Author Archives: Aaron Grossman

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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

Wagner’s 21st Century Learning Skills and the CCSS

Teach Indy has helpfully posted a professional development video that overviews the Common Core State Standards, the instructional shifts, and several PARCC performance tasks here. In addition to the aforementioned, the presenters in the video make explicit connections between Tony … Continue reading

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Next Generation Science Standards Are Now Available

The Next Generation Science Standards are finalized and available for download (here). The standards, part of an effort led by 26 states, are described as “rich in content and practice, with aligned curricula, pedagogy, assessment, and teacher preparation and development.” You … Continue reading

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Open Resources for Common Core

The National Math and Science Initiative (NSMI) have created resources, matched on the Common Core State Standards, which are available to teachers here. The materials include a number of free lessons for elementary and English teachers that promote the habit … Continue reading

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Accessing Sample Assessment Items

Green Bay Area Public School District Assessment Coordinator, Stephen Miller, has posted a Youtube video describing how educators can access sample SBAC assessment items. If you are having any difficulty navigating the Smarter Balanced website, Miller’s brief three minute and … Continue reading

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Flipped PD

Sheleen DeLockery, working in School District 62 in Illinois, has put together the following flipped professional development around the ELA “instructional shifts” (here). Sheleen moves viewers through the shifts using video content and print resources and she has all of … Continue reading

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The Rise of Open Educational Resources

The Hechinger Report posted the following piece (here) on Open Educational Resources. They highlight national efforts including a number of items matched to the Common Core State Standards. Of note is this: In Wiley’s home state, 30 teachers and 6000 … Continue reading

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Last Session of Leading the Core

The last session of the Leading the Core concluded with administrators looking at connections between the instructional shifts and the Danielson Framework. Administrators also got a preview of the next fall’s professional development plan and course offerings for leadership, site … Continue reading

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Publisher’s Criteria Webinar

The Council of Great City School and Student Achievement Partners hosted a webinar describing the Common Core State Standards Publisher’s Criteria (here). You can download the criteria for K-2 here and for 3-12 here. The webinar highlights key features of … Continue reading

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“The Truth about Common Core”

There has been some confusion about the Common Core and Kathleen Porter-Magee and Sol Stern address several areas of misinformation and misinterpretation. They directly tackle important issues including the concern that the CCSS is a federal mandate (aka ‘ObamaCore’); that … Continue reading

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Complex Text: It’s Complicated

Laura Varlas shares a piece for Education Update on the importance of text complexity and strategies for accessing standard 10 (here). She underscores the importance of keeping instruction anchored in the text with these notes: Instructional time: Complex texts take time, … Continue reading

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