ASCD & Common Core State Standards

1. ASCD & Common Core State Standards Illinois ASCD Common Core Symposium October 25, 2010

2. Common Core State Standards Initiative • Mission • Common set of K-12 Language arts & Math standards • Internationally benchmarked • Useful to teachers, accessible to parents • Prepare students for college & career • Key content & cognitive skills • State voluntary adoption • Spring 2009 • 48 states commit

3. ASCD Perspective • Spring 2009 • ASCD year long review of issue • Standards • National standards • Common Core • Recommendation

4. ASCD Perspective • Main concerns • Speed & opaqueness of adoption process • Kentucky & Hawaii • Lack of announcements – AZ, NJ, RI, KS, NM

5. ASCD Perspective • Main concerns • Involvement of federal officials • State-led • Duncan top priority • Race to the Top requirement • Eligibility • Grant criteria • Obama ESEA Blueprint • Common standards a Title I requirement

6. ASCD Perspective • Federal involvement • 1998 Clinton voluntary national tests • States • 4th & 8th grade NAEP reading and math exams • Republican Congress opposition • 2010 • Republican Congress?

7. ASCD Perspective • Common Core • Traditional state standard process • Near universal involvement • Same timing • Not national standards but… • De facto national standards

8. ASCD Position on Standards Development and Implementation • Support high standards for student learning and achievement • State-led • Transparent • Implemented accordingly • Educates the whole child through a broad and rich curriculum. • Contains global competencies that develop the skills, knowledge, and attitudes to work effectively in an increasingly interdependent world.

9. ASCD Implementation Principles • Provides equity in learning conditions for all students. • Ensures effective instruction that results in increased learning for all students. • Expands assessment options in measuring progress toward attaining the standards while maintaining accountability for results.

10. ASCD Implementation Principles • Relies on multiple indicators for assessing student performance and achievement; • Develops coherent policies that support and align teacher preparation, licensure, and ongoing professional development requirements and activities.

11. ASCD Implementation Principles • Educator representation • All levels • Development, implementation, evaluation • Maintains ongoing support among policymakers, educators, parents, and communities to secure necessary resources for the standards

12. Common Core Implementation • Concerns • Other core subjects • Higher ed alignment • Funding • ESEA

13. Common Core Implementation • Opportunities • Assessments • Consortia • Economies of scale • Teacher prep, licensure, PD • Whole Child education

14. ASCD Implementation • ASCD work • Professional development • New tools for educators • Help understand the standards • More targeted • More robust • Lesson plans • Utilize assessments

15. ASCD Implementation • Whole Child Education • New appreciation • More comprehensive support for student learning • Healthy, safe, engaged, supported, challenged

16. Common Core • Astonishing accomplishment • Standards • Adoption • A beginning, not an end

17. ASCD & Common Core State Standards Illinois ASCD Common Core Symposium October 25, 2010 David Griffith dgriffith@ascd.org