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

Ed Leadership 703 Presentation Materials

Listed below are the presentation materials shared in Educational Leadership 703 course at the University of Nevada, Reno. This was part of an effort to inform graduate students about the Common Core, the instructional shifts, and the implications for classroom … Continue reading

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More Teacher Created CK Supplements Uploaded to 63000Resources

We continue to add teacher created Core Knowledge materials to www.63000resources.com. Over the winter break we posted 50 documents from Monique Scott, Heather Hanifen, Emily Poertner, and DeAnna Parker ranging from graphic organizers, to flipcharts to vocabulary cards. Since break we’ve … Continue reading

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Core Task implementation Project Session 4, Grades 3-5

The 4th session of CTiP for Grades 3rd through 5th focused on syntax and a look at the Language Standards. The session was like the other January sessions but with a closer look at assessment items similar to those students will see on … Continue reading

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ELA Mini Assessments

This is a belated post on the Mini Assessments (MA) we used in Session 3 or the Core Task implementation Project. The MA’s can be used to formatively gauge student growth on important literary dispositions including working with academic vocabulary; … Continue reading

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Shanahan on Test Preparation—What not to do

In a presentation titled, “What Not to do to Prepare for the Assessments,”Common Core Work Team Member Dr. Timothy Shanahan share some provocative insights into PARCC and SBAC. Among these is his claim that test preparation likely does not work. … Continue reading

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Core Task implementation Project, Session 4 Materials

Session 4 of the Core Task implementation Project (CTiP) focused on refining work with the Core Knowledge materials and a renewed effort to build understanding around syntax and the Common Core language standards. Teachers also brought student writing samples, based … Continue reading

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Session 4 Materials for DC CTP

The fourth session of the DC Core Task Project focused on strategies to allow all students to engage in the work of the lesson—the focus of Core Action 3 within the Instructional Practice Guides. Educators engaged in professional learning taken from … Continue reading

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Dr. Catherine Snow’s Video Presentation on Vocabulary and Content Knowledge

In a video linked here (start at minute 38:46) Harvard Professor and Validation Team Member of the Common Core State Standards Dr. Catherine Snow makes the case that the vocabulary deficit that plagues highly impacted students is as much a … Continue reading

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A Closer Look at Text Complexity and Using Rich Nonfiction

The Melton Elementary staff reviewed evidence describing why all students should be working with complex texts and rich nonfiction. This included looking at the MetaMetrics study on Lexiles and Dr. Tim Shanahan’s review of the ACT study, “Reading Between the … Continue reading

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OSP Review of Core Knowledge Implementation

The Office of School Performance reviewed the current implementation of Core Knowledge. The 15-minute presentation focused on current supports and conditions for success. You can review the PowerPoint that was shared here.

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