Common Core State Standards Booming or Busting What
Common Core State Standards: Booming or Busting? . . . & What Does this Mean to Adult Educators? Michael D. Beck CASAS Summer Conference San Diego, CA June, 2014 1
Session Organizer � 10 Truths / Facts about the CCSS & the accompanying assessments �A “Dirty Dozen” of Opinions & Biases � What’s � Top �A Ten “Too’s” About the Assessments Handful of Fearless Predictions � And ◦ the Promise of CCSS & the Tests? finally, I’m an adult educator, SO WHAT? ? 2
Top Ten Truths about CCSS �It’s not “more of the same” �It’s here for awhile �It’s not just for “regular education” �There are CCSS STANDARDS. . . & there are (soon) CCSS-based ASSESSMENTS. These overlap, but aren’t the same! �It’s “done” – the (ELA, Math) standards are set, the assessment development is over 3
Top Ten Truths about CCSS (# 6 – 10) � The CCSS goals are enviable, but we’re a long way off. . . in just about every school � The reasons for being still exist: need for higher &consistent standards � Standards = Curriculum � Trickle-down is occurring to adult ed � If you knew about status 2 -3 months ago, you’re already badly out of date � Furor/angst: You ain’t seen nothin’ yet 4
What the heck am I talking about? The end of the world? Some kind of natural disaster? Zombies? No, something even scarier: the Common Core. - David Kierski Most of us who lived through this Hitler era remember how British Prime Minister Chamberlain gushed how great Hitler’s Youth Corps was, much like those who support Common Core today. - Donald Conkey, Cherokee Tribune Allowing the federal government at the throats of our young people is to disallow children the opportunity to know the unique American experience of liberty in a freewill republic. - Jim Mullen Remember the quote by Hitler, 'Give me your children and in 10 years I’ll change society? ' The Obama administration intends to do just that. - Elois Zeanah Obama Core is a comprehensive plan to dumb down children so they will be obedient servants of the government and probably to indoctrinate them to accept the leftwing view of America and its history. - Phyllis Schafly 5
Your child or grandchild will not be able to escape Common Core materials that are anti-Christian, anti-capitalism, and anti-America. Or that are pro-homosexuality, illegal immigration, unions, environmentalism, gun control, feminism and social justice. - Elois Zeanah If this isn't Nazism, Communism, Marxism and all the 'ism's' I don't know what is. - Christina Michas Today's teachers and psychologists are … being trained to influence [students’] political views. Does it sound like we're becoming Castro's Cuba? I can tell you from personal experience that we're already there. - New Hampshire Tea Party Now they’re teaching something called Common Core. Folks, this president is emulating dictators. Do you not understand that he is not playing games? If you look at Mao Tse-tung, this boy is emulating Mao Tse-tung to a T. - Bradlee Dean Our kids are going to be indoctrinated with extreme leftist ideology. That should terrify most people. - Glenn Beck 6
A Dirty Dozen Buffet of Biases, Editorializing, Warnings & Cautions 1. (on this topic) The more things change, the more they change. 2. $3. 4 billion yielded a lot of buy-in. BUT, with Federal $, memory is very short-term. 3. There’s “alignment” and there’s “alignment” 7
A Dirty Dozen Buffet (# 4 – 6) 4. What’s missing? Logic: Set a goal, measure and report the status, and things will improve. (wish that worked for weight loss!) 5. Loss of support = Dead in the water 6. However, if you’re a fan, the trend isn’t good 8
Once Upon a Time 9
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A Dirty Dozen Buffet (# 7 - 10 ) 7. The missing critical piece: Are teachers up to it? Are the committed to it? 8. The “system” is INDEFENSIBLE politically, ethically, legally (? ). 9. No one who was a Rhodes scholar or with a Ph. D in Physics should ever write standards for elementary school. 10. The REAL threats are “reform fatigue” and “suburban surprise”. . . And, the everpresent political paralysis gripping this country ever-tighter 12
In the “good ol’ days” of the CC honeymoon 13
A Dirty Dozen Buffet (# 11 - 12 ) 11. The “Obama Core” furor is mostly about two things: POLITICS (“mind control” vs. “local control” TEST SCORES (accountability) 12. Where are the structural cracks? Too much, too soon. Teacher evaluation Technology Building a plane while it’s flying 14
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Top Ten “Too’s” on the Tests �Too much, too quickly �“Readiness” too based on a traditional 4 -year college definition �Too long ! �Too hard. . . maybe �Bearing too much weight 17
Top Ten “Too’s” on the Tests (# 6 – 10) �Too costly �Too tech-heavy too quickly �Too “growth” dependent �Too cavalier about teacher training �Too mired in the politics of today (pre- & in-) (too near to 2016? ) 18
What is the Promise? 50 sets of standards (and tests) have never really made sense � Expansion of types & complexities of test item types � Moving everyone quicker into expanded use of technology in assessment � 19
What is the Promise? � � � All the related parties have accomplished a LOT in a short period of time. Focus on deeper thinking (ELA – “beyond reading” coverage, analytic comprehension, Mathematics – application) Focus on “essentials” – Reading for understanding, conceptual understandings in Mathematics FOCUS ! 20
A Handful of Predictions � More “dropouts” – states in 2014 -15 Even more states in 2015 -16 LOTSA kids in “graduation-test” states � Many mini-consortia – mostly after 2015. � Slow (but monotonic) absorption of CCSS, under more politically acceptable labels at times. � (Yet) Another “major reform movement” by 2016 21
TOPIC 1 A: So Why Should We Care? 22
TOPIC 1 A: So Why Should We Care? (aka: Do you have any idea where you are, Mike? ? ) 23
So Why Should We Care? Yes, the CCSS are K-12 content standards, the accountability applies to K-12 schools, and the Consortia tests are for Gr. 3 -HS 24
So Why Should We Care? Yes, these are K-12 standards & assessments. BUT – They will impact what adult programs do – in funding, instruction, & assessment. 25
Ready, Set, . . . GO ! �CCSS are a given. . . In most states, in most curriculum materials, in most tests. . . For several years. �Consortia (or cloned) tests are a given for a couple of years LOTSA FAILURES 26
Ø Learn & Use the Lingo Ø If you believe that “college and career ready” has a range of meanings, SPEAK UP ! Ø Don’t be an ostrich or decide “that’s a problem the “regular” schools have to deal with, not me !” 27
What Should I Do to Get Ready? to the CCSS: they are the game for the next few years. � Attend • They are NOT “more of the same. ” • They ARE markedly more challenging. • They WILL control state tests. . . and GED & NEDP. ØYou MUST change both what & how you teach – specific standards, complexity (both ELA & Math), and expectations. 28
What Should I Do to Get Ready? � Just Maybe: 29
What Should I Do to Get Ready? � Just Maybe: If you’re fully vested in your retirement plan, have recently won the lottery, or have married very well. . . 30
Great Resources on CCSS-based Assessments www. k 12 center. org ◦ ETS-sponsored site with balanced and complete information about the Consortia ◦ Coming Together to Raise Achievement (3/14) www. parcconline. org www. smarterbalanced. org 31
Contact Information Michael D. Beck 35 Guion Street Pleasantville, NY 10570 (914) 769 -5235 mikebeck@prodigy. net 32
Change in Complexity of Reading Grade Span Old “Stretch” Lexile Band 2 -3 450 - 725 450 - 790 4 -5 645 – 845 770 - 980 6– 8 860 - 1010 955 - 1155 9 – 10 960 - 1115 1080 - 1305 11 - CCR 1070 -1220 1215 - 1355 33
Text Complexity / Difficulty by Grade Level The CCR “Gap” C O M P L E X I T Y Today Gr. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 . . . 34
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