ACTIVITY: UNDERSTANDING HOW THE COMMON CORE
MATHEMATICS INSTRUCTIONAL SHIFTS IMPACT OUR WORK (90
MINUTES)
OVERVIEW:
Participants will deepen their understanding of the Common Core through analysis of the DOE-selected
instructional shifts and standards for the 2012-2013 school year and discuss how they will impact
student work and educator practice. Participants will draw connections between the selected
instructional shifts, selected standards, and prioritized Danielson competencies.
OUTCOME:
Participants will understand connections between the DOE-selected instructional shifts and the DOEselected Common Core Standards, understand how the transition to these standards affects their
practice, and self-assess their own practice in the context of the new standards.
GUIDING QUESTIONS:
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What does implementation of the instructional shifts in mathematics look like for students and
teachers?
How do the instructional shifts and standards connect to the selected Danielson competencies?
MATERIALS:
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Instructional Shifts
2012-13 Citywide Instructional Expectations
Common Core Learning Standards for Mathematics
Selected competencies from Danielson’s Framework for Teaching (1e, 3b, 3d)
Note-Taking Guide
PPT Deck
FACILITATION NOTES:
1. Introduce Activity. (5 minutes) Facilitator provides a short overview of the activity by reviewing
the guiding the questions and stating that participants will:
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Engage in an activity that provides insight into the connection between the instructional shifts
in mathematics, the Common Core standards, and educator practice.
Consider what the selected instructional shifts and standards ask of both students and
teachers.
Draw connections between the selected instructional shifts, standards, and Danielson
competencies.
PART I: SURFACE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE INSTRUCTIONAL SHIFTS
AND THE DOE-SELECTED COMMON CORE LEARNING STANDARDS (40
MINUTES)
1. Review Instructional Shifts. (10 minutes) Facilitator refers participants to the Instructional Shifts,
explaining that these have been identified by New York State as the major shifts that need to happen
in curriculum and instructional practice in order to meet the demands of the Common Core.
Participants read through the shifts, underlining key words and phrases. Facilitator asks participants
to identify in their note-taking guide which practices they feel comfortable implementing in their
classrooms and which they would like more support with. Participants share out their reflections.
Facilitator highlights that in the 2012-13 Citywide Instructional Expectations there are selected
instructional shifts which were chosen for schools to focus on because of their strong connection to
the most crucial skills students need to be ready for postsecondary success. The selected shifts are 3,
4, and 5 – “Require fluency, application, and deep understanding.”
2. Analyze the Selected Standards in the Citywide Instructional Expectations. (25 minutes)
Facilitator informs participants that in addition to selected instructional shifts, the 2012-13 Citywide
Instructional Expectations also contain selected Standards for Mathematical Practice as well as
content standards at each grade level or content area; these shifts closely align with the shifts on
which schools are being asked to focus.
Facilitator directs participants to the Standards for Mathematical Practice and explains that these are
universal habits of mind that students should be practicing at all grade levels. Facilitator notes that
the selected SMP are #3 – Modeling with Mathematics and #4 – Constructing Viable Arguments and
Critiquing the Reasoning of Others. Participants read through SMP #3 and #4 and reflect on the
following question in their Note-Taking Guide:
 How are fluency, application, and deep understanding reflected in Standards for Mathematical
Practice #3 and #4? (5 minutes)
Facilitator notes that the content standards complement these universal practices by describing what
students should know and be able to do at each grade level or content area. Before digging into the
selected content standards, it is important to understand the organization of the Common Core
Standards for mathematics. Facilitator refers participants to their copy of the Common Core Learning
Standards and uses the appropriate slides from Math Session 1 Full Deck to explain the organization
of the standards. (5 minutes)
Facilitator explains that the selected content standards vary by grade, and the focus for each grade
can be found on page 5 of the 2012-13 Citywide Instructional Expectations. Facilitator explains that
each pair of participants is going to analyze one standard from the selected domain for their grade
level to see what students are expected to know and be able to do. Participants will also use this
standard to become more comfortable with the overall organization of the CCLS in mathematics and
reflect on how this standard connects to the focus instructional shift of requiring fluency, application,
and conceptual understanding. Pairs work on analyzing one of the selected standards and completing
the “Get to Know a Content Standard” activity in their Note-Taking Guide. (10 minutes)
3. Debrief. (5 minutes) Facilitator leads participants in a discussion of their insights into the standards
using the following questions:
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How does your standard’s expectation of students change across the grades?
How does your standard relate to the focus instructional shift of requiring fluency, application,
and conceptual understanding?
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PART II: IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATOR PRACTICE (50 MINUTES)
1. Identify Implications for Students. (10 minutes) Facilitator states that participants will now
identify the implications for teaching in the context of the selected shifts and standards.
Facilitator asks participants to review their notes from Part I of the activity and work in pairs to
synthesize what the shifts and selected standards require students to know and be able to do filling in
the left column of the chart in their Note-Taking Guide.
2. Identify Implications for Teachers. (10 minutes) Facilitator states that now participants will
determine what the selected standards mean for teachers using the following example as a guide:
If students have to… (know and be able to)
Then teachers have to…
Solve words problems and reflect on the Design tasks that have multiple entry points and
reasonableness of responses
opportunity for reflection
Participants fill in the chart in Part II of their Note-Taking Guide in their pairs based on what they
noted students have to know and be able to do using the following question:
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If students have to ______________, what implications does this have for teachers?
3. Make Connections to Danielson Competencies. (20 minutes) Facilitator reminds participants that
as part of the transition to the Common Core, schools are being asked to use a research-based
framework for teacher practice. This rubric should be used to guide conversations about what strong
teaching looks like as well as to focus informal observations and feedback. Facilitator notes that many
schools are using the Danielson Framework for Teaching, and therefore the DOE has suggested
certain focus competencies within that framework for schools to use as part of their observation
cycle. These competencies are recommended due to their connection to the shifts of the Common
Core Standards. Facilitator states that we are going to look at how the selected standards and
instructional shifts connect to the selected Danielson competencies: 1e, Designing Coherent
Instruction; 3b, Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques; and 3d, Using Assessment in
Instruction.
Facilitator has participants read one of the three competencies, focusing on the first page and the
“Critical Attributes”, determine what strong practice in these areas looks like, and record it in their
note-taking guide. (10 minutes)
Participants share a few strong practices they identified in their competency. (5 minutes)
Facilitator leads a brief discussion around the following guiding question:
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What connections do you see between the shifts in educator practice and the selected
Danielson competencies? (5 minutes)
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4. Reflect on the Connections among Shifts, Selected Standards, and Teacher Practice. (10
minutes) Facilitator asks participants to share the connections they surfaced between what is
expected of students and how teachers will support them using the following guiding questions:
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What are the main moves teachers will have to make to support students in meeting the
expectations of the standards and instructional shifts?
What are the implications for your classroom practice?
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