1. Getting ready
for the
Common Core
Patte Barth
Center for Public Education
NSBA Annual Conference
April 21, 2012

2. Agenda
• what are the CCSS?
• what are the challenges?
• how are states preparing?
• what can districts do?
• q&a

3. The Common Core Standards are
intended to be:
• Aligned with college and work expectations
• Focused and coherent
• Include rigorous content and application of knowledge
through high-order skills
• Build upon strengths and lessons of current state
standards
• Internationally benchmarked so that all students are
prepared to succeed in our global economy and society
• Based on evidence and research
• State led – coordinated by NGA Center and CCSSO
3
SOURCE: Common Core State Standards, www.corestandards.org

4. The Common Core Standards process:
• CCSSO and NGA‟s Center for Best Practices
• Advisory group: Achieve, Inc.; ACT, Inc.; College
Board, NASBE, and SHEEO
• Two rounds of public review
• Final documents released June 2010
• No federal dollars for development; foundation support

5. 46 states & DC have adopted
the CCSS
adopted
not
adopted
5

6. CCSS vs NCLB
Common Core State Standards No Child Left Behind
INFLEXIBLE on CONTENT FLEXIBLE on CONTENT
states must adopt 100% of CCSS K-12 states define their own standards
standards
INFLEXIBLE on ASSESSMENT INFLEXIBLE on ASSESSMENT
must begin assessments on CCSS within must assess state standards yearly 3-8
three years and once in high school
FLEXIBLE on ACCOUNTABILITY INFLEXIBLE on ACCOUNTABILITY
no requirements for public accountability numerous provisions

7. NSBA & CCSS
• supports NGA/CCSSO state-led process
• supports federal funding for research and/or
help to states for developing assessments
• opposes federal mandates or coercion, eg. a
condition for receiving Title 1 funds
• opposes a national test

8. What’s in the standards –
English language arts
Reading
• Balance of literature and informational texts
• Text complexity
Writing
• Emphasis on argument/informative
• Writing about sources
Speaking and Listening
• Inclusion of formal and informal talk
Language
• Stress on general academic and domain-specific
vocabulary
SOURCE: Common Core Standards, June 2010

9. What’s different?
English language arts
Standards for reading and writing in history/
social studies, science, and technical subjects
• Complement rather than replace content standards
in those subjects
• Responsibility of teachers in those subjects
Alignment with college and career readiness
expectations
SOURCE: Common Core Standards, June 2010

10. What’s different?
The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear:
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
10

11. What’s different?
Explain how the speaker in “Grandmother” feels
about Grandmother Asdzan Alts‟ iisi. In your
response, use details and examples from the poem
to support your answer. Write your answer on your
answer document.
11

12. What’s different?
The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
Students analyze how the opening stanza of Robert And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Frost’s “The Road Not taken” structures the rhythm
and meter for the poem and how the themes Then took the other, as just as fair,
introduced by the speaker develop over the course of And having perhaps the better claim,
the text. Because it was grassy and wanted wear:
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
12

13. What’s different?
Explain how the speaker in “Grandmother” feels
about Grandmother Asdzan Alts‟ iisi. In your Both assess reading
response, use details and examples from the poem comprehension
to support your answer. Write your answer on your
Studentsdocument. the opening stanza of Robert
answer analyze how
Frost’s “The Road Not taken” structures the rhythm Both ask students to use
and meter for the poem and how the themes evidence from text
introduced by the speaker develop over the course of
the text.
1st item focuses on reader
response
2nd item asks for
analysis, knowledge of poetic
devices and theme
13

14. What’s in the standards –
Mathematics
• Number & quantity
• Algebra - algebraic thinking K-5
• Functions
• Modeling - high school
• Geometry
• Statistics & probability
• Emphasis on Mathematical practice
SOURCE: Common Core Standards, June 2010

15. pre-calculus, calculus, advanced
statistics, discrete math, advanced
quantitative reasoning, specific
technical POS
Pathways
through Algebra II Math III
high school Geometry Math II
mathematics
Algebra I Math I
Traditional sequence Integrated sequence
• 2 algebra courses • 3 integrated courses
• 1 geometry course • all include number,
• DPS included algebra, geometry, DPS
• 1 higher course • 1 higher course
SOURCE: Common Core Standards, Mathematics Appendix A, 2010

16. What’s different?
There are a total of y students in Mr. Smith’s classroom.
Which of the following represents the number of
students in the classroom when 3 students are absent?
A. y+3
B. y-3
C. yx3
D. y÷3
16
SOURCE: Virginia SOL released items, grade 5 math, 2010

17. What’s different?
Write an expression that records the calculations
described below, but do not evaluate.
Add 2 and 4 and multiply the sum by 3. Next, add 5 to
that product and then double the result.
2(5+3)(2+4))
or (5+3(2+4))2 or 2(3(2+4)+5) or (3(2+4)+5)2 or
2((2+4)3+5) or ((2+4)3+5)2 or (5+3(2+4))+(5+3(2+4))
17
SOURCE: Illustrative mathematics, retrieved April 16, 2012

18. What’s different?
• Both assess translating words into number
sentences
• The first requires one step to solve the problem
• The second requires several steps
18

19. The Common Core
State Standards
21st century
assessments
for CCSS

20. State CCSS
assessment consortia
• formed to develop common “next generation”
assessments aligned to the CCSS
• supported by $346 million federal grants
• PARCC: Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for
College & Careers headed by Achieve, Inc.
• SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium headed by
Washington state department of education
20

21. What’s in common?
• intended to assess higher order thinking at grades 3-8
and high school
• measure growth and proficiency
• computer-administered online to provide rapid feedback
• both summative assessments for accountability, and
formative assessments to monitor students‟ progress
• aligned resources, ie., model lessons, diagnostic
tools, professional development
21

22. How do PARCC/SMARTER differ?
• PARCC is computer-delivered; SMARTER will be
“computer adaptive”
• SMARTER is developing comprehensive high school
assessment; PARCC is developing EOC high school
assessments, including for two math pathways
• SMARTER is budgeted to translate assessments into 5
languages, one of which will be Spanish
22

23. Points of collaboration
SMARTER & PARCC
• working to ensure comparability of scores
• developing protocols for Artificial Intelligent scoring
• examining interoperable technology infrastructure
• working toward same deadlines
23
SOURCE: Center for K-12 Assessment & Performance Management at ETS, webinar April 4, 2011

24. 24 states & DC are in the
PARCC consortium
participant
non
participant
24

25. 28 states are in the SMARTER
consortium
participant
non
participant
25

26. 46 states & DC are involved
involved
not
involved
26

27. Next Generation Science
Standards
• Collaboration of Achieve, NRC, AAAS, NSTA and 26
lead states
• “Internationally benchmarked”
• First draft to be released in 2012; 2 public reviews
• Intended to be adopted „in whole‟
• Carnegie Corp, Noyce Foundation & Dupont sponsors
27

28. What will be in the standards
Science
• Practices: behaviors necessary to
the work of scientists & engineers
• Cross-cutting concepts: the „big
ideas‟, eg., patterns, scale, cause
& effect, etc.
• Disciplinary core ideas: physical
sciences; life sciences, earth &
space sciences; and
engineering, technology &
applications. 28
SOURCE: Next Generation Science Standards, www.nextgenscience.org

29. 26 lead states – Next
Generation Science Standards
participant
non
participant
29

30. Other assessment consortia
• Alternative assessments: $67 million to Dynamic
Learning Maps (DLM) and National Center and State
Collaboration (NCSC)
– Assessments for students with “most significant cognitive
impairments”
• Assessments for ELL: $10.5 million to ASSETS,
Assessment Services Supporting Els Through
Technology Systems
30
SOURCE: The K-12 Center at ETS, www.k12center.org

31. The Common Core
State Standards
The
challenges

32. ACT’s ‘first look’ at the common
core standards
English language arts
Percent of 2009 11th graders scoring at college-career ready benchmark
32
SOURCE: ACT, Inc., A First Look at the Common Core and College and Career Readiness, December 2010

33. ACT’s ‘first look’
Achievement gap - ELA
Percent of 2009 11th graders scoring at college-career ready benchmark
33
SOURCE: ACT, Inc., A First Look at the Common Core and College and Career Readiness, December 2010

34. ACT’s ‘first look’ at the common
core standaards – Mathematics
Percent of 2009 11th graders scoring at college-career ready benchmark
SOURCE: ACT, Inc., A First Look at the Common Core and College and Career Readiness, December 2010

35. NAEP performance v. common core
standards – Mathematics
Percent of 2009 8th graders answering NAEP/common core items correctly
SOURCE: Brown Center on Education Policy, How well are American students learning? January, 2011

36. Technology needs
• 33 states offer some level of online testing
• Most don‟t assess all students
• Most are voluntary
• Most are summative only
• Most schools will need more computers &
more bandwidth
36
SOURCE: SETDA, Technology Requirements for Large Scale, Computer-Based & Online Assessment, June 2011

37. District needs
• Professional development for staff
• Aligned assessments & curriculum
• Aligned instructional materials
• Supports for students
37

38. The Common Core
State Standards
How states
are preparing

39. State survey
• Most states say CCSS are more rigorous than their
current standards
• Most states say full implementation will take at least until
2013 or beyond
• All are developing professional development materials &
guides for districts
SOURCE: Year 2 of implementing common core state standards: States‟ progress and challenges, Center on Education Policy, January 2012

40. State survey (con’t)
• Most states have established partnerships between state
education agency and higher ed
• Half are aligning undergraduate admissions policies with
CCSS
SOURCE: Year 2 of implementing common core state standards: States‟ progress and challenges, Center on Education Policy, January 2012

41. State timelines for
implementation
# of states
making 2012 or 2013
Change related to CCSS change earlier or later
Changing state assessments 36 6 27
Requiring districts to implement CCSS 31 7 23
Creating/revising evaluation systems to hold 30 9 19
educators accountable for students‟ CCSS mastery
Changing curriculum guides or materials 33 14 18
Adopting special initiatives to ensure CCSS are fully 25 11 11
implemented in state‟s lowest performing schools
Revising educator certification policies and 18 5 10
requirements to align with CCSS
Changing professional development programs 33 21 9
SOURCE: States‟ progress and challenges in implementing common core
state standards, Center on Education Policy, January 2011

42. School district challenges
• Almost 3/5 of districts in CCSS states view CCSS as
more rigorous
• 2/3 are developing plans and timelines
• 3/4 view adequate funding as a major challenge
• 2/3 say they are getting inadequate guidance from state
• Few see teacher/principal resistance as a major
challenge although 3/5 see it as a minor one
SOURCE: Common Core State Standards: Progress and Challenges in School Districts‟ Implementation,
Center on Education Policy, September 2011

43. What the public thinks
• 2/3 of voters say it‟s better for all states to have the same
standards and tests
• 3/5 have heard „nothing‟ about the CCSS
• Of those who have heard of CCSS, 1/3 are favorable
and 1/3 are unfavorable
• 3/5 of teachers have a favorable opinion
SOURCE: Achieve, Inc., Strong Support, Low Awareness, October 2011

44. Don’t wait for the state
• Get involved with what’s happening at your SEA
• Set aside time for school board to review CCSS and their
implications
• Form teacher/administrator/parent study groups to analyze
CCSS against current practices
44

45. Don’t wait for the state
• Partner with local colleges & universities
– Professional development
– Curriculum alignment
– Information sharing
– Share placement tests
• Survey local businesses
• Reach out to the community
45

46. Watch this space
www.centerforpubliceducation.org
or contact
Patte Barth, pbarth@nsba.org

47. Resources & tools
Center for Public Education
 Objective, easy to understand research
 Up to date analysis
 School success stories
 www.centerforpubliceducation.org
Data First
 Data Center with national & state data
 Learning Center with downloadable
videos
 Ask the expert
 www.data-first.org