Common Core State Standards - Better Preparing Tennessee's Students for College and Career

Taking Note Superintendent Selection in2012 May Tennessee: A Brief History To better equip students with these skills, Common Core standards include a shift from literature-based focus to a balance of literature and informational texts. The standards also include a greater focus on text complexity to promote critical thinking. Writing standards encourage the use of strong evidence in support of the student’s argument. The Common Core standards also include speaking and listening components that include a focus on formal and informal speech. Students will develop their speaking and listening skills through presentations and group work. Common Core standards in English/Language Arts also set literacy requirements for history/social studies, science, and technical subject areas. According to the Tennessee Curriculum Center, “Literacy standards for grade 6 and above are predicated on teachers of ELA, history/social studies, science, and technical subjects using their content area expertise to help students meet the particular challenges of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language in their respective fields.” This approach seeks to integrate skills acquired through ELA coursework into other subject areas for students. vii ELA standards complement, rather than replace, content standards in these subject areas. Mathematics Standards In math, Common Core standards are arranged into content domains. This approach replaces following strands of content throughout a student’s K-12 experience in order to focus on specific areas of knowledge appropriate to each grade level. Students will be prepared with fundamentals in elementary and middle grades in preparation to understand more advanced concepts in high school Algebra. High school math will continue to include geometry and statistics components as part of the curriculum. Under Common Core standards, students will develop mathematical “habits of mind” to promote reasoning, problem solving, modeling, decision-making, and engagement among students. The standards also require students to demonstrate deep conceptual understanding by applying their developed skills in new situations. What is the timeline for implementing Common Core standards? Implementation of Common Core standards began in grades K-2 in the 2011-12 school year. According to the Tennessee Department of Education, standards for both ELA and math will be fully implemented by 2013-14, in preparation for the first year of common assessments in 2014-15. Timeline for Integrating Math and ELA Common Core Standard Assessments in Tennessee 2011-12 Grades K-2 Grades 3-8 2012-13 2013-14 Math & ELA Math (partial) Math & ELA Grades 9-12 Math & ELA Grades 6-12 Literacy for Social Studies, Math, & Science Page 3 The Department and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) are working together to prepare teachers to teach the Common Core standards. Teacher training programs must prepare new instructors to teach in a way that follows Common Core standards. These programs will provide tools and preparation materials for teaching across grade levels and subject areas. For current teachers, the Department will host a series of training sessions through its nine Field Service Centers beginning in Summer 2012. The Department of Education has also established a Common Core Leadership Council that includes superintendents, supervisors, and an assistant principal drawn from across the state. The council will provide ongoing advice on assessments and professional learning resources, in addition to designing Common Core pilot projects. Council members will also select and train exemplary educators, who will facilitate summer training sessions on Common Core implementation in 2012. viii To augment the work of the Leadership Council and bring Common Core training to the local level, 225 exemplary educators will serve as Core Coaches. The coaches will lead implementation of grades 3-8 math standards implementation through Summer 2012 training sessions and ongoing support. Recommendations Although many national and state-level experts came together to develop the standards and states across the country have demonstrated strong leadership adopting Common Core State Standards, the hardest work of this effort has only just begun. As Tennessee plans for the new instructional demands and course content requirements of Common Core, the state should focus on the tasks of implementation, including engaging teachers, education leaders, parents, students, and business and community groups to ensure each school provides a twenty-first century educational experience. Maintain commitment to rigorous standards Although the design and adoption of the Common Core have been essential milestones in enhancing the rigor of standards in states across the country, effective preparation for and implementation of these standards represent critical needs for continuing Tennessee’s trajectory toward becoming the fastest improving state for public education in the United States. The state Department and Board of Education, higher education leaders and teacher training programs, parents, local leaders, teachers, and the business community must show resolve to overcome the challenges associated with new approaches to instruction and assessment in order to ensure Tennessee’s high school graduates are ready for success in college and their careers. Student test scores may drop during the coming standards transition, as both students and teachers adjust to new approaches to learning and instruction. As in the case of startling falls in proficiency levels following implementation of Tennessee Diploma Project standards, policy makers and educators must remain committed to the work of aligning the state’s standards with the skills graduates need to succeed in college and their careers.

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