Back to School UPDATE! Common Core/Essential Standards Social Studies Curriculum Information

Back to School UPDATE!Common Core/Essential StandardsSocial Studies Curriculum Information Adam H Perrow Curriculum Facilitator, Secondary Social Studies ahperrow@gaston.k12.nc.us

GCS Social Studies Wiki • Quick, easy resource for pacing/curriculum guides • Database of lessons • Common Core/Essential Standards Info. http://gcssocialstudies.wikispaces.com/

Newspapers in Education (NIE) • Ordering Information • Affidavits • Curriculum/Resources • E-Edition access • Why E-Edition? • www.gastongazette.com

Gaston County Board of Elections • Push for more participation from the youth in Gaston County. • As of 8/4/2011 only 531 registered voters who are 18. • In the 2010 General Election only 540 citizens age 18-21 voted. • Board of Elections is willing to partner with teachers and can provide: • Guest speakers • Lunch time registration campaigns • Voting booths for school elections/class elections • Voter registration day/week

GCS Grading Policy Middle School Highlights High School Highlights All required to have syllabus Minimum of 2 tests- 65% Minimum of 4 quizzes- 20% Daily work/homework- 15% (amount decided by PLC) Enter grades weekly in NCWISE ReTeach & ReTest for those scoring below an 85 on major test grades. • All required to have syllabus • Minimum of 3 Tests- 50% • Minimum of 9 daily work/ quizzes- 40% • Homework- %10 (amount decided by PLC) • Enter grades weekly in NCWISE

2010-2011 Social Studies EOC Data Civics & Economics US History

So what do I do now? • Stay the course! • Benchmarks will be in place for ALL core Social Studies courses (6th, 7th & 8th grade) or (World, Civics and US). • New benchmarks- built using Think Gate • End of Course exams will be in place for ALLcore Social Studies courses at the high school level.

The Common Core and Essential Standards A Plan for Change

What is the Common Core? • State led effort coordinated by the National Governor’s • Association Center and Council of Chief State School • Officers • NC is one of 48 states, District of Columbia and two • territories to adopt Common Core • Federal government was not involved • in the process • Developed by teachers, administrators • and experts • Consistent framework

What is the Common Core? • English Language Arts and Math Standards • K - 12 • Fewer, clearer, higher standards • Aligned to college and work expectations • Rigorous content and application • of knowledge through higher • order skills • Evidence based

What are the Essential Standards? • Adopted by North Carolina in June 2010 • Written using Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy • Revised Bloom’s categorizes cognitive and knowledge dimension • Revised Bloom’s built on modern cognitive research • Moves to complex thinking expected for 21st Century graduates

EssentialStandards • Arts Education • Healthful Living • Information and Technology Skills • Science • Social Studies • World Languages • CTE, Guidance and Early Learning (2011)

What will it look like in my school? Social Studies • Written and organized around 5 strands: history, geography and environmental literacy, civics and governance, economics and financial literacy, and culture. • Strands provide framework for studying grade-specific concepts. • Sixth grade- Changes from European and South American focus to a comparative exploration of cultures all across the globe. • Seventh grade- Changes from African, Asian, and Australian focus to comparative exploration of cultures all across the globe. • Eighth grade- Changes from North Carolina History to an integrated study of North Carolina and United States History. • Civics and Economics- A large focus on Personal Financial Literacy. • United States History- Every student will take 2 US History courses. • 1st – European exploration through Reconstruction • 2nd- Reconstruction through the 21st century.

What will the standards mean for students? • Clarity and consistency in expectations • Equal opportunity for education • More rigorous standards and assessments • More authentic learning • Online assessments • Preparation for college and workforce

What will the standards mean for teachers? • New standards • Next generation assessments • Required professional development • Change

Moving towards implementation…

Step 1 Identification of Teacher Leader Teams (TLT) • At least 1 representative from each school • Represent their subject • Involved in meetings throughout the year and during the summer of 2012 • Serve as a liaison between Instruction Department & schools while leading the implementation effort at their respective site.

Step 2 Back to School Introduction to Common Core and Essential Standards • Meetings scheduled with Principals, Assistant Principals, Teachers • What is Common Core and the Essential Standards? • Rationale behind them? • Presentation of Professional Dev. Plan

Step 3 Teacher Leadership Team Meetings: • 5 throughout the year • Charged with creating pacing guides, curriculum guides • Provide school-based support and instruction • Summer 2012: Benchmark, common assessment creation.

Step 4 • Mandatory Professional Development Days • 5 mandatory teacher sessions • Divided by content area and grade level • August 22nd- • Provide Common Core rollout plan • Overview of Common Core/Essential Standards • August 23rd- • Provide Common Core rollout plan • Overview of Common Core/Essential Standards

Step 4 • Mandatory Professional Development Days • October 14th – • Provide copies of Common Core/Essential Standards and Crosswalks • Provide Unpacked Content • March 16th- • Provide drafts of documents and resources completed by TLT. • Provide instructions for feedback

Step 4 • Mandatory Professional Development Days • June 11th- • School-site PLC and faculty meetings for distribution of final county documents and implementation plan for 2012-2013.

Step 4 • Summer Institutes • TLT and Curriculum Facilitators • Development of benchmarks and common assessments that align with the new standards

Along the Way… NC FALCON: The 5 online professional development modules located in NC FALCON are intended to serve as a primer for teachers to learn more about the impact formative assessment can have on their instruction and help their students achieve targeted learning goals.

Along the Way… Module Completion Schedule • August 23, 2011- Call for Change • September 8, 2011- NC Professional Teaching Standards • October 7, 2011- Understanding the Standards • October 28, 2011- Developing Local Curricula • February 1, 2012- Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy

Learned Helplessness A person who repeatedly encounters irresolvable crises may learn, over time, to behave helplessly. This behavior that developed from past experience often prevents the person from recognizing, or acting upon, opportunities to improve a problematic situation in the present.

Back to School UPDATE!Common Core/Essential StandardsSocial Studies Curriculum Information Adam H Perrow Curriculum Facilitator, Secondary Social Studies ahperrow@gaston.k12.nc.us

Back to School UPDATE! Common Core/Essential Standards Social Studies Curriculum Information