Educating Parents and Community About the Common CorePresenters:Bryan Hand and Donna MarinoMiddletown Public Schools

How is Common Core different than how we learned math?•Focus

▫Grade level mastery▫Limited spiraling, but purposeful

differentiation•Coherence

▫The standards build logically•Rigor

▫Concept and procedure are equally important

▫Mathematical thinking is emphasized

Grade Level Focus Areas Card Sorting Activity

•In groups of 4, you will try to organize the grade level focuses and the mathematical practices

What do parents and community members need to know about the standards? Left side of the room

What do parents and community members need to know about the new assessment? Right side of the room

Talking points for school leaders•Higher standards are the foundation•Why common standards?•What about all of the criticism I am

hearing about the Common Core?•What can I expect to see in the

classroom?•How will this affect my child’s test

scores?

CCSS myths vs. facts

•Develop a culture of support for the common core

•Combat negative press

Smarterbalanced.org

•K – 12 Education: Tools and Resources▫Three minute video (English and Spanish)▫Two page introductory flyer (English and

Spanish)▫Roadmaps

▫*Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS)

CSDE Communication Toolkit• Please use the contents of the Communications Toolkit

as a starting point to:▫Get factual information out to your school leaders,

teachers, students, parents, business and community▫Host a community meeting, open house, or parent

night about the Connecticut Common Core Standards

▫Encourage district administrators, school leaders, and teachers to speak with parents about what the Connecticut Common Core Standards and Smarter Balanced assessments are and how classrooms may be different next year

▫Communicate with local members of the media in support of the Common Core

Review communication materials•Two page flyer (CGCS) •Roadmap (CGCS) (6 pages)•CCSS and SBAC overview (1 page)•Overview of the SBAC test (2 pages)•National PTA Parents Guides to Student

Success•Drafted letters

Share out review of communication materials•What important information does this

resource convey?•Who would benefit from having access to

this resource?•What would you change before sharing

this resource?•How would you disseminate this

resource?

Rolling it out to families and the community•Technology (ex: website, facebook,

Powerschool)•School governance•Events

▫Open house▫Parent teacher conferences▫Game nights

•Communicating with partners (ex: FRC, home visiting, faith based, before and after, etc)

•Developing school and family compacts

Cclm-math.org

•The Powerpoint and resources shared in this workshop will be posted on the Connecticut Council of Leaders of Mathematics website.

Bryan Hand – handb@mpsct.org Secondary Mathematics Supervisor

Donna Marino – marinod@mpsct.org Middletown Public Schools Partnership Coordinator