EVANSVILLE — Tri-State schools are moving toward a set of new academic standards that will replace ISTEP testing and are aimed at better preparing students to tackle the highly competitive world.
Changes are already visible in kindergarten classes and will lead to tests that replace ISTEP.
Common Core Standards were developed by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers.
Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois are among more than 40 states implementing Common Core. All three states are part of another consortium that will construct assessments on the standards for grades K-12; Indiana is among the governing states in that effort.
Full implementation is to occur in 2014. ISTEP still will be given to grades 3-8 in Indiana through 2014. Because current Indiana kindergarteners will take the new assessment in third grade, kindergarten teachers this year are implementing Common Core Standards.
Teacher training on Common Core is ongoing in the Catholic Diocese of Evansville. Daryl Hagan, director of local Catholic schools, said the new standards will be more challenging for students and allow for more relevant state-to-state comparisons of academic data.
Traditional state standards and Common Core have similarities, but the main differences lie in how skills are applied.
"It includes more hands-on activity, immersing them in problem-solving and different methods of learning and not just sitting down with pencil and paper," said Tina Schmitt, a kindergarten teacher at Oakdale Elementary School in Warrick County.
Even in kindergarten-level math, Common Core Standards strive to show children that "there's more than just one path to a correct answer," Schmitt said.
Indiana standards focus on application of skills to an extent, but educators agree that Common Core takes that to a higher level. Technology is to be a major component.
"Instead of just asking kids to recall information in science pieces, it actually asks them to take those content skills and use them to develop a brochure, or to do a certain piece of writing based on some things they've read," said Emily Smith-McCormick, director of professional development for the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp.
"There's going to be multiple ways to approach the instruction, however if you look at the rigor of what the standards say and what kids should be able to do, they definitely have to apply those skills that they are learning, across information (sources) that maybe are new to them," Smith-McCormick said.
EVSC officials said some existing curriculum programs reflect Common Core philosophy. New Tech Institute, a high school in its second year, focuses on group work and project-based learning.
They also pointed to a Harrison High School class where students create brochures or videos for nonprofit agencies as part of their language arts instruction.
"The focus is on college and career-readiness," said Velinda Stubbs, EVSC director of Title I schools.
Testing under Common Core, which is to eventually replace ISTEP, is to be administered throughout the school year. ISTEP is currently given each spring.
Assessments will be computerized, and Smith-McCormick said emphasis is placed on literacy skills across all grade levels and all content areas, "including those that maybe we wouldn't think of as being literacy oriented, like math, or even some of the technical trade areas. That may be something that parents see changing in the assignments that are coming home."
An acronym parents will hear more about is PARCC – the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. PARCC is developing "the next generation assessment system" for U.S. students. in K-12, with a $186 million U.S. Department of Education grant.
PARCC already released a few sample test items. EVSC Chief Academic Officer Dan Ulrich said the school district is using those in professional development sessions with teachers. Students will be exposed to them, as well.
"We want to get them used to giving the test, and we want the students to get used to seeing it," Ulrich said.
Kindergarten classes are already immersed in Common Core. At Oakdale Elementary, Schmitt said she and her fellow teachers met every week to prepare for the new school year.
EVSC kindergarten teachers also worked for months on the change, and "as with any transition, as you get further into it, sometimes the more questions you have," Smith-McCormick said. "That's why schools have had faculty meetings, team meetings, collaboration time for teachers supported not only by expertise within the team but also coaches we have within the district."
Source: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/oct/29/no-headline---_ev_school-standards/?partner=yahoo_feeds
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Changes are already visible in kindergarten classes and will lead to tests that replace ISTEP.
Common Core Standards were developed by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers.
Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois are among more than 40 states implementing Common Core. All three states are part of another consortium that will construct assessments on the standards for grades K-12; Indiana is among the governing states in that effort.
Full implementation is to occur in 2014. ISTEP still will be given to grades 3-8 in Indiana through 2014. Because current Indiana kindergarteners will take the new assessment in third grade, kindergarten teachers this year are implementing Common Core Standards.
Traditional state standards and Common Core have similarities, but the main differences lie in how skills are applied.
Traditional state standards and Common Core have similarities, but the main differences lie in how skills are applied.
"It includes more hands-on activity, immersing them in problem-solving and different methods of learning and not just sitting down with pencil and paper," said Tina Schmitt, a kindergarten teacher at Oakdale Elementary School in Warrick County.
Even in kindergarten-level math, Common Core Standards strive to show children that "there's more than just one path to a correct answer," Schmitt said.
Indiana standards focus on application of skills to an extent, but educators agree that Common Core takes that to a higher level. Technology is to be a major component.
"Instead of just asking kids to recall information in science pieces, it actually asks them to take those content skills and use them to develop a brochure, or to do a certain piece of writing based on some things they've read," said Emily Smith-McCormick, director of professional development for the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp.
"There's going to be multiple ways to approach the instruction, however if you look at the rigor of what the standards say and what kids should be able to do, they definitely have to apply those skills that they are learning, across information (sources) that maybe are new to them," Smith-McCormick said.
EVSC officials said some existing curriculum programs reflect Common Core philosophy. New Tech Institute, a high school in its second year, focuses on group work and project-based learning.
They also pointed to a Harrison High School class where students create brochures or videos for nonprofit agencies as part of their language arts instruction.
"The focus is on college and career-readiness," said Velinda Stubbs, EVSC director of Title I schools.
Testing under Common Core, which is to eventually replace ISTEP, is to be administered throughout the school year. ISTEP is currently given each spring.
Assessments will be computerized, and Smith-McCormick said emphasis is placed on literacy skills across all grade levels and all content areas, "including those that maybe we wouldn't think of as being literacy oriented, like math, or even some of the technical trade areas. That may be something that parents see changing in the assignments that are coming home."
An acronym parents will hear more about is PARCC – the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. PARCC is developing "the next generation assessment system" for U.S. students. in K-12, with a $186 million U.S. Department of Education grant.
PARCC already released a few sample test items. EVSC Chief Academic Officer Dan Ulrich said the school district is using those in professional development sessions with teachers. Students will be exposed to them, as well.
"We want to get them used to giving the test, and we want the students to get used to seeing it," Ulrich said.
Kindergarten classes are already immersed in Common Core. At Oakdale Elementary, Schmitt said she and her fellow teachers met every week to prepare for the new school year.
EVSC kindergarten teachers also worked for months on the change, and "as with any transition, as you get further into it, sometimes the more questions you have," Smith-McCormick said. "That's why schools have had faculty meetings, team meetings, collaboration time for teachers supported not only by expertise within the team but also coaches we have within the district."
Source: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/oct/29/no-headline---_ev_school-standards/?partner=yahoo_feeds
Movers in Santa Clarita
Movers Santee
Movers Miramar
Movers Fremont
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