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November Newsletter Volume 3, Issue 5 MISSION Serving Lifelong Learners Directors Comments Inside this issue: School Wellness Specialist – RESA 5 has not had a School Wellness Page 2 – Wood County Fire School Specialist since Teresa Pickens transferred to her new position. Pages 3-5– West Virginia Next Generation Content Standards Funding for that position was in question for this school year until Page 6 -7 – STARS recently. RESA 5 has received a grant for the School Wellness Page 8 - Graduate Classes and Specialist and we have posted that position. We are pleased that this RESA 5 Legislators valuable program will continue. Principals Saturday Study- We had seven principals join us for the first Saturday Study in October. November 2 is our next session with the topic of “Leadership” being the topic. The session begins at 9:00 AM and ends at noon. The session is open to all RESA 5 administrators. Legislative Dinner – On October 23, RESA 5 held a dinner with area legislators and county board members and superintendents. Topics discussed were Cedar Lakes, Balanced Calendar, technology funding restrictions regarding Tools for Schools Funds, Common Core, Hiring The RESA Office will be closed Practices, RESA Funding, and the School Aid Formula. The dinner on the following dates: November 11 – Veteran’s Day was attended by Senators Boley (Pleasants), Carmichael (Jackson), and November 28 – Thanksgiving Nohe (Wood); and Delegates Ashley (Roane), Azinger (Wood), Border Day (Wood), and Westfall (Jackson). The discussion was open and honest. November 29 – Thanksgiving The lines of communication have been opened and both the legislators Break and RESA agreed to keep them open. West Virginia Next Generation Content Standards – As a continuation from last month, I am including talking points concerning West The RESA 5 Calendar Virginia Next Generation Content Standards that have been generated can be found at: http:// resa5.k12.wv.us by the WVDE. Along with last month’s Frequently Asked Questions, these talking points can be used when you receive any questions on this new direction. Send any news articles you Happy Thanksgiving – I want to take this opportunity to wish would like included in future issues of the everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving. Enjoy your break, you deserve it! newsletter to: [email protected] Ralph S. Board 1 Wood County Fire School The annual Wood County Fire School was held at Parkersburg South in September. There were 469 attendees. The keynote speaker was Alan V. Brunacini. Alan joined the Phoenix Fire Department in 1958. He served in every department position. He was promoted to Fire Chief in 1978 and retired in 2006. He is a graduate of the Fire Protection Technology program at Oklahoma State University. He has a BS and an MPA from Arizona State University. He is the past Chairman of the Board of the National Fire Protection Association and the N.F.P.A. Fire Service Occupational Safety Committee (standard 1500). He is the immediate past Chairman of the N.F.P.A. Career Fire Service Career Organization and Deployment Committee (standard 1710). He and his two-firefighter sons currently own and operate the local command level Blue Card hazard zone management program. They also present workshops, seminars and conferences to many fire departments throughout the country on various topics. He is the author of Fire Command, Command Safety, Timeless Tactical Truths, Essentials of Fire Department Customer Service and The Anatomy and Physiology of Leadership. He is currently working of several other fire service books. He and his sons also own and operate the Blue Card hazard zone training and certification program and the quarterly hazard zone magazine the B-Shifter. 2 The Reality of West Virginia’s Next Generation Content Standards and Objectives State-Led Effort o The standards, which have now been adopted by more than 45 states and the District of Columbia, were developed through a state-led initiative spearheaded by governors and school chiefs. o The best understanding of what works in education comes from practice and experience. That’s why the standards were developed by teachers, principals, parents, education experts and feedback from the general public, not politicians in Washington. o In West Virginia, teachers adapted the standards to best engage our students. Local Decision-Making on Implementation, Catered to Students o The standards establish what West Virginia students need to learn, but do not tell teachers how to teach. Teachers will continue to create lesson plans and tailor instruction to the unique needs of the students in their classroom. The best understanding of what works in the classroom comes from the teachers who are in them, which is why the standards allow each teacher in each classroom to figure out what works best. o Implementation decisions will remain local. West Virginia teachers and school leaders will determine how the standards are to be taught and will establish the curriculum, just as they currently do, allowing for continued flexibility and creativity. Internationally Benchmarked o When American students have the skills and knowledge needed in today’s job market, our communities will be strong and competitive in the global economy. College, Career and Real-World Readiness o The standards are designed to be relevant in the real world and to make sure all students graduate high school with the knowledge and skills necessary for success in college and careers. Clear and Consistent Expectations and Goals o The standards provide students, parents and teachers with a clear understanding of what students are expected to learn at every grade level, and as such, serve as a roadmap to quality education. Outcomes improve when students, parents and teachers are on the same page working together toward shared goals. o The standards provide consistent learning goals for all students – regardless of where they live – so that when children move from one state to another, they will stay on track in school, making the transition of moving more seamless for both students and teachers. Procedural and Conceptual Understanding o The standards stress not only procedural skills, but also conceptual understanding to make sure students are learning and absorbing the critical information they need to succeed at higher levels – rather than the current practices by which many students learn enough to get by on the next test, but forget it shortly thereafter, only to review it again the following year. o For example, the high school standards call on students to practice applying mathematical ways of thinking to real world issues and challenges; they prepare students to think and reason mathematically. The high school standards emphasize mathematical modeling – the use of mathematics and statistics to analyze empirical situations – to help students better understand the concept and improve decision-making skills. 3 Combination of Informational and Literary Text Required o The West Virginia Next Generation Content Standards and Objectives for English Language Arts (ELA) require a range of high quality readings through a combination of informational and literary text. This includes but is not limited to fiction, poetry, non-fiction and historical documents. No Required Reading, Just Suggestions o The West Virginia standards contain no required reading list for teachers, just suggestions of works that encompass a diverse catalogue of informational and literary text. WEST VIRGINIA’S NEXT GENERATION CONTENT STANDARDS & OBJECTIVES REALITIES What are the Common Core State Standards? In 2010, 46 states and the District of Columbia adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), a set of consistent expectations for what students should master in grades K-12. The CCSS are rigorous, internationally-benchmarked standards that are designed to ensure that students leave school with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in college and careers. Were the Common Core Standards developed by the federal government? No. The CCSS ARE NOT a national curriculum, or federally mandated. The Common Core State Standards Initiative was led by the 48 participating states through their membership in the National Governor’s Association (NGA) and Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). An advisory group, made up of Achieve, ACT, the College Board, Although the federal government had no role in the development of the Common Core, the administration has signaled its support for the project. As part ESEA Flexibility Waiver states certify that their standards are “College and Career Ready” – adoption of the common core fulfills this requirement. Are West Virginia’s Next Generation Content Standards and Objects a national curriculum? No. West Virginia teachers customized a portion of the standards to best engage students in our state. Will West Virginia student information be placed into a national database? No. The same student information that has been collected will continue to be collected. The WVEIS information will only be used to track student growth from pre-k to 12 and belongs to the county school systems. Higher education and workforce will only use aggregated student data so individual students cannot be identified. 4 Will the standards limit non-fiction reading opportunities in the school? No. West Virginia’s Next Generation Content Standards and Objectives require a range of high quality readings through a combination of informational and literary text. This includes but is not limited to fiction, poetry, non-fiction and historical documents. Why now? The need to raise student achievement in the public education system is clear, as American students are leaving school without the skills and education needed to succeed. Once leading the world in academic scores and education attainment, the United States has fallen behind other top performing countries. Currently, individuals who achieve post-secondary education may also still lack content and skills knowledge that match employer needs. This weakens West Virginia and the United States’ ability to produce a workforce that is fully prepared to compete in the local, national, and global economies.