COMMON CORE: Kansas College and Career Ready Standards
The Why, How, and What of Common Core Standards?
WHY? The Common Core Standards address English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. There is a concerted emphasis in each area to prepare students to be college and career ready. These standards originated from discussions by the State Governors and is designed to create some unity among the states on what is taught, thereby making the comparisons of student achievement in the United States more comparable. In addition, colleges indicated students weren't ready to face the demands of college curricula, and businesses shared a similar view, saying schools weren't producing graduates ready to become productive workers. To help address these concerns, while understanding that education is the responsibility of the states not the Federal Government, each state had representation in writing the standards and could contribute up to 15% of their own content to the standards. These are not national standards set forth by the Federal Government, but rather the result of collective efforts by the states to bring more uniformity and increased rigor into the educational experiences of the students in this country.
HOW? The standards are a framework to promote higher order thinking and other traits and behaviors that lead students to use the the knowledge and skills they have acquired to understand more deeply, problem solve, and be independent learners. No where do the standards identify specific textbooks or resources to use, although the use of primary sources (directly from the source) are encouraged. How the standards are taught is totally determined by local schools with regard to what content and resources will be utilized in individual classrooms.
WHAT? These standards require that students know what to do with the skills and concepts that they have learned, rather than just memorize definitions and formulas. Higher order thinking skills, independent interaction with text, and application in problem solving situations are among the expectations of the Common Core Standards. Students will be required to think at deeper levels, analyze multiple sources, evaluate sources and potential solutions, justify and support opinions and conclusions, and be independent learners. These standards apply to all content areas because they emphasize thinking, problem solving and research skills, and application.
HOW? The standards are a framework to promote higher order thinking and other traits and behaviors that lead students to use the the knowledge and skills they have acquired to understand more deeply, problem solve, and be independent learners. No where do the standards identify specific textbooks or resources to use, although the use of primary sources (directly from the source) are encouraged. How the standards are taught is totally determined by local schools with regard to what content and resources will be utilized in individual classrooms.
WHAT? These standards require that students know what to do with the skills and concepts that they have learned, rather than just memorize definitions and formulas. Higher order thinking skills, independent interaction with text, and application in problem solving situations are among the expectations of the Common Core Standards. Students will be required to think at deeper levels, analyze multiple sources, evaluate sources and potential solutions, justify and support opinions and conclusions, and be independent learners. These standards apply to all content areas because they emphasize thinking, problem solving and research skills, and application.
What the Standards Don't Do
While the Common Core Standards provide clear direction for teaching literacy and depth of knowledge, they do NOT tell teachers specifically what to teach, as most of these standards or practices apply to any content area or topic. How the skills identified in the standards are taught is up to the local school district. Standards should be aligned with the local curriculum and taught using accepted, effective teaching practices. They also do not address how to teach students who are below or above grade level expectations, or English Language Learners. But the expectation is that ALL students will master these standards and their ability to become literate.
HOW TO READ THE COMMON CORE STANDARDS
Old Standards -------------------------------------ELA ------------------------------------------------MATH
Standard ---------------------------------------------------------Strand ----------------------------------------------------------Domain
Benchmark -------------------------------------------------Boxed Subheadings -------------------------------------------------Cluster
Indicator ----------------------------------------------Standard (anchor & grade level) ----------------------------------------Standard
Standard ---------------------------------------------------------Strand ----------------------------------------------------------Domain
Benchmark -------------------------------------------------Boxed Subheadings -------------------------------------------------Cluster
Indicator ----------------------------------------------Standard (anchor & grade level) ----------------------------------------Standard
Links to Common Core sites....
....for ANYONEKansas Common Core (Kansas College and Career Ready Standards) This link connects to the KSDE information for all curricular areas. Included are the Kansas College and Career Ready Standards, the Kansas 15%, and instructional and professional learning resources for both Math and ELA and the curriculum standards for all other content areas.
10 Things You Should Know About Common Core - This National Education Association article by Tim Walker from their October issue of NEA Today provides an easily understood look at what Common Core is and what it isn't. This is a must read for anyone seeking more understanding of Common Core. So much misinformation is floating around the media outlets that is confusing fact with misunderstanding. This article will help answer some of those questions. PTA Guide to Student Success Informing Parents of the Common Core Standards is an important piece of the implementation puzzle. The National PTA has put together helpful guides for parents for each grade level, K-8, and an ELA and Math piece for High School. This would be a way to not only inform parents, but provide them with tools to use at home to ensure their child's successful transition to the Common Core. These are not state specific, so be sure to consult KSDE for additional information. Get it Right Pod Casts: David Adkisson Business leaders via the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce are speaking publicly about their support of Common Core because they are seeing results. Kentucky was one of the first states to fully implement Common Core and now has several years of data to show the effects of these standards. Learning First Alliance whose mission is to strengthen public schools for every child, offers resources and information in a variety of formats to inform all stakeholders of the power of Common Core Standards to transform teaching learning. Learn more here. 
Comparison of Math, English Language Arts and
Science Key Components
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...for EDUCATORS
New! Three Keys for Achieving Common Core Success This new white paper from the School Improvement Network identifies key strategies, resources, and actions found in schools who successfully implemented Common Core. These keys distinguish successful implementation from schools who have struggled with implementation. Get useful ideas and resources from this reader friendly research piece. BetterLesson from the Master Teacher Project in partnership with the National Education Association (NEA). This site provides hundreds of FREE lesson plans for the ELA and Math Standards of Common Core, as well as for the Next Generation Science Standards. Blended plans are pending for 2015. Browse or sign up to get ideas to help teachers with instruction that leads to student success. EduCore - Tools for Teaching the Common Core ASCD has shared a FREE website that is full of a wide variety of resources to help users understand and implement Common Core Standards. This project was made possible by funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The information on this site ranges from introductory information on how the Common Core Standards came to be to planning and implementing the standards. The available resources include videos, print resources, templates for planning and implementing the Common Core Standards (including content area examples), rubrics, and real experiences shared from classrooms across America. Check it out whether you're a teacher, administrator or parent! Common Core Essentials: A website created by 2 teachers that serves as a common site to house a vast number of Common Core resources available from multiple states and other sources. These resources address ELA and Math content, assessment, and professional learning. Learning First Alliance has compiled a wealth of resources in a variety of formats from major groups and organizations into one centralized location. Teachers and administrators will find helpful tools, talking points, curriculum and instructional examples, and other relevant resources to improve the implementation of Common Core Standards that will transform teaching and learning. *Teaching and Learning Consulting Network, LLC does not endorse or determine reliability of claims of effectiveness or alignment. Information is intended only for reader consideration. |
ASSESSMENT and COMMON CORE
The widespread implementation of Common Core as the framework for local curriculum has caused a subsequent shift in learning from "knowledge" of the content to the application of knowledge and skills as the desired outcome. This shift has not only affected instructional strategies, but impacts the kind of assessments used which now must measure what learners can do not just what they know. Previously we have asked students to "plug in" numbers to a memorized formula or read a passage and select the right answer that tells us they read it or identify the correct definition of a term. Common Core has pushed us to require that students understand the content so well that they know why, what, how, and when to use the knowledge and skills they have acquired. This may not be able to be determined by multiple choice or true false questions. Instruction is now asking students to "do" and similarly, assessments must do the same if they are to be aligned and measure what students can do.
The traditional assessments that we are familiar with whether nationally, or at the state and local level often have asked knowledge based questions which require low level thinking and where answers can often be memorized. Today's assessments must change how and what they ask of students so they measure their understanding (rather than simple knowledge) which will also lead to different ways to respond. With instruction moving toward transferable knowledge and skills (authentic, real world application), assessments at all levels must be be similarly constructed. As students are asked to do more problem solving, evaluation, and synthesis of content knowledge and skills, answers will be broader in scope and require a rubric to assess the accuracy of the answer rather than simply selecting one right answer out of several choices.
The following are article and links to information on how assessment is changing as we change the focus of our instruction from "knowing" to doing.
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ACT is often recognized in the Midwest, an across the nation, as the assessment that predicts college success. While ACT offers a variety of products and services, they are most known for their college readiness assessment. Of course we all know of students who didn't do well on this test but were nonetheless successful in college as well as those who did well and did not have a successful college experience. However, it continues to be the accepted practice of Midwestern colleges and universities to use this test as an entrance and placement exam for students entering their respective places of higher learning. However, ACT recognizes that changes are needed in their reporting as well as how their test can measure curriculum and predict future success. To that end, click here for a summary of those changes and why they have instituted them.
The SAT is a college entrance exam that is recognized throughout the country and utilized primarily on both coasts as the college readiness assessment for incoming freshmen. They also provide a preliminary test for sophomores (PSAT) that helps predict student readiness for college. These tests are also under going changes so they better reflect what students know and can do in terms of future success. A summary of those changes was recently published in a blog by the Washington Post.
NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) data is often viewed as the nation's report card. NAEP tests are given in all states at grades 4 and 8 in reading and math, and at 12th grade in 13 states. The data gleaned from these assessments have been used to reflect how American students are doing in terms of their ability to read and successfully perform math. This assessment is one example of how testing must keep up with the times as instructional goals change so they are relevant and measure what students truly know and can do. Read more here.
Kansas currently gives state assessments in several areas. These assessments, referred to as Career Standards and Assessments, are part of a wide scope of assessment options currently available to schools within the new accreditation model to determine effectiveness. Click here to find out more about state assessments in Kansas in general, or here to see what tests are given at specific grade levels.
The traditional assessments that we are familiar with whether nationally, or at the state and local level often have asked knowledge based questions which require low level thinking and where answers can often be memorized. Today's assessments must change how and what they ask of students so they measure their understanding (rather than simple knowledge) which will also lead to different ways to respond. With instruction moving toward transferable knowledge and skills (authentic, real world application), assessments at all levels must be be similarly constructed. As students are asked to do more problem solving, evaluation, and synthesis of content knowledge and skills, answers will be broader in scope and require a rubric to assess the accuracy of the answer rather than simply selecting one right answer out of several choices.
The following are article and links to information on how assessment is changing as we change the focus of our instruction from "knowing" to doing.
***************
ACT is often recognized in the Midwest, an across the nation, as the assessment that predicts college success. While ACT offers a variety of products and services, they are most known for their college readiness assessment. Of course we all know of students who didn't do well on this test but were nonetheless successful in college as well as those who did well and did not have a successful college experience. However, it continues to be the accepted practice of Midwestern colleges and universities to use this test as an entrance and placement exam for students entering their respective places of higher learning. However, ACT recognizes that changes are needed in their reporting as well as how their test can measure curriculum and predict future success. To that end, click here for a summary of those changes and why they have instituted them.
The SAT is a college entrance exam that is recognized throughout the country and utilized primarily on both coasts as the college readiness assessment for incoming freshmen. They also provide a preliminary test for sophomores (PSAT) that helps predict student readiness for college. These tests are also under going changes so they better reflect what students know and can do in terms of future success. A summary of those changes was recently published in a blog by the Washington Post.
NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) data is often viewed as the nation's report card. NAEP tests are given in all states at grades 4 and 8 in reading and math, and at 12th grade in 13 states. The data gleaned from these assessments have been used to reflect how American students are doing in terms of their ability to read and successfully perform math. This assessment is one example of how testing must keep up with the times as instructional goals change so they are relevant and measure what students truly know and can do. Read more here.
Kansas currently gives state assessments in several areas. These assessments, referred to as Career Standards and Assessments, are part of a wide scope of assessment options currently available to schools within the new accreditation model to determine effectiveness. Click here to find out more about state assessments in Kansas in general, or here to see what tests are given at specific grade levels.
Editor's Note:
While there has been much public discourse over the implementation of the Common Core Standards, it is our belief that these standards provide an excellent framework to help students become better critical thinkers and problem solvers because they will learn the necessary skills and processes to understand, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information.
Common Core Standards were NOT generated by the federal government and forced on states and local schools to use. They are, however, embraced by the vast majority of states to provide a common framework for curriculum so that students who move from state to state, especially helpful to our military families, will learn similar knowledge and skills no matter where they live. We encourage you to become informed from credible educational sources and not mislead by media reports or extreme lobbying groups whose agenda is political rather than educational.
While there has been much public discourse over the implementation of the Common Core Standards, it is our belief that these standards provide an excellent framework to help students become better critical thinkers and problem solvers because they will learn the necessary skills and processes to understand, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information.
Common Core Standards were NOT generated by the federal government and forced on states and local schools to use. They are, however, embraced by the vast majority of states to provide a common framework for curriculum so that students who move from state to state, especially helpful to our military families, will learn similar knowledge and skills no matter where they live. We encourage you to become informed from credible educational sources and not mislead by media reports or extreme lobbying groups whose agenda is political rather than educational.
