North Andover Core Curriculum Implementation

Frequently Asked Questions

NAMS Standards-Based Education

September 19,  2012 The North Andover Middle School has been moving towards a standards-based system of teaching, learning and grading since January 2012. The faculty has developed the following statement:  The purpose of this reporting system is to communicate with parents and students about progress towards mastery of specific learning standards. This reporting system identifies students’ levels of achievement with regard to those standards, areas of strength, and areas where additional time and/or relearning opportunities are needed. Why is NAMS moving to standards-based teaching, learning and grading? In a standards-based system, which is part of the North Andover District Improvement Plan, teachers report what students know and are able to do relative to the Massachusetts common core standards. Essential reporting standards have been identified and will be articulated through classroom instruction. Work habits and social learning will be reported on the Habits of Learning process rubric. Our goal is that all of our students reach the proficiency level on identified essential standards. Why is a Standards-Based Grading system better than a traditional system?  The traditional A-F grading system categorizes student performance into a percent that then equates to a letter grade for each class such as science 85%  B. In a standards-based grading system essential standards are identified with supporting benchmarks that reflect student performance on each one. A student may demonstrate learning progress at a proficiency level on one essential standard, and demonstrate learning progress at an advanced level which is  exceeding the identified proficiency level of another essential standard. The standards-based system will provide students and parents more information on student progress and learning.   What does the transition year mean for my child, and why do we need it? Defining essential learning standards in all subjects is a lengthy process that is in a constant state of revision due to the influence of the state and federal regulations. This year Massachusetts has adopted the common core, which now affects our curriculum. Some of our subject areas are further along than others in identifying essential standards and realigning their instruction, activities and assessments. For example, math is the furthest along due to the curriculum work being done at the elementary level and the accountability factor around MCAS. Also, another contributing factor that impacts us is the PowerSchool parent portal. Entering the revised essential reporting standards and benchmarks is a time consuming, detailed process. All of the NAMS teachers are learners, and as they work through our transition year, we will be a better aligned for next year when all teachers will be fully implementing standards-based education.  Every teacher will be responsible for communicating in blended methods how they will be reporting student progress our transition year. Frequency, method and what is communicated are crucial steps. All teachers will be communicating to parents approximately every 2-3 weeks through team emails, student work and the parent portal. How will I know how he/she is doing regardless of whether their teachers are grading in a standards-based system or traditionally? All teachers, regardless of the grading system, will be sending home work samples specifically aligned with essential reporting standards every 2-3 weeks. Progress will be indicated on a standards-based rubric and reflected in the PowerTeacher gradebook through the parent portal. My child is academically strong. How will standards-based teaching, learning and grading challenge my child? Through standards-based instructional methods of pre-assessment, teachers will know if students have already mastered concepts prior to a lesson or unit. It will give teachers an early opportunity to provide meaningful challenge work for these students. During our transitional year teachers will be designing learning opportunities for students to challenge themselves to exceed the essential standards if they choose. On our standards-based rubric this translates to a 3.5 and/or a 4. My child finds schoolwork challenging. How will standards-based teaching, learning and grading answer the question, what will we do if a child does not meet the standards? Standards-based instruction will allow us to specifically identify areas where students need more time and support.  Instruction that is not designed around specific standards tends to reflect general strengths and weaknesses. Often, key skill areas may be missed. What does standards-based teaching, learning and grading mean for the traditional NAMS honor roll? We will be using the district RAISE acronym to celebrate learning for all of our students. NAMS teachers have created a process rubric that will reflect student learning. Our goal is to celebrate learning and progress for all students, regardless of previous acquired knowledge or academic abilities. This will be in place by December 2012 for all NAMS students. My child is motivated by the honor roll and straight A’s. How will standards-based teaching, learning and grading motivate my child? Your child will see that working hard, acquiring new knowledge, and trying new things is learning. In our current letter grade system many students do their work for the extrinsic reward of the A, and do not challenge themselves further.    What about high school or private school recommendations from 8th to 9th? Currently we use a rubric to communicate student progress to the high school. Next year we will be able to provide more detailed information through our instructional improvements and process rubric. Private schools will receive more detailed information with a standards-based reporting system. A traditional system is computed into one overall letter grade where the standards-based system will provide information on progress for each essential reporting standard.

Additional Information for Parents

The Parents’ Guide to Student Success was developed in response to the Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics that more than 40 states have adopted.  National PTA^® created student success guides for grades K-8 and two for grades 9-12 (one for English language arts/literacy and one for mathematics).

The Guide includes:

·         Key items that children should be learning in English language arts and mathematics in each grade, once the standards are fully implemented. 

·         Activities that parents can do at home to support their child's learning. 

·         Methods for helping parents build stronger relationships with their child's teacher.  

·         Tips for planning for college and career (high school only).

·         PTAs can play a pivotal role in how the standards are put in place at the state and district levels. Ultimately, the aim is for the Guide to be a tool for parents to build relationships with their children's teachers once the standards are fully in place.

http://www.pta.org/4446.htm

Edwin

Introducing Edwin  

·     An upcoming online resource for Race to the Top districts, Edwin will be a comprehensive teaching and learning platform that will support educators at every level.  

·     Now branded as Edwin, this platform will provide a single point of entry for educators to access Department resources in two broad areas: teaching and learning, and analytics.

·     Edwin Teaching and Learning will include model curriculum units, curriculum maps, lesson planning tools, and a digital library of vetted resources.

·     Edwin Analytics will provide access to existing data systems, including an Early Warning Indicator System (EWIS), and student assessment and attendance data.

·    Districts that choose to adopt some or all of these system components should see cost savings in their expenditures for software and other systems. For more information,  email Edwin@doe.mass.edu.  

Common Core State Standards Initiative

Common Core State Standards Initiative

http://www.corestandards.org/



The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy.

What are educational standards?

Educational standards help teachers ensure their students have the skills and knowledge they need to be successful by providing clear goals for student learning.

Why do we need educational standards?

We need standards to ensure that all students, no matter where they live, are prepared for success in postsecondary education and the workforce. Common standards will help ensure that students are receiving a high quality education consistently, from school to school and state to state. Common standards will provide a greater opportunity to share experiences and best practices within and across states that will improve our ability to best serve the needs of students.

Standards do not tell teachers how to teach, but they do help teachers figure out the knowledge and skills their students should have so that teachers can build the best lessons and environments for their classrooms. Standards also help students and parents by setting clear and realistic goals for success. Standards are a first step – a key building block – in providing our young people with a high-quality education that will prepare them for success in college and work. Of course, standards are not the only thing that is needed for our children’s success, but they provide an accessible roadmap for our teachers, parents, and students.

What are the Common Core Standards

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) are pleased to present the final Kindergarten-12 Common Core State Standards documents that our organizations have produced on behalf of 48 states, two territories, and the District of Columbia. These English language arts and mathematics standards represent a set of expectations for student knowledge and skills that high school graduates need to master to succeed in college and careers.

http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards

History

The Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI) is an effort designed to improve educational outcomes for students by developing a set of common, voluntary, internationally-benchmarked academic standards in mathematics and English language arts. For more details, check out the CCSSI overview. 

• The CCSSI is a state-led effort designed to improve educational outcomes for students by developing a set of consistent, clear K-12 academic standards in English language arts and mathematics. In 2009 the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), the coordinators of the initiative, convened a group of leading experts to develop K-12 standards for math and English language arts in 2010. These standards are relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills young people need to be prepared for both college and work in a global economy.

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Education Board adopts Common Core standards to keep Massachusetts students national leaders in education

Massachusetts educators and staff were integral in drafting of standards to increase expectations for students in the Commonwealth and across the country

MALDEN - The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education cited the increased academic rigor and stronger expectations for student performance when it voted 8-0 to adopt the Common Core Standards in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics on Wednesday, making Massachusetts the 27th state to adopt the internationally benchmarked academic standards that promise to keep the Commonwealth's students national leaders in education. The Common Core Standards will continue to be assessed through the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), ensuring that all Massachusetts students continue to achieve at the highest levels in the nation and preparing them to succeed in the global economy.

Launched in June 2009, the Common Core State Standards Initiative is designed to develop and implement a single set of national standards in ELA and math to define what every student should know and be able to do in order to be fully ready for post-secondary education or a successful career. Massachusetts played a leading role in the development and review of the standards over the past 13 months. Curriculum experts and educators from across the Commonwealth reviewed and submitted comments on drafts that were incorporated throughout the development process to ensure that the expectations set in the final versions met or exceeded the state's strong standards for students.

"Today's vote is a strong statement of the Board's commitment to keeping Massachusetts competitive in the global economy," said Board of Elementary and Secondary Education Chair Maura Banta. "I am very grateful to all the professionals who provided the Board with such a thorough and thoughtful analysis. We look forward to your continued contribution as we identify unique Massachusetts standards that should be added to the Common Core."

"All along, the conversation about Common Core has been about the Commonwealth seizing the opportunity to improve upon our already high standards," said Education Secretary Paul Reville. "Today's action ensures that Massachusetts will continue to be the recognized leader not only in performance but in setting the direction for nation's future education reforms."

"Adopting the Common Core standards allows us to retain our standing as a state that holds all students to high academic expectations. These standards will spur academic achievement in the classroom," said Education Commissioner Mitchell D. Chester. "This decision also puts us right where we should be – at the table with other states to collaborate on innovative curricular and instructional strategies that will benefit students and educators for years to come."

The Common Core standards were developed using the most effective academic standards from across the country and around the world. These standards are designed to provide teachers and parents with a common understanding of what all elementary and secondary school students are expected to learn. The standards are aligned with expectations that define the knowledge and skills needed for success in college and and/or workforce training programs. They are designed to drive high quality instruction in the nation's classrooms. The standards include rigorous content and build on strengths and lessons of the state's current standards.

The Board has discussed the standards at four previous meetings over the course of the past year. BESE sought public comment while engaging department staff, outside experts, district curriculum leaders and teachers in a process involving analysis and feedback.

The standards were also fully vetted, reviewed and approved by national organizations including Achieve, Inc., which called them "a significant advance over current state standards," and the Fordham Foundation. The Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education (MBAE), in a side-by-side analysis comparing the state's current standards to the Common Core, deemed that Common Core "meets the business community's objective of enhancing the college and career readiness of our students."

In addition, external review teams of Massachusetts educators and academics assembled by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education did their own analysis of both the Common Core and the state's academic standards and found them to be of equal quality and strength. Both teams recommended adoption of the Common Core standards. In their final review, the team that reviewed the ELA standards noted that the Common Core document "bespeaks an abiding belief in high academic achievement through the pursuit of the best possible educational praxis."

Among the strengths officials highlighted as distinguishing factors within the Common Core:

• The focus on reading and writing across the curriculum
• The attention to speaking, listening and vocabulary
• The consideration of emerging new literacies (such as digital and print sources) for research and communication
• The treatment of varying student needs and achievement levels in the delivery of the math curriculum

Two former commissioners of education, Robert Antonucci and David Driscoll, who were responsible for the design and implementation of the Education Reform Act of 1993 and the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) this week voiced support for Common Core based on the academic rigor set forth in the standards. Likewise, former Boston Public Schools Superintendent Thomas W. Payzant encouraged the Board to adopt the standards based on the value added to the state's current high expectations.

Business leaders also this week announced their backing of the new, higher standards. In addition to MBAE, the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, the Progressive Business Leaders Network and the Massachusetts Business Roundtable all encouraged the Board to adopt Common Core based on their review of the standards and conclusion of the strong academic foundation contained within both the math and English Common Core frameworks.

Later this summer the ELA and mathematics curriculum framework review panels will be reconvened and charged with identifying unique Massachusetts standards to augment and strengthen the Common Core. This will be brought to the Board this Fall for final approval.

Once fully adopted, the new frameworks will be posted on the ESE website, and widely publicized. Regional statewide professional development sessions on the new standards will be offered over the next year, through the District and School Assistance Centers, the Readiness Centers and other venues. All districts will be expected to align their curricula to the new standards by the start of the 2012-2013 school year.

http://www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.aspx?id=5634

Center for Curriculum and Instruction

The Center for Curriculum & Instruction http://www.doe.mass.edu/candi/ helps schools, districts, and organizational partners build capacity to engage all students in learning to meet rigorous expectations.  To accomplish this, the Center will

• articulate and assess high quality learning standards;
• identify, develop, and disseminate a rich array of resources and tools;
• support high quality professional development;
• facilitate opportunities for educators to network;
• actively communicate and collaborate with our partners.

The Center's staff members develop the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks in the arts, English language arts, foreign languages, history and social science, mathematics, science and technology/engineering, the English language proficiency benchmarks and outcomes, instructional technology standards, and related resources. In collaboration with Office of Student Assessment, staff members develop the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System tests in English language arts, English language proficiency, history and social science, mathematics, and science and technology/engineering.

Within the Center are the following Offices:

• Office of Curriculum Development
• Office of English Language Acquisition and Academic Achievement
• Office of Literacy and Humanities
• Office of Science, Technology/Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM

Upcoming Events:

• 5th Annual Curriculum Summit
• Transitions in Mathematics 2013
• PARCC 101