The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) has posted sample items and performance tasks matched to the “rigor and complexity of the English language arts/literacy” standards in Common Core. Likewise, the sample items can be used by educators “to begin planning the shift in instruction” required of the Core.
Note: SBAC cautions that these are sample items and are not intended to be used as assessment. You can access the materials here.
University of Virginia psychology professor Dr. Daniel Willingham, describes how writing makes children better thinkers in a piece for the Atlantic Monthly (here). He summarizes several pieces of research in buttressing his claim but cautions that writing without purpose will not realize this goal. Instead, it is writing that requires careful analysis that moves our students towards this outcome.
In a series of videos posted on Vimeo and titled, “Finding Common Ground: What is your District Doing to Get Teachers Ready?” the National Education Writers Association and the Latino Children Project invited California district superintendents to describe key features of the CCSS. This included the importance of using close reads with text-dependent questions and using evidence in culminating assignments (minute 1:40). Superintendents, also share their strategies for accessing the Common Core. You can view this content here, here and here.
Linked below are the materials shared with K-5 educators in Lafayette, California. Participants took part in the Core Task Project during their professional development day on October 8th. The purpose of the presentation was to assist Lafayette in its implementation of the Common Core.
Presentation Resources
CTP Packet and Summary Statement
Resources for Implementation and Professional Learning
The Common Core Literacy Shifts have been represented (here) in graphic and bullet form. This might prove useful for those who quickly want to review what is expected as we reorient our work and align it with the CCSS.
Dr. Elfrieda H. Hiebert writes, “Acquiring knowledge is the raison d’etre of the Common Core” in a posting for TextProject (here). She writes that using narrative can assist with this outcome if we allow students to focus on the multiple levels of meaning within a text. Likewise, if we reposition our instructional emphasis from personal connections to the influence of culture and history within a piece of writing, students will acquire the requisite knowledge to be a “have” in a digital-global world.
You can learn more about TextProject here.
Bishop Manogue Catholic High School did its first work with the Common Core and the Instructional Shifts. Participants watched David Coleman’s presentation on the shifts before New York educators (here). Then staff reviewed the district’s instructional shifts document and discussed next steps for implementation.
Resources from the presentation:
Coleman Shift Notetaker
Washoe’s “instructional shifts” document
What is complex text? Jan Burkins and Kim Yaris use Appendix A, of the Common Core, to answer this question and provide some context for why text complexity is an important feature of the CCSS. The answer can be found here.
On Monday, the ESL & World Language Department partnered with the Curriculum & Instruction Department on the Core Task Project-ESL. The hope of this endeavor is to identity appropriate scaffolds for ELs, when employing the close reading strategy, and use WIDA as a means of gauging student learning.
The ESL teachers participating in this project will help refine all of our work, as we move forward with Common Core. Likewise, their expertise will enable us to more effectively engage all learners with grade level content.
Core Task Project 