Common Core State StandardsSupporting the new standards for elementary students
by Mary Ann ScheuerBerkeley Unified School District
April 2014
[email protected]: @MaryAnnScheuer
What are the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)?
The Common Core is a set of high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy (ELA). These learning goals outline what a student should know and be able to do at the end of each grade.
source: CoreStandards.org
What’s our attitude?
CatnipComic by Jeff Hoyle
Adoption & Implementation
❖ 44 states have adopted the CCSS
❖ California adopted in 2012
❖ Implementation plan available through CDE
❖ School districts are juggling both curriculum
and assessment
Skills
Assessment
It’s half full by Jessica C.
Libraries provide essential support
New wheel by Ian Turk
Nonfiction
Primary sources
Databases
e-books
Research skills
Reading levels
fiction
content
Key shifts in the Common Core ELA
❖ Reading more nonfiction❖ Gradually increasing text
complexity❖ Using primary sources❖ Learning academic
vocabularyAntique key by Microsoft Clipartfor more information, see EngageNY
Reading more nonfiction
Balancing informational and literary text, K-5Developing knowledge in the disciplines, 6-12
Grade Literary Informational
K-5 50% 50%
6-8 45% 55%
9-12 30% 70%
Librarians provide essential help
Wow, by Jip Jin LeeDad… this is BORING, by Mike
Nonfiction can be interesting!
Textbooks ARE boring!
Key Standard: Informational Text● Craft and structure
○ “Know and use various text features”
● headings● captions● bold print● subheadings● index● glossary
Goldfish, by Anita GaneriCapstone, 2009
Text Features
● headings● captions● bold print● diagrams● index● glossary
Devastated by a Volcano, by Stephen PersonBearport, 20010
Key Standard: Informational Text● Craft and structure
○ “Identify the main purpose of a text”
Key Standard: Literature & Informational Text● Range of reading levels
○ “Staircase of complexity”
Understanding reading levels
Comparing different systems○ What do they measure?○ Which do our schools use?○ How do we estimate with new books?
Understanding reading levels
➢ Vocabulary length➢ Sentence complexity➢ Narrative structure
Emotional complexity is another matter
Lego DNA, by Michael Knowles
Resources to learn more
❖ California Department of Education
❖ EngageNY - especially video library (ELA overview)
❖ ALSC Common Core Resources
❖ SLJ webinar archives
❖ Blog features like Common Core IRL
Questions?
Mary Ann ScheuerBerkeley Unified School District
➢ Twitter: @MaryAnnScheuer
➢ Great Kid Books http://greatkidbooks.blogspot.com
Puzzled people by Microsoft Clipart
