Putting the Core into
Practice:
Instructional Practice Guides
Sandra Alberti
Student Achievement Partners – Who We Are
• SAP is a nonprofit organization founded by three of
the contributing authors of the Common Core State
Standards
• Currently a team of approximately 30; office in NY
and team members located throughout the country
• Funded by foundations: GE Foundation, Hewlett
Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The
Helmsley Charitable Trust
Our mission:
• Student Achievement Partners is devoted to
accelerating student achievement by supporting
effective and innovative implementation of the CCSS.
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Our Principles – How we approach the work
WE
HOLD NO INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Our goal is to create and disseminate high quality materials as widely as
possible. All resources that we create are open source and available at no
cost. We encourage states, districts, schools, and teachers to take our
resources and make them their own.
WE
DO NOT COMPETE FOR STATE, DISTRICT OR FEDERAL
CONTRACTS
Ensuring that states and districts have excellent materials for teachers
and students is a top priority. We do not compete for these contracts
because we work with our partners to develop high quality RFPs that
support the Core Standards.
WE
DO NOT ACCEPT MONEY FROM PUBLISHERS
We work with states and districts to obtain the best materials for teachers
and students. We are able to independently advise our partners because
we have no financial interests with any publisher of education materials.
Our independence is essential to our work.
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Our Plan for the Day
• Background on the Content
• Tour of AchievetheCore.org
• Instructional Practice Guides
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Results of Previous Standards, and Hard Work
Previous state standards did not improve student
achievement.
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Gaps in achievement, gaps in expectations
NAEP results
High school drop out issue
College remediation issue
This is about more than just working hard!
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Why are we doing this? We have had standards.
Before Common Core State Standards we had
standards, but rarely did we have standards-based
instruction.

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
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Long lists of broad, vague statements
Mysterious assessments
Coverage mentality
Focused on teacher behaviors – “the inputs”
Is it working?? for students??
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Principles of the CCSS
Fewer
-
Clearer
-
Higher(Deeper)
• Aligned to requirements for college and career
readiness
• Based on evidence
• Honest about time
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Implications
What implications do the CCSS have
on what we teach?
What implications do the CCSS have
on how we teach?
This effort is about much more than implementing
the next version of the standards: It is about
preparing all students for success in college and
careers.
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ELA/Literacy: 3 shifts
1. Building knowledge through content-rich
nonfiction
2. Reading, writing, and speaking grounded in
evidence from text, both literary and
informational
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Non-Examples and Examples
Not Text-Dependent
Text-Dependent
In “Casey at the Bat,” Casey strikes
out. Describe a time when you
failed at something.
What makes Casey’s experiences
at bat humorous?
In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,”
Dr. King discusses nonviolent
protest. Discuss, in writing, a time
when you wanted to fight against
something that you felt was unfair.
What can you infer from King’s
letter about the letter that he
received?
In “The Gettysburg Address” Lincoln
says the nation is dedicated to the
proposition that all men are created
equal. Why is equality an important
value to promote?
“The Gettysburg Address”
mentions the year 1776.
According to Lincoln’s speech,
why is this year significant to the
events described in the speech?
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Example?
• EXAMPLES
James Watson used
time away from his
laboratory and a set of
models similar to
preschool toys to help
him solve the puzzle of
DNA. In an essay
discuss how play and
relaxation help promote
clear thinking and
problem solving.
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ELA/Literacy: 3 shifts
1. Building knowledge through content-rich
nonfiction
2. Reading, writing, and speaking grounded in
evidence from text, both literary and
informational
3. Regular practice with complex text and its
academic language
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In order to lead this work…
• You need metrics
– What will it look like?
– How will you know?
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Mathematics: 3 shifts
1. Focus: Focus strongly where the
standards focus.
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The shape of math in A+ countries
Mathematics topics intended at
each grade by at least
two-thirds of A+ countries
1 Schmidt,
Mathematics topics intended
at each grade by at least twothirds of 21 U.S. states
Houang, & Cogan, “A Coherent Curriculum: The Case of Mathematics.” (2002).
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Traditional U.S. Approach
K
12
Number and
Operations
Measurement
and Geometry
Algebra and
Functions
Statistics and
Probability
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Focusing attention within Number and
Operations
Operations and Algebraic
Thinking
Expressions
 and
Equations
Number and Operations—
Base Ten

K
1
2
3
4
Algebra
The Number
System
Number and
Operations—
Fractions



5
6
7
8
High School
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Priorities in Mathematics
Grade
Focus Areas in Support of Rich Instruction and Expectations
of Fluency and Conceptual Understanding
K–2
Addition and subtraction - concepts, skills, and
problem solving and place value
3–5
Multiplication and division of whole numbers and
fractions – concepts, skills, and problem solving
6
7
8
Ratios and proportional reasoning; early
expressions and equations
Ratios and proportional reasoning; arithmetic of
rational numbers
Linear algebra and linear functions
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Cluster Emphases
Grade 6
Achievethecore.org/focus
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Widely Applicable Prerequisites
Major Work in High School is known as "Widely Applicable Pre-Requisites."
Achievethecore.org/prerequisites
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Mathematics: 3 shifts
1. Focus: Focus strongly where the
standards focus.
2. Coherence: Think across grades, and link to
major topics
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Coherence: Link to major topics within grades
Example: data representation
Standard 3.MD.3
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Mathematics: 3 shifts
1. Focus: Focus strongly where the
standards focus.
2. Coherence: Think across grades, and link to
major topics
3. Rigor: In major topics, pursue conceptual
understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and
application
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Required Fluencies in K-6
Grade
Standard
Required Fluency
K
K.OA.5
Add/subtract within 5
1
1.OA.6
Add/subtract within 10
2
2.OA.2
2.NBT.5
Add/subtract within 20 (know single-digit sums from
memory)
Add/subtract within 100
3
3.OA.7
3.NBT.2
Multiply/divide within 100 (know single-digit products
from memory)
Add/subtract within 1000
4
4.NBT.4
Add/subtract within 1,000,000
5
5.NBT.5
Multi-digit multiplication
6
6.NS.2,3
Multi-digit division
Multi-digit decimal operations
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Conceptual
understanding of
place value…?
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Conceptual
understanding
of place value…?
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In order to lead this work…
• You need metrics
– What will it look like?
– How will you know?
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Reflect
Please reflect on what you will be able to observe
(see, hear) when you have successfully implemented
Common Core State Standards in your schools and
districts.
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Opportunities require clarification
✓ Standards aligned vs. Standards based
✓ Standards vs. Standardization
✓ Standards vs. Curriculum
✓ Not a ceiling, but a message about priority
✓ Based on evidence v. Researched
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Newly emerging thoughts…
• The difference between sympathizing and
supporting teachers
• The difference between supporting and making it
easy
• The difference between making it simple and
focusing on a few things
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www.achievethecore.org
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PAGE 33
Key Characteristics of Leading Organizations
 Systems Thinking
 Learning Organizations
 Know – Really Know – the
expectations
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Pathways for Learning, and doing!
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Are You Doing the Core?
• Instructional Practice
• Instructional and Assessment Materials
• Professional Development
PAGE 36
Guiding Ideas for this Session
• Implementation of the Common Core State Standards
has implications for both “the what” and “the how” of
teaching.
• Our work in designing and supporting the
implementation of the CCSS must be focused and
coherent.
• This work starts with a shared understanding of the
expectations of the Standards and then specific
descriptions and discussions of what these expectations
look like in practice.
• Professional development, coaching, feedback and
professional learning community conversations can be
focused and coherent to support these expectations.
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Instructional Practice Guides
The guides are:
• Designed to guide assessment of effective integration of
the Common Core shifts into instructional practice.
• Intended to support teachers in developing their
practice, and to help coaches or other instructional
leaders in supporting them to do so. For example,
through:
‒ Teacher self-reflection
‒ Teacher-to-teacher learning in PLCs, grade-level
meetings or other collaborative structures
‒ Coaching and feedback from instructional coaches or
leaders
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CCSS Instructional Practice Guides–
Design & Structure
• There are CCSS Instructional Practice Guides for
• ELA/literacy (K-2, 3-5, 6-12, History/Social Studies, Science
& Technical Subjects)
• Mathematics (K-8, HS)
• Each CCSS Instructional Practice Guide includes a
tool for a single lesson and a tool for over the
course of the year
• Each CCSS Instructional Practice Guide for a single
lesson has 3 Core Actions and each Core Action
has 3-6 indicators
All guides are available at achievethecore.org/instructional-practice.
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Common Language
• Instructional Practice Guides
Daily Lessons or
Over the Course of the
Year
• Core Actions
Key Practices
(numbered sections)
• Indicators
Observable
(lettered details under each
Core Action)
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INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE GUIDE:
ELA/Literacy
Video Lesson
PAGE 42
ELA & Literacy: Three Shifts
1. Building knowledge through content-rich
nonfiction
2. Reading, writing, and speaking grounded
in evidence from text, both literary and
informational
3. Regular practice with complex text and its
academic language
PAGE 43
CCSS Instructional Practice Guide
Daily Core Actions in ELA/Literacy
1. Focus each lesson on a high quality text (or
multiple texts).
2. Employ questions and tasks that are text
dependent and text specific.
3. Provide all students with opportunities to
engage in the work of the lesson.
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ACTIVITY:
Making the Connection with Core Actions
Choose a DAILY LESSON and OVER THE COURSE OF
THE YEAR Instructional Practice Guide in any grade
band or content area (K – 2, 3 – 5, 6 – 12, or Literacy
in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical
Subjects).
First individually, then with a small group answer the
following questions.
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ACTIVITY:
Making the Connection with Core Actions
Support your responses with details from the two Instructional
Practice Guides that you selected.
• What is the intention of the Daily Instructional Practice
Guide?
• What is the Daily Instructional Practice Guide and detailed
Core Actions looking for?
• What are key practices prioritized in the Core Actions of
the Daily Instructional Practice Guide?
• Now take a look at the Yearly Instructional Practice Guide.
How does it connect to the Daily Instructional Practice
Guide?
• Align the Core Actions from both the Daily and Yearly
Instructional Practice Guides with the Shifts. Which shift
does each expectation demonstrate? More than one?
Circle connections to the shifts.
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Core Action #1: High Quality Texts
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High Quality Texts – How Will I Know?
•
What text will be used in the lesson?
•
Is this text part of a sequence of texts designed to
build knowledge? Explain.
•
What are the quantitative measure(s) and qualitative
features of the text?
•
What considerations were made for reader and task?
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Developmental Tools
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Core Action #2: Text Dependent, Text Specific
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Text Dependent, Text Specific
• Text Dependent: Questions require thorough
reading of the text, and evidence from it, in order
to answer
• Text Specific: Questions address the text
specifically, rather than being generic
What is the author’s purpose? What is the main idea?
What do the details about Chicago in paragraph 2 tell
us about the author’s intent in writing this text?
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Text-Dependency =
Questions Worth Answering
• Many typical reading questions in the
classroom were not text-dependent
• The text is used simply as a “springboard”
for discussion, without focusing students’
attention on close reading of the text.
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Supporting the Action
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Core Action #3: Productive Engagement
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Productive Engagement – How Will I Know?
• Were students able to successfully respond to the
text dependent questions and tasks with precision?
• What strategies did the teacher utilize to encourage
collaboration among students?
• Are there clear protocols for discussion?
• Are the students doing the work of reading, writing,
speaking or listening?
• Is the teacher allowing adequate wait time for
students to persists through challenges?
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Precise Answers, Precise Praise and Feedback
Precise Answers:
• Are textually based
• Cite evidence
• Build on the ideas of others
Precise Praise and Feedback
• Does the teacher know what answer s/he’s looking
for?
• Does s/he accept anything less?
• Do praise and corrective feedback teach others
how to answer?
• Does s/he praise the work, or the child?
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Core Action #4 –
Reading Foundational Skills (K – 5)
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Video Lesson
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INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE GUIDE:
MATHEMATICS
Mathematics: 3 shifts
1. Focus: Focus strongly where the standards focus.
2. Coherence: Think across grades, and link to
major topics
3. Rigor: In major topics, pursue conceptual
understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and
application
PAGE 60
CCSS Instructional Practice Guide Core Actions
1. Ensure the work of the lesson reflects the
shifts required by the CCSS for Mathematics.
2. Employ instructional practices that allow all
students to master the content of the lesson.
3. Provide all students with opportunities to
exhibit mathematical practices in connection
with the content of the lesson, and therefore,
all students are productively engaged in the
work of the lesson.
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Core Action 1: Ensure the work of the lesson
reflects the Shifts required by the CCSS for
Mathematics.
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ACTIVITY:
Core Action 1: Deeper Dive
•
Highlight 3-5 key word(s) in each indicator for Core
Action 1.
•
What shift is this related to?
•
What information is needed in order to meet or rate this
indicator?
•
What are some artifacts that would provide evidence of
this indicator?
•
What are examples of this indicator being met and not
being met?
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Core Action 2: Employ instructional practices that
allow all students to master the content of the lesson.
•
Highlight 3-5 key word(s) in each indicator for Core Action 2.
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Core Action 2: Deeper Dive
PAGE 65
Don’t Leave Out the Math: Phil Daro on Teaching
PAGE 66
Core Action 2: Deeper Dive
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Core Action 2: Deeper Dive
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Core Action 2: Employ instructional practices that
allow all students to master the content of the lesson.
•
•
For D through F, can you describe an observable
behavior or action that would meet each indicator?
Can you describe an observable behavior or action
for each that would not meet the indicator?
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Core Action 3: Provide all students with opportunities
to exhibit mathematical practices in connection with
the content of the lesson.
PAGE 70
Core Action 3: Provide all students with opportunities
to exhibit mathematical practices in connection with
the content of the lesson.
• Highlight 3-5 key word(s) in each indicator for Core
Action 3.
• Discuss with your table.
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Core Action 3: Provide all students with opportunities
to exhibit mathematical practices in connection with
the content of the lesson.
4
Some or most of the indicators and student behaviors should be
observable in every lesson, though not all will be evident in all lessons.
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Standards for Mathematical Practice
•
There is not a one-to-one
correspondence between
the indicators for Core
Action 3 and the Standards
for Mathematical Practice.
These indicators and the
associated illustrative
student behavior
collectively represent the
Standards for Mathematical
Practice that are most easily
observable during
instruction.
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Culminating Activity: Try It
2nd Grade:
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/
counting-collections-lesson
8th Grade:
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/
sorting-classifying-equations-overview
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“Silent 5” - Mathematics
Take 5 minutes and silently write on a post-it…
• An insight from today...
• I’m still wondering about…
PAGE 75
Future Developments
• Instructional Practice Guides as Tools
– Including Planning Tool
http://achievethecore.org/page/969/instructionalpractice-guide-list-pg
– Lesson Planning Tool - BETA
• Additional Tool Development
• “Survey” = Self-assessment
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Group Reflection –
Implications for Your Work
In teams, discuss implications of our discussion today
for your work:
1. How can these tools be used to support teacher
and school leader understanding and
implementation of the CCSS?
2. Who will you share this information with?
3. What are potential challenges/roadblocks?
4. What is your next step?
#CCSSwork
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Thank You!
Sandra Alberti
salberti@studentsachieve.net
www.achievethecore.org
Twitter: @salberti
#CCSSwork