Common Core State Standards and
Catholic Schools
Mary Jane Krebbs
Kathy Mears
Dale McDonald, PBVM
Lorraine Ozar
Agenda

State of Common Core Standards: the national
picture



Implementation progress in the states
Politicization of standards and assessments
Common Core Catholic Identity Initiative

Progress on implementation in Catholic schools

The Living Common Core

New and Improved CCCII Website
State Adoption of Common Core
Green=adopted
Gray=not adopting
Blue=ELA only
Impetus for Developing
Common Core State Standards



Equity imperative: All students deserve a highquality education regardless of where they attend
school
Global competition: workforce requires different
skills and education for economic growth
Current curriculum standards vary greatly across
states and achievement is calculated differently
Overview of the CCSS Initiative




State-led effort under direction of National Governors
Association (NGA) and Council of Chief State School Officers
(CCSSO).
Development of common core standards for K-12 in
English/language arts and mathematics under direction of
educational professionals.
Teachers, parents, school administrators and experts from
across the country, together with state leaders, provided
input into the development of the standards.
Focus on learning expectations and outcomes for students –
not on how to teach content.
Implementation of Common Core
State Standards





Standards have been implemented in schools for three years
Professional development programs are being developed to
assist teachers and administrators with the implementation
and application of standards to teaching and learning practices
Curricula are being developed locally to align with standards
New textbooks, software and instructional materials are being
produced
State assessments are being developed and piloted to
measure student progress with new standards
CCSS: Develop Skills Necessary for
Success in Work and Life



Traditional academic knowledge and skills: strong math and
English skills
Real world application, or applied literacies --the ability to
apply learning to meet real-world challenges.
Broader competencies.

Solve new problems and think critically

Strong interpersonal skills necessary for communication and
collaboration

Creativity and intellectual flexibility

Self sufficiency and ability to plan independently
National Controversial Issues

Data collection and warehousing of student information

Cursive writing

Elimination of Shakespeare

Algebra in 8th grade

Race to the Top: federal mandate to adopt

Textbook alignment
Politicization of Standards

Political activity:



Opposition on political grounds: local v. federal control
Federal takeover of education: Race to the Top
Data collection and national student databases

Political Actions: (next slides)

Opposition to Assessments:




Costs
Required technology for testing
Time on testing
Double testing for AYP requirements
Challenges to CCSS Implementation



Unsuccessful attempts to delay or roll back the
standards in several states: Alabama, Georgia,
Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio,
Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and South Dakota.
Michigan and Indiana have halted funding for
CCSS implementation.
Indiana and possibly Illinois will withdraw from
participation in national assessments
Challenges to CCSS Implementation
In the vast majority (37) of the CCSS-adopting states participating in the
survey, officials considered it unlikely that their state would reverse,
limit, or change its decision to adopt the standards during 2013-14.
Center on Education Policy Survey: 2013
Common Core Assessments
Catholic Schools and Common Core: Some
Considerations

Adopt and/or adapt standards

Participation in national assessments


Impact on curriculum, instruction and teaching materials

Perceptions of a national curriculum and impact on school
independence

Access to commercial materials: tests, media teaching
tools aligned to CCSS

Professional development and ability to use new media
materials
Impact on students’ future

Transfers across systems

College acceptances

Workforce readiness
Catholic Schools
and the Common Core



Over 400 teachers and administrators attended applied
Catholic professional development this summer
Over 1000 teachers and administrators participated in
webinars focused on the Common Core
Catholic leaders have provided professional development
in 18 states, 32 (arch)dioceses
Where are Catholic Schools in the
adaptation process?

Reviewing and analyzing the standards

Working on instruction that meets the needs of students

Looking for ways to be better reading teachers

Looking for ways to improve math instruction

Looking for additional resources to build even stronger
Catholic identities in our schools

Reviewing resources

Improving parent and stakeholder communication
Moving Forward…


Continue to build resources
Continue to provide applied Catholic professional
development

Continue to review our practices and materials

Continue to monitor student progress

Continue to communicate with parents and other
stakeholders
The Living Common Core
K-12 Education: Workforce Preparation
Every young person will continue to need basic knowledge –
but, he/she will need skills and motivation even more. Of
the three educational goals, to motivate is the most
critical. Young people who are intrinsically motivated –
curious, persistent, willing to take risks – will learn new
knowledge and skills continuously; they will be able to find
new opportunities or create their own.
Tony Wagner
Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will
Change Our World
Current Thinking About Creativity
Creativity, not knowledge, has become the fundamental factor
of production. Our economy uses technology; its motive force
is creativity.
Robots Aren’t the Problem: It’s Us
Richard Florida
The Chronicle Review - March 23, 2013
Creativity is not synonymous with art or beauty. The value is in the
thought process itself… such patterns of thinking train people to
metaphor and analyze, to reframe problems, break them down to
component parts to view them from different perspectives, and
work iteratively – that is, revising again and again – to find
answers.
Dan Berrett
The Chronicle of Higher Ed - April 5, 2013
Thinking About Creativity
Today’s students will need such tools (of creativity)
to tackle the problems they stand to inherit…
Knowledge will need to be combined across
disciplines, and juxtaposed in unorthodox ways.
Dan Berrett
The Chronicle of Higher Ed
April 5, 2013
Twenty – first Century Skills (sample)

Creativity and Innovation

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Communication and Collaboration

ICT Literacy

Initiative and Self-Direction
What could this look like in the
classroom:


Brainstorming in every subject
Changing the Environment
exploration centers
discussion corners…

Broadening perspectives (new cultures)

Thinking visually

Encouraging creative synthesis

Using technology

Drawing Connections
adapted: Education Update
ASCD October 2013
Instruction is the heartbeat of the
Common Core (David Coleman)
A learning goal or standard is only as good as the instructor’s
ability to imagine what it would look like when it is being met.
Sarah Fine
Education Week -10/28/10
An excellent Catholic school has a clearly articulated, rigorous
curriculum aligned with relevant standards, 21st century skills,
and Gospel values, implemented through effective instruction.
#7 National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic
Elementary and Secondary Schools 2012
CCCII Online
www.cccii-online.org
Benefits for New Site





More stylistic freedom to extend the site to our needs
(including blogs and other add-ons)
Ability to track and monitor site traffic with more
granularity
Securing the top-level domain name rather than being
appended (catholicschoolstandards.org/common-core)
Greater ease in promoting the site using social media and
other resources
Forestalling uninformed site visitors from equating the
National Catholic School Standards with the CCCII and/or
the common core.
Decision to Transition





Steering Committee – universities, NCEA, corporate
sponsors
Desire to expand support of Catholic schools and the
common core
Desire to “shape” the message
Desire to increase transparency for unit development and
review
Desire to use proactive rather than reactive strategy
Expanded Features
•
Easier Navigation
•
Stronger, clearer Home page
•
In Support…FAQs, Links, Rationale
•
Blog
•
Forum coming too
CCCII Moving Ahead

CCCII Constitution and By-Laws

Planning for CCCII 2014 national conference

CCCII Unit Review Criteria and Unit Review Committee

Review of CCCII 2013 national units for posting on web

Continued PD
Take a look…
http://www.cccii-online.org/