Summer Course Updates
The Move on When Reading , Reading Foundations Course is strongly aligned to the AZ Common Core Standards - ELA: Foundational Skills (K-5), Reading Standards for Literature and Informational Text (K-5) and Language Standards (K- 5). The content includes current research and evidence based practices that are necessary for the development of the technical skills of reading along with academic vocabulary and deep comprehension. Important components of an effective comprehensive reading program designed to develop proficient readers, competent writers and critical thinkers are included in this material. more
Arizona Common Core Standards - Myths vs. Facts
Education is still a hot topic in the AZ Legislature, so we've added some information that you are welcome to download and distribute.
Myth: The Arizona Common Core Standards are national standards.
Fact: The standards were developed through a state-led initiative spearheaded by governors and state school chiefs. The federal government was not involved in the development of the standards.
Myth: The standards are federally mandated.
Fact: The standards are not federally mandated. Arizona, along with 45 other states, voluntarily adopted the standards.
Myth: The Common Core shifts control away from of education from local school boards to the federal government.
Fact: Local school boards retain their same level of authority as they had prior to the adoption of the standards.
Myth: Common Core will impede the work of charter schools.
Fact: Charter schools in Arizona generally support Common Core because they can keep their unique missions.
Myth: Arizona is locked into the Common Core and cannot make changes to the standards.
Fact: Arizona is committed to staying the course and supporting the implementation of the Common Core. However, the State Board of Education can make changes to academic standards at any time. Good standards shouldn’t change too often, but over time should evolve based on what is learned from research, from educators in the field, and from student assessments.
Myth: The Common Core won’t prepare students for college and career.
Fact: The Standards reflect the real-world expectations of what is necessary for students to succeed in higher education and the workforce, including critical-thinking, problem solving, and effective communication skills. To this end, the standards were developed using evidence that includes scholarly research; surveys on what skills are required of students entering college and workforce training programs; assessment data identifying college and career-ready performance; and comparisons to standards from high-performing states and nations, among other data. Together with highly trained, well-supported teachers, the Standards will better prepare Arizona students for college and career.
Myth: The Common Core is not internationally benchmarked.
Fact: The Standards draw from the best existing standards in the country and are benchmarked to the top performing nations around the world, ensuring that our students are well prepared to compete with their peers abroad for the jobs of the future.
Myth: Arizona’s old standards are better than the Common Core Standards.
Fact: The Standards have been well-received and are regarded by most commentators – across the political spectrum – as an improvement on the state standards they replace. For example, in a recent analysis, the Fordham Institute found that the Common Core is an improvement over the Arizona’s past standards.
Myth: The Common Core Standards are a curriculum that tells teachers what to teach.
Fact: The Standards are not a curriculum. Rather, they are a set of goals that outline what students should be able to know and do in each grade in English and math. Decisions about how to teach the standards (e.g. curriculum, tools, materials and textbooks) are left to local decision-makers who know their students best.
Myth: Implementing the Common Core will not require any big changes in teaching or learning.
Fact: The Common Core will require new methods of teaching that lead students to become critical thinkers and problem solvers with higher levels of subject mastery. Arizona teachers will need additional training and time to adopt more innovative instructional methods and deepen their content knowledge. +
Myth: The Common Core does not have enough emphasis on fiction and literature.
Fact: While there is a shift towards including informational text in the standards, literature is included. The Standards require certain critical content for all students, including: classic myths and stories from around the world, America’s Founding Documents, foundational American literature, and Shakespeare. Appropriately, the remaining crucial decisions about what content should be taught are left to state and local determination. In addition to content coverage, the Standards require that students systematically acquire knowledge in literature and other disciplines through reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
Myth: The math standard does not address algebra until high school.
Fact: There is a great deal of algebra in the 8th grade standards and a strong focus on the prerequisites for algebra in the elementary grades. If a student is ready to move on to algebra in 8th grade or before, the decision will be made with the student’s parents, teacher and school district, as has always been.
Myth: Common Core was developed quickly and with little public comment.
Fact: The standards were developed by a thoughtful and transparent process led by the National Governors Association and Council for Chief State School Officers. The process relied on teachers, experts from across the country (including Arizonans), and feedback from key stakeholders and the general public. NGA and CCSSO received nearly 10,000 comments in response to the draft standards, which were incorporated into the standards.
Myth: Arizonans were not involved in the creation of the standards.
Fact: Experts from Arizona were involved in the development of the standards. One example includes Dr. William McCallum, the University Distinguished Professor of Mathematics and Head of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Arizona, who was one of the lead writers of the math standard. Sarah Baird, the 2009 Arizona Teacher of the Year, served on the Common Core State Standards Validation Committee. Arizona teachers, superintendents, staff from the Arizona Department of Education, and others were also involved in reviewing and providing input to the standards.
Arizona Public Engagement Task Force www.ArizonaCommonCore.org
Myth vs Fact download
The Difference Between Standards & Curriculum download
AIMS to PARCC: Demystifying the Assessment
Flagstaff, Show Low and Chinle recently hosted several presentations of AIMS to PARCC. We have attached a copy of the presentation for your convenience.
ppt (large file) or pdf version
Frequently Asked Questions
about the Common Core Standards
Q. I am a high school Social Studies Teacher. Am I responsible for the ELA ACCS?
A. Yes, there are ELA Standards for Science, History/Social Studies & Technical Subjects. The ELA Standards are a shared responsibility.
Q. Will the new assessment be multiple choice only or will there be open response and essay items as well?
A. The assessment system will include a mix of constructed response items, performance tasks, and computer-enhanced, computer-scored items.
Q. Will writing be assessed as a part of the CCSS assessments?
A. There will be student constructed responses for ELA and math. There is not a plan to have a separate writing assessment.
Q. What is the format for the assessments? We hear that they will be completed online, but wonder about the feasibility of that with many districts that lack the tech-nology to implement such a task.
A. The proposed plan has students in grades 6-11 taking the assessment online. Grades 3-5 is proposed to be paper and pencil, with the hope they can all be move to online in the future. The agency is conducting a review of districts within the state, and their ability to administer the assessment online.
Q. When will students in high school be held accountable for the new assessments?
A. The Department of Education will be releasing information on this in the upcoming months. You might be interested in attending ADE's local workshops "AIMS to PARCC: Demystifying the Assessment" More information is available here.
http://tinyurl.com/AIMS2PARCC
For parents, School Boards, community and business liaisons
Common Core 101: Arizona Common Core Standards:What Governing Boards, Parents, and Community Members Need to Know...
The Northeast Regional Center is pleased to share a newly created tool, specifically designed to effectively communicate the basics of the Common Core State Standards. Our regional surveys have clearly indicated that there is a lack of fundamental information about the differences between the current Arizona standards and the integration of new and more rigorous Common Core state standards and between AIMS and the PARCC assessment, both of which will have a significant impact on Arizona schools and our students. This PowerPoint was developed by Mike Aystock, recently retired Arizona Superintendent for the primary purpose of informing Governing Boards, teachers, parents and community groups as to the development, design, integration and intent of these standards. Presentations were delivered January 16 in Show Low and in Window Rock on January 30. A lively discussion with a very engaged audience followed both of these presentations.
______________________________________________________________________________________
A. Yes, there are ELA Standards for Science, History/Social Studies & Technical Subjects. The ELA Standards are a shared responsibility.
Q. Will the new assessment be multiple choice only or will there be open response and essay items as well?
A. The assessment system will include a mix of constructed response items, performance tasks, and computer-enhanced, computer-scored items.
Q. Will writing be assessed as a part of the CCSS assessments?
A. There will be student constructed responses for ELA and math. There is not a plan to have a separate writing assessment.
Q. What is the format for the assessments? We hear that they will be completed online, but wonder about the feasibility of that with many districts that lack the tech-nology to implement such a task.
A. The proposed plan has students in grades 6-11 taking the assessment online. Grades 3-5 is proposed to be paper and pencil, with the hope they can all be move to online in the future. The agency is conducting a review of districts within the state, and their ability to administer the assessment online.
Q. When will students in high school be held accountable for the new assessments?
A. The Department of Education will be releasing information on this in the upcoming months. You might be interested in attending ADE's local workshops "AIMS to PARCC: Demystifying the Assessment" More information is available here.
http://tinyurl.com/AIMS2PARCC
For parents, School Boards, community and business liaisons
Common Core 101: Arizona Common Core Standards:What Governing Boards, Parents, and Community Members Need to Know...
The Northeast Regional Center is pleased to share a newly created tool, specifically designed to effectively communicate the basics of the Common Core State Standards. Our regional surveys have clearly indicated that there is a lack of fundamental information about the differences between the current Arizona standards and the integration of new and more rigorous Common Core state standards and between AIMS and the PARCC assessment, both of which will have a significant impact on Arizona schools and our students. This PowerPoint was developed by Mike Aystock, recently retired Arizona Superintendent for the primary purpose of informing Governing Boards, teachers, parents and community groups as to the development, design, integration and intent of these standards. Presentations were delivered January 16 in Show Low and in Window Rock on January 30. A lively discussion with a very engaged audience followed both of these presentations.
______________________________________________________________________________________
