2. +
Thoughts to consider . . .
Today’s kindergarten students will graduate high
school in 2026 and college in 2030.
What do you think will be different about the
workplace?
What skills do you think will be more important for
student success?
3. +
What are the
Common Core State
Standards?
A set of clear standards for
Math and English
Language Arts
Expectations for what
students should know and
be able to do
Adopted by Tennessee and
43 other states, four
territories, and the District of
Columbia
4. +
What is the goal of the
CCSS?
“The CCSS will strengthen
teaching and learning with
standards that are focused,
coherent, clear, and rigorous.”
(www.tncore.org)
“To ensure all students are ready
for success after high school, the
Common Core State Standards
establish clear, consistent
guidelines for what every
student should know and be able
to do in math and English
Language Arts from Kindergarten
through 12th grade.”
(www.corestandards.org)
5. +
What are the goals of
the CCSS in Math?
“The CCSS provides the foundation
for the development of more focused
and coherent instructional materials
and assessments that measure
students’ understanding of
mathematical concepts and
acquisition of fundamental
reasoning habits, in addition to
their fluency with skills. Most
importantly, the CCSS will enable
teachers and education leaders to
focus on improving teaching and
learning, which is critical to ensuring
that all students have access to a
high-quality mathematics program
and the support that they need to be
successful.”
--A joint public statement of the National Council of
Teachers of Mathematics, the National Council of
Supervisors of Mathematics, the Association of State
Supervisors of Mathematics, and the Association of
Mathematics Teacher Educators
6. +
What does the Math
CCSS emphasize?
Mathematical thinking
Skills-based learning
Concept-driven tasks
Real-world problem-
solving
Organization across
grades
7. +What are the goals of
the CCSS in English
Language Arts?
“The Common Core asks students to read stories and
literature, as well as more complex texts that provide
facts and background knowledge in areas such as
science and social studies. Students will be challenged
and asked questions that push them to refer back to
what they’ve read. This stresses critical-thinking,
problem-solving, and analytical skills that are
required for success in college, career, and life.”
(www.corestandards.org)
“Teachers who immerse their students in rich
textual environments, require increasing
amounts of reading, and help students choose
ever more challenging texts will address rigor as
it is defined by the CCSS. This means keeping
students at the center, motivating them to
continually develop as writers and readers, and
engaging them in literacy projects that are
relevant to their lives. When students feel
personal connections, they are much more
willing to wrestle with complex
topics/texts/questions.”
--Sarah Brown Wessling, high school English teacher and
2010 National Teacher of the Year (excerpt from
Supporting Students in a Time of Core Standards, NCTE)
8. +
What does the CCSS
ELA emphasize?
Reading, writing, language,
speaking/listening, and
research skills
Text-based questioning and
evidence
Reading to learn
Literature and content-rich
nonfiction
Problem-solving and analytical
practice
Organization across grades
9. +
How do the CCSS
differ from current TN
Standards?
Math
FOCUS: narrowing scope of content
at each grade level
COHERENCE: making math make
sense
RIGOR: conceptual understanding,
procedural skill and fluency, and
applications
English/Language Arts
KNOWLEDGE: Content-rich non-
fiction
EVIDENCE: Literacy grounded in
evidence from text
COMPLEXITY: Regular practice with
complex texts and academic
vocabulary
Instructional Shifts for Math
and ELA
10. +
Math Shift 1: Focus strongly where the
standards focus
Cover topics in mile-wide,
inch-deep fashion
Skills repeated in standards
from grade to grade
Progression through
standards, often neglecting
foundational skills
Math skills in isolation
Narrow and deepen
instructional practice
Major work outlined for each
grade with deepening of prior
knowledge
Strong foundation, solid
conceptual understanding,
high degree of fluency and
application of math skills
inside and outside the math
classroom
Shift from: Shift to:
11. +
Math Shift 2: Coherence
Standards not coherently
linked from grade to grade
Cycle of review of basic
skills/presentation of new
skill/practice new skill
Each standard a new event
Coherent progression from
grade to grade
Carefully connected learning
across grades so that
students can build
understanding onto previous
foundations
New skill is an extension of
previous learning
Shift from: Shift to:
12. +
Math Shift 3: Rigor
Math as a set of mnemonics or
discrete procedures
Drill and kill practices
Math problems out of context
Math is only taught in Math
class
Apply math in context
Use class time so that students
have access to more complex
concepts and procedures
Teachers in other content areas
ensure that students are using
math to make meaning of and
access content
Shift from: Shift to:
13. +
ELA Shift 1: Building knowledge through
content-rich non-fiction
Imbalance with focus on
literary texts
Analysis of conventions such
as plot, character, conflict,
setting, theme
Literacy skills and writing in
isolation
Balance of literary and
informational text
Content rich non-fiction to
build coherent general
knowledge
Embedded literacy to build
knowledge through reading
and writing
Shift from: Shift to:
14. +
ELA Shift 2: Reading, writing, and
speaking grounded in text evidence
Questions that could be
answered without close
reading or that do not require
inference
No requirement to defend
answer with text-based
evidence
Formulaic writing,
summaries, paragraph
responses, 5-paragraph
essay format
Questions that require
inferential thinking supported
by text evidence
Students articulate evidence-
based answers verbally and
in writing
Intentional cultivation of
narrative writing then
scaffolding sequencing and
details to build capacity for
argumentative writing
Shift from: Shift to:
15. +
ELA Shift 3: Regular practice with
complex text and academic vocabulary
Focus on basic skills of
reading, writing and
vocabulary in isolation
Assessment readiness
Vocabulary memorization
Reading, writing, and
vocabulary in context
College and career readiness
Use of vocabulary in writing
and speaking
Shift from: Shift to:
21. +
What are the
implications for
classroom
instruction? Close reading/ text-
dependent
questioning
Megan Pitts, Chemistry 1
22. +
What is the CCSS
connection to
teacher evaluation?
The focus of the CCSS and
Tennessee teacher
evaluation:
What are the student
expectations for learning?
What is the evidence of
student learning?
How can students take
ownership of learning?
23. +
Consider this quote:
“…when I walk into a classroom, of course I
care about what the teacher is doing, but
in some ways I care even more about what
the students are doing. What’s the nature
of the task? Are students being invited, or
even required, to think? Naturally, that has
implications for what the teacher is doing
and what the teacher has already done.
That is, has the teacher designed learning
experiences for kids that engage them in
thinking or formulating and testing
hypothesizes or challenging one another
respectfully or developing an
understanding of a concept? You really
only know what a teacher is doing when
you look at what the students are doing. I
also listen carefully to how teachers
question students—if they ask kids to
explain their thinking, for instance. That’s
very different from just saying that’s the
right or wrong answer. It’s a very different
mindset about wanting to understand the
students’ thinking and their degree and
level of understanding.”
--Charlotte Danielson, author of the
frameworks that became the TEAM rubric
24. + Encourage perseverance through
independent problem-solving
Support students as they write to
learn
Emphasize the importance of
demonstrating the thinking process
through writing and speaking
Encourage students to use
appropriate vocabulary
Provide plenty of opportunities for
independent reading
Remember that “the one doing the
most talking is doing the most
learning.”
What are practical
ways YOU can assist
children in reaching
CCSS goals?
25. + Foster independence in student
learning
When helping students with work,
avoid leading with, “let me show
you…”
Instead, allow students to discover.
Ask questions and prompt for
understanding:
“How do you know?”
“What makes you think that?”
“What in your reading supports
your ideas?”
“Tell me more about your thinking.”
What are practical
ways YOU can
assist children in
reaching CCSS
goals?
