Common Core Standards

1. FEWER… HIGHER… CLEARER… Common Core Standards Allen Sylvester, Ph.D. allen@sylvester.net Debbie Sylvester debbie@sylvester.net June 2010

2. Gains or Losses??? • Age 9 NAEP math: • 1986 to 1990 (+8 points) and 1999 to 2004 (+9 points) approximately 2 points per year gains. • 2004 to 2008 (+4 points) only 1 point per year - rates have declined since • NCLB. Age 13 NAEP math: • 1999 to 2004 (+5 points), or 1 point per year. • 2004 to 2008 (+2 points), or half a point per year. • Age 17 math: • 1999 to 2004 essentially no change • 2004 to 2008 flat to slightly lower

3. Gains or Losses??? • Age 9 NAEP math: • From 2004-08, the black-white gap widened by 2 points and the Hispanic-white gap remained unchanged, with no changes being statistically significant.  • Age 13 NAEP math:  • From 2004 to 2008, the black-white score gap closed 2 points and the Hispanic-white score gap remained unchanged, with no changes being statistically significant.  • Age 17 math: • The black-white gap closed one point from 2004-2008, while the Hispanic-white gap widened by two points, with no changes being statistically significant. 

4. Advance Organizer • History of Standards in Kansas • (How did we get here?) • What is the “Common Core” all about? • Why is the “Common Core” important/good for everyone? • Why do we need a change now? • What do they look like? • What happens next? • NCLB vs. “Blueprint” (if time allows)

5. How did we get here? Part 1: (the “good old days..”) • 1983 – A Nation at Risk; the beginning of standards-based education. • 1989 – NCTM first edition of “Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics” was published. • 1990 – KATM (NOT KSDE) under the direction of Sue Neal created a document called Kansas Curriculum Standards. • 1993 – KSDE Standards committee (Kim Gattis) • the first “official” KS Math Standards • written for "end of grade 4th grade", "end of 8th grade" and “10th grade”. • 1997 – KSDE Standards committee (Kim Gattis) revised version 1993. • It took 7 drafts before the 1999 version was accepted by KSBE. • 2000 -- New state assessments were created • testing at grades 4, 7 and 10.

6. And then….

7. How did we get here? Part 2: (The Empire Strikes Back…) • 2001 – No Child Left…Behind. • Testing in grades 3-8, and once in High School. • Initially used the 1999 assessments & standards • 2002 – KSDE (Ethel Edwards) • It took 11 drafts before it was approved in July 2003 by KSBE. • New state assessments based on this version started in spring 2006. • 2007 – ESEA (NCLB) due for reauthorization, no action taken • 2009 – Barak Obama elected President • 2009 – Economic “downturn” And then…

8. How did we get here? Part 3: (A New Hope…) • 2009 – RACE TO THE TOP! • September 2009 – NGA & CCSSO publish “College & Career Ready Standards” • December 2009 – CCSSO releases “Common Core” to States • KSDE convenes the fourth “Standards Committee” • To revise KS standards in compliance with RTTT • January 2009 – RTTT application due, Kansas submits application • March 2009 – Public draft of “Common Core” released. • March 2009 – Kansas doesn’t win RTTT funding. • June 2009 – Final draft of “Common Core” released.

9. Race to the Top? …As you may know, the Kansas State Board of Education voted unanimously last week to not apply for funding in Phase II of the Race to the Top grant. After placing 29th in Phase I of the competition, staff from the Kansas State Department of Education carefully analyzed the reviewers’ comments and concluded there was little chance of earning the necessary points in the second round. Kansas is proud to be a local-control state in terms of education, and The Race to the Top competition simply does not appear to favor such states… --Letter from KSBE to Sec. Duncan, April 23, 2010

10. What is the Common Core State Standards Initiative? “The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a significant and historic opportunity for states to collectively develop and adopt a core set of academic standards in mathematics and English language arts.” – NGA, 2010. • A common core of standards that are: • Internationally benchmarked • Aligned with work and post-secondary • Inclusive of higher order skills • Based on research and evidence • Inclusive of rigorous content and skills From Dr. Alexa Posney’s May 2009 presentation “Common Core Standards”

11. Why is this important? • Currently, every state has its own set of academic standards, which means public education students in each state are learning at different levels. • All students must be prepared to compete with not only their American peers in the next state, but with students from around the world. • 48 states and 3 territories have signed on to the Common Core State Standards Initiative led by the NGA and CCSSO. • This initiative will potentially affect 43.5 million students which is about 87% of the student population.(Source: SchoolDataDirect.org; 2007) From Dr. Alexa Posney’s May 2009 presentation “Common Core Standards”

12. Why is a common core of state standards good for parents? • Helps parents understand exactly what students need to know and be able to do • Helps parents support their children and educators by making expectations clear and goals high • Provides equal access to a high quality education • Provides opportunities to meaningfully engage parents From Dr. Alexa Posney’s May 2009 presentation “Common Core Standards”

13. Why is a common core of state standards good for educators? • Allows for more focused pre-service and professional development • Assures that what is taught is aligned with assessments including formative, summative, and benchmarking • Provides the opportunity for instructors to tailor curriculum and teaching methods • Informs the development of a curriculum that promotes deep understanding for all children From Dr. Alexa Posney’s May 2009 presentation “Common Core Standards”

14. Why is a common core of state standards good for states? • Allows states to align curricula to internationally benchmarked standards • Allows states to ensure professional development for educators is based on best practices • Creates the opportunity for America to compete for high-wage, high-skill jobs in a knowledge-based economy • Allows for the development of a common assessment • Gives states the opportunity to compare and evaluate policies that affect student achievement across states • Creates potential economies of scale around areas such as curriculum development and assessment From Dr. Alexa Posney’s May 2009 presentation “Common Core Standards”

15. Why is a common core of state standards good for students? • It will help prepare students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in college and careers • Expectations will be consistent for all kids and not dependent on a student’s zip code • It will help students with transitions between states • Clearer standards will help students understand what is expected of them and allow for more self-directed learning by students From Dr. Alexa Posney’s May 2009 presentation “Common Core Standards”

16. P20 Alignment Team The Kansas P20 Council will determine how well prepared high school students are to continue their education, enter the workforce, or participate in training in the work force by forming a P20 Alignment Team. From Dr. Alexa Posney’s May 2009 presentation “Common Core Standards”

17. What the “common core standards” look like: • Fewer, clearer, and higher • Articulate to parents, teachers, and the general public expectations for what students will know and be able to do, grade by grade, and when they graduate from high school • Internationally benchmarked • Research and evidence based • Ready for states to adopt (Kentucky already has…)

18. How to read the Common Core grade level standards • Standards define what students should understand and be able to do. • Clusters are groups of related standards. • Domains are larger groups of related standards.

19. Kindergarten (overview only) Counting and Cardinality • Know number names and the count sequence. • Count to tell the number of objects. • Compare numbers. Operations and Algebraic Thinking • Understand addition as putting together and adding to, and understand subtraction as taking apart and taking from. Number and Operations in Base Ten • Work with numbers 11–19 to gain foundations for place value. Measurement and Data • Describe and compare measurable attributes. • Classify objects and count the number of objects in categories. Geometry • Identify and describe shapes. • Analyze, compare, create, and compose shapes.

20. 1st Grade (overview only) Operations and Algebraic Thinking • Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction. • Understand and apply properties of operations and the relationship between addition and subtraction. • Add and subtract within 20. • Work with addition and subtraction equations. Number and Operations in Base Ten • Extend the counting sequence. • Understand place value. • Use place value understanding and properties of operations to add and subtract. Measurement and Data • Measure lengths indirectly and by iterating length units. • Tell and write time. • Represent and interpret data. Geometry • Reason with shapes and their attributes.

21. 2nd Grade (overview only) Operations and Algebraic Thinking • Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction. • Add and subtract within 20. • Work with equal groups of objects to gain foundations for multiplication. Number and Operations in Base Ten • Understand place value. • Use place value understanding and properties of operations to add and subtract. Measurement and Data • Measure and estimate lengths in standard units. • Relate addition and subtraction to length. • Work with time and money. • Represent and interpret data. Geometry • Reason with shapes and their attributes.

22. 3rd Grade (overview only) Operations and Algebraic Thinking • Represent and solve problems involving multiplication and division. • Understand properties of multiplication and the relationship between multiplication and division. • Multiply and divide within 100. • Solve problems involving the four operations, and identify and explain patterns in arithmetic. Number and Operations in Base Ten • Use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic. Number and Operations—Fractions • Develop understanding of fractions as numbers. Measurement and Data • Solve problems involving measurement and estimation of intervals of time, liquid volumes, and masses of objects. • Represent and interpret data. • Geometric measurement: understand concepts of area and relate area to multiplication and to addition. • Geometric measurement: recognize perimeter as an attribute of plane figures and distinguish between linear and area measures. Geometry • Reason with shapes and their attributes.

23. 4th Grade (overview only) Operations and Algebraic Thinking • Use the four operations with whole numbers to solve problems. • Gain familiarity with factors and multiples. • Generate and analyze patterns. Number and Operations in Base Ten • Generalize place value understanding for multidigit whole numbers. • Use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic. Number and Operations—Fractions • Extend understanding of fraction equivalence and ordering. • Build fractions from unit fractions by applying and extending previous understandings of operations on whole numbers. • Understand decimal notation for fractions, and compare decimal fractions. Measurement and Data • Solve problems involving measurement and conversion of measurements from a larger unit to a smaller unit. • Represent and interpret data. • Geometric measurement: understand concepts of angle and measure angles. Geometry • Draw and identify lines and angles, and classify shapes by properties of their lines and angles.

24. 5th Grade (overview only) Operations and Algebraic Thinking • Write and interpret numerical expressions. • Analyze patterns and relationships. Number and Operations in Base Ten • Understand the place value system. • Perform operations with multi-digit whole numbers and with decimals to hundredths. Number and Operations—Fractions • Use equivalent fractions as a strategy to add and subtract fractions. • Apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication and division to multiply and divide fractions. Measurement and Data • Convert like measurement units within a given measurement system. • Represent and interpret data. • Geometric measurement: understand concepts of volume and relate volume to multiplication and to addition. Geometry • Graph points on the coordinate plane to solve real-world and mathematical problems. • Classify two-dimensional figures into categories based on their properties.

25. 6th Grade (overview only) Ratios and Proportional Relationships • Understand ratio concepts and use ratio reasoning to solve problems. The Number System • Apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication and division to divide fractions by fractions. • Compute fluently with multi-digit numbers and find common factors and multiples. • Apply and extend previous understandings of numbers to the system of rational numbers. Expressions and Equations • Apply and extend previous understandings of arithmetic to algebraic expressions. • Reason about and solve one-variable equations and inequalities. • Represent and analyze quantitative relationships between dependent and independent variables. Geometry • Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving area, surface area, and volume. Statistics and Probability • Develop understanding of statistical variability. • Summarize and describe distributions.

26. 7th Grade (overview only) Ratios and Proportional Relationships • Analyze proportional relationships and use them to solve real-world and mathematical problems. The Number System • Apply and extend previous understandings of operations with fractions to add, subtract, multiply, and divide rational numbers. Expressions and Equations • Use properties of operations to generate equivalent expressions. • Solve real-life and mathematical problems using numerical and algebraic expressions and equations. Geometry • Draw, construct and describe geometrical figures and describe the relationships between them. • Solve real-life and mathematical problems involving angle measure, area, surface area, and volume. Statistics and Probability • Use random sampling to draw inferences about a population. • Draw informal comparative inferences about two populations. • Investigate chance processes and develop, use, and evaluate probability models.

27. 8th Grade (overview only) The Number System • Know that there are numbers that are not rational, and approximate them by rational numbers. Expressions and Equations • Work with radicals and integer exponents. • Understand the connections between proportional relationships, lines, and linear equations. • Analyze and solve linear equations and pairs of simultaneous linear equations. Functions • Define, evaluate, and compare functions. • Use functions to model relationships between quantities. Geometry • Understand congruence and similarity using physical models, transparencies, or geometry software. • Understand and apply the Pythagorean Theorem. • Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving volume of cylinders, cones and spheres. Statistics and Probability • Investigate patterns of association in bivariate data.

28. High School (Part 1 of 5) Number and Quantity (Overview) The Real Number System • Extend the properties of exponents to rational exponents • Use properties of rational and irrational numbers. Quantities • Reason quantitatively and use units to solve problems The Complex Number System • Perform arithmetic operations with complex numbers • Represent complex numbers and their operations on the complex plane • Use complex numbers in polynomial identities and equations Vector and Matrix Quantities • Represent and model with vector quantities. • Perform operations on vectors. • Perform operations on matrices and use matrices in applications.

29. High School (Part 2 of 5) Algebra (Overview) Seeing Structure in Expressions • Interpret the structure of expressions • Write expressions in equivalent forms to solve problems Arithmetic with Polynomials and Rational Functions • Perform arithmetic operations on polynomials • Understand the relationship between zeros and factors of polynomials • Use polynomial identities to solve problems • Rewrite rational expressions Creating Equations • Create equations that describe numbers or relationships Reasoning with Equations and Inequalities • Understand solving equations as a process of reasoning and explain the reasoning • Solve equations and inequalities in one variable • Solve systems of equations • Represent and solve equations and inequalities graphically

30. High School (Part 3 of 5) Functions (Overview) Interpreting Functions • Understand the concept of a function and use function notation • Interpret functions that arise in applications in terms of the context • Analyze functions using different representations Building Functions • Build a function that models a relationship between two quantities • Build new functions from existing functions Linear, Quadratic, and Exponential Models • Construct and compare linear and exponential models and solve problems • Interpret expressions for functions in terms of the situation they model Trigonometric Functions • Extend the domain of trigonometric functions using the unit circle • Model periodic phenomena with trigonometric functions • Prove and apply trigonometric identities

31. High School (Part 4 of 5) Geometry (Overview) Congruence • Experiment with transformations in the plane • Understand congruence in terms of rigid motions • Prove geometric theorems • Make geometric constructions Similarity, Right Triangles, and Trigonometry • Understand similarity in terms of similarity transformations • Prove theorems involving similarity • Define trigonometric ratios and solve problems involving right triangles • Apply trigonometry to general triangles Circles • Understand and apply theorems about circles • Find arc lengths and areas of sectors of circles Expressing Geometric Properties with Equations • Translate between the geometric description and the equation for a conic section • Use coordinates to prove simple geometric theorems algebraically Geometric Measurement and Dimension • Explain volume formulas and use them to solve problems • Visualize relationships between two dimensional and three-dimensional objects Modeling with Geometry • Apply geometric concepts in modeling situations

32. High School (Part 5 of 5) Statistics & Probability (Overview) Interpreting Categorical and Quantitative Data • Summarize, represent, and interpret data on a single count or measurement variable • Summarize, represent, and interpret data on two categorical and quantitative variables • Interpret linear models Making Inferences and Justifying Conclusions • Understand and evaluate random processes underlying statistical experiments • Make inferences and justify conclusions from sample surveys, experiments and observational studies Conditional Probability and the Rules of Probability • Understand independence and conditional probability and use them to interpret data • Use the rules of probability to compute probabilities of compound events in a uniform probability model Using Probability to Make Decisions • Calculate expected values and use them to solve problems • Use probability to evaluate outcomes of decisions

33. What happens next? • Adoption of the common core state standards is “voluntary” for states…until ESEA is reauthorized. • Each state will follow its individual process for coalition-building and adoption. • States choosing to adopt the common core state standards have agreed the common core will represent at least 85% of the state’s standards in mathematics and English language arts • Consortia of states will voluntarily come together to develop new, innovative, common assessments • Kansas is a member of two consortia: • “Balanced” and “Smarter”

34. What happens after states adopt common core standards? • The common core state standards are the first step in transforming our education system. For systemic change to occur: • Educators must be given resources, tools, and time to adjust classroom practice. • Instructional materials need to be developed that align to the standards. • Assessments will be developed to measure student progress. • Federal, state, and district policies will need to be re-examined to ensure they support alignment of the common core -- throughout the system -- with student achievement.

35. Be aware… Kansas State Assessments for the 2010-11 School Year The Kansas State Assessments for the 2010-11 school year will continue to measure the current content standards. KSDE has received questions regarding assessments of the Common Core Standards in 2010-11. To date, no decision has been made to adopt the Common Core Standards in Kansas. Additionally, the Common Core Standards themselves have not been finalized. KSDE is operating under the assumption that any assessment measuring the Common Core Standards (which again are not complete and have not been adopted in Kansas) is at least four years away. KSDE is basing this assumption on recent discussions with national testing experts that comprise its Technical Advisory Council. 

36. How are NCLB & “Blueprint” different? • NCLB: • States required to adopt “challenging” standards; • no requirements on content or rigor of standards; • all students “proficient” by 2014. • Blueprint: • “College and career ready” standards; • common core standards or work with public university system to ensure standards adequately prepare students to enter college without remediation; • all students “college and career” ready by 2020

37. How are NCLB & “Blueprint” different? • NCLB: • Students in grades 3-8 and high school tested annually on state-determined assessments in reading and math; • data disaggregated by subgroups. • Blueprint: • High-quality statewide assessments align with new state standards; • only those states that have implemented assessments based on “common” state standards by 2015 will receive formula funds to create assessments; • data collection will also include • graduation rates, • college enrollment rates and rates of college enrollment without remediation; • performance targets created and based on school and subgroup growth and graduation rates

38. How are NCLB & “Blueprint” different? • NCLB: • Adequate yearly progress (AYP); • 100 percent proficient by 2014; • sanctions for not meeting AYP • Blueprint: • student growth and schoolwide progress over time; • designate “reward” districts for schools and districts that make major inroads in turning around low-performing schools; • designate “challenge” schools, districts and states for lowest-performing 5 percent of schools in each state; • “reward” districts and states will have greater flexibility while “challenge” districts and states may face restrictions on the use of federal funds

39. How is teacher quality determined? • NCLB: • “Highly qualified” teachers • Blueprint: • Effective teachers based on student growth; • evaluation systems that reflect state standards for effectiveness & differentiate teachers and principals across at least three performance levels; • track teacher and principal performance back to preparation programs

40. This is our “Political Reality”… Luck favors the prepared!