Transition to Illinois State Standards Incorporating the Common Core

Written on 9:38 AM by Unknown

As promised at last night's PTA meeting, I'm posting links to a few places parents interested in learning more about the new Illinois State Standards Incorporating the Common Core can go to get that information.  I'd also like to share some of the key points I mentioned. 

• In 2006, ACT, Inc released a report called Reading Between the Lines that included an analysis showing that of the students reaching the benchmark achievement score in Reading on the ACT, which only 51% of all test takers achieved, had a 75% probability of a C or better in an introductory college class in US History or Psychology and had only a 50% probability of a B or better in that course.
• The clearest differentiator of what separated the benchmark achievers from those who did not make it was the students' ability to answer questions associated with complex texts. Text complexity is a very important part of the new English/Language Arts standards.
• This led to my sharing Figure 3 from Appendix A of the Common Core standards showing that for students in grades 2-3 the old Lexile ranges were 450-725. The new Lexile ranges alinged to the College and Career Readiness standards is 450-790.
• That's not a huge bump at grades 2-3, but carried forward to grades 11-CCR the old range of 1070-1220 becomes 1215-1355. Please note the old high end is now the new low end of the range.
• We can't make this a situation only high school has to address and that's why the more rigorous standards start in Kindergarten.

Our District has committees currently working with revising curricula to support these new standards. They have been working since spring and will continue to work through the coming year to prepare for our K-8 Math curricular roll out in the fall 2012 and the ELA curricular roll out in the fall 2013. Our building is currently working to understand and wrap our heads around the new standards. We're working on this to make sure we know the targets for our students' learning. The curricula that become the resources we use to reach those targets will come later. Here are those links.
Common Core Standards
Resources for PTA and Parents at Illinois State Board of Education

Though this is just the beginning, I hope it gives parents some ideas about how we are moving forward and towards what we are moving.

Posted in Common Core, professional development

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