School Leaders and the Common Core: Preparing Students for College & Career Readiness
An Overview
Presenters:Natasha Vasavada, Executive Director, Research and Development, College BoardDick Flanary, Senior Director, Leadership Programs and Services, NASSPMel Riddile, Associate Director for High School Services, NASSP
Webinar Series Key Messages
• The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) requires a shift in focus from high school completion to college and career readiness for all students
• The CCSS will radically change curricula, state assessments, school culture and professional development
• Principals and school leaders must play a key role for effective implementation
• This six part webinar series will give principals and school leaders the knowledge to be proactive and prepared
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Presenters
Natasha VasavadaExecutive Director, Standards and Curriculum Alignment Services, Research and DevelopmentCollege Board
Mel RiddileAssociate Director for High School ServicesNASSP
Richard FlanarySenior Director, Leadership Programs and ServicesNASSP
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The College Board
• Helped develop standards• Served on advisory committee guiding the
initiative• Provided research on college readiness skills• Continues involvement to assist states and
districts in implementation
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NASSP
• Participated in review and vetting of ELA and math standards
• Is helping school leaders understand the magnitude of change the Common Core will introduce
• Has a successful track record in Breaking Ranks school improvement
• Holds an extensive history in principal skills assessment and development
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SurveysWhat is your role/position in your school?A) PrincipalB) Assistant or Associate PrincipalC) Department HeadD) TeacherE) CounselorF) Other
How much do you know about the Common Core State Standards and how this will affect your school?
A) I have a thorough understandingB) I have some understandingC) I know very littleD) I don’t know anything
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What is the Common Core?• A state-led effort to develop a common set of standards in
English language arts and math that:• Align college and workplace expectations• Are rigorous and evidence-based
• The CCSS have been adopted by 46 states• The CCSS will affect all public schools in adopted states
• Implementation beginning now• New state assessments in 2014-15
• A parallel effort is underway to develop Next Generation Science Standards that will be released by December 2012
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Common Core = Major Change and Mindset
Shift
• The Common Core State Standards:• Are for all students, not just students seeking accelerated
learning.• Will impact all teachers, not just ELA and math teachers.• Is happening now.
• School level leaders will need to play a central role in implementing the new standards and in cultivating this mindset shift.
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We need to shift our focus from high school completion to college and career readiness for all students.
Why Common Core State Standards?
Issue #1: Inconsistent State Standards
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Remediation rates and costs are staggering• As much as 40% of all students entering 4-year colleges need remediation in one or more courses• As much as 63% in 2-year colleges
Degree attainment rates are disappointing•Fewer than 42% of adults aged 25-34 hold college degrees
Source: The College Completion Agenda 2010 Progress Report, The College Board 10
Why Common Core State Standards?
Issue #2: Low College Completion Rates
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Why Common Core State Standards?
Issue #3: More Students Need a More Rigorous Curriculum
• Adelman et al. (2003)– 15% of students in the top quintile in academic rigor required
remediation– 57% of students in the bottom quintile in academic rigor required
remediation• Adelman (2006)
– 83% of students whose highest math class was calculus graduated within 8 years
– 40% of students whose highest math class was Algebra II graduated within 8 years
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Benefits of Common Core State Standards
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Features of the Common Core State Standards – English
Language Arts
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• Balance between informational text and literature• Comprehending complex texts• Writing in response to texts• Conducting and reporting on research• Language and grammar skills• Speaking and listening• Cross-content literacy
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Features of the Common Core State Standards – Math
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• Emphasis on mathematical practices• Attention to focus and coherence• Increased focus on algebra in middle grades• Problem solving and reasoning• Mathematical modeling• Standards for STEM readiness
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Common Core: A Fast Timeline
Dec. 2011
46 States Have Adopted CCSS
2014 - 2015
Participating States Administer New CCSS Assessments
Implementation is NOW!
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What comes next after adoption?
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Understanding Current Alignment
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Alignment is one of the first steps for states and districts towards implementing the Common Core.
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Changes in Curriculum and Instruction
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The Common Core will require significant curricular and instructional shifts that will impact all classrooms.
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Professional Development
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To effectively implement and embrace the Common Core, rich professional development will be required.
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Common Assessments
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The assessment systems will:
• Provide a common measure of college and career readiness
• Be computer-based and include innovative item types
• Measure higher order skills and application of knowledge through multiple assessment formats
• Include formative assessments and performance tasks
• Provide timely data to educators and parents
• Ensure comparable expectations regardless of where students live
Two state consortia are building assessment systems to measure the Common Core State Standards.
Common Core Implementation Support for School Level
Leaders
Six-part webinar series:1. Common Core Overview
2. Curriculum and Instruction: English Language Arts Standards
3. Curriculum and Instruction: Math Standards
4. School Wide Instructional Practices
5. Leadership
6. Culture and Climate
Online community (www.edweb.net/ccss4leaders)
The College Board and the National Association of Secondary School Principals have partnered together to provide Common Core resources
specifically tailored for school leaders.
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Questions and Comments
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Send questions and comments through the Q&A window located on the lower-right hand corner of your monitor.
Resources
• NASSP and College Board Online Community and Resources: www.edweb.net/ccss4leaders
• The Common Core State Standards Initiative: http://www.corestandards.org/
• SMARTER Balanced: http://www.k12.wa.us/smarter/• PARCC: http://www.parcconline.org/• K-12 Center at ETS Guide to the Assessment Consortia:
http://www.k12center.org/publications/assessment_consortia.html
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Upcoming Webinars
• English Language Arts Standards - Feb. 1 at 4 p.m. EST• Math Standards - Feb. 15 at 4 p.m. EST• School Wide Instructional Practices - Feb. 29 at 4 p.m. EST• School Leadership Role - March 14 at 4 p.m. EST• Changing School Culture and Climate - March 28 at
4 p.m. EST
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