This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Common Core State Standards Initiative, Ilyse Resnick, David Khaliqi, Joshua F. Lawrence, Jessica Carrique, Michael Dunn, Morgan L. Trevathan, Brenda Barrio, Kathleen M. Sheehan, and Stephanie Grote-Garcia.
(2016). Tied to the Common Core: Exploring the Characteristics of Reform Advice Relationships of Educational Leaders, Educational Administration Quarterly. Purpose: Researchers and scholars have called for greater attention to collaboration among and between educational leaders in districtwide reform. This work underlines the important social aspect of such collaboration and further investigates the type of professional interaction among/between district and school leaders particularly around the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and characterizes such interaction by key factors. Research Method: The work takes place in one school district of more than 30 schools serving students from traditionally marginalized backgrounds. Descriptive statistics, multilevel social network modeling, and network sociograms are used to understand the characteristics of professional interactions around CCSS implementation among district and site leaders. Findings: The findings indicate similarities and differences in characteristics of leaders who likely seek CCSS advice and leaders who likely provide that CCSS advice. Leader self-efficacy in implementing the CCSS positively explains the likelihood of both seeking and providing advice behaviors, and yet other factors (organizational learning, leadership, job satisfaction, and CCSS beliefs) each makes different contributions to the likelihood of seeking and/or providing the CCSS advice. Conclusion and Implications: This work suggests a discrepancy of leaders' perceptions between advice seekers and providers, signaling a need for closing the perception gap between advice seekers and providers such that the leadership team could better craft coherent norms of collaboration in instructional improvement. Understanding the "why" of CCSS advice ties may help guide leaders toward the "how" to align professional and social aspects of change. [More] Descriptors: Common Core State Standards, Educational Change, Social Networks, Instructional Leadership
(2016). Do iPad Applications Help Students with Developmental Disabilities Improve Life-Readiness Skills?, Canadian Journal of Action Research. Students with developmental disabilities often struggle with life-readiness skills (e.g., literacy skills such as reading and writing, task completion, and communication), which also help prepare students for the workplace. Assistive technology tools offer these students a means to do better in these areas. In this action-research study, we provided students with developmental disabilities (N = 9) who were transitioning out of secondary school with iPad applications (apps) that could help them improve their life-readiness skills. The Common Core State Standards' overall objective is students' college and career readiness by the end of secondary school. While collecting qualitative and quantitative data across the 2012-2013 academic years, a group of educators worked with the students and their parents to help them learn and apply the iPad apps for life-readiness skills. The results indicated that all students improved in life-readiness skills. Ideas for future research as well as limitations of this study are also discussed. [More] Descriptors: Handheld Devices, Assistive Technology, Developmental Disabilities, Daily Living Skills
(2016). A Repeat Look at Repeating Patterns, Teaching Children Mathematics. A "repeating pattern" is a cyclical repetition of an identifiable core. Children in the primary grades usually begin pattern work with fairly simple patterns, such as AB, ABC, or ABB patterns. The unique letters represent unique elements, whereas the sequence of letters represents the core that is repeated. Based on color, shape, orientation, and other variables, the elements within a repeating pattern can be unique. Repeating patterns can also comprise motions or sounds (e.g., Moo, Quack, Quack, Moo, Quack, Quack . . .). Although not included specifically in the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) (CCSSI 2010) content standards in K-grade 2, the use of patterns should not be excluded. Confrey and her colleagues (2012) have identified "bridging standards" those absent from CCSSM, nevertheless important mathematical concepts that link previous learning to CCSSM content standards or identify content that is crucial to later content standards in grades 3-5 that explicitly link to other types of patterns. Although the primary grades are already rigorous and full, a strong rationale exists for why all students would benefit from appropriate attention to repeating patterns. In this article Kimberly Markworth highlights some of the mathematical connections that early work with repeating patterns affords. [More] Descriptors: Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2, Mathematics Teachers
(2016). Beyond the Common Core: Examining 20 Years of Literacy Priorities and Their Impact on Struggling Readers, Literacy Research and Instruction. Researchers utilized a historical context of the "What's Hot, What's Not" expert surveys over the last 20¬ years to examine literacy priorities and possible impacts. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were recently recognized as the hottest topic in the field of literacy education. Perhaps one of the unintended consequences of this intense focus is that literacy priorities have shifted away from other important topics, particularly those involving children and youth who may fail to meet these new rigorous standards. Topics such as early intervention; literacy coaches/reading specialists; motivation/engagement; response to intervention/differentiated instruction; and struggling readers have not been as highly rated as in the past, yet perhaps should warrant more attention if all students are expected to be college or career ready. This article takes the stance that rigorous standards alone are not enough. A historical context is provided and discussed regarding how these topics related to less proficient readers gained traction in schools, what contributed to their demise, and how a reexamination of literacy priorities and a revival of these topics might contribute to productive pedagogies and subsequent literacy growth in the era of CCSS. [More] Descriptors: Common Core State Standards, Educational History, Educational Trends, Literacy Education
(2016). Paired Texts: A Way into the Content Area, Middle School Journal. Finding materials to help students make connections is difficult for many teachers across all grade levels. Traditionally, the textbook is the primary resource for instruction. Textbooks, however, do not naturally support students in making connections across texts. To do this, teachers must find other resources. Finding other resources is particularly important at this time because many teachers are becoming increasingly aware of the need for students to learn how to make connections across texts. Teachers feel a sense of urgency because of the Common Core State Standards (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010). One standard in particular requires that students should be able to analyze two or more texts for a variety of purposes: to build knowledge, examine similarities and differences in the approaches authors take, and make connections between themes and topics, events, and characters of texts. This process of making connections between and across texts is often referred to as intertextuality. During the intertextual process, readers make connections with past readings, prior ideas, and previous literary experiences to construct an evolving text (Chi, 2012). In other words, intertextuality posits that no text ever stands alone; rather, every text is connected to other texts. The challenge is this: How can teachers teach intertextuality? How can teachers help students make connections across texts and also across content areas? This article presents lessons learned from our collaborative inquiry project into the world of intertextuality. [More] Descriptors: Teaching Methods, Instructional Materials, Common Core State Standards, Reading Materials
(2016). Delicate Layers of Learning: Achieving Disciplinary Literacy Requires Continuous, Collaborative Adjustment, Journal of Staff Development. For middle and high school teachers facing the challenge of implementing the Common Core State Standards, disciplinary literacy instruction is a critical element–and one for which many are unprepared. Disciplinary literacy focuses attention on the reading, writing, and communication skills unique to each discipline (Moje, 2008; Shanahan & Shanahan, 2008). Students need to become literate in discipline-specific ways, but most secondary teachers have had little or no explicit training in disciplinary literacy instruction techniques. For the past five years, a team of instructional coaches, university consultants, and professors teaching courses in adolescent literacy, instructional coaching, and teacher leadership–have learned a great deal about the possibilities and pitfalls of supporting middle and high school teachers' professional learning about disciplinary literacy instruction. This article summarizes some of what the team has learned about the delicate endeavor of working across content areas, across grade levels, and supporting content-area teachers (experts in their respective domains) in tackling the difficult yet rewarding work of enacting disciplinary literacy. [More] Descriptors: Literacy, Partnerships in Education, Middle School Teachers, Secondary School Teachers
(2016). Jessie, a Girl with Two Moms, Multicultural Perspectives. "The Jessie Books" are a seven-book series complete with a dedicated website. Each book features a 5-year-old girl named Jessie who happens to live in a city with her two moms. Each book features Jessie as an ordinary young girl engaging in familiar, life-enriching activities. Across "The Jessie Books," the community of caregivers, extended relatives, and intergenerational friends convey the notion of a caring and loving family. This concept of family is relevant to elementary education in light of the expanding diversity in and around schoolchildren. Increasing numbers of school-age children have lesbian mothers and caregivers, or live in dual mom-headed households. For adults who deem "The Jessie Books'" narrative beyond the scope of young readers, links are made between the storylines and the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards. Ideally, upon discovery of these texts, their content and integration will be called for and embraced in the elementary curriculum. [More] Descriptors: Elementary School Students, Elementary School Curriculum, Books, Homosexuality
(2010). Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. Appendix A: Research Supporting Key Elements of the Standards, Glossary of Key Terms. One of the key requirements of the Common Core State Standards for Reading is that all students must be able to comprehend texts of steadily increasing complexity as they progress through school. By the time they complete the core, students must be able to read and comprehend independently and proficiently the kinds of complex texts commonly found in college and careers. This document makes a research-based case for why the complexity of what students read matters. In brief, while reading demands in college, workforce training programs, and life in general have held steady or increased over the last half century, K-12 texts have actually declined in sophistication, and relatively little attention has been paid to students' ability to read complex texts independently. These conditions have left a serious gap between many high school seniors' reading ability and the reading requirements they will face after graduation. This paper then addresses how text complexity can be measured and made a regular part of instruction. It introduces a three-part model that blends qualitative and quantitative measures of text complexity with reader and task considerations. This paper also includes three annotated examples showing how the model can be used to assess the complexity of various kinds of texts appropriate for different grade levels. A bibliography and a glossary of key terms are included. (Contains 18 figures and 9 footnotes.) [For the main report, see "Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects" (ED522008). For additional appendixes to the main report, see: (1) "Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. Appendix B: Text Exemplars and Sample Performance Tasks" (ED522010); and (2) "Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. Appendix C: Samples of Student Writing" (ED522009).] [More] Descriptors: Reading Ability, Reading Instruction, Reading Comprehension, Glossaries
(2016). How Common Is the Common Core? A Global Analysis of Math Teaching and Learning, School Science and Mathematics. The U.S. educational system is undergoing rapid and substantial changes with many states grappling with the adoption of the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSSM). Important research questions remain unanswered regarding the potential efficacy of the CCSSM to improve student math performance compared with students around the globe. This article utilized TIMSS 2007 8th-grade math assessment results and curricular frameworks to (1) measure the degree of overlap between the CCSSM and TIMSS standards, and (2) use this finding to create a predictive model to determine the potential efficacy of the CCSSM in improving the U.S. 8th-grade student math performance compared with six culturally matched, TIMSS-assessed countries, provinces, and states. Comparisons of CCSSM and TIMSS-assessed jurisdictions show that the CCSSM holds many items in common with TIMSS-assessed jurisdictions, but lacks rigor in some key areas. The CCSSM deficiencies include algebraic knowledge and problem solving at the 8th-grade level, and are a significant detractor from the CCSSM when compared with TIMSS. [More] Descriptors: Common Core State Standards, Mathematics Instruction, Educational Change, Program Effectiveness
(2016). Un-Standardizing Curriculum: Multicultural Teaching in the Standards-Based Classroom. Second Edition. Multicultural Education Series, Teachers College Press. In this second edition of her bestseller, Christine Sleeter and new coauthor Judith Flores Carmona show how educators can learn to teach rich, academically rigorous, multicultural curricula within a standards-based environment. The authors have meticulously updated each chapter to address current changes in education policy and practice. New vignettes of classroom practice have been added to illustrate how today's teachers navigate the Common Core State Standards. The book's field-tested conceptual framework elaborates on the following elements of curriculum design: ideology, enduring ideas, democratized assessment, transformative intellectual knowledge, students and their communities, intellectual challenges, and curriculum resources. "Un-Standardizing Curriculum" shows teachers what they can do to "un-standardize" knowledge in their own classrooms, while working toward high standards of academic achievement. Book features include: (1) Classroom vignettes to help teachers bridge theory with practice in the context of commonly faced pressures and expectations; (2) Guidance for teachers who want to develop their classroom practice, including the possibilities and spaces teachers have within a standardized curriculum; (3) Attention to multiple subject areas and levels of schooling, making the book applicable across a wide range of teacher education programs; and (4) A critique of the tensions between school reforms and progressive classroom practice. [More] Descriptors: Multicultural Education, Educational Change, Educational Policy, Vignettes
(2016). Supporting Mathematics Instruction through Community, Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School. Raising expectations is nothing new. Every iteration of standards elevates the expectations for what students should know and be able to do. The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) is no exception, with standards for content and practice that move beyond memorization of traditional algorithms to "make sense of problems and persevere in solving them" (CCSSI 2010, p. 6). Additionally, "Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All" (NCTM 2014) establishes expectations for teachers that mirror CCSSM expectations for students. Increasingly, the expectation is for teachers to move away from disseminating facts through lecture-based classrooms to fostering a community of mathematical doers who work together on rich mathematical tasks. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) established the Equity Principle, which called for "high expectations and strong support for all students" (NCTM 2000, p. 12), but how are teachers being supported in this era of increasing expectations? This article describes a yearlong collaboration between a teacher (Morgan L. Trevathan) and a teacher educator (Joel C. Amidon) who explore what it means to provide support for mathematics teachers to improve practice, given the increased expectations and the plethora of external pressures (i.e., high-stakes testing and value-added assessments of teaching) toward a desired vision of mathematics instruction. [More] Descriptors: Mathematics Instruction, Teacher Collaboration, State Standards, Problem Solving
(2016). Mediation Effects of Latent Numerical Abilities on the Associations between Domain General Competencies and Fraction Knowledge, Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness. The purpose of the present study was to reveal the developmental pathway from third grade cognitive competencies to sixth grade conceptual and procedural fraction knowledge through the intervening whole numerical skills at fifth grade. The study used empirical data that come from 536 students in nine schools across two Delaware public school districts. Students were followed longitudinally for four years, beginning in third grade and ending in sixth grade. All students in participating schools were taught with curricula aligned with the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (Council of Chief State School Officers & National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, 2010). Mediation analysis, following a sequential structural equation modeling (SEM) approach, was used to examine the relationships among third grade general cognitive competencies, fifth grade whole number related skills, and sixth grade fraction knowledge. By using a sequential SEM design, the authors found that domain general competencies is important for developing fraction knowledge only in that they are direct precursors for intervening whole-number related skills, which in turn promote understanding of fractions. More specifically, it is through whole number magnitude understanding, rather than through whole number arithmetic, that cognitive competencies indirectly influenced sixth graders' knowledge in fraction concepts; attentive behavior and verbal ability at early stages are important for developing whole number arithmetic, which, in turn, are relevant for learning fraction procedures. A table and figures are appended. [SREE documents are structured abstracts of SREE conference symposium, panel, and paper or poster submissions.] [More] Descriptors: Fractions, Number Concepts, Mathematics Skills, Numeracy
(2016). Untangling Urban Middle School Reform: Clashing Agendas for Literacy Standards and Student Success, Teachers College Press. At Rosa Parks, a middle school in a crime-ridden neighborhood, students are advised to "do as they are told" and they will succeed. Unfortunately, "doing what they are told" often translates into repeating information given to them by the teacher, especially when it comes to writing. Meanwhile, students in an affluent neighborhood nearby are encouraged to be creative and think critically. This book examines the experience of one school's resistance to the deficit model of education and how it represents the overall story of urban school reform. Highlighting the consequences of the implementation of the Common Core State Standards in literacy, the author weighs the perspectives of teachers, National Writing Project consultants, and administrators. Her up-close analysis illuminates how rigid accountability structures shift power away from the teachers and administrators who know the students best. As such, it illustrates the complex nature of writing instruction in urban schools. Book Features: (1) Provides valuable lessons learned that can be applied throughout the United States to improve urban schools; (2) Offers rich portraits of students and teachers who resist the deficit identities placed on them by the dominant narrative of urban school reform; and (3) Presents a forum for those who are often silenced and talked about where they can speak for themselves. [Foreword by Elyse Eidman-Aadahl.] [More] Descriptors: Middle Schools, Urban Schools, Neighborhoods, Expectation
(2016). A Review of Evidence Presented in Support of Three Key Claims in the Validity Argument for the "TextEvaluator"® Text Analysis Tool. Research Report. ETS RR-16-12, ETS Research Report Series. The "TextEvaluator"® text analysis tool is a fully automated text complexity evaluation tool designed to help teachers and other educators select texts that are consistent with the text complexity guidelines specified in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). This paper provides an overview of the TextEvaluator measurement approach and summarizes evidence related to three key claims in the TextEvaluator validity argument: (a) TextEvaluator has succeeded in expanding construct coverage beyond the two dimensions of text variation that are traditionally assessed by readability metrics; (b) the TextEvaluator strategy of estimating distinct prediction models for informational, literary, and mixed texts has succeeded in generating text complexity predictions that exhibit little, if any, genre bias; and (c) TextEvaluator scores are highly correlated with text complexity judgments provided by human experts, including judgments generated via the inheritance method and judgments generated via the exemplar method. Implications with respect to the goal of helping teachers and other educators select texts that are closely aligned with the accelerated text complexity exposure trajectory outlined in the CCSS are discussed. [More] Descriptors: Automation, Evaluation Methods, Reading Material Selection, Common Core State Standards
(2016). A Look at the Education Crisis: Tests, Standards, and the Future of American Education, Center for American Progress. In many ways standards-based school reform is at a crossroads. On one side, the movement has made tremendous strides. The Common Core State Standards Initiative, known simply as Common Core, is now strongly established in more than 40 states. Many teachers believe that the new, higher academic standards have helped them improve instruction. And, most importantly, a solid body of data demonstrates that the standards-based reform movement has shown success in raising student outcomes. To look more deeply at the state of the education system–and the state of standards-based reform–the authors of this report analyzed the latest data from two national assessments: the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA). Using data from TUDA and NAEP, this report estimates the absolute number of students at or above proficient for each disaggregated group. The authors started with the overall percentages of students scoring proficient or above or scoring advanced or above on each NAEP exam in 2015. They then compared these data with estimates of the total school-age population for each group. Key findings include: (1) Some states and districts are making clear gains; (2) The state and local policy environment matters; (3) In many locations, students of color and students living in poverty still have extraordinarily low achievement; and (4) When it comes to students performing at the advanced level, outcomes are also rock bottom. [More] Descriptors: Educational Change, Common Core State Standards, National Competency Tests, Outcomes of Education