Lynne Tucker.WA State Expanded Learning and Summer Learning Opportunities Pol...
School's Out Washington Common Core State Standards Presentation. English version.April 2014
1. WHAT FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES NEED
TO KNOW ABOUT NEW LEARNING STANDARDS
Common Core State Standards:
School’s Out Washington and Ready Washington
April 29, 2014
2. Expecting the Best
School’s Out Washington provides services
and guidance for community organizations to
ensure that all students have a safe place to
learn and grow when not in school.
Ready Washington is a coalition of state and
local education agencies, associations and
advocacy organizations that support preparing
all students for career, college and life.
3. Agenda
What is Common Core?
Why Common Core?
Group activity: Family communications
What is different?
Survey: About what you learned today
Questions and Answers
5. What is Common Core?
5
The Common Core State Standards:
Set learning expectations for all students.
Standards in math and English language
arts (math, reading & writing).
Provide teachers with tools to help
students learn.
6. What is Common Core?
6
The Common Core State Standards:
Raises learning expectations for all students.
Align student learning with skills needed for
employment and education after high school.
Guide schools and teachers to prepare all kids
for career, college and life.
7. What is Common Core?
7
A big change in the way students learn.
One that will take time to see results –
new tests will be given in 2015.
Will help students compete for quality jobs
in Washington state and in our nation.
9. Why Common Core?
9
Currently in Washington State:
Employers report graduating students are
not prepared enough for jobs.
Less than half of our high school graduates
are ready for 2-year or 4-year college.
Nearly half graduates entering community
college and must take remedial courses.
10. Why Common Core?
10
By 2018, 2 out of 3 jobs in WA will require
technical training or a college degree.
Diverse students and families are greatly
impacted by not being prepared for
employment, technical school or college.
11. Group Activity
11
Family and Community
Engagement
Barriers: What do you see as barriers to
communicating Common Core to families?
(5 min.)
Worksheets: Write down your answers in
English or Spanish.
13. Common Core: What’s Different?
131. Consistent learning expectations for all
students.
2. Big change in the way students learn.
3. Clear standards that focus on deeper understanding.
4. Students learn skills they will need in a job.
5. New exams/tests will be given in 2015.
14. What’s Different?
14
1. Consistent learning expectations
Before Common Core, all 50 states had
different learning expectations for students.
Common Core provides consistent learning
standards and expectations for all students, no
matter where they live.
15. What’s Different?
15
2. Big change in the way students learn
Students gain knowledge in academic areas.
Also gain skills in ways to think, to manage
self and to transition to college and career
opportunities.
Skills like: critical thinking, problem-
solving, persistence, and working together
16. What’s Different?
16
3. Clear standards focus on deeper
understanding
Goes into fewer topics and focuses on
deepening students’ understanding of concepts
They allow students to apply the skills they
learned to real-life situations.
More opportunities for hands-on and
experiential learning
17. What’s Different?
17
4. Critical skills for the job market
Common Core focuses on building real-world
skills in learning.
Prepares students with the knowledge and
skills they need to succeed in education,
training and work after high school.
18. What’s Different?
18
5. New testing in 2015
Different test to support Common Core –
Smarter Balanced.
Technology-based test
19. What’s Different?
19
Because a different test and
different bar:
Test scores will be initially lower, compared to
previous state exams scores.
Research shows students work hard to meet raised
learning expectations.
There is shared understanding that raising learning
standards is important for our students’ futures.
Hello, My name is Lynne Tucker and I’m with School’s Out Washington
Today, I’m here to talk about the rollout of Common Core State Standards in our state.
My presentation will focus on the thinking behind national move towards Common Core, not necessarily whether it is a good or bad law for WA state. Going forward, Common Core will be WA learning standards in place.
We have two hours together tonight and to get through our presentation, we ask that you hold your questions to the end. Everyone has been provided with colored index cards to write their questions down, as we go through the presentation together. Please include your name, in case we don’t get to every questions or we run out of time and we will respond after the meeting.
Okay I’d like to get a little information about the audience:
How many people here have children in public schools? Who are educators or school administrators? Are community-based organizations or afterschool providers? Community members and businesses?
School’s Out Washington is a statewide organization that provides services and guidance for community organizations to ensure that all students have a safe place to learn and grow when not in school.
We provide training on Common Core to community organizations and are a
member of Ready Washington.
Ready Washington is a coalition of state and local education agencies, associations and advocacy organizations that support college- and career-ready learning standards.
The coalition believes all students should be better prepared for college, work and
life.
From our audience:
Who here in the room has heard about Common Core State Standards?
How many know what Common Core is about?
Understand why Common Core Standards were developed ?
Today, our agenda will cover
What is Common Core
Why Common Core?
What is Different?
From our audience:
Who here in the room has heard about Common Core State Standards?
How many know what Common Core is about?
Why Common Core Standards were developed
To get through this presentation, I ask that you hold your questions to the end.
Also keep in mind that I am here today to give you basic informationinformation and am not prepared
What is Common Core?
First, we’ll explain academic learning standards:
The Common Core State Standards:
Academic standards set learning expectations for students. Standards determine what students should know and be able to do by the end of a specific section or by the end of the school year in each grade.
High academic learning standards in math and English language arts;
Math; English language acquisitions: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language
Provide teachers with teaching tools and ways students can apply knowledge they’ve learned in the previous years grades.
The Common Core State Standards:
Raises learning expectations for all students
Align learning standards with skills need for employment and education after high school … allowing students to compete globally.
Developed and voluntarily adopted by 46 states in collaboration with educators and experts.
Is Washington State law and will allow WA schools to prepare all kids for career, college and life.
Until now, all 50 states had different standards. With Common Core, if a student moves from another state to Washington, he/she will be able to pick up where they left off. The standards and expectations will be the same across most states, and that’s a big benefit to students.
Common Core State standards are a big change in the way students learn. The standards move students into showing how or demonstrating their knowledge.
It will take time to see results (first student test scores released in 2015)
Will help students compete for quality jobs in Washington State, in the US and globally.
Why Common Core?
As measured by employer feedback, community college assessments and college entrance exams, currently in Washington:
Employers are reporting that schools are not preparing graduating high school students for employment.
The majority of our students are not ready for college when they graduate from high school.
Less than half of our students graduate from high school ready for two-
year or four-year college.
Nearly half of all students entering community colleges must take remedial courses.
Remedial courses are those classes students to need to so they can take college
courses. Remediation is a huge financial and time barrier for families and to
students’ completion of college.
In fact, we, Washington State, is one of only a handful of states where the achievement gap is ever-growing, not shrinking.
Growing achievement gap impacts students and families from culturally diverse
communities.
By 2018, 2 out of every 3 jobs in Washington state will require a certificate or college degree.
This means we need to make sure all students are being prepared to earn a living
wage in WA.
The growing achievement gap ensures our graduating students are not prepared for employment, technical school or college.
Students from culturally diverse communities are greatly impacted by
this gap.
It also means that students and families from culturally diverse communities need a
better understanding of common core.
Family and Community Engagement
Now we’re going to spend some time doing a family and community engagement activity.
You will break out into small groups of 6-8 people and will work together to answer a question.
Be sure to have someone in your group take notes and pick someone to in you group to report your findings.
From your list developed by your small group, please pick two key barriers to share with the larger group… if you have already heard your finding(s) reported please chose another to report on.
The Question: What do you see as barriers to communicating Common Core to families? ( You will have 10 min. to work in small groups and create a list… this list will be collected.)
Report:
Now we have about 10 minutes to have all groups report on two barriers for communicating Common Core to families. Please be very brief and keep it to two points. (10 min.)
Let’s start by discussing some key points you should know about Common Core. We will get into details in next few slides.
Consistent learning expectations for all students.
Students may start at different levels … and will have the same finish line.
New standards that focus on deeper understanding
A new way for students to demonstrate their knowledge.
Giving students new skills which are needed in the job market
Skills which help them compete in the global economy
1. Expectations are consistent for all – and not dependent on a student’s zip code. That’s important. It brings more equity to our public education system.
Before Common Core, all 50 states had different sets of learning expectations for what students.
Different learning standards greatly impacts certain students, particularly whose
families moved frequently.
Common Core provides a consistent set of learning standards and expectations for all students, …. no matter where they live.
The standards are focused, coherent, and clear.
Common Core goes into fewer topics and focuses on deepening students’
understanding of key concepts.
The standards build on one another, allowing students to apply what they learn from each grade to real life situations.
Clearer standards help students (and parents and teachers) understand what is expected of them.
Common Core focuses on building and applying real-world skills students will need to be ready for college and work.
The Common Core standards aligned with are college- and career-ready
expectations.
They will help prepare students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in education and training after high school.
When it comes to Common Core and Testing:
It’s a totally different test from current state assessments
The assessment system to support Common Core Standards is Smarter Balanced.
Technology based assessment
Because a different test and different bar:
Student test scores will be initially lower, compared to previous state exams scores. This will be temporary.
Research shows that when learning expectations are raised, students work hard to meet them.
There is shared understand that raising learning standards is important for our students’ futures.
Everyone has provided great input and information around the barriers for communicating Common Core. We will be taking one final step in our family and community engagement activities before we get to the questions and answers.
Please take 5 minutes and complete a survey about what you learned today. (5 minutes)
Before getting to questions, we are going to draw raffles for two more prizes.
While we are raffling more prizes, please make sure you have you notecards completed with your questions and include your name.
This has been great conversation around Common Core and appreciuate spending an evening with families.
Please hand in your notecards.
Please be sure to visit the resource table and I’ll stay to answer a few more questions.
Again, thank you on behalf of School’s Out Washington, Ready Washington and College Spark.
Good night and drive safely!
