Saturday, October 31, 2015

CCSS

The Common Core State Standards

Over the years, as a parent, I’ve always wondered, “What are the Common Core State Standards?” But I’ve never had anyone explain this to me.  Well, through my recent research I’ve learned a great deal about the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), also well known as the Common Core.  In short, the Common Core is a set of standards that brings about key shifts in education to ensure students are ready for not only college, but also their career and life in general.  In a time when the education system of America was dealing with the consequences of George Bush’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB), teach to the test atmosphere, the standards and focus of the Common Core were difficult to understand.  The following are the key shifts that the Common Core demanded:


So what does this mean?  Basically, greater expectations! The Common Core desired new and more rigorous academic expectations from the students especially in English and Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics to keep up with the international peers.  The designers of the Common Core didn’t outline how the teacher should teach but rather what the students must know and be able to do by the end of each grade.  This allowed for teachers to get their autonomy back in how they taught in the classroom based on the diversity and needs of the students.  Thus the reason it was so readily accepted in the beginning.  Through the increased expectations, the students would be able to solve problems with more time, using a variety of tools available to them.  Students would be able to demonstrate their mastery of complex test items using a variety of answering techniques.  Furthermore, the students would now be able to cite evidence, substantiate answers, and defend their conclusions.  The focus is not only on writing and increased critical thinking skills but also on demonstrating skills in technology.  If you think about it, the Common Core provided a staircase for the students to climb once a skill or topic was mastered.

Here’s an example of the English and Language Arts staircase by grade:
  • Reading Comprehension using more informative and literary text
  • Writing Skills including research, making arguments, and providing explanations
  • Speaking and Listening including the presentation of increasingly complex information
  • Language Skills including vocabulary development and format English facility.  (http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/)

Here’s an example of the Mathematics staircase by grade:
  • Counting & Cardinality
  • Operations & Algebraic Thinking
  • Numbers & Operations (Base 10 and fractions)
  • Measurement & Data
  • Geometry
  • Ratios & Proportional Relationships
  • The Number System
  • Expressions & Equations
  • Functions
  • Statistics & Probability  (http://www.corestandards.org/Math/)

Wow!  Isn’t this exactly what we need?  Well, yes but how was this going to be possible?  The idea of the common core was not to simply allow students to know that four times three equals twelve.  It demanded that the students understand why four times three equals twelve.  Meaning: no more memorizing facts but rather learning the basics to be able to explain the how and the why behind a fact.  Thus, the students needed to be able to understand that if there are four students at each table, and there are three tables, there are a total of twelve students.  Not only will the students need to be able to calculate this with the scenario provided but also be able to show a diagram or an array to prove their point.  Are you thinking what I’m thinking . . . this means more word problems!  But, with the new method of teaching, the new standards, students will not dread word problems anymore rather they will welcome them because of their increased comprehension and mastery of basic skills.

Isn’t this exactly what everyone has been waiting for?  Don’t all parents and teachers want their kids to be smart?  So, why do we have so many who are opposed to it?  Well, the Common Core State Standards were developed in 2009, released in 2010 and readily adopted by 45 states.  But the problem, in my opinion, was in its implementation and the tests that accompanied them.  Due to the NCLB, teachers had grown accustomed to teaching what was going to be on the test, and basically asking students to memorize facts.  They weren’t necessarily teaching anymore, they were parroting.  To implement such a drastic change in the educational sector, proper planning was crucial to its success.  And this is where we failed.  Teachers were not provided the necessary training to ensure they understood what they were to do in the classroom as a result of these new standards.  Many educators sought guidance but didn’t receive it.  Many educators saw issues that needed to be addressed, but no one listened.  Thus, instead of students learning more and test scores improving, after two decades of steady growth, test scores took a fall shocking everyone in the process.  Well, the teachers now have the attention they deserve.  Although, it’s common for good results to take time when a new idea is implemented but can we really be that careless when we have the responsibility of so many kids on our hands? No!
               
With the active help of many organizations including the National Education Association (NEA) and American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the officials went back to the drawing board and modified their implementation process.  To ensure consistency, the modified Common Core Standards Implementation Process looks something like this:

  1. Identify and ensure shared understanding of relevant standards
  2. Determine acceptable evidence and criteria
  3. Decide what evidence-based learning experiences will address student needs, interests and learning styles
  4. Teach and collect evidence of student learning
  5. Analyze student work to inform instruction or to provide feedback and focus for data teams
  6. Evaluate student work, make judgment and communicate findings
  7. Re-plan, re-teach or repeat the process.
Whew! Much better!  Understanding of this modified process and the wonderful world of resources available through various organizations such as BetterLesson, ShareMyLesson, and the TeachingChannel, the teachers are better equipped to do what they do best, teach.

But what about the Core Tests that takes too long to provide results and require a passing score that only about 40% of the students achieve?  Well we need to get rid of the standardized testing, online testing in particular, which does nothing but help “rank” the students well after they’ve moved on to another grade, with another teacher.  These tests should only be used as one measure of student success, not the final measure.  Honestly, many students simply get very nervous during a test and do not perform well with all the anxiety about the consequences of not doing well on them.  Many will also simply get tired because the tests are too long.  We need to reduce the length and amount of tests we conduct and the method in which we test must be changed.  Yes, testing can be a great tool to measure if a student has learned a topic, but it cannot be the final verdict.  It’s possible that they have learned a lot but simply need more time to learn the topic completely before going to the next step on the staircase.  The tests need to be designed in a manner in which they verify the learning of the concept and are reviewed and scored by a human, not a computer.  It is completely possible for a student to get the wrong answer on a math problem due to a calculation error, but if a human is looking at the test, and sees the steps taken to solve the problem, they will see that it was simply a computation error, but the understanding of the concept is there.

Even with the setbacks and recent events in the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, I feel that the idea behind these standards is valuable and the goal is achievable.  It will take time but with proper training, availability of resources and the application of modifications as necessary can bring about the greater learning, and increased achievements of the higher expectations.

Key Organizations

National Education Association (NEA): This organization has more than 3 million members from the educational industry and is focusing on “advancing the cause of public education.” (http://www.nea.org/home/2580.htm)  NEA provides various resources for educators including information on the latest educational issues, lesson plans, ideas for classroom management, teaching strategies and much more.  In regards to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), NEA in partnership with BetterLesson has developed a Master Teacher Project which allows for teachers to share their best teaching practices.  The Master Teacher Project has gathered over 130 qualified teachers to share each lesson they teach in Math, English and Language Arts (ELA), and Science using videos, activities ideas, and provide reflections on what worked and what didn’t.  By simply visiting www.betterlesson.com you can access numerous effective teaching practices, even their latest project called Blended Learning which allows teachers to have multiple learning models for various topics using resources like technology, books, group activities, parent involvement and much more.  NEA is a wonderful resource for teachers interested in staying on top of the common core state standards.  Educators can also get the latest news by signing up for neaToday or following them on social sites including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) comprises of a group of individuals who value high-quality public education which prepares children for “life, citizenship, career and college.” (http://www.aft.org/resolution/role-standards-public-education) Members of AFT have faith in the CCSS and will continue to provide support and assistance in professional development for educators, providing valuable resources onwww.sharemylesson.com, awarding AFT Innovation Fund grants and much more.  However, due to the disappointments in implementation of the standards and the recorded failures in the common core assessments, it will only continue its support “until such time as all the essential elements of a comprehensive, equitable standards-based system, including the technological infrastructure, are in place.” (http://www.aft.org/resolution/role-standards-public-education)

Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nonprofit organization that expresses its views on educational issues to the appropriate agencies upon reaching an agreement with its members.  CCSSO has hosted webinars to assist educators on the implementation of the Common Core State Standards.  These we webinars can be found onhttp://www.ccsso.org/Resources/Digital_Resources/Common_Core_Webinar_Series.html for viewing.  Those who prefer to view more recent webinars can go to http://programs.ccsso.org/iccs/iccs_subscribe.html to sign up.  CCSSO is staying abreast on the key happening revolving around CCSS and has recently voiced their support for CCSS after the release of the 2015 NAEP results.  Although these results of the NAEP are not the best, there has been improvement on college entrance exams scores and an increase in graduation rates.  The Executive Director stated, “We know things will not change overnight, and we must give students and teachers the time they need to adjust to higher standards.” (http://www.ccsso.org/News_and_Events/Press_Releases/CCSSO_Executive_Director%E2%80%99s_Statement_on_2015_NAEP_Results__.html)

The formation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) came about in 2009 when 49 states and territories agreed to participate in the process to develop common standards in English and Language Arts (ELA) and Math.  A complete timeline can be found on http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/development-process/ which details the full developmental process and its status today.  This website provides guidance on what the standards are based on your state, explains how CCSS actually works to develop critical thinking, and provides the necessary skills for success in college, career, and in life in general.


References

Press Release Council of Chief State School Officers CCSSO. (2015, October 28). Retrieved October 30, 2015, fromhttp://www.ccsso.org/News_and_Events/Press_Releases/CCSSO_Executive_Director%E2%80%99s_Statement_on_2015_NAEP_Results__.html

American Federation of Teachers  AFT Resolution: The Role of Standards in Public Education. (2014). Retrieved October 30, 2015, from http://www.aft.org/resolution/role-standards-public-education

Strauss, Valerie. (2014, January 18). Everything you need to know about Common Core – Ravitch.Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2014/01/18/everything-you-need-to-know-about-common-core-ravitch/

Hernandez, Javier C. (2014, June 14). Common Core, in 9-Year-Old Eyes. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/15/education/common-core-in-9-year-old-eyes.html?_r=1

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics  Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. Retrieved October 30, 2015, fromhttp://www.nctm.org/uploadedFiles/Standards_and_Positions/Common_Core_State_Standards/Math_Standards.pdf

National Council of Teachers of English Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. Retrieved October 30, 2015, fromhttp://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf

Common Core State Standards: Read the Standards. Retrieved October 30, 2015, fromhttp://www.corestandards.org/read-the-standards/

Common Core State Standards: English Language Arts Standards. Retrieved October 30, 2015, fromhttp://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/

Common Core State Standards: Mathematics Standards. Retrieved October 30, 2015, fromhttp://www.corestandards.org/Math/
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