Resources to Support Common Core Implementation

Posted on March 25, 2013 by coreeducation

The Common Core State Standards have been accepted by 46 states and the District of Columbia and are scheduled for full implementation in the 2014-15 school year. They are already being piloted in multiple locations, which this blog has written about previously. Teachers have also recently spoken up in several surveys and have described their willingness to do their part to implement the new standards, but they have asked for help. Below are links to new resources from the Council of the Great City Schools, the National Association of State Boards of Education and Hope Street Group that have been designed to support Common Core implementation.

One of the largest issues surrounding the upcoming implementation of the Common Core Math and ELA/Literacy Standards, with similar initiatives taking place in science and social studies, is not the role of teachers; it is how much parents and other community members are being prepared for the changes that will be taking place. For those with a stake in education, such as parents, who might not have the time or access to delve into the details of these new curriculum plans on their own, the first of the following resources should prove to be extremely valuable.

The first resource comes from the Council of the Great City Schools:

The Council of the Great City Schools published Parent Roadmaps to the Common Core Standards in English language arts (in both English and Spanish) and mathematics (in both English and Spanish) for the high school grades. It has also developed other resources over the last several months to help with the implementation of the Common Core Standards: two 30-second Public Service Announcements (one in English and one in Spanish) that tells the public what the Common Core Standards are; two three-minute videos (one in English and one in Spanish) that explains the Common Core in a slightly longer form (particularly good for presentations to community and parent groups); a 45-minute professional development video for central office and school-based staff and teachers on the shifts in the Common Core in English language arts and literacy; a 45-minute professional development video for central office and school-based staff and teachers on the shifts in the Common Core in mathematics; and resources for adapting basal texts to the rigor of the Common Core in English language arts and literacy. In addition, the Council of the Great City Schools, working with Institute for Mathematics and Education and Achieve, has developed draft mathematics progressions documents for teaching across grade levels.

The second resource, more geared towards educators, comes from the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE):

NASBE has been a leader in the effort to assist states as they adopt and implement the Common Core State Standards, and it will apply that experience to help state board members understand the development, history, and future of the Next Generation Science Standards. The development of the science standards – now in their second draft, with a final version expected in March – is being spearheaded by Achieve in conjunction with the National Research Council, the National Science Teachers Association, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

“State education policymakers, like many others, are working hard to answer the national call for greater emphasis on science, and the Next Generation Science Standards will provide them with a critical tool to do this,” said NASBE Deputy Executive Director Brad Hull. “But the existence of the NGSS is just a first step. The state board members who must adopt them need targeted resources and opportunities to discuss the meaning, content, and policy implications of the standards in order to effectively do their jobs. NASBE, in partnership with other education stakeholders, including those involved in the NGSS development as well as other state-level policy organizations, is uniquely positioned to provide this assistance to state boards.”

The NGSS are focused on four areas: physical science; life science; earth and space science; and engineering, technology, and practical applications of science. The standards, which were built upon on a vision for science education established by the Framework for K-12 Science Education, published by the National Academies’ National Research Council in 2011, seek to move science instruction from an inch-deep, mile-wide approach to one that is centered on deeper learning and helping students grasp concepts that stretch across traditional scientific disciplines.

During the year, NASBE will host regional symposia at which state board of education members can develop adoption plans and conduct policy audits to identify other policy areas affected by the NGSS, such as assessments, teacher professional learning, and educator licensure. In addition, NASBE staff will provide state board members with online and print resources, webinars, and toolkits – all with a special emphasis on communications – to help inform policymakers and other local, district, and state-level stakeholders.

The third resource is geared toward district level education professionals:

Hope Street Group and the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) have released a Common Core Playbook-Toolkit that both offers specific recommendations for state boards of education and highlights areas of potential concern that may require attention in coming months and years. This resource was created to provide additional support and guidance for state boards of education as they implement the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Among the recommendations, the Playbook-Toolkit suggests:

–State boards of education focus their role in CCSS implementation on ensuring that supportive board policies are in place and that state board policies which impede or complicate CCSS implementation are eliminated or changed;

–State boards should work to communicate to the public and educators what CCSS implementation means and how they plan to support implementation, alignment of other key areas, and address the issues that arise as a result of implementation;

–To help with the transition, state boards should work with their departments to ensure that the state has an up-to-date technology plan and policy;

–State boards should consider teacher input in planning and decision-making for educators’ professional learning.

For more information, please visit the following websites:

Council of the Great City Schools Common Core Works – http://www.cgcs.org/Page/334

NASBE Common Core Standards Website – http://www.nasbe.org/project/common-core-state-standards-ccss/

Hope Street Group Common Core Playbook – http://playbook.hopestreetgroup.org/commoncore

NSTA seeks Feedback for Next Generation Science Standards

Posted on January 21, 2013 by coreeducation

Between now and January 29, 2013 the team behind the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is soliciting feedback on their ongoing project of creating new K–12 science standards. The first draft of these new science standards was released in May of 2012. Tens of thousands of responses came in, and the NGSS writing team, working with 26 states, Achieve, and the NSTA, made changes based on this feedback. This January marks the second draft, which is still open for changes, but will be made complete in March of 2013. The NGSS are based on the Framework for K–12 Science Education developed by the National Research Council.

NSTA President Dr. Karen L. Ostlund, speaking about the NGSS, remarked:

“The second public draft of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) … is a significant step forward in developing exemplary new standards that all states can support. When completed and adopted, these new science standards will change the way science is taught and learned in classrooms nationwide by fully engaging K–12 students in three essential dimensions—disciplinary core ideas, scientific and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts—in a way that will deepen and strengthen their knowledge and skills in science.”

The NGSS effort is part of the larger movement (see the Common Core State Standards Initiative) to standardize and update curriculum across states in the hopes that American students will be able to reach standards comparable to those attained by students in other developed countries around the world. A 2007 Carnegie Foundation commission report concludes, “The nation’s capacity to innovate for economic growth and the ability of American workers to thrive in the modern workforce depends on a broad foundation of math and science learning, as do our hopes for preserving a vibrant democracy and the promise of social mobility that lie at the heart of the American dream.” This conclusion served as motivation for the development of the NGSS.

To review and comment on the NGSS, visit http://www.nextgenscience.org/next-generation-science-standards

For more information, please visit http://www.nsta.org/about/pressroom.aspx?id=59760

NBPTS and edTPA partners to Create Online Video Library for Teacher Preparation

Posted on November 30, 2012 by coreeducation

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded a $3 million “Investing in Innovation” grant to a partnership of educational organizations that will aid in two major educational initiatives: better preparing new teachers and bolstering math and science instruction.

The project will operate under the leadership of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and with the cooperation of faculty from Stanford University, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) and the Teacher Performance Assessment Consortium (TPAC). These organizations are responsible for the creation of edTPA, “a performance-based assessment tool to help determine if student teachers are ready for the classroom.” edTPA is “based on standards developed by the National Board to identify the most accomplished teachers among experienced educators” and therefore attempts to merge the best practices of experienced teachers with what is taught to and expected of new teachers.

The grant itself allows for the creation of “an online repository of classroom videos and accompanying written materials that illuminate how master teachers go about the job of challenging and stimulating students to learn.” The repository will be known as ATLAS, or Accomplished Teaching, Learning and Schools, and will be constructed through a project the National Board calls “Building a Pipeline of Teaching Excellence.” Building a Pipeline of Teaching Excellence will focus on teachers in seven local school districts in New York, Tennessee and Washington along with six universities in those three states. The five-year project will attempt to prove that ATLAS has improved beginning-teacher instruction in the areas of math and science for grades 3-6.

Eventually, ATLAS will include all 25 National Board certificate areas, “including thousands of cases addressing all areas of the curriculum and every developmental level of pre-K-12 education.”

Work on the grant will begin before the end of 2012 and will require NBPTS to raise $450,000 in matching funds. Furthermore, NBPTS will “disseminate findings from this project through research and policy briefs, presentations to their memberships, research monographs, postings on websites and social media” to “all of the nation’s schools, colleges and departments of education; state education agencies; and the National Board’s network of 100,000 accomplished teachers and policy partners.”

Linda Darling-Hammond, a co-principal investigator of the grant and the Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education who helped develop edTPA, summed up the importance of the grant: “This is cutting-edge work at the nexus of the nation’s two most important educational challenges: promoting educator effectiveness and strengthening science and math teaching and learning. The integration of the National Board’s repository of master teacher certifications into teacher preparatory programs will be extraordinarily beneficial.”

For more information, please visit the following websites:

http://edtpa.aacte.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/National-Board-Press-Release.pdf

http://www.nbpts.org/about_us/news_media/press_releases?ID=933

Obama Administration Creates National STEM Master Teacher Corps

Posted on July 22, 2012 by coreeducation

The Obama Administration recently announced the President’s plan for the creation of a new, national Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Master Teacher Corps comprised of some of the nation’s finest educators in STEM subjects. The STEM Master Teacher Corps will begin with 50 exceptional STEM teachers established in 50 sites and will be expanded over 4 years to reach 10,000 Master Teachers. These selected teachers will make a multi-year commitment to the Corps and, in exchange for their expertise, leadership and service, will receive an annual stipend of up to $20,000 on top of their base salary. The Administration will launch this Teacher Corps with the $1 billion from the President’s 2013 budget request currently before Congress.

President Obama said, “If America is going to compete for the jobs and industries of tomorrow, we need to make sure our children are getting the best education possible. Teachers matter and great teachers deserve our support.”

The Administration also announced that the President will immediately dedicate approximately $100 million of the existing Teacher Incentive Fund toward helping school districts implement high-quality plans to establish career ladders that identify, develop, and leverage highly effective STEM teachers. With an application deadline of July 27th, over 30 school districts across America have already signaled their interest in competing for funding to identify and compensate highly effective teachers who can model and mentor STEM instruction for their teaching peers, providing those teachers with additional compensation, recognition, and responsibilities in their schools.

These Administration plans build on a key recommendation of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), calling for a national STEM Master Teacher Corps to recognize and help retain America’s most talented STEM teachers, build a community of practice among them, raise the profile of the STEM teaching profession, and leverage excellent teachers to collaborate with their peers to strengthen STEM education in America’s public schools.

Draft of Common Core Science Standards Draws ‘Friendly Fire’

Posted on July 19, 2012 by coreeducation

The first public draft of the common science standards is facing criticism for “lack of clarity and coherence” and omitting key content knowledge in favor of “an overdose on scientific ‘practices.’” However, these critiques are not being viewed as unfriendly—rather, the two organizations offering the feedback (the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and the Fordham Institute) are taking a “critical friend” approach. Both groups advocate for the creation of common science standards, but say that the proposed standards need more work.

“The quest for fewer standards has led to over-compression, overgeneralization, and omission,” wrote Fordham’s set of seven expert reviewers. “Much necessary ‘prior knowledge’ to attain some standards is never supplied. Such omission is in some ways disingenuous, as it will require curriculum developers and teachers to fill in many gaps, expanding thereby the number of explicit standards and their breadth.”

The proposed standards are guided by a framework developed by the National Research Council, and the standards-writers have several priorities:

Promoting depth over breadth
Ensuring greater coherence in learning across grade levels
Helping students understand the cross-cutting nature of crucial concepts that span scientific disciplines (such as energy and matter)
Ensuring that students apply learning through scientific inquiry and the engineering-design process to deepen understanding

The deadline for submitting comment was June 1, and though it is unknown how many organizations took advantage of this window, only the NSTA and Fordham have shared their comments publicly.

To read the full story, please visit http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2012/06/more_feedback_has_been_coming.html

New Education Week ‘Spotlights’

Posted on May 8, 2012 by coreeducation

Education Week is again offering new “Spotlights on Education” for free. Spotlights are collections of recent articles grouped by theme to give readers an in-depth look at education issues. The currently offered Spotlights are:

Implementing Online Learning

Blended Learning Sports Variety of Approaches
Spotlight Turns Toward Virtual Ed Accountability
School Districts Team Up on Virtual Ed Initiatives
Lectures Are Homework in Schools Following Khan Academy Lead
Virtual Ed. Advocates Respond to Wave of Criticism
Virtual Education Targets Rise of Autism
E-Learning Opens Doors for Gifted Students
At-Risk Students Face E-Learning Challenges
The School-Internet ‘Relationship’ and Online Learning

Aligning Curriculum and Technology

Building the Digital District
Schools Struggle to Balance Digital Innovation, Academic Accountability
Educators Connect Digital Games to Learning
Math Educators See the Right Angles for Digital Tools
Art and Music Learning Emphasize Interactivity, Real-World Relevance
Digitized Historical Documents Give Students Direct Access to the Past
Programming Digital Fun Into Science Education
Language Arts Educators Balance Text-Only Tactics with Multimedia Skills
Taking Risks and Achieving Results
Making Laptops Part of the Classroom: Four Suggestions

Professional Development

Pairing Up
Education Schools Playing Online PD Catch-Up
Common Core Accelerations Interest in Online PD
Social Media Feeds Freewheeling Professional Development
Teacher Training Takes a Hybrid Turn
Texas District Targets Teachers for ELL Training
Using Professional Development to Create Effective Teachers
Confessions of a New NBCT
Bringing Professional Development Into the 21^st Century

Special Education

An Instructional Approach Expands Its Reach
Special Educators Borrow from Brain Studies
More Student with Disabilities Heading to College
Districts Hire Outsider to Trim Special Ed. Costs
Training Educators for Virtual Special Education
Keeping Special Ed in Proportion
One-on-One Speech Therapy Goes Digital
Feds Loosen Rules on Cutting Special Ed. Spending
Where Are the Autism Teaching Competencies?
Social Skills are Critical for Those with Disabilities

STEM

New STEM Schools Target Underrepresented Groups
Fellowship Striving to Change Teacher Prep
New Science Framework Paves Way for Standards
National Park Service Expanding Reach Into STEM
Role of Science Learning Outside of School Grows
Out-of-School Time Drawing Girls into STEM
STEAM: Experts Make Case for Adding Arts to STEM
Researchers Probe Causes of Math Anxiety
Putting Virtual Assessments to the Test
Bringing STEM into Focus

To access these free Spotlights, please visit http://www.edweek.org/ew/marketplace/products/edweek_spotlights.html

Fellowship Program Aims to Change Teacher Prep

Posted on July 26, 2011 by coreeducation

In 2007, Indiana adopted a new teaching fellowship program, established by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, to recruit professionals with STEM expertise. Fellows, whether mid-career or fresh out of college, were set to work in secondary schools serving disadvantaged populations. The program seeks to not only address the shortage of STEM teachers, but to change university-based teacher preparation to resemble the residency-type training doctors receive.

Michigan and Ohio adopted the fellowship programs this year, announcing the first sets of fellows this spring. Each participant earns a teaching certificate and a master’s degree and receives a $30,000 scholarship. In return, fellows commit to teaching for three years in a high-needs school (schools with a significant percentage of students at risk of academic failure).

Fellows typically work in schools several days a week for a full academic year with increasing teaching duties as the year progresses. A benefit of this set-up, says fellow Jeremy Sebens, is that “you could take the theory you’re learning and apply it the very next day and come back and say, ‘Hey this worked great,’ or ‘It didn’t work at all.’” Another fellow, Hwa Y. Tsu, noted that he has now seen “how the classroom gets set up, how they deal with establishing culture, establishing expectations, rather than student-teaching where I drop in for six weeks and then I drop out.”

The fellowship program came in response to calls for intensive recruitment for STEM teachers. President Obama has even weighed in, calling for the recruitment of 100,000 STEM teachers over the next decade. The Woodrow Wilson program is only one among a growing number of ventures to tackle this problem. This program now involves 17 universities across Indiana, Michigan and Ohio; to date, 349 fellows have been admitted, including the 211 named this spring.

The program is not intended to impose “a cookie cutter design,” but there are central elements that the foundation expects. The programs must be “truly clinically based,” and the design and implementation of the programs must be a genuine partnership between a university’s education school, college of arts and sciences (and engineering school, if applicable), as well as with local school districts. Another element is ongoing mentorship from experienced teachers that continues throughout the fellows’ three-year teaching obligation.

1,000 Scientists in 1,000 Days

Posted on May 8, 2011 by coreeducation

Scientific American is about to make connecting scientists and schools a whole lot easier, thanks to their new 1,000 Scientists in 1,000 Days program. They’re recruiting “scientists who are willing to volunteer to advise on curricula, answer a classroom’s questions, or visit a school—for instance, to do a lab or to talk about what you do.”

Making the connection between students and scientists is essential given that “the U.S. ranks 27 out of 29 wealthy countries in proportion of college students with degrees in science or engineering.” Interested scientists can head to the Scientific American site to add their name to the list of participants. The program hopes to have a directory of scientists available for teachers by the start of the 2011-2012 school year this fall.

For more information about this program, or to register to be a visiting scientist, see
http://www.scientificamerican.com/page.cfm?section=calling-all-scientists

Core Education supports innovative ways to use professionals in teaching roles to support student learning. Many highly educated people are willing to devote part of their time to the next generation, but they are not interested in full-time careers as teachers. Opening opportunities for their participation in schools is a productive approach.

For more about Core Education’s work with teacher effectiveness initiatives, see www.CoreEducationLLC.com

The "Core" of Education

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