On the Road to Common Core with Common Sense ELA

On the Road to Common Core with Common Sense ~ ELA “You can’t lead change if you don’t understand.” ---Dr. Christine Tell, Achieve

Most educators are in this profession because we choose to make a difference. Yes, we all have our differences and there are so many opinions about what’s right and what works, that we tend to forget there is no one right answer. Really, as the the old story goes, “It’s not important whether we take a train, plane, boat, car, or even a horse... It doesn’t matter how we get there as long as we get there!” Students in America deserve the very best education system in the world and it is up to us to work together to create it! This isn’t going to be “just another time around the circle.” Common Core Standards are a new frontier!

The purpose of today is to help each of us build our own understanding about the new standards and the next generation of assessment.

When traveling in unfamiliar territory, explorers frequently consult their compasses to ensure they have not lost their way or are not headed in a direction away from their destination. We all know that the value of a compass is that it defines one direction ~ north. All other directions can be determined and selected or rejected based on this knowledge. As educators, we need to consult our professional compass. Rather than showing north, our compass needs to point directly at helping students learn.

We must carry our compass, not in our pocket, but in our hearts and minds!

With that said, we believe this is a journey and we’ve got a trail to blaze!

1 AGENDA

On the Road to Common Core with Common Sense ~ ELA

8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

8:30 a.m. – House Keeping Items Introductions and District Partnership for Common Core Transitional Planning

9:00 – Destination #1: Overview

Destination #2: CC Shifts Destination #3: Explore CCSS

Lunch 12:30 -- Continue with Destination #3: Explore CCSS

Pit Stop #3

Destination #4: Complexity

3:30 – 4:00 Wrap-Up

Homework Instructions: (If applicable)

Homework Assignment if you are attending both sessions and want to earn 1 graduate credit Review 4 resources (assigned at the end of the day) and complete a summary and next steps framework for each of the resources. Must submit the 4 summaries at the beginning of “day two” workshop. DESTINATION #1: OVERVIEW On the Road to Common Core with Common Sense PowerPoint Guiding Questions:  Why do we need ‘common’ standards?  Who led the movement for common standards?  Who wrote them?

2  Who has adopted the standards?  What do these standards do for us?  What is different with Common Core State Standards?  Timeline? a. Standards Implementation b. Assessment

Pit Stop # 1 Grab some snacks! (3-5 minutes) (Okay resources, but you get the analogy )

1. Check out the official Common core Standards website  www.corestandards.org (Bookmark) 2. About the Standards  http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards 3. Messaging Toolkit  (saved PDF MessagingToolkit in Pit Stop #1 Folder) 4. Achieve the Core is a new website launched by Student Achievement Partners, an organization founded by authors of the Common Core Standards.  www.achievethecore.org (Bookmark) 5. Parent Guides  http://www.pta.org/4446.htm (Bookmark) 6. Details about the process…  www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/process

3 DESTINATION #2: CC SHIFTS Exploring the Shifts in English Language Arts Standards:

Guiding Questions:  Where are we at? South Dakota vs CCSS  Why SD Indicator 5?  Shifts happens…What are they?  What does David Coleman have to say about the shifts?

Hunt Institute Video—English Language Arts Standards: Key Changes and their Evidence o (saved 6 minute QuickTime Video The English Language Arts Standards Key Changes and their Evidence in Pit Stop #2 Folder) or youtube link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDzTOyxRGLI (takes some time to buffer)

Region 1 ESA

4 Professional Development-Danielson Framework for Teaching Teacher: Domain: 4 Professional Responsibilities Component(s) 4E-Growing and developing professionally  enhancement of content knowledge and pedagogical skill

Summary:

Next Steps:

Pit Stop # 2 Grab some snacks! (3-5 minutes)

1. Common Core Instructional Shifts (saved PDF CCSHIFTS in Pit Stop #2 Folder) 2. Hunt Video with David Coleman-English Language Arts Standards: What Are They and Who Developed them? o (saved 8 minute QuickTime Video CommonCoreStateStandards-PrinciplesofDevelopment in Pit Stop #2 Folder) or youtube link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1MVErnOD7c&feature=related 3. Description of students that are college and career ready : o Read page 7 in your standards document o Read article ACT A First Look at the Common Core and College and Career Readiness http://www.act.org/commoncore/pdf/FirstLook.pdf or (saved PDF ACTFirstLookatCC in Pit Stop #2 Folder)

DESTINATION #3: EXPLORE CCSS Begin with the Standards themselves! Guiding Questions?  What ‘cha talking about?

 How do you eat an elephant?

 What does CCR mean and why are they called anchor standards?

 What are the 4 key features of the standards?

5  How do you crack this code?

 What is a learning progression?

Region 1 ESA Professional Development-Danielson Framework for Teaching Teacher: Domain: 4 Professional Responsibilities Component(s) 4E-Growing and developing professionally  enhancement of content knowledge and pedagogical skill Summary: Ah-Ha’s Uh-Oh’s

Next Steps:

6 Pit Stop #3: Grab some snacks! Locate additional CCSS Resources This is like a trip to Mall of America; Lots of stuff and limited time!

1. Common Core English Language Arts Standards o http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf or o (saved PDF CCSSI_ELA_Standards in Pit Stop #3 Folder) 2. SD Disaggregated Standards o Projected to be available in PDF format the end of June?

2. Cracking the Common Core Standards Code- A PowerPoint presentation located in the documents column on the far right under common Core Standards o http://doe.sd.gov/octe/commoncoreStandards.aspx These three documents give us great insight to the ‘essence’ of the Common Core Standards. Each one is worthy of deep study and lively professional conversation 3. Appendix A: Research Supporting Key Elements of Standards and Glossary o http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_A.pdf or o (saved PDF ELA_Appendix_A in Pit Stop #3 Folder) 4. Appendix B: Text Exemplars and Sample Performance Tasks o http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_B.pdf or o (saved PDF ELA_Appendix_Bin Pit Stop #3 Folder) 5. Appendix C: Samples of Student Writing o http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_C.pdf or o (saved PDF ELA_Appendix_C in Pit Stop #3 Folder) 6. ELA Progressions (Overarching) o (saved Excel ELA_Progressions_Overarching in Pit Stop #3 Folder) 7. ELA Side-By-Side Color K-5 o (saved Excel ELA_SideBySide_Color_K5in Pit Stop #3 Folder) 8. ELA Side-By-Side Color 6-12 o (saved Excel ELA_SideBySide_Color_6-12in Pit Stop #3 Folder)

7 Region 1 ESA

Professional Development-Danielson Framework for Teaching Teacher: Domain: 4 Professional Responsibilities Component(s) 4E-Growing and developing professionally  enhancement of content knowledge and pedagogical skill Summary:

Next Steps:

8 DESTINATION #4: COMPLEXITY Guiding Questions:  What do we mean by text complexity?  What is a text complexity band?  How do we ensure the texts our students are reading are in the appropriate text complexity band?  What are the new Lexile Ranges?  Where can I find resources to help me better understand text complexity?

Pit Stop #4: Grab some snacks! Locate additional CCSS Resources 1. Text Complexity PowerPoint – A must read for all ELA teachers o (saved ppt ETextComplexityPowerPoint in Pit Stop #4 Folder) 2. Text Complexity sites o SD Focus on Reading Achievement o http://doe.sd.gov/octe/documents/SD--LexileMap--Classroom.pdf o SD DOE Lexile Framework o http://www.doe.sd.gov/octe/lexiles.aspx o Lexile Overview Video o http://www.lexile.com/about-lexile/lexile-video/ o Metametrics-Linking Assessment with Instruction o http://www.metametricsinc.com/ o SD State Library o http://library.sd.gov/ o The Lexile Framework for Reading o http://www.lexile.com/

9 Additional Resources to Explore: Web Resources All things Common Core- http://allthingscommoncore.com/ The Common Core Curriculum Mapping Project- http://commoncore.org/maps/ ELA and Literacy Resources/Kansas- http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=4778 Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium- http://www.smarterbalanced.org/ Delaware English Language Arts for Common Core- http://www.doe.k12.de.us/infosuites/staff/ci/content_areas/ela.shtml North Carolina Literacy Support Tools for Common Core State Standards- http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/acre/standards/common-core-tools/#unela Technology Integration/Common Core Live Binder- http://www.livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=127467

Media Bringing the Common Core to Life On April 28, 2011 participants in New York engaged with a leading author and architect of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), David Coleman, to understand how the Core Standards for College and Career Readiness build on the work New York State has done in developing a standards-based system. Note that you can download the full transcript as well as the powerpoint that was used. I read the transcript, highlighted and made notes as I listened to the accompanying video clip. http://usny.nysed.gov/rttt/resources/bringing-the-common-core-to-life.html