Adapting Professional Practice to Address Common Core Standards
As we struggle with ongoing use regarding adequate funding for education, a positive outgrowth statewide and nationally, is the transformation and alignment of our curriculum to new Common Core standards. The new standards provide a way to demonstrate what students really understand and can do with the knowledge gained in school. It goes beyond measuring amounts of knowledge about discrete information to focus on hands-on demonstration and deepening relationships between disciplines.
This face of assessment is also set to change as we move away from high stakes testing to a more balanced model of quality assessments. These assessments can be used to inform curriculum improvements and teacher development, rather than to punish students, teachers, or schools, such assessments would support higher-quality instruction and more engaged learning.
With changes scheduled to the new Common Core State Standards in math and English language arts scheduled for 2014-15, there is little time to spare in taking on the challenging task of preparing educators to make the shift. We are challenged as a state to prepare a work force of 295,000 teachers for this critical shift toward curricula and teaching strategies that builds student knowledge and the skills they need to apply their knowledge.
Schools, districts, and teacher preparation programs will require coordinated and coherent support to transition professional development and preparation programs for deeper learning and new performance assessments. County offices of Education, with their regional infrastructure, are uniquely qualified to work with SMART consortium, professional development support providers and higher education to respond in a customized fashion to the professional development needs of educators.
Teachers need support and structures to shift from instructional practices based on pacing guides towards a different approach to:
• Make decisions about curriculum
• Devise lesson plans and tailor instruction to the individual needs of the students
• Support the development of assessments linked to top-quality standards
ACOE is ready to lead a countywide pilot that will demonstrate how a county office of education can be the vehicle to support superintendents in building practitioner expertise and leadership in the Common Core. Our long-standing regional partnerships and connection with key state officials place us in a great position to pilot strategies for a successful transition to the new state assessments for the state of California.
Research shows clearly that simply increasing the amount of time spent on ineffective strategies does not result in better instruction. We need engaging, content-driven and culturally relevant curriculum to educate our youth. With a renewed focus on quality, integrated learning and improved, comprehensive assessments, we can build on the successful practices that support educating the whole child for success in school and in life.
# # #
Upcoming Common Core Standards Toolkit ~ Training of Trainers
Session I: Overview Module Training & FAQ's
Session II: Content and Curriculum Module Training May Session | September Session
Professional Development|Common Core-Aligned
Integrated Learning Specialist Program, Summer Intensive
Project EAT Summer Institute (PD# 2819)
