The status quo, with wide divergences in student achievement, is no longer acceptable.

Transcription

1 What are the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)? The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort that established a single set of clear educational standards for kindergarten through 12th grade in English language arts and mathematics that states voluntarily adopt. The standards are designed to ensure that students graduating from high school are prepared to enter credit-bearing courses in two-year or four-year college programs or enter the workforce. The standards ensure that parents, teachers, and students have a clear understanding of the expectations in reading, writing, speaking and listening, language and mathematics in school, and they put students on a level playing field regardless of where they live. Why are the CCSS needed? The status quo, with wide divergences in student achievement, is no longer acceptable. Academic expectations should be consistent for all, and not dependent on where the student resides. CCSS in English and mathematics are a triumph of both substance and collaboration, and they are clear and consistent. Holding our students to higher, more rigorous standards will enable teachers to improve their teaching skills, in order to raise student achievement, and thus helping our children attain college and career readiness. For over two centuries, the United States has been a leader in academic achievement, research and development, innovation and economic growth and job creation. In the highly competitive global economy, the U.S. must be vigilant to ensure that our young people entering the workplace have both the knowledge and skill sets to perform well, and to keep our nation competitive. We all can agree that a well-rounded K-12 education is a vital foundation on which Americans can succeed after the classroom, whether the next step is college or vocational/technical training. Important studies have clearly shown that in the next decade the number of jobs that require postsecondary education and/or training will skyrocket.

2 Business support for the CCSS is very strong. Businesses yearn for domestic talent to fill professional positions positions that pay well, provide benefits, and offer avenues for career advancement. Higher pay and benefits strengthen the economic livelihoods of our families. Access to such pay and benefits is strengthened by K-12 education systems grounded in teaching important core academic concepts across a wide range of disciplines. We do realize, of course, that education is not the sole component of preparation for the workplace. Family nurturing, role models, community activities, and faith also play hugely important roles. Governors and chief state school officers across the country recognized that their standards had similar limitations and chose to address the weaknesses in their standards by working together rather than doing it separately 50 times over. State leaders, teachers, parents, school administrators, education experts and academics - from across the country - provided input into the development of the standards. The standards incorporate the best and highest of previous state standards in the U.S. and are internationally benchmarked to the top performing nations around the world. Students will learn the skills and abilities demanded by the workforce of today and the future. The standards emphasize critical thinking, teamwork and problem-solving skills. Timeline of CCSS transition: Development of CCSS began through the work of state education chiefs, state governors and the best research available to determine what students need to be college and career ready. Standards were developed for each grade level to prepare students to meet expectations by graduation. These standards lead to proficiency in English-language arts and mathematics for grades K State education chiefs discussed development of common standards. The CCSS initiative got underway before the 2008 election and before announcement of Race to the Top program Governors voted to approve a policy statement putting state leaders in charge of national effort to establish common core of standards states, 2 territories and the District of Columbia signed a memorandum of agreement with the National Governors Association (NGA) and Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), committing to a state-led process - the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSS).

3 March 2010 Draft K-12 standards released for public comment (10,000 comments received) June 2010 Ed chiefs and governors release final Common Core State Standards August 2010 Mississippi Board of Education adopted Common Core State Standards following the same process it always follows every five to seven years when standards are changed, which includes a public comment period. In May 2013, the State Board of Education set a state accountability and assessment transitional timeline. Current CCSS participation The decision to adopt CCSS is a state decision. There is no federal government role. 45 states and the District of Columbia have embraced the CCSS, a clear sign of the appeal of the CCSS across the nation. Elected leaders of participating states believe that the CCSS are of vital importance to all citizens in their states. These leaders hope to use the CCSS to eventually make all K-12 classroom instruction top-notch a shared goal of educators, parents and, of course, the students themselves. The CCSS are not a national curriculum The CCSS are not a national curriculum, nor an imposition of such a curriculum by the federal government. Yes, many countries have a national curriculum. However, the CCSS was not meant to create any national curriculum. Our students are as smart as students in any other country. However, we are falling behind, owing to wide disparities in access to quality schools and quality teachers. CCSS aims to teach our children key academic concepts, level the playing field for all students, and increase the quality of classroom instruction. CCSS is not a cure-all for education challenges in the U.S. CCSS does, however, provide parents, students, teachers, and education officials with a framework to offer all students a more equal opportunity for academic achievement.

4 Who is behind and/or who is leading the CCSS? The nation s governors and education commissioners, through their representative organizations the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), led the development of the CCSS and continue to lead the initiative. Claim that CCSS was crafted by the Federal Government and/or a private company CCSS were created by and for the states. CCSS were not developed by a private company, but through a state-led process under the leadership of governors (the National Governors Association, NGA) and state superintendents (CCSSO) from 48 states, all of whom who were increasingly concerned about the ability of U.S students to compete in a global economy. The CCSS development process included the participation of state departments of education, districts, teachers, parents, community and business leaders, professional organizations, and experts in a wide array of fields. Not one dollar came from the Federal Government to develop the standards. State boards of education and local school boards retain their same level of authority as they had prior to the adoption of the standards. Parents, Teachers, and community leaders involved from the start The CCSS are a result of wide stakeholder engagement. Draft K-12 standards were released for public comment in March ,600 comments were received. Core standards writing teams included dozens of leading educators and academics. External and state teams provided on-going feedback throughout the process. Members included K-12 teachers, postsecondary faculty, state experts, and prominent national education organizations. State leaders have welcomed regular input from teachers, parents and community leaders. With students, parents and teachers working together on ensuring academic achievement, we can ensure that students make progress each year and graduate from school prepared to succeed in college and in the modern workforce.

5 While parents were not the primary audience for the CCSS, a number of organizations have developed materials parent guides to the standards. By using these materials and by working closely with their children s teachers, parents can determine how best to help their children in school as the CCSS are being implemented. Degree of community/parent/student ongoing input to CCSS State education leaders welcome ongoing feedback from all stakeholders. There are numerous mechanisms to relay comments, including by or through school leaders, school boards, PTAs, and state legislators, to name but a few. Nevertheless, Common Core members should and do pay particularly close attention to the input of local school leaders, teachers, and leading education academics, given their experience with curriculum development and classroom instruction. All parents place great value on the efforts of those teachers who both prepare and inspire our children. These teachers know our children well, spending 7 or more hours with them daily. CCSS has been embraced by the vast majority of American teachers and educator organizations, a testament to their faith in the standards, and their utility in the classroom. What will Mississippi Common Core State Standards mean to students and parents? With the CCSS, parents will know exactly what their children should learn by the end of each grade level. The new standards are more rigorous and students will be learning important concepts in earlier grades. The Common Core shifts the focus from high school completion to college- and career-readiness for every student. When the standards are fully implemented, parents will see that each grade covers fewer topics, but teaches content in much greater depth. Curriculum and assessments are evolving to align with the Common Core. With the Common Core, parents can be assured that their students are learning to the same high-quality standards as other students across the country. New tests will measure learning under CCSS. These tests will be more difficult but will provide teachers with information that can inform instruction.