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You may have heard the buzz lately about Common Core. What is Common Core? How will it affect your children? What can you do to prepare your children to meet these new standards?
What is Common Core?
Currently, each state decides what students will learn at each grade level. The Common Core initiative gives the states the same objectives for students to learn at each grade level. States choose if they will join this initiative. So far, 45 states* have joined. States will decide how these standards are taught.
What is Common Core?
Currently, each state decides what students will learn at each grade level. The Common Core initiative gives the states the same objectives for students to learn at each grade level. States choose if they will join this initiative. So far, 45 states* have joined. States will decide how these standards are taught.
How will Common Core Affect My Child?
A new test will be created to measure if students have learned what they are expected to learn. It is projected that this new test will start in the 2014-2015 school year. Each state will choose to use either the PARCC RttT **Assessment Consortium test, the Smarter Balanced*** Consortium test, or create their own test. The test will be given on the computer. The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium test also includes performance tasks.
The assessments haven’t been created yet; however, it has been proposed that they will not be your usual multiple choice standardized tests. For example, you could have 5 possible answers to choose from and two of them could be correct. The student will pick one of the correct answers and then type why they picked that answer.
See sample test questions.
What can you do to prepare your children to meet these new standards?
One of the things states will be teaching is keyboarding to help the students take the test. It’s never too soon to start practicing keyboarding with your children at home. This will help them focus more on their test taking and less on finding the right letters on the keyboard.
You will find parent-friendly Common Core standards here. Take a look at these to see what your child needs to know.
You can also take a look at sample Common Core test questions to get an idea of how your children will be tested.
Your children’s teachers are currently receiving training and instruction on how to implement the Common Core Standards into their lesson plans. They will also be preparing your children for the assessment through more writing and answer analysis.
A new test will be created to measure if students have learned what they are expected to learn. It is projected that this new test will start in the 2014-2015 school year. Each state will choose to use either the PARCC RttT **Assessment Consortium test, the Smarter Balanced*** Consortium test, or create their own test. The test will be given on the computer. The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium test also includes performance tasks.
The assessments haven’t been created yet; however, it has been proposed that they will not be your usual multiple choice standardized tests. For example, you could have 5 possible answers to choose from and two of them could be correct. The student will pick one of the correct answers and then type why they picked that answer.
See sample test questions.
What can you do to prepare your children to meet these new standards?
One of the things states will be teaching is keyboarding to help the students take the test. It’s never too soon to start practicing keyboarding with your children at home. This will help them focus more on their test taking and less on finding the right letters on the keyboard.
You will find parent-friendly Common Core standards here. Take a look at these to see what your child needs to know.
You can also take a look at sample Common Core test questions to get an idea of how your children will be tested.
Your children’s teachers are currently receiving training and instruction on how to implement the Common Core Standards into their lesson plans. They will also be preparing your children for the assessment through more writing and answer analysis.
Smarter Balanced states include: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Sample test questions are from the Smarter Balanced assessment developers.
English Language Arts/ Literacy Sample Questions - View other sample questions at other grade levels by hovering at the very top of the screen (blue line) where it says, “View More English Language Arts/Literacy Sample Items.”
Mathmatics Sample Questions - View other sample questions at other grade levels by hovering at the very top of the screen (blue line) where it says, “View More Mathematics Sample Items.”
Smarter Balanced Sample Performance Tasks
Scroll down on the linked page to see all of the performance task.
3rd-5th Grade ELA/Literacy Performance Task
3rd-5th Grade Mathematics Performance Task
Sample test questions are from the Smarter Balanced assessment developers.
English Language Arts/ Literacy Sample Questions - View other sample questions at other grade levels by hovering at the very top of the screen (blue line) where it says, “View More English Language Arts/Literacy Sample Items.”
Mathmatics Sample Questions - View other sample questions at other grade levels by hovering at the very top of the screen (blue line) where it says, “View More Mathematics Sample Items.”
Smarter Balanced Sample Performance Tasks
Scroll down on the linked page to see all of the performance task.
3rd-5th Grade ELA/Literacy Performance Task
3rd-5th Grade Mathematics Performance Task