Building Awareness in 2011-12 Having clearly defined goals helps all of us work together to ensure student success. The District’s goal this year is to increase awareness throughout the District regarding the CCSS. In February and March, the KLCS television show “The Teacher’s Hour” provided an overview of the CCSS focusing on the development of the standards and what they mean for teaching and learning and the shifts in ELA. Dr. Jaime Aquino, Deputy Superintendent of Instruction, and several school sites shared their experiences with the standards. Two more follow-up shows are scheduled, April 26 th and May 31 th . Each show can be viewed in segments or in its entirety at https :// sites . google . com / site / teachershour / home . The Office of Curriculum, Instruction and School Support has also developed banked time professional development (PD) materials for schools to use in increasing awareness about the CCSS. Schools are highly encouraged to incorporate these trainings into their professional development plans. The trainings include a narrated PowerPoint and a Facilitator’s Guide. Trainings can be downloaded from http :// www . lausd . net / cdg / ccss / ccss -1. zip . These trainings will provide schools with an awareness of the Common Core State Standards in preparation for implementation in the fall. Three-Year Plan The District’s 3-year plan to transition to these shared sets of educational standards begin with the introduction of the major instructional shifts in English/Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics. Think of these shifts as how the District will change the way we teach students, and change the way students are learning for these subjects. These instructional shifts will help the District transition from how we conduct instruction currently to meet these new common standards. Through these instructional shifts, greater focus will be emphasized in ELA and mathematics to align more with the CCSS. As of now, current standards often reflect a “mile wide, inch deep” curriculum. With the new common standards, our curriculum will be focused more in-depth around concepts and skills to help students develop a deeper understanding. Background The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are a state-led effort designed to improve educational outcomes for students. They develop a clear K-12 set of academic standards in English/Language arts (ELA) and mathematics. These standards are relevant to the real world and reflect the knowledge students need to be successful in college and the workforce. The standards ensure that all students, no matter where they live, are college prepared and workforce ready, and that students are receiving a high quality education that is consistent from school to school and state to state. The CCSS provide a clear roadmap for learning for teachers, parents, and students. This will help our students develop critical thinking skills that will prepare them for the real world and reflect the knowledge and skills young people need for success in college and careers. Common Core State Standards April 2012 Greater instructional focus aligned with shifts: English/Language Arts/Literacy 1. Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction and informational texts 2. Reading and writing grounded in evidence from text 3. Regular practice with complex text and its academic vocabulary Mathematics 1. Focus strongly on the emphasis of the standards 2. Coherence: Think across grades, and link to major topics within grades 3. Rigor: Require fluency, application, and deep understanding