COMET • Vol. 14, No. 05 – 19 April 2013

An excerpt from page 4 of the Introduction to the draft Mathematics Framework follows below: 

“The development of these standards [was] informed by international benchmarking and began with research-based learning progressions detailing what is known about how students’ mathematical knowledge, skills, and understanding develop over time. The progression from kindergarten standards to standards for higher mathematics exemplifies the three principles of focus, coherence, and rigor that are the basis for the CCSSM.

“The standards stress not only procedural skills, but also conceptual understanding, to ensure that students are learning and absorbing the critical information they need in order to succeed at higher levels and can apply their learning in increasingly complex situations.

“The CCSSM include two types of standards: Eight Mathematical Practice Standards (the same at each grade level) and Mathematical Content Standards (different at each grade level). These standards address both ‘habits of mind’ that students should develop to foster mathematical understanding and expertise, and also skills and knowledge — what students need to know and be able to do. The standards also call for mathematical practices and mathematical content to be connected as students engage in mathematical tasks…”
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Forum on Grade 8 Algebra and the Common Core State Standards 

Source: Silicon Valley Education Foundation (SVEF)
URL: http://svefoundation.org/svefoundation/whoweare/CommonCoreVideo.php

Last month, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and Microsoft sponsored a forum discussion in Mountain View entitled, “Grade 8 Algebra and the New Common Core Standards: Getting the Facts Straight!” The forum sought to address pressing questions such as the following: 

– How does algebra at Grade 8 align with the new Common Core State Standards?
– How should districts handle math acceleration at the middle school level? 

Panelists included the following: 

– Manny Barbara, Vice President of Advocacy and Thought Leadership at the Silicon Valley Education Foundation
– Phil Daro, an expert on the development of the Common Core 
– Bill Honig, retired California Superintendent of Public Instruction and Chair of the Instructional Quality Commission 
– Jacki Horejs, Superintendent of Union School District 
– Mary Perry, Education Consultant and former Deputy Director of EdSource 
– Ze’ev Wurman, Silicon Valley executive and former participant on the State Academic Content Standards Commission 

An archived video of this panel discussion is available at http://svefoundation.org/svefoundation/whoweare/CommonCoreVideo.php
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University of California Releases Formal Statement Supporting Both Integrated and Traditional High School Mathematics Pathways 

Source: Bill Jacob, Chair, Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools, UC Faculty Senate

URL: http://senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/committees/boars/BOARSonCCSSMathCourseDevelopment.pdf 

The University of California (UC) and the California State University (CSU) systems both use “a-g” subject requirements (high school courses in defined categories) as a condition of admission. High school courses must be certified by UC and appear on the school’s a-g list in order for high school students to use the courses to satisfy a-g subject requirements when applying for admission to a UC or CSU campus (see www.ucop.edu/agguide/)

BOARS (Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools) is the committee of the UC Faculty Senate that sets admissions policy for UC and sets the criteria for a-g course approval, a power delegated to the Senate by the UC Regents. Today the Chair of BOARS, Bill Jacob, wrote that BOARS had reiterated its support for integrated sequences of mathematics courses and that courses (traditional or integrated) must be aligned with the CCSS for Mathematics–CCSSM (see http://senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/committees/boars/BOARSonCCSSMathCourseDevelopment.pdf )*. 

Jacob also noted that high schools will need to complete the Mathematics Subject template available online at www.ucop.edu/agguide/a-g-requirements/c-mathematics/index.htmlwhen courses are updated to align with the CCSS-Mathematics. He stressed that applications for area ‘c’ approval must address all of the Standards for Mathematical Practice and show that the Practices are addressed in a balanced way in the courses as a condition for approval by UC. 

* Excerpt from the Statement on High School Mathematics Curriculum Development under the Common Core State Standards: 

“The Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools (BOARS) recognizes the significant changes that high schools across the state must make in their mathematical curricula as they implement the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM), and seeks to support schools in this important effort. Developing a coherent mathematics curriculum that is fully consistent with the CCSSM will involve much more than simply reordering topics to be covered. As courses and curricula are developed, schools will be guided by the Model Course Pathways in Mathematics that were published as an appendix to the CCSSM, and by state frameworks that are being developed currently. 

“Four Model Course Pathways are offered in the appendix to the CCSSM, two that involve the traditional Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 sequence most often found in US schools, and two that involve an integrated sequence of three courses, each of which includes elements of algebra, geometry, probability, and statistics. Such an integrated sequence is more common in the rest of the world. 

“Consistent with past policy and practice for course approval, BOARS reiterates its full support for either the integrated pathways or the traditional pathways, as stated in the A-G Guide’s section on Mathematics (“c”). It is BOARS’ expectation that courses developed in accordance with either sequence will receive subject area “c” approval provided that they satisfy the course requirements for area “c” presented in the A-G Guide and that they support students in achieving the Standards of Mathematical Practice given in the CCSSM: 

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively. 
3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. 
4. Model with mathematics. 
5. Use appropriate tools strategically. 
6. Attend to precision. 
7. Look for and make use of structure. 
8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. 

“BOARS looks forward to the full implementation of curricula based on the Common Core State Standards in both Mathematics and English Language Arts in California’s schools.”
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Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Released; Three Public Meetings on the NGSS with be Held in California Over the Next Two Weeks 

Sources: Achieve, Inc., California Department of Education, National Science Teachers Association
URL: http://www.nextgenscience.org/final-next-generation-science-standards-released
URL (CDE): www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr13/yr13rel44.asp

On April 9, Achieve, Inc. (nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC) released the final draft of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The NGSS were developed through a collaborative, state-level process. California joined twenty-five other lead states and their broad-based teams in working together for two years with a 41-member writing team (www.nextgenscience.org/writing-team) and partners (www.nextgenscience.org/partners) to develop the standards. The NGSS identify science and engineering practices and subject matter content that all K-12 students should master in order to be fully prepared for college, careers, and citizenship. The NGSS were built upon a vision for science education established by A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas, produced by the National Research Council (NRC) in 2011. 

“We applaud the completion of the Standards,” said Helen Quinn, Chair of the NRC committee that produced the Framework report and Professor Emerita of Physics at Stanford University. “They represent a key step in bringing the science education vision put forward by our Framework closer to realization in classrooms across the country.”

David Evans, Executive Director of the National Science Teachers Association, was quoted in U.S. News & World Report (http://tinyurl.com/cz8ynop): “The way I imagine that it might play out is that there will be more hands-on time for students. There will be deeper investigations into the smaller number of ideas, and perhaps even a better opportunity for students to formulate some of the experiments themselves.” 

Bruce Alberts, who is Editor-in-Chief of Science and served two six-year terms as President of the National Academy of Sciences, stated, “As emphasized in the Framework, an active learning of scientific practices is critical, and takes time. A focus on these practices, rather than on content alone, leads to a deep, sustained learning of the skills needed to be a successful adult, regardless of career choice,” said “We must teach our science students to do something in science class, not to memorize facts.” 

California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson stated, “In the next decade, the number of jobs requiring highly technical skills is expected to outpace other occupations. These Next Generation Science Standards will help students achieve real-world practical skills so they can help maintain California’s economic and technological leadership in the world.” 

Three public meetings will be held throughout California over the next two weeks to accept public comment on the NGSS (see below). These comments, together with feedback from a panel of science experts, will be considered by the State Board of Education. Then in the fall, the State Board is expected to consider state adoption of the NGSS. 

The public may also submit comments by Webinar at the second public meeting listed below; by email to NGSS@cde.ca.gov; by mail to 1430 N Street, Room 4309, Sacramento, CA, 95814-5901; or by fax to 916-323-2833. 

Public Meetings: 

• Date: Monday, 29 April 2013; 3-5 p.m.
  Location: Sacramento County Office of Education, 10474 Mather Boulevard, Mather, CA 95655
  Contact: Phil Romig, Curriculum Specialist, K-12 Curriculum and Intervention/Science
  916-228-2275
• Date: Tuesday, 30 April 2013; 3-5 p.m.
  Location: Santa Clara County Office of Education, 1290 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, CA 95131-2304
  Contact: Sandi Yellenberg, Coordinator, Science ­– 408-453-6692
  Webinar: http://connect2.sccoe.org/cde-ngss/
• Date: Tuesday, 2 May 2013; 3-5 p.m.
  Location: Riverside County Office of Education, 3939 Thirteenth Street, Riverside, CA 92501
  Contact: Yamileth Shimojyo, Coordinator, Instructional Services — 951-600-5658

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Related Items: 

Webinar: “Introducing the Next Generation Science Standards”

Source: National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)
URL: http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSNGSS13_Apr16.2 

NSTA has a Web site dedicated to the NGSS at www.nsta.org/about/standardsupdate NSTA has also produced a number of useful Web seminars about the NGSS. The latest, “Introducing the Next Generation Science Standards,” was held this past Tuesday (4/16/2013) and is currently archived at the Web site above. 

California and the Next Generation Science Standards

Visit www.nextgenscienceorg/California and www.cde.ca.gov/pd/ca/sc/ngssintrod.asp to learn more about California’s involvement in the development of the NGSS and for updates. 

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Seven California State University Campuses Receive Grant Support to Develop Programs Aligned with the NGSS to Prepare Future K-6 Teachers 

Source: California State University (CSU) Chancellor’s Office
URL: http://teachingcommons.cdl.edu/CSUNGSScommunity/campus_grants/index.html

Seven California State University (CSU) campuses recently received funding to support the development of models of undergraduate course reforms for preparing future elementary teachers in science that conform to the Next Generation Science Standards and A Framework for K-12 Science Education. The models will be shared with faculty across the CSU system next year. The goals of these programs are to enhance the science confidence, competence, knowledge, and excitement of future elementary teachers. Brief summaries of the projects appear below. For more information, copies of the proposals, and project contacts, please visit the Web site above. 

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo: The project will create engineering modules and related NGSS course reforms that can be utilized in preparing pre-service candidates and, in turn, their future students. The modules will be included within six courses covering the lower division General Education sequence and two upper division capstone courses… 

CSU Bakersfield: This project will revise the upper division capstone science course and the science methods and assessment course and add an after-school practicum for future elementary teachers. The course revisions will focus on inquiry-based scientific and engineering practices in connecting the two courses, which will each also address science and literacy… 

CSU Chico: This project will revise labs in three science courses for future K-6 teachers: Concepts in Physical Science, Concepts in Life Science, and Concepts in Earth and Space Science. The goal of the revision is to better address crosscutting concepts in the K-12 Science Education Framework and present future K-8 teachers with a deeper understanding of energy, while also building capacity among faculty… 

CSU Fresno: This project will develop a new 12-semester-unit STEM Concentration in Liberal Studies. A cross-disciplinary team will collaborate to revise three existing upper-division science courses, develop a new Engineering Literacy course, and provide professional development workshops for course instructors… 

CSU Fullerton: This project will introduce a collaboration with the innovative Introduction to Engineering course for non majors offered in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and three inquiry oriented courses for future K-6 teachers: Biology, Earth/Astronomical Science, and Physical Science for Future Elementary Teachers. The courses are taught in a laboratory setting and focus on structured and collaborative group work rather than lecture… 

CSU Sacramento: The project will revise the four science courses taken by future elementary teachers (biology, chemistry, geology, and physics), addressing both the NGSS and the CCSS-M. The revisions to each course will focus on incorporating engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and core disciplinary ideas from the NGSS… 

San Diego State University: This project will modify the existing science content courses taken by future elementary teachers, including the nationally recognized Physics and Everyday Thinking, to align with the Framework and the NGSS. In addition, the project will develop kit-based activities and accompanying reflection activities that candidates will do at home and can use with their own students… 
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Chamber of Commerce Develops Information Flyer to Inform Business Community about the Smarter Balanced Assessment System 

Source: California Department of Education
URL: www.cde.ca.gov/re/cc/index.asp?tabsection=5