The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers. The standards were developed in collaboration with teachers, school administrators, and experts, to provide a clear and consistent frame wrok to prepare our children for college and the workforce.

1. Transitioning to the
Common Core State Standards
California PTA
February 26, 2013
Nancy Brownell, Senior Fellow
Jessica Valdez, Administrator
California Department of Education
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

2. California and the Common
Core State Standards
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
The Common Core State Standards Initiative
is a state-led effort coordinated by the
National Governors Association Center for
Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council
of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). The
standards were developed in collaboration
with teachers, school administrators, and
experts, to provide a clear and consistent
framework to prepare our children for college
and the workforce.

3. The Common Core State
Standards
TOM TORLAKSON
Benefits:
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
•Are aligned with college and work
expectations;
•Are clear, understandable and
consistent;
•Include rigorous content and application
of knowledge through high-order skills;
•Build upon strengths and lessons of
current state standards;

4. The Common Core State
Standards
TOM TORLAKSON
Benefits:
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
•Internationally benchmarked
•Evidence and research-based
•Consistent expectations – no matter
where you live
•Opportunity for shared resources and
reduced costs

5. The Common Core State
Standards
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction • Feedback and review from national organizations,
including:

6. TOM TORLAKSON
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
of Public Instruction
Source: http://www.corestandards.org/in-the-states

7. Common Core Standards for English Language
Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies,
Science, and Technical Subjects
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
• The CCSS for English-Language Arts and Literacy in
History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical
Subjects are organized around the College and
Career Readiness (CCR) Standards for Reading,
Writing, and Speaking and Listening.
• Each strand is headed by a set of CCR Anchor
Standards that is identical across all grades and
content areas.
• The anchor standards lend coherence to the
document both across the content areas and across
the grades.

8. Balanced Representation of Literary
and Informational Text
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
• Kindergarten through grade 5
 10 Reading standards for literature
 10 Reading standards for informational text
 Writing standards that explicitly call for opinion pieces,
narratives, and informative/explanatory texts
• Grades 6–12
 10 Reading standards for literature
 10 Reading standards for informational text
 Writing standards that explicitly call for arguments, narratives,
and informative/explanatory texts
 An additional set of standards for reading and writing in
history/social studies, science and technical subjects

9. Informational Text
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
• Includes the subgenres of exposition,
argument, and functional text in the
of Public Instruction
form of personal essays, speeches,
opinion pieces, essays about art or
literature, biographies, memoirs,
journalism, and historical, scientific,
technical, or economic accounts
(including digital sources) written for a
broad audience
Source: page 33 of the CCSS for ELA and Literacy in
History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical
Subjects

10. Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science,
and Technical Subjects: Grades 6–12
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
• Set the expectation that students will read
and write in non-ELA classrooms and
develop informational/technical writing
skills
• Provide an acknowledgement of unique
text structures found in informational text
• Maintain the focus on discipline-specific
vocabulary, critical analysis, and evidence
across the curriculum

11. Technical Subjects
TOM TORLAKSON
Technical subjects – A course devoted to a
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
practical study, such as engineering,
technology, design, business, or other
workforce-related subject; a technical
aspect of a wider field of study, such as art
or music
Source: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and
Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects: Appendix
A

12. Critical Analysis/Use of Evidence
TOM TORLAKSON
• Describe how reasons support specific points the
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction author makes in a text. (2.RI.8)
• Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims,
evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and
relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and
identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced.
(8.SL.3)
• Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and
thoroughly, supplying the most relevant data and
evidence for each while pointing out the strengths
and limitations of both claim(s) and counterclaims in
a discipline-appropriate form that anticipates the
audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and
possible biases. (11-12.WHST.1.b)

13. Focus on Text Complexity
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
• By the end of the year, read and comprehend
literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at
the high end of the grades 4–5 text complexity
band independently and proficiently. (5.RL.10)
• Initiate and participate effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (one-on one, in groups,
and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades
11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on
others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and
persuasively.
(11-12.SL.1)

14. Increased Student Collaboration
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
• With guidance and support from adults, use
of Public Instruction
technology to produce and publish writing (using
keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and
collaborate with others. (3.W.6)
• Initiate and participate effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups,
and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades
9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’
ideas and expressing their own clearly and
persuasively. (9-10.SL.1)

15. Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
TOM TORLAKSON
• Use words and phrases acquired through
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction conversations, reading and being read to, and
responding to texts. (K.L.6)
• Use precise language and domain-specific
vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
(7.W.2.d)
• Determine the meaning of word and phrase as they
are used in the text, including figurative and
connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative
impact of specific word choices on meaning and
tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of
time and place; how it sets a formal or informal
tone). (9-10.RL.4)

16. Increased Use of Multimedia
and Technology
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
• Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations
of Public Instruction
when appropriate to enhance the development of main
ideas and themes. (4.SL.5)
• Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to
its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing
the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g.,
lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a
film). (7.RL.7)
• Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information
presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., quantitative
data, video, multimedia) in order to address a question or
solve a problem. (11-12.RST.7)

17. Transitioning to the CCSS
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
• Building knowledge through
content-rich nonfiction
• Reading, writing and speaking
grounded in evidence from text, both
literary and informational
• Regular practice with complex text
and its academic language
Source: http://www.achievethecore.org/steal-these-tools

18. Mathematical Proficiency
as defined by the California Framework (2006)
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction

19. Common Core Standards
for Mathematics
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
The standards for mathematics:
• Are focused, coherent, and rigorous
• Aim for clarity and specificity
• Stress conceptual understanding of key
ideas
• Balance mathematical understanding
and procedural skill
• Are internationally
benchmarked

20. Two Types of
Interrelated Standards
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
• Mathematical Practices
(the same at every grade level)
• Mathematical Content
(different at each grade level)

21. Standards for
Mathematical Practice
TOM TORLAKSON
Describe ways students engage with the subject matter
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction throughout the elementary, middle and high school years
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.

22. CCSS Domains K–5
Domain K 1 2 3 4 5
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Counting and Cardinality (CC) 
Operations and Algebraic
Thinking (OA)
     
Number and Operations in Base
Ten (NBT)
     
Measurement and Data (MD)      
Geometry (G)      
Number and Operations –
Fractions (NF)
  

23. CCSS Domains 6–8
Domain 6 7 8
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction Ratios and Proportional
Relationships (RP)
 
The Number System (NS)   
Expressions and Equations (EE)   
Geometry (G)   
Statistics and Probability (SP)   
Functions (F) 

24. High School Mathematics
The CCSS high school standards are organized in 6 conceptual
categories:
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
 Number and Quantity
 Algebra
 Functions
 Modeling (*)
 Geometry
 Statistics and Probability
California additions:
 Advanced Placement Probability and Statistics
 Calculus
Modeling standards are indicated by a (*) symbol.
Standards necessary to prepare for advanced courses in
mathematics are indicated by a (+) symbol.

25. Model Course Pathways for
Mathematics
TOM TORLAKSON Courses in higher level mathematics: Precalculus, Calculus (upon completion of
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Precalculus), Advanced Statistics, Discrete Mathematics, Advanced Quantitative
Reasoning, or other courses to be designed at a later date, such as additional career
technical courses.
Algebra II Mathematics III
Geometry Mathematics II
Algebra I Mathematics I
Pathway A Pathway B
Traditional in U.S. International Integrated approach
(typical outside of U.S.)

26. Transitioning to the CCSS
TOM TORLAKSON
1. Focus strongly where the standards focus
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
2. Coherence: Think across grades, and link
to major topics within grades
3. Rigor: In major topics, pursue conceptual
understanding, procedural skill and
fluency, and application
Source: http://www.achievethecore.org/

27. TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction

28. CDE CCSS Web page
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/cc
of Public Instruction
•Subscribe:
join-commoncore@mlist.cde.ca.gov
subscribe-sbac@mlist.cde.ca.gov
•Contact us:
commoncoreteam@cde.ca.gov

29. Questions?
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
Nancy Brownell
Senior Fellow
California Department of Education
California State Board of Education
nbrownell@cde.ca.gov
916-319-0693

30. Smarter Balanced Assessment System
Summative assessments
Benchmarked to college and
career readiness
Common Core
Common Core
State Standards Teachers and schools All students leave
All students leave
State Standards
specify
specify have information and
K-12 expectations tools they need to high school
high school
K-12 expectations
for college and improve teaching and college
college
for college and
career readiness learning and career ready
and career ready
career readiness
Teacher resources for
formative assessment Interim assessments
practices Flexible, open, used for
to improve instruction actionable feedback

31. Smarter Balanced
Assessment Consortium Basics
TOM TORLAKSON
• To develop a set of comprehensive and innovative
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction assessments for grades 3-8 and 11 in English
language arts and mathematics aligned to the
Common Core State Standards
• Students leave high school prepared for
postsecondary success in college or a career
through increased student learning and improved
teaching
• Computer based and computer adaptive
• The assessments are scheduled to be operational
in the 2014-15 school year

32. Smarter Balanced Member States
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
 24 states educating approximately
20 million public K-12 students

33. State Governance and
Participation
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
• Consortium led by state K-12 and higher
of Public Instruction
education representatives. All major decisions
subject to state vote.
• Two California representatives on Smarter
Balanced Executive Committee (Co-chair Deb
Sigman, Higher Education Representative
Beverly Young)
• Over 80 staff from member states and higher
education institutions across the nation are
involved in workgroups helping to design the
system.
• Expert advice from an array of standing advisory
panels.

34. Smarter Balanced Work Groups
and California Members
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction 1. Item Development/Performance Tasks –
Linda Hooper
2. Validation and Psychometrics/Test Design –
Jamie Contreras
3.Test Administration/Student Access –
Shobhana Rishi
4.Formative Assessment Practices and
Professional Learning/Transition to CCSS –
Laura Watson
5.Technology Approach/Reporting –
Rodney Okamoto (Co-chair)

35. Smarter Balanced Milestones
Technology Preliminary test
Readiness Tool blueprints
Launched approved
SBE adopted March 2012 November 2012 STAR Program
TOM TORLAKSON Common Core sunsets
State Superintendent State Standards SSPI’s Report with
of Public Instruction July 1, 2014
August 2010 recommendations
delivered to the
Legislature
January 2013
2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15
Spring 2013 Smarter
California joined Assessment Pilot testing of Balanced
Smarter reauthorization Summative assessments
Balanced outreach effort to Assessments implemented
Assessment develop
Consortium recommendations
June 2011
Spring 2014
Technology Field testing of
Strategy Summative
Framework and Assessments
System
Requirements
Specifications
Released
December 2012

36. Preliminary Test Blueprints
• Approved by governing states in November 2012
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction • Include critical information about the number of items,
score points, and depth of knowledge for items
associated with each assessment target
• Guide the development of items and performance tasks,
the pilot and field tests, score reporting, standard
setting, and ongoing research
• Are considered preliminary until after review of the data
gathered from the pilot and field tests
• Links to blueprints available on the Smarter Balanced
Web page at http://www.smarterbalanced.org/smarter-
balanced-assessments/

37. Revised Draft Initial Achievement
Level Descriptors (ALDs)
• Initial draft ALDs were released for public
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent comment November 27, 2012, through January
of Public Instruction
15, 2013 and February 4 through 20.
• The revised draft ALD documents, online survey
for providing feedback, and recording of Webinar
highlighting the revisions are available at
http://www.smarterbalanced.org/achievementlev
el-descriptors-and-college-readiness.
• Governing states are expected to adopt the initial
ALDs in Spring 2013.

38. Technology Readiness Tool
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
• Generates device and network “readiness
of Public Instruction
reports” at the school level.
• Reports show a general level of readiness:
– 0% - 25% (red)
– 26% - 50% (orange)
– 51% - 75% (yellow)
– 76% - 100% (green)

39. Smarter Balanced
Spring 2013 Pilot Test
• Two samples for school participation:
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
1) Scientific
2) Volunteer
• There will be no scores or individual
student data associated with either
sample.
• The pilot test is untimed but depending on
the grade, content area, and types of
items administered, test times are
expected to range from 2 to 3 hours.

40. Spring 2013 Pilot Test —
Scientific Sample
• Test window: February 20–May 24, 2013
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction • Nearly 1,200 California schools have confirmed
participation!
• CDE is assisting participating schools by
submitting required student data.
• Search for selected CA schools by county and
district and view participation status on the CDE
Smarter Balanced Web page at
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sa/smarterbalanced.asp.
Select the “Spring 2013 Pilot Test” hyperlink.
• Deadline for registering to participate is February
28, 2013

41. Spring 2013 Pilot Test —
Volunteer Sample
TOM TORLAKSON
• Open to all schools in member states
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
• Test window: April 9 through May 10, 2013
• Nearly 1,800 California schools have registered!
• Participation in volunteer pilot available any
time during the testing window
• Schools volunteer by completing the volunteer
survey at:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SmarterBalancedPilot
• Deadline for registering to participate is
March 27, 2013

42. Upcoming Opportunity for
Teacher Involvement
TOM TORLAKSON
• Smarter Balanced digital library of formative
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
assessment tools and practices
• State Network of Educators to be formed to
review proposed tools and practices for
inclusion in the digital library
• Recruitment of State Network of Educators
expected to begin in Spring 2013

43. Legislative Update
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent
of Public Instruction
State
•Assembly Bill 484 (Bonilla)
•Senate Bill 247 (Liu)
Federal
•Education technology bill (Miller)

44. For Further
Smarter Balanced Information
TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent Join the CDE Smarter Balanced listserv by
of Public Instruction
sending a blank e-mail to:
subscribe-sbac@mlist.cde.ca.gov
Contact the CDE Transition Office
sbac@cde.ca.gov
916-445-8517
Visit the Smarter Balanced
Assessment Consortium Web Site
http://www.smarterbalanced.org/
Visit the CDE Smarter Balanced Web Page
http://www.cde.ca.gov/sbac/