The document discusses the journey I.S. 52 took to align their curriculum with the Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS). Teachers participated in CCLS pilot programs and shared best practices. They examined curriculum guides and revised units of study to include authentic learning and varied assessments. All classes in the same grade and subject now use the same curriculum and assessments. Pacing calendars were also revised to ensure standards are addressed weekly and assessments demonstrate learning. This process has led to greater uniformity, flexibility, and high expectations for all students.

1. Dr. Sal Fernandez

2. The Inwood 52 Journey
 Designing a coherent and aligned curriculum that promotes thinking,
includes higher order skills, and is relevant to the needs of students has
been a top priority for teachers at I.S. 52. During the 2010-2011 school
year, several of our teachers participated in the CCLS pilot, where they
gained a rich understanding of the new standards, as well as building
their capacity to deepen curriculum and instruction in order to improve
student achievement. These teachers facilitated in-school professional
development & training sessions to share best practices learned with
other teachers. Our teachers then met in teams to examine our current
curriculum guides.

3. The Inwood 52 Journey (Cont.)
 We used the CCLS to increase the quality of,
and to ensure congruence between, our
curriculum and assessments. Ultimately, we
revised our curriculum guides by developing
integrated units of study that include authentic
learning opportunities, attend to varied learner
needs, and incorporate various assessment
tasks.

4. The Inwood 52 Journey (Cont.)
 More specifically, all classes within the same content
and grade level are held to the same standards. For
example, all 8th grade ELA students, regardless of
class or teacher, will read the same unit text and
perform the same assessment tasks throughout the
unit. However, teachers will modify and scaffold their
instruction depending on the needs of their students.

5. The Inwood 52 Journey (Cont.)
 Further, in thinking about ways to ensure we reach all learners,
we chose to revise our pacing calendars along with our
curriculum guides. Our new pacing calendars illustrate the
standards that will be addressed weekly through the exploration
of guiding questions, relevant topics and key vocabulary, as well
as the various assessments that will demonstrate student
learning. These new pacing calendars ensure uniformity and
continuity, but also allows for the flexibility that is necessary in
addressing diverse learning needs. This will ensure high
expectations for all.

6. Reading Standards
 ―Establish a ‗staircase‘ of
increasing complexity in
what students must be
able to read so that all
students are ready for the
demands of college- and
career-level reading no
later than the end of high
school.
 ―The standards also
require the progressive
development of reading
comprehension so that
students advancing
through the grades are
able to gain more from
whatever they read.

7. Reading (Cont.)
 Through reading a diverse array
of classic and contemporary
literature as well as challenging
informational texts in a range of
subjects, students are expected
to build knowledge, gain insights,
explore possibilities, and broaden
their perspective. Because the
standards are building blocks for
successful classrooms, but
recognize that teachers, school
districts and states need to
decide on appropriate curriculum,
they intentionally do not offer a
reading list. Instead, they offer
numerous sample texts to help
teachers prepare for the school
year and allow parents and
students to know what to expect
at the beginning of the year.

8. Writing
 The ability to write logical
arguments based on substantive
claims, sound reasoning, and
relevant evidence is a
cornerstone of the writing
standards, with opinion writing—a
basic form of argument—
extending down into the earliest
grades.
 Research—both short, focused
projects (such as those
commonly required in the
workplace) and longer term in
depth research —is emphasized
throughout the standards but
most prominently in the writing
strand since a written analysis
and presentation of findings is so
often critical.

9. Writing (Cont.)
 Annotated samples of
student writing
accompany the
standards and help
establish adequate
performance levels in
writing arguments,
informational /
explanatory texts, and
narratives in the various
grades.

10. Math
 For over a decade, research
studies of mathematics
education in high-performing
countries have pointed to the
conclusion that the
mathematics curriculum in the
United States must become
substantially more focused
and coherent in order to
improve mathematics
achievement in this country.
To deliver on the promise of
common standards, the
standards must address the
problem of a curriculum that
is ―a mile wide and an inch
deep.‖ These Standards are a
substantial answer to that
challenge.

11. Ten Anchor Standards for
Reading
 The grades 6–12 standards on the following
pages define what students should understand
and be able to do by the end of each grade.
They correspond to the College and Career
Readiness (CCR) anchor standards below by
number.
 The CCR and grade-specific standards are
necessary complements—the former providing
broad standards, the latter providing additional
specificity—that together define the skills and
understandings that all students must
demonstrate.

12. Key Ideas and Details
 1. Read closely to determine
what the text says explicitly
and to make logical
inferences from it; cite
specific textual evidence
when writing or speaking to
support conclusions drawn
from the text.
 2. Determine central ideas or
themes of a text and analyze
their development;
summarize the key supporting
details and ideas.
 3. Analyze how and why
individuals, events, and ideas
develop and interact over the
course of a text.

13. Craft and Structure
 4. Interpret words and
phrases as they are used in a
text, including determining
technical, connotative, and
figurative meanings, and
analyze how specific word
choices shape meaning or
tone.
 5. Analyze the structure of
texts, including how specific
sentences, paragraphs, and
larger portions of the text
(e.g., a section, chapter,
scene, or stanza) relate to
each other and the whole.
 6. Assess how point of view
or purpose shapes the
content and style of a text.

14. Integration of Knowledge and
Ideas
 7. Integrate and evaluate
content presented in diverse
formats and media, including
visually and quantitatively, as
well as in words.*
 8. Delineate and evaluate the
argument and specific claims
in a text, including the validity
of the reasoning as well as
the relevance and sufficiency
of the evidence.
 9. Analyze how two or more
texts address similar themes
or topics in order to build
knowledge or to compare the
approaches the authors take.

15. Range of Reading and Level of
Text Complexity
 10. Read and
comprehend
complex literary and
informational texts
independently and
proficiently.

16. College and Career Readiness
Anchor Standards for Writing
 The grades 6–12 standards on the following
pages define what students should understand
and be able to do by the end of each grade.
They correspond to the College and Career
Readiness (CCR) anchor standards below by
number.
 The CCR and grade-specific standards are
necessary complements—the former providing
broad standards, the latter providing additional
specificity—that together define the skills and
understandings that all students must
demonstrate.

17. Text Types and Purposes
1. Write arguments to support
claims in an analysis of
substantive topics or texts, using
valid reasoning and relevant and
sufficient evidence.
2. Write informative / explanatory
texts to examine and convey
complex ideas and information
clearly and accurately through the
effective selection, organization,
and analysis of content.
3. Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events
using effective technique, well-
chosen details, and well-
structured event sequences.

18. Production and Distribution of
Writing
4. Produce clear and coherent
writing in which the development,
organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience.
5. Develop and strengthen writing
as needed by planning, revising,
editing, rewriting, or trying a new
approach.
6. Use technology, including the
Internet, to produce and publish
writing and to interact and
collaborate with others.

19. Research to Build and Present
Knowledge
7. Conduct short as well as more
sustained research projects
based on focused questions,
demonstrating understanding of
the subject under investigation.
8. Gather relevant information from
multiple print and digital sources,
assess the credibility and
accuracy of each source, and
integrate the information while
avoiding plagiarism.
9. Draw evidence from literary or
informational texts to support
analysis, reflection, and research.

20. Range of Writing
10. Write routinely over
extended time
frames (time for
research, reflection,
and revision) and
shorter time frames
(a single sitting or a
day or two) for a
range of tasks,
purposes, and
audiences.

21. Mathematical Practices
 The Standards for Mathematical
Practice describe varieties of expertise
that mathematics educators at all levels
should seek to develop in their students.
 These practices rest on important
―processes and proficiencies‖ with
longstanding importance in mathematics
education.

22. Mathematical Practices
1. Make sense of
problems and
persevere in solving
them.
2. Reason abstractly
and quantitatively.
3. Construct viable
arguments and
critique the reasoning
of others.
4. Model with
mathematics.

23. Mathematical Practices (Cont.)
5. Use appropriate
tools strategically.
6. Attend to precision.
7. Look for and make
use of structure.
8. Look for and
express regularity
in repeated
reasoning.

24. 52‘s First Step
Our first step was to choose the anchor
standard in reading that we were going
to focus on. We chose anchor standard
1, which states:
―Read closely to determine what the text says
explicitly and to make logical inferences
from it; cite specific textual evidence when
writing or speaking to support conclusions
drawn from the text.‖

25. After Choosing The
Standard
After choosing the anchor standard, we went back and selected the
key reading standards for literature by grade level that are
embedded in our unit maps. For example, we selected the
following:
6th grade
 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
7th grade
 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
8th grade
 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of
what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

26. After Choosing The Standard
#2
We also chose key reading standards for informational text by grade
level that are embedded in our unit maps. For example, we selected
the following:
6th grade
 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
7th grade
 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
8th grade
 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what
the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

27. The Writing Anchor
Standards
 Write arguments to support claims in an
analysis of substantive topics or texts,
using valid reasoning and relevant and
sufficient evidence.
 Write informative/explanatory texts to
examine and convey complex ideas and
information clearly and accurately
through the effective selection,
organization, and analysis of content.

28. Selecting Key Standards 6th
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and
information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and
information into broader categories; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g.,
charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details,
quotations, or other information and examples.
c. Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships
among ideas and concepts.
d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the
topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style.
f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information
or explanation presented.

29. Selecting Key Standards 7th
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas,
concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and
analysis of relevant content.
a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas,
concepts, and information into broader categories; include formatting
(e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when
useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions,
concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
c. Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify
the relationships among ideas and concepts.
d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about
or explain the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style.
f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and
supports the information or explanation presented.

30. Selecting Key Standards 8th
1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and
relevant evidence.
a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or opposing claims,
and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence,
using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an
understanding of the topic or text.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and
clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and
evidence.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from
and supports the argument presented.

31. Selecting Key Standards 8
(Cont.)
8th grade
1. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas,
concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis
of relevant content.
a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas,
concepts, and information into broader categories; include formatting (e.g.,
headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to
aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete
details, quotations, or other information and examples.
c. Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the
relationships among ideas and concepts.
d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or
explain the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style.
f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports
the information or explanation presented.

32. Math Key Practice Standard
In all grades, we chose to use:
―Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.‖
Mathematically proficient students:
 Understand and use stated assumptions, definitions, & results in constructing
arguments.
 Make conjectures & build a logical progression of statements to explore the truth of
their conjectures.
 Analyze situations by breaking them into cases, and can recognize and use
counterexamples.
 Justify their conclusions, communicate them to others, and respond to the arguments
of others.
 Reason inductively about data, making plausible arguments that take into account the
context from which the data arose.
 Also able to compare the effectiveness of two plausible arguments, distinguish correct
logic or reasoning from that which is flawed, and—if there is a flaw in an argument—
explain what it is.
 Students learn to determine domains to which an argument applies.
 Students at all grades can listen or read the arguments of others, decide whether they
make sense, and ask useful questions to clarify or improve the arguments.

33. Alignment in Inwood 52
 Citing and finding
evidence in text aligned
to what happens in the
classroom in all content
areas
 Creates rich discussion
in classroom
 Concentration on finding
evidence and making
concrete arguments
leads to higher cognitive
demand

34. Guiding Questions
 What materials will the
teachers use during the
lesson?
 How will the teacher
present the content and
include selected standards
in a manner that raises
student interests and that
engages them in learning?
 What will the students
have to know and do by
the end of the lesson to
show that they ―got it!‖?