CoMMOn core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts (ELA)
Montana adopted the CCSS in 2011. Standards in education can be quite fluid as pedagogy improves and changes to meet the changing needs of our world. While there are still many questions regarding the CCSS, here are a few resources that may help answer some of your questions. The standards are new for teachers as well as students and parents/guardians, so please don't hesitate to ask questions as we navigate this transition together!
Common Core Document
The document links below are to the standards document for ELA. The Montana Common Core Standards PDF can be a daunting document as it covers all of the new K-12 ELA standards. For a quicker reference, here are the highlights for 9-12th grade students:
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Note: Anchor standard pages are simply an overview of the broader skill categories. Each grade level has more specific benchmarks under these anchor standards, which is what the bulleted pages outline.
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading p. 37
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CCSS Assessment
Assessment of the new standards is one of the biggest concerns for parents/guardians and teachers. The 2013-2014 school year was the trial year for assessment and the feedback from students was mixed. I had some say it was easy, some said hard, some felt it was average, just more work due to the large reading and writing portions. Judging by what they were asked to do, it sounded like a much more authentic assessment of student understanding, however, it was significantly harder than the multiple choice, MAPS test. As with all things new, I expect it will take some time to troubleshoot and work out the kinks in the assessment, and the expectations are realistic that there will be a learning curve as all parties get used to the standards. However, I am confident that students are very capable and will rise to the occasion and meet these new challenges. The skills that the standards highlight are not new skills; they simply focus in on developing skills more deeply, so students are better prepared for college or careers in the 21st century. Also keep in mind, assessments and testing are not the only part of education despite our culture's tendency to put the spotlight here. Students are much more rounded, and many show evidence of learning in ways no test can measure.
For more information on assessment please see: http://www.smarterbalanced.org/sample-items-and-performance-tasks/
For more information on assessment please see: http://www.smarterbalanced.org/sample-items-and-performance-tasks/
Other CCSS Resources
Myths vs. Facts about the CCSS go to:
http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/myths-vs-facts/
OPI also has information on the CCSS for parents/guardians. The following "Backpack Guide" is from OPI.
http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/myths-vs-facts/
OPI also has information on the CCSS for parents/guardians. The following "Backpack Guide" is from OPI.