The Common Core State Standards Implications for Teacher Preparation

1. The Common Core State Standards Implications for Teacher Preparation The Importance and Impact of Effective Practice K-16 Dorothy S. Strickland, Ph.D. Samuel DeWitt Proctor Professor Emerita Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

2. Overview: • Issues! Challenges! Assumptions- briefly • Linking the Key Design Considerations of the Common Core State Standards with Effective Practice K-16 • Cautions and Concerns

3. Issues! Challenges! Assumptions! A Common Core State Standards Literacy Perspective • Teachers who demonstrate proficiency relative to the K-12 Common Core State Standards will be better able to teach them. • Not all teacher candidates come to college with high-level CCSS competencies. • Teacher preparation programs have a responsibility to graduate students who possess high level literacy skills and the pedagogical knowledge and ability to teach them.

4. K-12 Language arts integrated with each other and with content. Emphasis placed on critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration with peers. College (Teacher Prep. +) Assignments are designed to increase students content knowledge about education and teaching pedagogy and, at the same time, increase students’ ability to “think” with a variety of texts. Key design consideration #1An Integrated Model of Literacy

5. K-12 Grade specific standards addressed in tandem with broader goals of college and career readiness. Concept of spiraling. College (Teacher Prep. +) A challenge in Higher Ed. with no set sequence. However, elements of spiraling can be included in prerequisite courses with a degree of mastery expected in requisite courses. Key design consideration #2Cumulative Model of Expectations

6. K-12 Grade level and cross disciplinary planning support students’ ability to apply literacy skills to actual content under study. College(Teacher Prep. +) Increased planning among college faculty to insure that course assignments reflect the skills required to help students think critically with texts. Key design consideration #3Shared Responsibility for Students’ Literacy Development

7. K-12 Critical thinking with texts in all forms of media and technology is emphasized. Equal balance of literary and informational texts. College(Teacher Prep. +) Assignments require a variety of media technology for investigating questions and sharing (written and oral) what is learned. Key design consideration #4Research and media skills blended into standards as a whole.

8. K-12 Texts represent a range of complexity; used for various purposes: reading aloud; shared & guided reading; independent reading. Teachers scaffold students toward independence. College (Teacher Prep. +) Scaffolding includes a series of assignments that progress toward student independence: (1) instructor modeling; (2) instructor/class collaboration; (3) independent assignments. Key design consideration #5Greater use of on-grade-level & complex texts

9. Cautions and Concerns There is a critical need for -- • Genuine engagement of teachers in curriculum design and implementation ongoing, embedded professional development • Maintaining the focus on -- Learning How to Learn!!!