Common Core State Standards and Catholic Schools

1. Common Core State Standards and Catholic Schools Mary Jane Krebbs Kathy Mears Dale McDonald, PBVM Lorraine Ozar

2. Agenda • State of Common Core Standards: the national picture • Implementation progress in the states • Politicization of standards and assessments • Common Core Catholic Identity Initiative • Progress on implementation in Catholic schools • The Living Common Core • New and Improved CCCII Website

3. State Adoption of Common Core Green=adopted Gray=not adopting Blue=ELA only

4. Impetus for Developing Common Core State Standards Equity imperative: All students deserve a high-quality education regardless of where they attend school Global competition: workforce requires different skills and education for economic growth Current curriculum standards vary greatly across states and achievement is calculated differently

5. Overview of the CCSS Initiative State-led effort under direction of National Governors Association (NGA) and Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). Development of common core standards for K-12 in English/language arts and mathematics under direction of educational professionals. Teachers, parents, school administrators and experts from across the country, together with state leaders, provided input into the development of the standards. Focus on learning expectations and outcomes for students – not on how to teach content.

6. Implementation of Common Core State Standards • Standards have been implemented in schools for three years • Professional development programs are being developed to assist teachers and administrators with the implementation and application of standards to teaching and learning practices • Curricula are being developed locally to align with standards • New textbooks, software and instructional materials are being produced • State assessments are being developed and piloted to measure student progress with new standards

7. CCSS: Develop Skills Necessary for Success in Work and Life • Traditional academic knowledge and skills: strong math and English skills • Real world application, or applied literacies --the ability to apply learning to meet real-world challenges. • Broader competencies. • Solve new problems and think critically • Strong interpersonal skills necessary for communication and collaboration • Creativity and intellectual flexibility • Self sufficiencyand ability to plan independently

8. National Controversial Issues • Data collection and warehousing of student information • Cursive writing • Elimination of Shakespeare • Algebra in 8th grade • Race to the Top: federal mandate to adopt • Textbook alignment

9. Politicization of Standards • Political activity: • Opposition on political grounds: local v. federal control • Federal takeover of education: Race to the Top • Data collection and national student databases • Political Actions: (next slides) • Opposition to Assessments: • Costs • Required technology for testing • Time on testing • Double testing for AYP requirements

10. Challenges to CCSS Implementation • Unsuccessful attempts to delay or roll back the standards in several states: Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and South Dakota. • Michigan and Indiana have halted funding for CCSS implementation. • Indiana and possibly Illinois will withdraw from participation in national assessments

11. Challenges to CCSS Implementation In the vast majority (37) of the CCSS-adopting states participating in the survey, officials considered it unlikely that their state would reverse, limit, or change its decision to adopt the standards during 2013-14. Center on Education Policy Survey: 2013

12. Common Core Assessments

13. Catholic Schools and Common Core: Some Considerations • Adopt and/or adapt standards • Participation in national assessments • Impact on curriculum, instruction and teaching materials • Perceptions of a national curriculum and impact on school independence • Access to commercial materials: tests, media teaching tools aligned to CCSS • Professional development and ability to use new media materials • Impact on students’ future • Transfers across systems • College acceptances • Workforce readiness

14. Catholic Schools and the Common Core • Over 400 teachers and administrators attended applied Catholic professional development this summer • Over 1000 teachers and administrators participated in webinars focused on the Common Core • Catholic leaders have provided professional development in 18 states, 32 (arch)dioceses

15. Where are Catholic Schools in the adaptation process? • Reviewing and analyzing the standards • Working on instruction that meets the needs of students • Looking for ways to be better reading teachers • Looking for ways to improve math instruction • Looking for additional resources to build even stronger Catholic identities in our schools • Reviewing resources • Improving parent and stakeholder communication

16. Moving Forward… • Continue to build resources • Continue to provide applied Catholic professional development • Continue to review our practices and materials • Continue to monitor student progress • Continue to communicate with parents and other stakeholders

17. The Living Common Core

18. K-12 Education: Workforce Preparation Every young person will continue to need basic knowledge – but, he/she will need skills and motivation even more. Of the three educational goals, to motivate is the most critical. Young people who are intrinsically motivated – curious, persistent, willing to take risks – will learn new knowledge and skills continuously; they will be able to find new opportunities or create their own. Tony Wagner Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change Our World

19. Current Thinking About Creativity Creativity, not knowledge, has become the fundamental factor of production. Our economy uses technology; its motive force is creativity. Robots Aren’t the Problem: It’s Us Richard Florida The Chronicle Review - March 23, 2013 Creativity is not synonymous with art or beauty. The value is in the thought process itself… such patterns of thinking train people to metaphor and analyze, to reframe problems, break them down to component parts to view them from different perspectives, and work iteratively – that is, revising again and again – to find answers. Dan Berrett The Chronicle of Higher Ed - April 5, 2013

20. Thinking About Creativity Today’s students will need such tools (of creativity) to tackle the problems they stand to inherit… Knowledge will need to be combined across disciplines, and juxtaposed in unorthodox ways. Dan Berrett The Chronicle of Higher Ed April 5, 2013

21. Twenty – first Century Skills (sample) • Creativity and Innovation • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving • Communication and Collaboration • ICT Literacy • Initiative and Self-Direction

22. What could this look like in the classroom: • Brainstorming in every subject • Changing the Environment exploration centers discussion corners… • Broadening perspectives (new cultures) • Thinking visually • Encouraging creative synthesis • Using technology • Drawing Connections adapted: Education Update ASCD October 2013

23. Instruction is the heartbeat of the Common Core(David Coleman) A learning goal or standard is only as good as the instructor’s ability to imagine what it would look like when it is being met. Sarah Fine Education Week -10/28/10 An excellent Catholic school has a clearly articulated, rigorous curriculum aligned with relevant standards, 21st century skills, and Gospel values, implemented through effective instruction. #7 National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools 2012

24. CCCII Online www.cccii-online.org

25. Benefits for New Site • More stylistic freedom to extend the site to our needs (including blogs and other add-ons) • Ability to track and monitor site traffic with more granularity  • Securing the top-level domain name rather than being appended (catholicschoolstandards.org/common-core) • Greater ease in promoting the site using social media and other resources • Forestalling uninformed site visitors from equating the National Catholic School Standards with the CCCII and/or the common core.

26. Decision to Transition • Steering Committee – universities, NCEA, corporate sponsors • Desire to expand support of Catholic schools and the common core • Desire to “shape” the message • Desire to increase transparency for unit development and review • Desire to use proactive rather than reactive strategy

27. Expanded Features • Easier Navigation • Stronger, clearer Home page • In Support…FAQs, Links, Rationale • Blog • Forum coming too

28. CCCII Moving Ahead • CCCII Constitution and By-Laws • Planning for CCCII 2014 national conference • CCCII Unit Review Criteria and Unit Review Committee • Review of CCCII 2013 national units for posting on web • Continued PD

29. Take a look… http://www.cccii-online.org/