The PORTA Board of Education has been in contact with a group of citizens who are concerned with the adoption of the now new Illinois State Standards, which are based on the Common Core Standards. As a result the PORTA School District will hold a Common Core/Illinois Standards informational meeting on February 27, 2014 at 6:30 PM in the High School Library. The meeting will explain the new Illinois Standards and the process the PORTA District has completed, to this point, implementing the new Standards. Assistant State Superintendent Susie Morrison will be in attendance to offer insight to the adoption of the new Illinois standards and will join the administration and Board of Education in answering questions in regards to the new Standards.
While this process has not been a smooth transition, school districts across this state have been implementing the new standards since the Summer of 2010. The expectation is that the new standards would be implemented fully by the 2013-14 school year in preparation for new PARCC assessment in 2014-15 school year. Because of State funding and technical problems the implementation of PARCC will be somewhat difficult in the upcoming school year.
The PORTA Board of Education looks forward to having this opportunity to meet and discuss with parents, citizens and students this very important Illinois learning standards change. It is vitally important to have a multitude of perspectives on these issues and so we encourage everyone to attend.
Interested parties may find additional information on the PORTA Website and in an informational flyer from the Illinois State Board of Education seen below.
As Always Thanks for taking the time to read this blog.
Matt
Fact Sheet: Common Core State Standards
August 2013
Division of Public Information, Illinois State Board of Education
The Common Core State Standards establish clear expectations for what students should be learning in English language arts and mathematics at every grade level from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Spearheaded by governors and state education leaders from a consortium of more than 40 states, the Common Core represents a collaborative effort to raise expectations and improve instruction for all students regardless of where they live and to provide students with an equal opportunity to succeed academically. The Common Core sets high, clear and uniform standards to prepare students for college and the work force.
The Common Core standards differ from previous learning standards because of their emphasis on critical thinking and concept mastery. In English language arts, the Common Core underlines the importance of reading nonfiction, using evidence to back claims and expanding academic vocabulary. In mathematics, the standards call for greater focus on fewer topics so that students gain a more comprehensive understanding of key topics. They also emphasize the application of math towards solving real-world problems. The Common Core’s changes will ensure that students not only gain skills and knowledge, but can also apply their knowledge to succeed after high school graduation.
Although created by a national consortium of states, the Common Core standards are independent of the federal government. Implementation decisions will remain local and teachers and school administrators will continue to write local curricula and lesson plans for their classrooms. The Common Core standards establish the benchmarks for what students need to learn, but districts still determine the best strategies and content for instruction and curriculum. Teachers will continue to make daily instructional decisions to reach individual students.
Illinois adopted the Common Core standards in 2010 after recognizing that it needed to update its existing learning standards. The creators of the Common Core consulted with parents, teachers and school administrators through two public comment periods held in September 2009 and March 2010. After considering public feedback, staff members from the Illinois State Board of Education then submitted their own suggestions to the consortium developing the Common Core standards. Educators across the state have already begun to incorporate elements of the Common Core into their curricula and all schools are expected to fully implement curricula that meet the new standards during the 2013-2014 school year.
Illinois is currently in the process of updating its science standards as well. It was one of 26 lead states that collaborated on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which will provide a new way of teaching science and engineering to students in kindergarten through the 12th grade. As a lead state, Illinois helped to write the standards and provided guidance on their eventual implementation. The final draft of NGSS was released in April 2013 and the State Board will review the new science standards for potential adoption later this year. NGSS is similar to the Common Core in that it is rigorous, internationally benchmarked and intended to better prepare students for college and career.
Students will ultimately benefit from the Common Core’s consistency and higher standards. Since the majority of states have adopted the Common Core, students who move from one state to another will face the same expectations. The standards ensure that an education in Illinois is on par with an education in other states. The Common Core aligns with international standards as well so that students will be well-equipped to compete in today’s global economy. Because it encourages students to apply and demonstrate their knowledge in real-world settings, Illinois’ students will be better prepared for life after high school graduation.
Resources
Illinois State Board of Education:
http://www.isbe.net/common_core/default.htm
Common Core IL, a project of the Core Coalition:
http://commoncoreil.org/real-learning/
Common Core State Standards Initiative:
http://www.corestandards.org/
Additional fact sheets provided by the ISBE Division of Public Information will be released throughout 2013.
While this process has not been a smooth transition, school districts across this state have been implementing the new standards since the Summer of 2010. The expectation is that the new standards would be implemented fully by the 2013-14 school year in preparation for new PARCC assessment in 2014-15 school year. Because of State funding and technical problems the implementation of PARCC will be somewhat difficult in the upcoming school year.
The PORTA Board of Education looks forward to having this opportunity to meet and discuss with parents, citizens and students this very important Illinois learning standards change. It is vitally important to have a multitude of perspectives on these issues and so we encourage everyone to attend.
Interested parties may find additional information on the PORTA Website and in an informational flyer from the Illinois State Board of Education seen below.
As Always Thanks for taking the time to read this blog.
Matt
Fact Sheet: Common Core State Standards
August 2013
Division of Public Information, Illinois State Board of Education
The Common Core State Standards establish clear expectations for what students should be learning in English language arts and mathematics at every grade level from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Spearheaded by governors and state education leaders from a consortium of more than 40 states, the Common Core represents a collaborative effort to raise expectations and improve instruction for all students regardless of where they live and to provide students with an equal opportunity to succeed academically. The Common Core sets high, clear and uniform standards to prepare students for college and the work force.
The Common Core standards differ from previous learning standards because of their emphasis on critical thinking and concept mastery. In English language arts, the Common Core underlines the importance of reading nonfiction, using evidence to back claims and expanding academic vocabulary. In mathematics, the standards call for greater focus on fewer topics so that students gain a more comprehensive understanding of key topics. They also emphasize the application of math towards solving real-world problems. The Common Core’s changes will ensure that students not only gain skills and knowledge, but can also apply their knowledge to succeed after high school graduation.
Although created by a national consortium of states, the Common Core standards are independent of the federal government. Implementation decisions will remain local and teachers and school administrators will continue to write local curricula and lesson plans for their classrooms. The Common Core standards establish the benchmarks for what students need to learn, but districts still determine the best strategies and content for instruction and curriculum. Teachers will continue to make daily instructional decisions to reach individual students.
Illinois adopted the Common Core standards in 2010 after recognizing that it needed to update its existing learning standards. The creators of the Common Core consulted with parents, teachers and school administrators through two public comment periods held in September 2009 and March 2010. After considering public feedback, staff members from the Illinois State Board of Education then submitted their own suggestions to the consortium developing the Common Core standards. Educators across the state have already begun to incorporate elements of the Common Core into their curricula and all schools are expected to fully implement curricula that meet the new standards during the 2013-2014 school year.
Illinois is currently in the process of updating its science standards as well. It was one of 26 lead states that collaborated on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which will provide a new way of teaching science and engineering to students in kindergarten through the 12th grade. As a lead state, Illinois helped to write the standards and provided guidance on their eventual implementation. The final draft of NGSS was released in April 2013 and the State Board will review the new science standards for potential adoption later this year. NGSS is similar to the Common Core in that it is rigorous, internationally benchmarked and intended to better prepare students for college and career.
Students will ultimately benefit from the Common Core’s consistency and higher standards. Since the majority of states have adopted the Common Core, students who move from one state to another will face the same expectations. The standards ensure that an education in Illinois is on par with an education in other states. The Common Core aligns with international standards as well so that students will be well-equipped to compete in today’s global economy. Because it encourages students to apply and demonstrate their knowledge in real-world settings, Illinois’ students will be better prepared for life after high school graduation.
Resources
Illinois State Board of Education:
http://www.isbe.net/common_core/default.htm
Common Core IL, a project of the Core Coalition:
http://commoncoreil.org/real-learning/
Common Core State Standards Initiative:
http://www.corestandards.org/
Additional fact sheets provided by the ISBE Division of Public Information will be released throughout 2013.