Understanding the Common Core State Standards

Kay Sammons, Coordinator of Elementary MathBill Barnes, Coordinator of Secondary Math

HCPSS Summer InstituteJune 24, 2010

Session Outcomes

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Participants will….

•Examine the rationale for the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)

•Examine the Standards for Mathematical Practice

•Examine the Format and Structure of the CCSS

•Examine MD’s plan for transition to the CCSS as the State Curriculum

•Examine strategies for preparing the school and teachers for a transition to a new curriculum

The Common Core State Standards Initiative

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Beginning in the spring of 2009, Governors and state commissioners of education from 48 states, 2 territories and the District of Columbia committed to developing a common core of state K-12 English-language arts (ELA)

and mathematics standards.

The Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI) is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School

Officers (CCSSO). www.corestandards.org

Why Common Core State Standards?

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Preparation: The standards are college- and career-ready. They will help prepare students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in education and training after high school.

Competition: The standards are internationally benchmarked. Common standards will help ensure our students are globally competitive.

Equity: Expectations are consistent for all – and not dependent on a student’s zip code.

Clarity: The standards are focused, coherent, and clear. Clearer standards help students (and parents and teachers) understand what is expected of them.

Collaboration: The standards create a foundation to work collaboratively across states and districts, pooling resources and expertise, to create curricular tools, professional development, common assessments and other materials.

Process and Timeline

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K-12 Common Standards:

Core writing teams in English Language Arts and Mathematics (See www.corestandards.org for list of team members)

External and state feedback teams provided on-going feedback to writing teams throughout the process

Draft K-12 standards were released for public comment on March 10, 2010; 9,600 comments received

Validation Committee of leading experts reviews standards

Final standards were released June 2, 2010

Feedback and Review

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External and State Feedback teams included:

K-12 teachers

Postsecondary faculty

State curriculum and assessments experts

Researchers

National organizations (including, but not limited, to):

American Council on Education (ACE) American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Campaign for High School Equity

(CHSE) Conference Board of the Mathematical

Sciences (CBMS) Modern Language Association (MLA)

National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)

National Education Association (NEA)

Common Core State Standards Design

7 *Ready for first-year credit-bearing, postsecondary coursework in mathematics and English without the need for remediation.

Building on the strength of current state standards, the CCSS are designed to be:

Focused, coherent, clear and rigorous

Internationally benchmarked

Anchored in college and career readiness*

Evidence and research based

Common Core State Standards Evidence Base

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Evidence was used to guide critical decisions in the following areas:

Inclusion of particular content

Timing of when content should be introduced and the progression of that content

Ensuring focus and coherence

Organizing and formatting the standards

Determining emphasis on particular topics in standards

Evidence includes:

Standards from high-performing countries, leading states, and nationally-regarded frameworks

Research on adolescent literacy, text complexity, mathematics instruction, quantitative literacy

Lists of works consulted and research base included in standards’ appendices

Common Core State Standards Evidence Base

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For example: Standards from individual high-performing countries and provinces were used to inform content, structure, and language. Writing teams looked for examples of rigor, coherence, and progression.

Mathematics

1.Belgium (Flemish)2.Canada (Alberta)3.China4.Chinese Taipei5.England6.Finland7.Hong Kong8.India9.Ireland10.Japan11.Korea12.Singapore

English language arts

1.Australia• New South Wales• Victoria

2.Canada• Alberta• British Columbia• Ontario

3.England4.Finland5.Hong Kong6.Ireland7.Singapore

Common Core State Standards for Mathematics

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Grade-Level Standards K-8 grade-by-grade standards organized by domain 9-12 high school standards organized by conceptual categories

Standards for Mathematical Practice Describe mathematical “habits of mind” Standards for mathematical proficiency: reasoning, problem solving,

modeling, decision making, and engagement Connect with content standards in each grade

Common Core State Standards for Mathematics

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Standards for Mathematical Practice

Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them

Reason abstractly and quantitatively

Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others

Model with mathematics

Use appropriate tools strategically

Attend to precision

Look for and make use of structure

Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning

“These practices rest on important processes and proficiencies with longstanding importance in mathematics education.”

NCTM Process Standards

Adding it Up – Strands of Mathematical Proficiency

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Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (2010)

NCTM Processes

Problem Solving

Reasoning and Proof

Communication

Connections

Representation

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NCTM (1989, 2000)

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NRC, 2001

Strands of Mathematical Proficiency

Quinn was telling his brother Chase about what he did in math class.

•“I used blocks today. When I put them in groups of 2, I had one left over.•Then, when I put them in groups of 3, I had 1 block left over. •And, then when I put them in groups of 4, I still had only one block left over.”

Chase asked – “How many blocks did you have?” What do you think Quinn’s answer could have been?

adapted from Parke, Lane, Silver, Magone, (NCTM, 2003).

Let’s do some math…

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Standards for Mathematical Practice

Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them

Reason abstractly and quantitatively

Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others

Model with mathematics

Use appropriate tools strategically

Attend to precision

Look for and make use of structure

Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning

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The K- 8 standards:

The K-5 standards provide students with a solid foundation in whole numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions and decimals

The 6-8 standards describe robust learning in geometry, algebra, and probability and statistics

Modeled after the focus of standards from high-performing nations, the standards for grades 7 and 8 include significant algebra and geometry content

Students who have completed 7th grade and mastered the content and skills will be prepared for algebra, in 8th grade or after

Algebra II is the same for everyone!

Overview of K-8 Mathematics Standards

8th Grade Algebra I Algebra I

9th Grade Geometry Geometry

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A glimpse…probably not fair

Cluster ExpectationsK 241 232 273 324 345 346 417 378 33

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Principles of Mathematics

Number-Counting and Cardinality

Number-Operations and the Problems They Solve

Number-Base Ten

Number-Fractions

Measurement and Data

Geometry

Ratios and Proportional Reasoning

The Number System

Expressions and Equations

Functions

Geometry

Statistics and Probability

High SchoolK-5 6-8

Number and Quantity

Algebra

Functions

Geometry

Statistics and Probability

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Overview of K-8 Mathematics Standards

Each grade includes an overview of cross-cutting themes and critical areas of study

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Format of K-8 Mathematics Standards

Domains: overarching ideas that connect topics across the grades

Clusters: illustrate progression of increasing complexity from grade to grade

Standards: define what students should know and be able to do at each grade level

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Overview of High School Mathematics Standards

The high school mathematics standards:

Call on students to practice applying mathematical ways of thinking to real world issues and challenges

Require students to develop a depth of understanding and ability to apply mathematics to novel situations, as college students and employees regularly are called to do

Emphasize mathematical modeling, the use of mathematics and statistics to analyze empirical situations, understand them better, and improve decisions

Identify the mathematics that all students should study in order to be college and career ready.

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Format of High School Mathematics Standards

Content categories: overarching ideas that describe strands of content in high school

Domains/Clusters: groups of standards that describe coherent aspects of the content category

Standards: define what students should know and be able to do at each grade level

High school standards are organized around five conceptual categories: Number and Quantity, Algebra, Functions, Geometry, and Statistics and Probability

Modeling standards are distributed under the five major headings and are indicated with a () symbol.

Standards indicated as (+) are beyond the college and career readiness level but are necessary for advanced mathematics courses, such as calculus, discrete mathematics, and advanced statistics. Standards with a (+) may still be found in courses expected for all students.

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Format of High School Mathematics Standards

Each content category includes an overview of the content found within it

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Model Course Pathways for Mathematics

Model Mathematics Pathways:

Developed by a panel of experts convened by Achieve, including many of the standards writers and reviewers

Organize the content of the standards into coherent and rigorous courses

Illustrate possible approaches—models, not mandates or prescriptions for organization, curriculum or pedagogy

Require completion of the Core in three years, allowing for specialization in the fourth year

Prepare students for a menu of courses in higher-level mathematics

In the process of finalizing – to be released by the end of June

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Model Course Pathways for Mathematics

Pathway ATraditional in U.S.

Geometry

Algebra I

Courses in higher level mathematics: Precalculus, Calculus (upon completion of Precalculus), Advanced Statistics, Discrete Mathematics, Advanced Quantitative Reasoning, or other

courses to be designed at a later date, such as additional career technical courses.

Pathway BInternational Integrated approach (typical

outside of U.S.)

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Mathematics II

Mathematics I

Algebra II Mathematics III

Maryland’s Transition Plan

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• Identify content experts from across the State to work with MSDE staff

Local Education Agency representatives

Higher Education representatives

• Conduct a gap analysis using the Achieve Gap Analysis tool

• Identify and schedule workgroups

Curriculum

Toolkit

• Share revised draft Common Core State Curriculum document

• State Board Adoption - June 2011

Maryland’s Assessment Plan

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• Joined PAARC Consortium as a Governing State

27 State Members

• Leaning toward the design of “Through Course” Assessments

25%, 50%, 75%, 90%

2-3 shorter, performance-based assessments

1 multi-day end of course assessment

Machine scored with some human scoring for quick turn-around time

• Timetable

Pilot in districts 2011-2012

Field Testing 2012-2014

Full Scale Implementation 2014-2015

One Caveat…

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“New standards will not improve instruction. Effective implementation of new standards will improve instruction.”

Dixie Stack, MSDE

One More Caveat…

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• No set of standards has much meaning without equitable resources to ensure that teachers are trained well enough to reach kids who live in widely different circumstances.

• …it is important to remember that neither these standards nor any other single effort will be the silver bullet some mistakenly believe is out there…

Valerie Straus, June 7, 2010

HCPSS Math Offices: Plan for Transition

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• Communicate Information to All Stakeholders

• Support schools through the transition

Strategic Planning

Professional Development

Curriculum Alignment

Assessment Development

• Support teachers through the transition

Professional Development

Strategic Involvement

What can you do to help your school through the transition?

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• Communicate Information to All Stakeholders

• Cultivate a Math Team Focused of Continuous Improvement

Job-Embedded, Site-Based, and Sustained Professional Development

• Begin planning for change immediately

What actions will you take to activate your staff?

What professional development experiences would serve as a catalyst for growth as changes emerge?

High Leverage Professional Development Experience for Math Teachers - CONTENT

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• Common Core vs. State Curriculum Gap Analysis

• Collaborative Lesson Planning (Formal Protocol)

• Japanese Lesson Study

• Developing Common Assessments and Scoring

• Vertical Teaming

• NCTM Reflection Guides (specific concepts)

High Leverage Professional Development Experience for Math Teachers - PEDAGOGY

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• Investigation: Worthwhile Mathematical Tasks

• Investigation: Promoting Discourse in the Mathematics Classroom

• Investigation: Concrete Models and Representation

• Examining Student Work

• Formative Assessment

• Engagement in the Mathematics Classroom

• Co-Teaching in the Mathematics Classroom

High Leverage Professional Development Experience for Math Teachers - BELIEFS

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• Examining Equity in the Mathematics Classroom

• Grading for Student Learning in Mathematics

High Leverage Professional Development Experience for Math Teachers - LEADERSHIP

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• Learning to Lead Mathematics Professional Development ©

• Content-Focused Coaching - Mathematics

• Using Observation to Improve Mathematics Instruction

Next Steps…

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• Meet as a leadership team to conduct a needs assessments and create a plan for professional development.

• Solicit our offices to support the design of the plan*

• Stay informed and ask questions…

• www.corestandards.org

Questions

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