Confused About The Common Core State Standards? If so, you're not alone. All public schools across the state of California are committed to using the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) to guide instruction K-12. CCSS are a clear set of shared goals and expectations for the knowledge and skills students need in English language arts and mathematics at each grade level so they can be prepared to succeed in college, career, and life.
Be assured that Lake Marie Elementary has been and will continue to train and support teachers, students, and parents as we all make the transition from California State Standards to Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Here are some of the things we are doing this year at Lake Marie:
- Common Core presentation at Back to School Night
- Teachers receive in-service trainings and/or workshops to support new CCSS-based programs, curriculum, and technology
- Lake Marie teachers receive support from the district's Common Core instructional coaches
- Staff attends regular district-wide grade level meetings and on-site staff meetings where teachers can learn from each other and refine their implementation of Common Core
- All classes regularly visit the computer lab to learn keyboarding and online testing skills (online testing is required by the CCSS)
- Continued implementation of the "Write From The Beginning" program to assist students in formulating well-constructed sentences, paragraphs, and essays (SBAC and other CCSS assessments often require written responses to demonstrate mastery)
The initial transition to CCSS is presenting challenges for all California schools/districts. When the new online test connected with CCSS is administered, through Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC--no more CST's), students will typically yield lower test scores. Lower performance is one cost of retooling standards and testing. Therefore, in the beginning stages of CCSS implementation, lower test scores and grades do NOT necessarily indicate that students are not learning. Rather, low scores likely reflect the rigorous, in-depth standards and possibly the new online testing format. However, over time, and with more experience with CCSS, scores will reflect deep learning; learning that will prepare students with the 21st century skills needed to compete for future college acceptance and/or jobs. Lake Marie thanks you for your support as we navigate and adjust to the changes in the educational system in America. This is a challenging yet exciting time in education!
To learn more about CCSS, please watch the following short videos.