’
readiness for college-level work in English and
Mathematics
12th Grade Interventions
Motivate students to take needed steps in 12th
grade to improve college readiness
The Early Assessment Program
Early
Indicator of
College
Readiness

Augmented
CST
Expository
Reading and
Writing
Course
For Students
(ERWC)
ERWC
3-4 day
Training
Reading
Institute for
Academic
Preparation
Faculty Professional Learning
The
Expository
Reading
and Writing
Course
(ERWC)

originally created in 2004; published in 2008

approved by the University of California and the
CSU as a year-long college-preparatory English
course in 2006

designed to improve the academic literacy of
high school seniors in preparation for college

over 6,000 California educators have participated
in professional development for the ERWC

278 schools (22.3% of the state’s 1,246
comprehensive high schools) have adopted the
ERWC as a full-year course

data linking the use of the ERWC with increased
college readiness has been derived from
evaluation studies that examined quantitative
and qualitative outcomes for schools with large
numbers of teachers participating in ERWC
professional development
The
Expository
Reading
and Writing
Course
(ERWC)

the course emphasizes the in-depth study of
expository, analytical, and argumentative reading
and writing.

the curriculum contains 14 modules divided into
two semesters

each module is structured by a central Assignment
Template composed of a sequence of integrated
reading and writing experiences that begin with
prereading activities, move into reading and
postreading activities, and continue through
informal and formal writing assignments

includes text-based grammar lessons supplement
the first semester of the course

standards-based curriculum (E/LA and Common
Core)
7 KEY PRINCIPLES OF THE ERWC
1. The integration of interactive reading
and writing;
2. A rhetorical approach to texts
that fosters critical thinking;
3. Materials that engage student
interest and provide a foundation for
principled debate and argument;
4. Classroom activities designed to
model and foster successful practices
of fluent readers and practice;
5. Research-based methodologies with a
consistent relationship between
theory and practice;
6. Built in flexibility to allow teachers
to respond to varied students’
needs and instructional contexts;
7. Aligned with English-Language Arts
Content Standards AND the recently
adopted Common Core State
Standards
Latest
Developments

i3 grant recipient (with Fresno County Office of Ed)

enhanced and revised course materials to be
rolled out in spring 2013/Fall 2014
o
The
Expository
Reading
and Writing
Course
(ERWC)
o
o
o
o
revised assignment template
transfer and engagement pd article
formative assessments
scaffolding for ELs
Correlations with Common Core State Standards and ICAS
Statements

developing modules for grades 7-11 with ERWC
emphasis and methodology

resolution passed in CCC Academic Senate and
article to be published in Senate Rostrum
encouraging increased awareness of ERWC and
promotion of ERWC adoption in feeder high
schools
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE [English] EAP




General Website for the Early Assessment Program (EAP)
Overview of the EAP program, test scores, and test blueprints
www.calstate.edu/eap/ AND http://www.collegeeap.org/
CSU English Success Websites
Information for students, parents, counselors, and teachers on the EAP, the EPT, student
personalized road maps, and other advising features for all 23 CSU campuses
www.csuenglishsuccess.org and www.csumathsuccess.org
Home Page for the Expository Reading and Writing Course (ERWC)
General information on ERWC professional development and course materials with links
for registering for Teacher Workshops
www.calstate.edu/eap/englishcourse
ERWC Online Community (Password Protected)
Access to updated copies of the 14 original modules, the assignment template, discussion
boards, and community news; for teachers who have participated in ERWC professional
development
http://writing.csusuccess.org
R ESEARCH
BASED
CCC R EFORMS
Los Medanos College
Chabot College
Correlations with ERWC
•
Focus on modular approach
•
•
•
•
•
Inquiry topics (George Hillocks)
Teacher Training
Combining reading and writing instruction
Using exposition to teach exposition
English as gateway to college readiness
•
Preparing students for the reading and writing
demands in their other courses
OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR INVOLVEMENT
how can we maximize the positive impact of this effort?
 Encourage your CCC campus to consider accepting EAP Test Results, including
the new “Conditionally College Ready” designation in English
 Encourage local feeder high schools to adopt the full ERWC course
 Invite local high school faculty to attend ERWC professional learning workshops
 Increase awareness of the ERWC among CCC English (composition and reading)
faculty AND encourage them to attend to attend ERWC professional learning
workshops to:
 facilitate their support of local high school college readiness efforts
 stimulate reflection on their own curriculum and pedagogy
 support their own efforts to integrate reading and writing and to reinforce
their focus on the transferability of cross-disciplinary academic literacy tools
CORRELATIONS WITH COLLEGE READINESS AS DEFINED IN
Academic Literacy: A Statement of Competencies Expected on Students
Entering California’s Public Colleges and Universities
published by the Intersegmental Council of Academic Senates (ICAS) – UC, CSU, and CCC
 One of the most frequently assigned writing tasks = “critically
analyze the ideas or arguments of others.”
 College /University faculty (across disciplines AND at all three
institutions of higher education in California) expect academic
rigor of entering students and their ability to do the following:




determine major and subordinate ideas in passages
identify key examples that attempt to prove the thesis
anticipate the direction of the argument or narrative
identify appeals made to the readers' emotion [pathos] and logic
[logos], and on the basis of the author's self-presentation [ethos]
 predict the intention of the author from extratextual cues
 summarize information
 argue with the text
questions  discussion
thank you!
How Can We Maximize the
Positive Impact of These
Two Efforts to Increase
College Readiness?
Please make sure that you:
1. Receive the one-pager session
takeaways
2. Complete the evaluation form