What Parents Need to Know about the Common Core Standards March 2014 Ellen Stoltz, Ph.D., Chief...

What Parents Need to Know about the

Common Core Standards

March 2014

Ellen Stoltz, Ph.D., Chief Academic OfficerBethany Silver, Ph.D., Director of Assessment

Stacey McCann, Director of School Improvement and Intervention

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VisionThe Bloomfield Public Schools will be a

high-performing district with a positive climate of inclusion,

an expectation of competitive academic achievement and

a culture of meaningful parent and community engagement.

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Today we will address the following:

1. What Are the Common Core Standards?2. What do I need to know as a parent?3. Will my child’s classroom look different?4. Will my child’s report card change?5. What are Bloomfield teachers doing to prepare my child to master the standards?

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Let’s Start with the Three-Minute Video

• http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=three+minute+video+explaining+common+core&qpvt=three+minute+video+explaining+common+core&FORM=VDRE#view=detail&mid=2B6EDB99E2104D321A872B6EDB99E2104D321A87

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Summarizing the Video

Lets Turn and Talk first…

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Summarizing the Video

• Identifies standards for Literacy and Math for ALL K-12 teachers and students

• Raises expectations for ALL students • Aligns standards nationally• Ensures the same standards no matter where

you live

• Consistent, rigorous standards in literacy and mathematics

• Knowledge and skills needed for college and career success

• Developed voluntarily and cooperatively by states with input from teachers and college faculty

Source: www.corestandards.org

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1. What are the Common Core Standards ?Detailed expectations of grade-specific skills in Literacy and MathProvide access to similar level of rigor nationallyPrepare all students for college and careerPrepare all student to compete internationallyUsed to deliver standards-based instruction

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What is a Literacy Common Core Standard?

Language Arts Grade 5…Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text, i.e. graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folklore, myth, poem

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What is a Math Common Core Standard?

Math Grade 5…Recognize that in a multi-digit number, a digit in one place represents 10 times as much as it represents in the place to its right and 1/10 of what it represents in the place to its left

2. What Do I need to Know as a Parent?

MATH

• Focus strongly on algebraic reasoning beginning in Kindergarten

• Coherence to think across grades and link to major topics

• Rigor by requiring deep understanding and application of math concepts

www.corestandards.org

LITERACY

• Increase content-rich nonfiction

• Use specific evidence when Reading, writing, and speaking in fiction and nonfiction

• Regular practice with complex text and its academic language

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Top Four Things to Know…1. Increasing rigor through instruction based on

Standards 2. Increasing Non-fiction/Informational Text3. Assessing progress against the nation, state,

district, grade, class and individual student4. Reporting grades through standards-based

report card

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3. Will My Child’s Classroom Look Different?

More non-fictionMore rigorous questionsMore opinion writingMore informational writingMore focus on college and career

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4. Will My Child’s Report Card Look Different?

YES, it will be based in standards.Example: Student can analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

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5. What are Bloomfield Teachers Doing to Prepare my Child to Master the Standards?

Designing new curriculum and selecting new books to meet the standardsTeaching students how to look in the text to find specific answers to specific questionsAsking challenging questions for every studentCombining Reading and Writing in non-fiction and fictionAdding algebraic reasoning in Kindergarten

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