As schools transition to higher, more rigorous standards, it is critical that parents are informed about what the transition means for their children, how tests (and homework) may look different, and what resources are available to help them be able to play an informed and supportive role in their students’ learning. On this webinar, leaders at the state and district levels shared concrete steps they took to leverage back-to-school to inform parents about the transition to College- and Career-Ready Standards. To ground the conversation in what parents are really saying about the standards and assessments, Michael Gilligan, Achieve’s Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, and Alex Bratty, a Partner with Public Opinion Strategies, a corporate and public affairs survey research firm, shared the latest research on what parents want to know about the transition to higher, more rigorous standards. Erin Hart and Christie Silverstein with Expect More Arizona’s Arizona Aims Higher Coalition then shared how this research propelled them to pivot from telling parents why the standards are important to informing parents about what is happening in classrooms and what they can do to help their students succeed. Throughout, speakers from the state- and district-levels shared best practices on how to engage parents and disseminate information and tangible resources that can be modified to share with parents. Related materials are at http://www.achieve.org/meetings-webinars

1. Leveraging Back to School
to Inform Parents about
College- and Career-Ready
Standards
Thursday, September 18
2:00-3:00 p.m. EST

2. 2
Agenda
Welcome and overview of goals for today’s webinar
About Achieve
Share out reporting trends on parents and the CCSS
Overview of the latest research on what parents are really saying with Michael
Gilligan, Achieve’s Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Alex Bratty, Partner
with Public Opinion Strategies
State-based advocates Erin Hart and Christie Silverstein representing the
Arizona Aims Higher Coalition will share tips they’ve learned on communicating
with parents
Jared Myracle, with Gibson County Special School District in Tennessee, will
lend his perspective as a district-leader via video
Highlight resources
Q&A
Brief survey

3. About Achieve
Achieve is strongly committed to ensuring all students graduate from high school
“college and career ready” or, in other words, fully prepared academically for any
and all opportunities they choose to pursue.
Achieve is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit education reform organization
dedicated to working with states to raise academic standards and graduation
requirements, improve assessments, and strengthen accountability and public
reporting systems.
Since 2005, Achieve has worked with a cross-sector of state leaders to improve
postsecondary preparation by aligning key policies with the demands of the real
world.
To support states, Achieve convenes leaders from within and across states,
provides technical assistance, conducts timely research, and offers advocacy,
communications, and outreach tools and support.
The webinar is being recorded and all the resources highlighted will be available on our
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website at: www.achieve.org/meetings-webinars

4. Parents and the Common Core: Media Trends
“Common Core – particularly math – is overly complicated.”
• “Math under Common Core has even parents stumbling,” The New York Times, 6/29/14
“It’s different from how I learned. I can’t help my child with his/her homework
because I don’t know the methodology.”
• “Parents speak out at first Common Core session,” MySuburbanLife.com, 9/3/14
“Common Core is one-size-fits-all, and my child’s needs and learning style won’t
be accommodated.”
• “Letter: Common Core leads to one-size-fits-all school,” Wisconsin Rapids Tribune, 9/8/14
“There’s no longer any memorization of basic facts that students need to know.”
• “Common Core teaches kids new way to add 9+6 that takes 54 seconds,” The Daily Caller, 9/3/14
“Common Core = testing. There’s too much testing and teaching to the test, and
not enough learning.”
• “Anti-Common Core rally in Hauppauge draws politicians, parents, teachers,” Newsday, 9/4/14
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5. Insights from Focus Groups

6. 6
Perceptions of the Standards
Aware of the standards, but still lack understanding
Real hesitation on the standards –
Don’t see the need for change
One size fits all
Perception as “national,” “federal”

7. 7
Perceptions of the Assessments
In AZ, little regard for old statewide assessment (AIMS)
Skeptical about the new tests
Don’t connect that the tests will be aligned to new standards
See more steps to get an answer are more opportunity for error
Expect teachers to still teach to the test

8. 8
Perceptions of Public School Moms
Communications Challenge: Moms’ personal experiences are negative
and frustrating vs. positive reaction to written description
Elementary and Middle School Moms
Railed against the new way of teaching math
Frustrated when helping with homework
• Being told NOT to help their kids using the old way
• No text books or examples for them
to even begin to understand the
new way
There is a significant gap between how the standards and tests are being
described and the day-to-day experiences of the moms and their children

9. 9
Communications Vehicles
Hearing from teachers proved paramount
Elementary school parents also want to hear from principals/school
boards
Parents want to interact and ask questions
Top 3 resources desired
Parent-focused website, but expect interactivity (ask questions, interact with
others, blogs)
Meet with child’s teacher or counselor
Attend a parent workshop

10. 10
Messages that Worked
Existing messaging was ranked highest
Tests not required for graduation, scores may look lower, etc.
Supported:
Consistency across districts and states
A test that measures what students are really learning is appealing
Too much time teaching to the test
Share success stories

11. 11
Recommendations
Communicate real information, not advocacy – avoid sounding politically
correct
Help them understand the “why”
Explain how the goals of the standards are going to be achieved
Reassure that graduation is not dependent on passing the test
Provide resources to parents to support their child

12. 12
Recommendations
Find educators who are supportive of the standards and have them speak
in person to parents
Ramp up all methods of communication. A significant and consistent
effort to get parents the support and information they need to help their
kids is needed
Create and disseminate resources that help parents help their children

13. Exemplary State- and District-Based
Efforts

14. Leveraging Back to School to Help Inform
Parents about the Transition to College- and
Career-Ready Standards

15. Expect More Arizona
What are we? Statewide 501c(3) non-partisan
education advocacy organization
Who are we? Movement comprised of parents,
voters, educators, business & community
leaders
What do we do? Raising public awareness,
engaging and mobilizing voters and parents,
and convening partners to take collaborative
action on key education issues

16. Arizona Public Engagement
Task Force
Independent collaboration of 50 partners
across business, philanthropy, education,
community
Expect More Arizona serves as the convener
Goals: Increasing awareness and support for
Arizona’s College and Career Ready Standards
and high quality, aligned assessment
This Year’s Focus: Providing Resources and
Information to parents

17. Opportunities to Support
Parents this Year
Help parents understand what the
standards are and why they are necessary
Support schools and teachers in sharing
information with parents
Share information on implementation of
new assessment
Alleviate frustrations with math
Demonstrate what high expectations look
like

18. 3 Ways We’re Doing This…
Arizona Aims Higher campaign
Back to School
Parent-Teacher Conferences

19. Arizona Aims Higher
Multi-media campaign
to increase awareness

20. Web Video
#TeacherTuesday

21. Digital / Email
Infographic
Radio

22. Parent
Resources

23. Back to School Toolkit
Goal = To distribute resources to parents via
schools
Includes links to all materials
Shared with partners and educators across
Arizona
Use materials at Back to School Nights,
Curriculum Nights and parent teacher
conferences
Relatively easy way to support schools in
providing resources to parents
expectmorearizona.org/BacktoSchool

24. Back to School Parent Guide
Includes information on the standards,
assessments and how parents can help
their child
Mailed to 44,000 households statewide

25. Parent-Teacher Conferences
Distribution of grade by
grade milestones
• Key things children will learn
in English and math
• Activities to do at home
• English and Spanish
Questions to ask your
child’s teachers
• Email, infographics, collateral

26. Other National Resources
National PTA Parent Guides
GreatSchools GreatKids Milestones
(sneak peak – coming in October)

27. Thank You!
Erin – erin@expectmorearizona.org
Christie –
Christie@expectmorearizona.org

28. District-Based Efforts
Jared Myracle, Supervisor of Instruction, 9-12, Gibson County Special School
District, Tennessee
To learn more about the great work happening in Gibson County, check out these
articles:
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Different and Better: What
Common Core Implementations
Looks Like in Gibson County -
College Ready
9 Ideas to Help Explain
Common Core to Parents

29. 29
Resources for Parents and Families on CCSS
Achieve compiled a sampling of the
resources that state education
agencies, school districts, and third-party
and national advocacy
organizations have developed to
empower parents to help their
students succeed, which is posted
on our website at
www.achieve.org/achieving-common-
core
Please send additional resources to Anne Bowles at
abowles@achieve.org

30. Questions & Answers

31. Anne Bowles
Associate Director, Strategic Initiatives
abowles@achieve.org or 202-419-1553
Michael Gilligan
Vice President, Strategic Initiatives
mgilligan@achieve.org or 202-745-2317
Kelly Hughes
Communications Associate
khughes@achieve.org or 202-745-2306
Contact Us!
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32. Thank you!
Achieve will post the slides and resources highlighted on our website at
www.achieve.org/meetings-webinars
We are very interested hearing your
Feedback on this webinar.
Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/B2Swebinar
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