TeachME Professional Development

1. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Initiative is a state-led, voluntary effort to establish a single set of clear educational standards for English language arts and mathematics that will ensure that students graduating from high school are prepared for college, work, and success in the global economy.

2. Setting common academic standards benefits everyone by raising standards and helping all students achieve them, and specifically, the CCSS initiative holds the potential to accomplish each of the following EXCEPT:

3. As states begin to adopt new, higher standards, the voice of the Latino community is critical to making sure that policymakers implement CCSS in such a way that truly improves education for Latino students, who are the fastest growing student population.

4. There is hope that current education reform efforts can reverse the downward spiral of academic outcomes for many Latino students, who, nationally, lag behind their white peers in high school graduation rates by approximately 12 percentage points.

5. Which of the following is NOT one of the recommended questions to consider as states begin the CCSS implementation and planning process?

6. The state may need to conduct a gap analysis to determine how its current standards compare to CCSS, with the goal of identifying and developing strategies to prepare all students for the rigor of college coursework or career training.

7. For students to fully benefit from higher standards, the curriculum, ______________, and tests used to measure student performance must align with CCSS so that students are not only taught to higher expectations, but are also appropriately assessed for their learning.

8. When providing additional support to students, it is recommended that any supportive interventions take place during the traditional school day, because students would be less likely to participate before or after school or during the summer.

9. Under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), Title II funds will likely be used to purchase materials such as curricula and textbooks, and to provide professional development for ELL teachers.

10. Latino and ELL academic success is critical to the strength of the U.S. economy as these students represent a large and growing share of our student population and future workforce, as indicated by:

11. Despite the number of ELA students, the U.S. educational system is not effectively serving their needs, and areas that need improvement include access to rigorous curricula, appropriate assessments, and effective parent engagement.

12. In order to prepare teachers with strategies and tools to effectively teach to the new standards, a teacher quality or effectiveness system should be developed that includes a comprehensive set of measures of success in the classroom that are based on:

13. State leaders should engage with their state higher education institutions to align K-12 programs with:

14. For tests to accurately measure what students learn, the assessment used must be valid and reliable for all students and must be aligned to high standards and curriculum.

15. States should move toward an assessment and accountability system that weighs the English-language proficiency and academic assessments for ELLs, with more weight always being given to the academic content assessment results.

16. Community-based organizations (CBOs) often play a critical role in giving parents timely and appropriate information regarding their child's school, as well as encouraging all youth, particularly disadvantaged youth to stay in school and graduate, yet CBOs are not always included in the school district’s academic and enrichment program plans.

17. School implementation plans should involve parents from the beginning of the process, engage parents at every academic level from prekindergarten to high school, and:

18. Parents and community members should be able to access information about their local school district's implementation progress and what to expect as changes occur, and providing the information in written form will ensure that all stakeholders understand the changes.