Common Core or Guided Reading Recently, I've been fielding questions about guided reading (à la Fountas and Pinnell) and the common core; mainly about the differences in how they place students in texts. Before going there, let me point out that there is a lot of common ground between guided reading and common core, including high quality text, the connections between reading and writing, the emphasis on high level questions and discussion, the idea that students learn from reading, and so on. Nary a hint of conflict between the two approaches on any of those issues. Not so with student-book placements; on that there is a substantial divide. Guided reading says go easy, and common core says challenge them. How can these schemes be so different? Fountas and Pinnell advocate for a system of text placement that has been widely and long accepted in the field of reading (I've previously written about the sources of those ideas).
Algebra LAB Smarter Balanced Assessments The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium is developing a system of valid, reliable, and fair next-generation assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English language arts/literacy (ELA/literacy) and mathematics for grades 3-8 and 11. The system—which includes both summative assessments for accountability purposes and optional interim assessments for instructional use—will use computer adaptive testing technologies to the greatest extent possible to provide meaningful feedback and actionable data that teachers and other educators can use to help students succeed. Smarter Balanced assessments will go beyond multiple-choice questions to include extended response and technology enhanced items, as well as performance tasks that allow students to demonstrate critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Performance tasks challenge students to apply their knowledge and skills to respond to complex real-world problems. Assessment System Components Mathematics Guidelines
Parent and Family Resources The Common Core State Standards are important because they will help all children – no matter who they are – learn the same skills. They create clear expectations for what your child should know and be able to do in key areas: reading, writing, speaking and listening, language and mathematics. If you know what these expectations are, then you can work with the teacher and help your child prepare. Read the letter from Commissioner King to parents regarding the release of the grades 3-8 test results. Watch the new video for parents and families about the Common Core Standards and the Grade 3-8 state assessments in English Language Arts and Mathematics: Watch the videos below for an overview of the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics. To see how the Common Core Instructional Shifts outlined in these videos are broken down, see the Common Core Video Series.
Center on Instruction Navigating Text Complexity Understanding text complexity is essential to implementing the Common Core State Standards in ELA & Literacy. But what makes a text complex and how will it help prepare my students for college and career? What tools can I use to select rich, worthy texts for instruction in my classroom? We hope that you'll hop in and take these tools for a spin! This site was assembled by educators from CT, DC, HI, ID, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MI, MO, NC, OR, UT, WV & WY, members of CCSSO's ELA State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards.
books Dr. Ted Coe Dr. Ted Coe Mathematics With Geogebra Algebra Geometry Trigonometry Calculus Too much mathematics never killed anyone. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. ; 2014 Dr. An Overview This 14-minute video provides an overview of the Common Core State Standards in ELA/Literacy. NYS Commissioner of Education John B. King Jr. and contributing author David Coleman discuss the background of the Common Core State Standards, their value in the state, the principles of their development, and the changes required of schools during this transition. This is just one way of conducting professional development around this video.
Video: Aligning Curricular Materials This is a four minute video in which David Coleman, a contributing author to the Common Core State Standards, describes an exemplary module that he and his fellow authors have designed. After watching this video and reading the Publishers’ Criteria and accompanying rubric, educators might select curricular material and assess it using the expectations articulated in the Publishers’ Criteria and measured through the rubrics. In what ways do these curricular materials meet this high bar for Common Core alignment? In what ways can their alignment be improved? This is just one way of conducting professional development around this video.
Resources 1. Introduction 2 Guided Reading