Carol Jago, former president of the National Council of Teachers of English and current AP Literature content advisor for the College Board, shares insights into the Common Core and the impact they will have on instruction. Key points are addressed below.
2:10 Jago addresses the assessment coming in 2014-2015 and how reading and writing will be fully integrated. She describes how children will read multiple texts—both fiction and nonfiction—and then write about what they’ve read.
7:15: The point is made that literacy is a shared responsibility. Teachers have to be prepared to assist students in reading and writing across the disciplines (slide).
12:15 Jago describes CCSS misconceptions and starts with the use of informational text (slide). She notes that the move from students reading 50% informational text in elementary to 70% in high school does not fall on the English teacher. Rather, these percentages reflect all of the readings done throughout the day.
28:27 You can only get to the words that students need to know through reading. That is, Jago is specific in stating that lists of words and vocabulary quizzes will not get students to the number of words children need to know (slide). Further, teachers need to move students into complex text if they are going to be exposed to words they don’t know.
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About Aaron Grossman
I am a 5th grade teacher at Roy Gomm Elementary in Reno, Nevada. I started working with elementary students as part of the Montana Reads program and AmeriCorps. In 2001, after graduating from the University of Montana and moving to Reno, Nevada, I student taught at Rita Cannan Elementary before receiving a 6th grade position at Veterans Elementary. I moved out of the classroom to be a Literacy Coordinator, then an Instructional Coach, and finally a School Improvement Program Coordinator. In 2011, I began working on the Nevada Academic Content Standards in the district’s Curriculum & Instruction Department. I returned to the classroom for the 2015-2016 school year to teach 4th grade at Huffaker Elementary.
Before returning to the classroom, I helped develop the Core Task Project that has been featured by National Public Radio, the Gates Foundation, American Radio Works, Eduwonk, the Fordham Institute, Vox, and the Center for American Progress. In 2014, I received the Leader to Learn From Award for my teacher-centered initiative and work to bring college, career, and civics ready outcomes into Northern Nevada classrooms (here).
In 2015, I was appointed by Governor Sandoval serve on the Statewide RPDP Council. The same year, Nevada’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction Steve Canavero placed me on the state’s State Improvement Team. This year I will be part of the National Council on Teacher Quality’s Teacher Advisory Group. I am Google Certified Educator and a Nevada Teacher Ambassador.
I believe strongly that teaching content is teaching reading and I make sure my students have ample opportunities to work with social studies, history, science and art outcomes. I do what I can to blend the learning for my students and this blog is part of that effort. You can contact me at coretaskproject@gmail.com
Core Task Project 
