Parent Tips for the Common Core Mathematics

Many have likely witnessed the extensive media coverage over the past several months about the Common Core Standards and the assessments that have been designed to measure those standards.  From trusted news sources to blog posts to viral videos on Facebook it is clear that there are many questions about the new standards that have left many parents wondering why there seems to be a “new way” and an “old way” to solve mathematics problems.

In fact, these “new ways” have been around for quite some time.  It’s important for us to distinguish between a new way of teaching and learning and a poorly worded worksheet that has gone viral on the internet.

This article will help to frame some of the thinking behind the changes represented in the new 2011 standards and provide some helpful resources to parents to work with their students at home.

PhotoMath (https://photomath.net)

This smartphone application, available in the Apple, Windows, Amazon and Android Stores, has been a revelation for us in recent weeks since a professional development provider shared this application with our teachers.  According to the application’s website this app provides “instant results” as “PhotoMath reads and solves mathematical problems by using the camera of your mobile device in real time.  It makes math easy and simple by educating users how to solve math problems.”   By simply scanning your phone’s camera over any printed mathematical equation the application instantly solves the problem and with the push of a simple button the app completes a step-by-step “human like” problem solving of even the most complicated algebraic equations.  And, as the website states, they are “constantly adding new.”

The takeaway for teachers and parents could be the realization that classwork and homework needs to be assigned in a completely different way.  Much in the same way the calculator allowed us to arrive at the answer and the focus shifted for decades to making sure that you “show your steps,” we now need to think about the fact that a new technology provides the students with both the answer and the steps.

If this is true, then what does this mean for the student?  The argument is similar to those from History class.  If a student can easily google facts and dates then the shift in instruction needs to move from memorizing facts and dates to guiding the student to be an evaluator and thinker.  The student needs to recognize which facts can be verified and determine the reliability of the sources.  The mathematics student needs to become a mathematical thinker.  It is no longer sufficient to just solve the problem and show the steps.  The student must be able to explain and understand how she arrived at that solution.

PhotoMath has many great possibilities and could be very helpful for parents assisting students with their home assignments.

Massachusetts 2011 Frameworks

With the publication of the 2011 Massachusetts frameworks for Mathematics the state provided educators with the Common Core standards and added additional standards adopted by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in December 2010.  Many of the additional standards in Massachusetts are pre-kindergarten standards that were developed collaboratively by early childhood educators from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Department of Early Education and Care, and early childhood specialists from across the state.  According to the frameworks, “these pre-kindergarten standards lay a strong, logical foundation for the kindergarten standards.”

Any parent or educator who has questions about the new standards should first read through the 2011 Frameworks.  We have incorporated much of the information about the new standards into parent presentations and previous articles and shows on public access television because it is critical that all members of the school community understand the guiding principles and standards for mathematical practice that are now embedded along with the grade level standards for all students.

All current Massachusetts frameworks are available here: http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/current.html

Additional Resources

For more parent information about the common core we recommend the site Achieve the Core (http://achievethecore.org).  This site provides information for educators, administrators, parents, and students about the shifts in the standards and some of the research behind the decisions for these shifts.

Finally, a website that is designed to help parents to understand the grade level expectations is Milestones (http://www.greatschools.org/gk/milestones/).  According to the site, Milestones is a “free online collection of videos aimed at helping parents understand grade-level expectations in grades K-5. Milestones show students demonstrating what success looks like in reading, writing and math, grade by grade.”

We hope that these tools and sources of information will assist parents in working with students to better understand the key shifts in grade level expectations for mathematics.

Providing a Safe and Supportive Environment for our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQ) Students

Providing a Safe and Supportive Environment for our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQ) Students

The mission of the North Reading Public Schools includes the charge to “provide a safe, supportive, and contemporary learning environment” for all of our students.  Recent updates to the Student Anti-discrimination Law that now include gender identity have led us to update our policies and practices in order to ensure that all students continue to be safe and supported.

In recent years our district has taken many proactive steps including creating a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) Club at the high school, providing professional development for educators, and addressing the concerns for the safety and well-being of our LGBTQ students through updates to our Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan.

Our P.A.U.S.E. group (Public Awareness and Understanding of Social Education) has been at the forefront of exploring the recommendations of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and how best to introduce these recommendations in our schools.  

According to the Department and Elementary and Secondary Education release:

Massachusetts has been, and continues to be a leader nationally in creating
policies and practices to support LGBTQ students. Since 1993,the partnership  
between the Department and the Commission has resulted in groundbreaking
and innovative work.  The Department remains unique in housing a statewide, 
state-supported Safe Schools Program for LGBTQ Students and GSA Leadership 
Council. The recommendations proposed in this document continue this 
pioneering work.

On May 6, 2015 in the Distance Learning Lab at North Reading High School we will providing an opportunity for parents and the community to learn more about this topic.  Our guest presenter will be Jeff Perrotti, the Director of the Massachusetts Safe Schools Program for LGBTQ students, which is a joint initiative of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth.  He is the co-author, with Kim Westheimer, of the book When the Drama Club is Not Enough.  Jeff has led countless workshops with students, staff, administrators, and has worked closely with our P.A.U.S.E. group and presented to North Reading educators during our February 6, 2015 Professional Development day.

Our hope is that many parents and educators join us on the evening of May 6th at 6:30pm to learn more about gender identity and to hear from Jeff Perrotti and his guest presenters who have truly made a difference in North Reading through their very well-received prior workshops and presentations.  

Professional Development for North Reading Educators

Each year educators in North Reading spend a great deal of time and effort continuously improving themselves professionally.  Goals are developed at the district, school, and educator level that lead to the exploration of a great many topics relevant to those working in our schools.  Many professionals enroll in graduate courses and attend conferences where the latest trends and best practices are explored.  There are professional development days sponsored by the district, opportunities for educators to attend presentations and workshops, as well as online opportunities for extended learning.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has developed standards for High Quality Professional Development (HQPD) that North Reading looks to follow:

The ten standards that make up the Massachusetts Standards for Professional Development:

1. HQPD has clear goals and objectives relevant to desired student outcomes.
2. HQPD aligns with state, district, school, and/or educator goals or priorities.
3. HQPD is designed based on the analysis of data relevant to the identified goals, objectives, and audience.
4. HQPD is assessed to ensure that it is meeting the targeted goals and objectives.
5. HQPD promotes collaboration among educators to encourage sharing of ideas and working together to achieve the identified goals and objectives.
6. HQPD advances an educator's ability to apply learnings from the professional development to his/her particular content and/or context.
7. HQPD models good pedagogical practice and applies knowledge of adult learning theory to engage educators.
8. HQPD makes use of relevant resources to ensure that the identified goals and objectives are met.
9. HQPD is taught or facilitated by a professional who is knowledgeable about the identified objectives.
10. HQPD sessions connect and build upon each other to provide a coherent and useful learning experience for educators.

This year North Reading educators have participated in several exciting opportunities for professional growth.  In the fall many educators took part in a "Fed Ex Day" which invites educators to explore areas of interests in small groups and work on that project throughout the day and then "deliver" a product back to the larger group by the end of the day.  Inspired by the concept explored in Daniel Pink's Drive, the idea stems from Australian software developers who are instructed to work on anything they choose, provided it is not a part of their regular job.  This allows the participants to be creative and explore ideas and resources that they might not have otherwise considered, leading to innovation and the development of exciting new possibilities in the classroom.

Several educators this year are also taking part in an online learning opportunity from the department of education entitled Teaching and Developing an Online High School Course- Fundamentals. According to the course description, this course will empower teachers to build their own online course from start to finish on a learning management system (LMS) through a combination of asynchronous and synchronous elements including independent reading, discussion forums, and webinars.

On February 6, 2015 North Reading educators will participate in a full-day professional development day.  Teachers in grades Kindergarten- 2nd grade will have the opportunity to hear from one of the leading speakers on mathematics in the country, Dr. Andrew Chen.  Middle school educators will hear from Bill Atwood, author of How Did You Get That?  Seven Strategies for Improving Written Responses in Math.  Science educators will explore the new Next Generation Science Standards. Others will choose from presentations from the Middlesex Partnership for Youth on Teen Dating Violence and Underage Substance Abuse or technology workshops offered by our Digital Learning Team and other North Reading educators!

This spring our Digital Learning Team hopes to provide a series of workshops such as "Technology Tuesdays" that would allow participants to attend one or more in a series of professional learning opportunities.  A similar program will be provided for all educators in the areas of Special Education and working with English Language Learners.

In addition, North Reading educators have come together recently to discuss professional development and to lead a committee to improve the opportunities for educators in the district.  This committee will have representatives not only from the teachers and nurses but also from the paraprofessionals, secretaries, administrators and all educators in the district.  Many ideas are also being discussed about offering trainings for parents and students outside of the school day, especially in the areas of technology and digital learning.

More information about professional development in North Reading can be found on the district website under the Assistant Superintendent's page.  Any ideas or suggestions for increased opportunities for growth and development can be shared with me at any time via email at pdaly@north-reading.k12.ma.us or by calling 978-664-9557.

North Reading Public Schools Professional Development Site

Massachusetts Standards for Professional Development

eSchool News article

Next Generation Testing Forums

On Wednesday, January 21st at 6:30pm at the Batchelder School cafeteria and on Thursday, January 22nd, at 6:30pm in the Distance Learning Lab at the North Reading High School we will present an informational forum for parents about next generation testing.   In 2015-16 Massachusetts districts had the choice to preview the PARCC assessment or to remain with MCAS for one more year.  In 2016 and beyond the state will either adopt PARCC or create a next-generation MCAS to replace the current system.

As you are aware, North Reading is among the more than 50% of districts who are test-driving the PARCC assessment in the Spring of 2015.  This test will be computer-based at the Batchelder School for grades 3, 4, and 5 and paper-based at those grades at the Little and Hood schools for both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics.  The Middle School will utilize the PARCC assessment in grades 6-8 for ELA and Mathematics.

At the high school, the 9th grade students taking Algebra I will be taking the PARCC assessment this spring as well.

During this “test drive” year 10th grade students will continue to take MCAS, as will students taking the 5th and 8th grade Science assessment.  Biology students will also take the MCAS exam for that subject area as well.  Students who traditionally take the alternative MCAS test will continue to take that exam in the spring of 2015.

North Reading has aligned it’s curriculum and courses with the 2011 Massachusetts frameworks and we are looking forward to this “test drive” of PARCC as we look to see if this new assessment truly measures the standards in a way that provides meaningful feedback to our students and educators. 

We look forward to answering questions and exploring the next generation assessments together!

Digital Learning Update

If you’ve been in or around the schools in North Reading lately you’ve likely seen many new and emerging technologies in the classrooms.  Through investments from the school department,large capital requests, the new building project, and the generous contributions from parent organizations we have increased the opportunities for digital learning in all of our buildings for the 2014-15 school year.

At our elementary schools students continue to receive a technology-infused instructional
approach from our educators who strive to engage students at the highest level.  Our Digital
Learning Specialists collaborate with all educators on using iPads, Chromebooks,
SMARTboards, and many other digital tools to enhance instruction.  One area of focus this year has been in developing a research project that utilizes age-appropriate databases for students in Kindergarten, first, and second grade to allow the students to explore topics in greater depth.

The outcome of this project is often also a digital publication, allowing students to demonstrate
mastery of the skills that they will need to succeed in college and careers. Although North Reading Middle School will not see a new facility until next year, staff and students in the building have had the opportunity to explore new devices this year with students.

Throughout the summer and early fall the facility was updated with interactive whiteboards and
wireless solutions that have allowed teachers to begin using iPads and Chromebooks with
students in classroom spaces as well as the library and cafeteria.  Middle school teachers
continue to use apps with students in many curriculum areas, from Mathematics to Social
Studies to Physical Education.  Science and English Language Arts educators have utilized
Chromebooks with students for research and collaborative projects.  Our Arts programs are
exploring ways of using software to help students increase their understanding and improve
their performance.  Students in the video production club are already accessing equipment at
the new building and in the fall all of the students will be able to experience the resources
available at the new middle/high school.

North Reading High School students entered the year with many new digital learning tools to
enhance instruction.  Throughout the building there are kiosks with the ability to project
messages for students and provide important information throughout the day.  Wireless access
is available to all students and teachers throughout the building, with plans to allow students to
learn more about acceptable use and digital citizenship in order to begin using  their own
devices on the network in the near future.

The performing arts center and distance learning lab contain technology that will provide
students with many opportunities to enhance their learning.  Each classroom includes an
interactive whiteboard, speaker system, and software that allows students to share screens
from individual devices with the entire classroom.  The MediaCAST system will allow students
and teachers to access thousands of digital videos as well as locally produced content to view
on demand.  This could include morning announcements, sporting events, theater performances, and lectures in the distance learning lab.  These tools, functioning together, will greatly enhance concepts like the “flipped” model of education, where students will be able toaccess videos and information on personal devices and watch and rewatch them as much as the individual student needs.  And with many carts of mobile devices, including iPads and Chromebooks, students are able to work throughout the building on projects, internet research, or accessing the MediaCAST library to view the latest uploads.

The Digital Learning Team in the North Reading Public Schools has worked tremendously hard
through a period of great change and have enthusiastically learned new technologies in order to
share these tools with educators and students.  As we look to next year, many of the updated
and reimaged devices from the middle school will be repurposed to the elementary schools and
additional devices will be supported throughout the district.  This is truly an exciting time to be a

student in North Reading!

Welcome Back from the Assistant Superintendent

Welcome Back from the Assistant Superintendent

After having served the students and educators for these past five years I am honored to have been named the Assistant Superintendent of the North Reading Public Schools.   Although there are several aspects of my position that will remain the same there are also new areas of responsibility that I will be supporting for the 2014-15 school year.  

Curriculum

As a district we will continue to implement the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, including the new Common Core aligned frameworks for Mathematics and English Language Arts.  This year we will continue to explore the Next Generation Science Standards as well as review our standards in all content areas.

Assessment

All educators in North Reading are implementing common formative and summative assessments to facilitate conversations about student growth and to improve opportunities for student learning throughout the district.

As North Reading prepares for next generation state assessments we will administer the PARCC assessment in 2014-15.  This assessment will be paper-based at the Little and Hood schools and on computers for students at the Batchelder school.  Our Middle School students will also take the PARCC assessment on paper.  At the high school level, students will continue to take MCAS for the 10^th grade state assessment, however our 9^th grade Algebra I students will take the PARCC assessment on paper for the first time this year. 

Students who traditionally take the MCAS-Alt and Science MCAS (5^th grade, 8^th grade, and Biology students) will continue to take these MCAS tests in 2014-15.

There will be several opportunities to learn more about these next generation assessments this year, including continued updates to the district website.

Title 1

Title I, Part A (Title I) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended (ESEA) provides financial assistance to districts and schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

In North Reading we provide targeted assistance to eligible students at the Little, Hood, and Middle schools.  As a district we have focused our efforts on mathematical support and professional development for educators across the district who are working to support our most challenging learning needs.

Professional Development and Educator Evaluation

In 2014-15 we will continue to offer high quality professional development for North Reading educators.  Offerings will include: literacy, close reading, writing in the content areas, mathematics, and other content area focused professional development.  Educators will also continue to receive support in the implementation of the new model educator evaluation system.

English Language Learners

A new area of responsibility for 2014-15 for the Assistant Superintendent will be English Language Learners (ELL) and the Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) program in North Reading.   The RETELL initiative (Rethinking Equity and Teaching for English Language Learners) as well as the SEI endorsement for educators will be the primary focus during the 2014-15 school year in this area.

Technology and Digital Learning

North Reading has made many strides in improving the digital learning throughout the district.  In 2014-15 we have added a new Digital Learning Coordinator to make an impact on our students and staff.   It is essential that technology and digital learning remain interwoven with curriculum and instruction and we will continue to work closely to improve the digital learning experience for all of our students. 

As always I invite anyone in the school community to contact me at any time with questions or information at pdaly@north-reading.k12.ma.us or 978-664-9557.  I look forward to this great opportunity to continue to serve the students and staff of North Reading.

Data, Big Data Everywhere

I recently read a fascinating article that explored the data driven changes to the game of baseball. The convergence of the available cameras and technology and an increase in the amount of data that is collected on every play, every pitch, will forever change the sport.  This upcoming season, in some ballparks, 7 Terabytes of data will be collected every game that will allow both sabermetricians and fans at home to experience the game in a whole new way.  The data we’ve seen from the mound (speed, curve, and location of the pitch) on our television screens will now be extended to all areas of the field, leading to a very different experience for viewers of our national pastime.

In the world of education there is also a focus on the collection and analysis of data in order to improve student achievement.  We are not at a loss to find places for data for student learning: MCAS and other standardized tests, common assessments (think mid-terms and finals), authentic assessments, and teacher observation of abilities. Even writing assignments or projects scored with a rubric can be translated into measurements of student growth over time.

According to Victoria L. Bernhardt, there are Multiple Measures of Data that we look to in a school to begin our analysis.  This includes not only student learning but also school processes (processes and programs), demographics (attendance, enrollment, ethnicity, gender, grade level), and perceptions (values and beliefs, attitudes, observations). 

Every textbook and test publisher now includes not only built in assessments but also data collection tools and reporting functions.  The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has a new tool called EDWIN Analytics, available to all schools, that allows us to create reports and cull a vast database to gather data for analysis.  There are videos and tutorials available to help parents and educators better understand the student growth percentile on the state assessments.  Courses are being offered for educators in how to use excel to robustly collect and “go visual” with the data.  There is no shortage of available resources.

In fact, there is so much data out there that part of the process, for educators, is not only to learn how to collect and analyze data but also to learn how to navigate through this “superabundance” of digital information.

What does this mean for North Reading?  First, there is sustained professional development for all educators.  This includes the work that has been done in the past few years with our administrators and curriculum leaders about the importance of data for improving student learning.  Further professional development opportunities will include the technical and technological aspects of understanding how to work with data.  There is also a need for training in specific apps, programs, and software, including Edwin Analytics, to ensure that we are able to make the use of the tools that are available.

Our objective as a district is to continue to use data to help us make predictions, to intervene as early as possible and be proactive, and to enhance our processes for allocating resources in order to improve the overall quality of the education in North Reading for all students.  By using and sharing data appropriately with all members of the school community we have the opportunity to truly transform the educational experience.