K-12 FAQs
What are academic standards?
Academic standards are a set of clear expectations for teachers, students and parents of what students need to know at each grade level. They set targets so that educators and parents can help students stay on a path that will prepare them to graduate high school and pursue education, training, or career.
Why did Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) adopt the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)?
Standards and grade-level instructional goals existed long before the Common Core State Standards were conceptualized or developed. Statewide standards and documented goals have guided the work of Rhode Island schools and educators for many years. The CCSS mark a natural evolution or next step, not a departure from previous educational efforts.
The CCSS are not federally mandated and are not part of a larger federal program. They began as an initiative of the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers. The decision to adopt the Common Core State Standards resides within individual states. Rhode Island adopted the CCSS in July of 2010.
For Rhode Island, a state that already embraces high educational standards and expectations for achievement, the CCSS serve to refine the goals and concepts that have long driven student instruction and the way Rhode Island frames student achievement. The CCSS still embrace the critical educational foundations needed to prepare students for success across subjects; students will still be learning their multiplication tables and key literacy skills and will still be exposed to classic literature.
Are the Standards Internationally Benchmarked?
Yes, the standards were developed by educators from all over the country and benchmarked both nationally and internationally. The CCSS are internationally benchmarked and were developed to help ensure that students across the country all have access to the same learning targets and opportunities and, consequently, access to the knowledge and tools needed to succeed in a career of their choosing. http://www.corestandards.org/assets/0812BENCHMARKING.pdf
How are the CCSS connected to post-secondary preparation?
Currently, 25% of the nation’s students entering four-year colleges will need to take part in remedial courses.1 The Community College of Rhode Island further estimates that 70- 75% of recent high school graduates will need to take remedial courses.2 These remedial courses come at a high cost to Rhode Island students, contribute to increased student loan debt, and are even tied to significantly lower graduation rates—2012 research from Complete College America estimates that, of those students entering remedial studies, “fewer than 1 in 10 graduate from community colleges within three years and little more than a third complete bachelor’s degrees in six years.”3 The CCSS aim to combat the need for remedial course work, decreasing college costs for Rhode Island students and setting students up for success in continuing education environments. The CCSS ensure that students throughout Rhode Island and the nation all have access to the same achievement goals and the supporting skills and knowledge to reach these goals, no matter where they were born, what neighborhood they live in, or what school they attend. Careers now require more and different skills than in the past. The CCSS mark an evolution to help Rhode Island students acquire the core academic knowledge and skills needed to succeed in college, careers, and the demands of the current economy.
Are the CCSS the Barrington Curriculum?
No, Rhode Island educators still maintain control of how they will design their own instruction in order to meet the diverse needs of their student population. Teachers in Barrington have collaborated on the development of curriculum and the selection of resources to support the curriculum. As with the previous Rhode Island Department of Education Grade Span Expectations and the Grade Level Expectations (GSEs/GLEs), Barrington has aligned curriculum objectives to the standards. The standards are only the minimum foundation of the curriculum. Curriculum will continue to be initiated, designed, and developed by Barrington; and instruction will continue to be initiated at the school and classroom level.
Is the CCSS a top-down curriculum?
No, the CCSS are standards not curriculum. Barrington teachers continue to work on the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the curriculum. Barrington has created opportunities for teacher leadership in curriculum called “Curriculum Point People.” This group of talented teachers works closely with their grade level teams on strategies for implementation, receives feedback for change, and creates solutions for improvement. The curriculum is truly a living document created and led by the Barrington educators.
NEW Do teachers need to follow the same lesson plans? If not, how will lessons be viable and provide students equal access across Rhode Island and the Nation for each subject and each grade level?
Teachers in Barrington are not required to follow the same lesson plans, and have never been required to follow the same lesson plans under the previous grade level and grade span expectations. All teachers in Barrington do follow the same unit plan. From the unit, teachers are given the flexibility and the creativity to develop their own plans or work with grade-level teams to develop plans. Through the use of locally developed common assessments, grade and building review of student work, and assessment review, Barrington is able to ensure that all students have access to the guaranteed and viable curriculum. Since the unit plans use standards as the foundation, students across the nation in district that use CCSS will have similar experiences and access through curriculum, instruction and assessment.
Do the CCSS require all teachers to teach the same without creativity?
No, The CCSS clarifies the main skills and goals we want to provide Rhode Island students; it does not dictate how students will learn these skills or mandate use of specific curricula, lessons, or texts. Teachers still maintain ownership of their classroom instruction and the ability to creatively design and deliver instruction within their classrooms.
In Barrington, the inclusion of technology integration into the curriculum is one small example of creativity in design and implementation. Students and teachers across the district are engaged in creative lessons that require students to create, critically think, collaborate and communicate using 21st Century Skills.
Barrington Public Schools values the use of research-based instructional strategies in the classroom. To that end, the standards do not dictate how teachers teach. Educators work collaboratively to develop unit plans that incorporate research-based, high yield instructional strategies from the work of Robert Marzano and John Hattie. The curriculum development process builds strongly upon the research of Rick DuFour and Michael Fullan as it relates to professional learning communities and systems improvement. Following the TPACK model, teachers incorporate technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge into each unit. Units of study build upon the research of Grant Wiggins' and Jay McTighe's work Understanding by Design.
NEW Have the textbook developers modified their products to align with CCSS? If not what materials provide the backbone of the curriculum?
Some textbook developers have aligned their products to the CCSS. Barrington has opted not to purchase any new textbooks. Teachers have developed resources, curriculum, and have selected materials to support the implementation of the new curriculum. The materials used with the curriculum are listed on the curriculum map documents on the district site under Curriculum Area Math and Curriculum Area English Language Arts.
NEW Are there more examples of text dependent questions (also referred to as close reads)? This was a useful component of the district presentation.
Yes, here are links to additional examples of text dependent questions.
Text dependent resources as well as examples (scroll down to resources)
Text Dependent Question Resources
Prompts for Text Dependent Questions
Virginia Examples of Text Dependent Questions
How do we support English Language Learners (ELL) and Students with Special Needs with the CCSS?
Stanford University, TESOL, WIDA, and Colorin Colorado have created professional development, instructional materials, and parent resources to help support ELL students with the Common Core. Barrington Public Schools uses these resources and professional development opportunities to support our ELL students. Strategies are incorporated directly into our curriculum documents. In addition, direct service connected to student goals is provided to our students from certified English and Second Language teachers.
Similar to ELL supports, Barrington Public Schools accesses and incorporates a wide array of resources to support students with special needs. These resources and strategies are also included in our curriculum.
In addition, direct service connected to student goals is provided to our students from certified special education teachers as developed with the Individualized Education Team including parents. Achieve has compiled a working list of some of many of these resources.
Have teachers been provided with professional development?
RIDE adopted the Common Core State Standards in 2010. Since then, RIDE has provided the state’s educators and schools with extensive opportunities to learn about and practice with the standards and interact with the standards through their professional learning communities and networks. Rhode Island educators and students have been preparing for the transition to the CCSS for over four years. In addition to professional development opportunities provided by RIDE, Barrington has afforded teachers training at the grade, department, school and district level over the course of the four years of implementation. Most recently, teachers have been provided with instructional coaching on the math workshop model, types of writing, and mathematical practices.
Academic standards are a set of clear expectations for teachers, students and parents of what students need to know at each grade level. They set targets so that educators and parents can help students stay on a path that will prepare them to graduate high school and pursue education, training, or career.
Why did Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) adopt the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)?
Standards and grade-level instructional goals existed long before the Common Core State Standards were conceptualized or developed. Statewide standards and documented goals have guided the work of Rhode Island schools and educators for many years. The CCSS mark a natural evolution or next step, not a departure from previous educational efforts.
The CCSS are not federally mandated and are not part of a larger federal program. They began as an initiative of the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers. The decision to adopt the Common Core State Standards resides within individual states. Rhode Island adopted the CCSS in July of 2010.
For Rhode Island, a state that already embraces high educational standards and expectations for achievement, the CCSS serve to refine the goals and concepts that have long driven student instruction and the way Rhode Island frames student achievement. The CCSS still embrace the critical educational foundations needed to prepare students for success across subjects; students will still be learning their multiplication tables and key literacy skills and will still be exposed to classic literature.
Are the Standards Internationally Benchmarked?
Yes, the standards were developed by educators from all over the country and benchmarked both nationally and internationally. The CCSS are internationally benchmarked and were developed to help ensure that students across the country all have access to the same learning targets and opportunities and, consequently, access to the knowledge and tools needed to succeed in a career of their choosing. http://www.corestandards.org/assets/0812BENCHMARKING.pdf
How are the CCSS connected to post-secondary preparation?
Currently, 25% of the nation’s students entering four-year colleges will need to take part in remedial courses.1 The Community College of Rhode Island further estimates that 70- 75% of recent high school graduates will need to take remedial courses.2 These remedial courses come at a high cost to Rhode Island students, contribute to increased student loan debt, and are even tied to significantly lower graduation rates—2012 research from Complete College America estimates that, of those students entering remedial studies, “fewer than 1 in 10 graduate from community colleges within three years and little more than a third complete bachelor’s degrees in six years.”3 The CCSS aim to combat the need for remedial course work, decreasing college costs for Rhode Island students and setting students up for success in continuing education environments. The CCSS ensure that students throughout Rhode Island and the nation all have access to the same achievement goals and the supporting skills and knowledge to reach these goals, no matter where they were born, what neighborhood they live in, or what school they attend. Careers now require more and different skills than in the past. The CCSS mark an evolution to help Rhode Island students acquire the core academic knowledge and skills needed to succeed in college, careers, and the demands of the current economy.
Are the CCSS the Barrington Curriculum?
No, Rhode Island educators still maintain control of how they will design their own instruction in order to meet the diverse needs of their student population. Teachers in Barrington have collaborated on the development of curriculum and the selection of resources to support the curriculum. As with the previous Rhode Island Department of Education Grade Span Expectations and the Grade Level Expectations (GSEs/GLEs), Barrington has aligned curriculum objectives to the standards. The standards are only the minimum foundation of the curriculum. Curriculum will continue to be initiated, designed, and developed by Barrington; and instruction will continue to be initiated at the school and classroom level.
Is the CCSS a top-down curriculum?
No, the CCSS are standards not curriculum. Barrington teachers continue to work on the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the curriculum. Barrington has created opportunities for teacher leadership in curriculum called “Curriculum Point People.” This group of talented teachers works closely with their grade level teams on strategies for implementation, receives feedback for change, and creates solutions for improvement. The curriculum is truly a living document created and led by the Barrington educators.
NEW Do teachers need to follow the same lesson plans? If not, how will lessons be viable and provide students equal access across Rhode Island and the Nation for each subject and each grade level?
Teachers in Barrington are not required to follow the same lesson plans, and have never been required to follow the same lesson plans under the previous grade level and grade span expectations. All teachers in Barrington do follow the same unit plan. From the unit, teachers are given the flexibility and the creativity to develop their own plans or work with grade-level teams to develop plans. Through the use of locally developed common assessments, grade and building review of student work, and assessment review, Barrington is able to ensure that all students have access to the guaranteed and viable curriculum. Since the unit plans use standards as the foundation, students across the nation in district that use CCSS will have similar experiences and access through curriculum, instruction and assessment.
Do the CCSS require all teachers to teach the same without creativity?
No, The CCSS clarifies the main skills and goals we want to provide Rhode Island students; it does not dictate how students will learn these skills or mandate use of specific curricula, lessons, or texts. Teachers still maintain ownership of their classroom instruction and the ability to creatively design and deliver instruction within their classrooms.
In Barrington, the inclusion of technology integration into the curriculum is one small example of creativity in design and implementation. Students and teachers across the district are engaged in creative lessons that require students to create, critically think, collaborate and communicate using 21st Century Skills.
Barrington Public Schools values the use of research-based instructional strategies in the classroom. To that end, the standards do not dictate how teachers teach. Educators work collaboratively to develop unit plans that incorporate research-based, high yield instructional strategies from the work of Robert Marzano and John Hattie. The curriculum development process builds strongly upon the research of Rick DuFour and Michael Fullan as it relates to professional learning communities and systems improvement. Following the TPACK model, teachers incorporate technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge into each unit. Units of study build upon the research of Grant Wiggins' and Jay McTighe's work Understanding by Design.
NEW Have the textbook developers modified their products to align with CCSS? If not what materials provide the backbone of the curriculum?
Some textbook developers have aligned their products to the CCSS. Barrington has opted not to purchase any new textbooks. Teachers have developed resources, curriculum, and have selected materials to support the implementation of the new curriculum. The materials used with the curriculum are listed on the curriculum map documents on the district site under Curriculum Area Math and Curriculum Area English Language Arts.
NEW Are there more examples of text dependent questions (also referred to as close reads)? This was a useful component of the district presentation.
Yes, here are links to additional examples of text dependent questions.
Text dependent resources as well as examples (scroll down to resources)
Text Dependent Question Resources
Prompts for Text Dependent Questions
Virginia Examples of Text Dependent Questions
How do we support English Language Learners (ELL) and Students with Special Needs with the CCSS?
Stanford University, TESOL, WIDA, and Colorin Colorado have created professional development, instructional materials, and parent resources to help support ELL students with the Common Core. Barrington Public Schools uses these resources and professional development opportunities to support our ELL students. Strategies are incorporated directly into our curriculum documents. In addition, direct service connected to student goals is provided to our students from certified English and Second Language teachers.
Similar to ELL supports, Barrington Public Schools accesses and incorporates a wide array of resources to support students with special needs. These resources and strategies are also included in our curriculum.
In addition, direct service connected to student goals is provided to our students from certified special education teachers as developed with the Individualized Education Team including parents. Achieve has compiled a working list of some of many of these resources.
Have teachers been provided with professional development?
RIDE adopted the Common Core State Standards in 2010. Since then, RIDE has provided the state’s educators and schools with extensive opportunities to learn about and practice with the standards and interact with the standards through their professional learning communities and networks. Rhode Island educators and students have been preparing for the transition to the CCSS for over four years. In addition to professional development opportunities provided by RIDE, Barrington has afforded teachers training at the grade, department, school and district level over the course of the four years of implementation. Most recently, teachers have been provided with instructional coaching on the math workshop model, types of writing, and mathematical practices.
How will students in Rhode Island perform on the Partnership for Assessment of College and Career Readiness (PARCC)?
Educational agencies throughout the country have acknowledged that student test scores will likely take an initial dip. Rhode Island is no exception; this dip will not be cause for alarm or indicative of students’ “backsliding.” As always, these test scores provide context, not conclusions, and will just be one of many data points that parents and educators can use to inform larger, more comprehensive conversations about student achievement and student learning.
Can students opt out of the PARCC Assessment?
Students are able to opt out of the field assessment (Spring 2014) only. PARCC is the accountability assessment adopted by the state of Rhode Island. As a result, it is required that all eligible public school students be assessed using this tool commencing the spring of 2015. Public school students currently eligible for the Alternate Assessment will continue to be assessed under the Alternate Assessment System. For students taking the PARCC, accommodations are available. For a complete description of available accommodations for English as a Second Language students, students with special needs and students with 504 Plans, see the PARCC Accommodation Manual.
Is the PARCC Assessment developmentally appropriate for K-2?
Students in K-2 will not be assessed by the PARCC or by any other high-stakes state assessment.
What grades will be assessed with the PARCC?
Students in grades 3-11 in English Language Arts and students in grades 3 through Algebra II in mathematics will be assessed annually with the PARCC beginning in March of 2015.
Will PARCC be a diploma or graduation requirement?
RIDE has not issued a decision about the PARCC being used as a diploma or graduation requirement. At this time, the Class of 2016 is the last class required to pass the NECAP with a minimum score of 2 on both the math and English Language Arts assessments during their junior year. To view a complete outline of the Rhode Island diploma requirements, visit the RIDE website.
Will PARCC pose privacy issues for students?
As with the current NECAP, RIDE will continue to collect demographic information for the state assessment. There will be no changes in these protocols as the security and privacy of each and every student is of the highest importance to both the district and the state.
Are Barrington teachers evaluated solely on student performance on the state assessments?
No, the teacher evaluation tool does not currently include student growth on the state assessment. This may change in the future. Currently, teachers are evaluated on assessments created at the school level, observations, and professional practice. Multiple data points are considered for each teacher, and the use of multiple data points, observation, and professional practice will not change even if the state assessment does.
Educational agencies throughout the country have acknowledged that student test scores will likely take an initial dip. Rhode Island is no exception; this dip will not be cause for alarm or indicative of students’ “backsliding.” As always, these test scores provide context, not conclusions, and will just be one of many data points that parents and educators can use to inform larger, more comprehensive conversations about student achievement and student learning.
Can students opt out of the PARCC Assessment?
Students are able to opt out of the field assessment (Spring 2014) only. PARCC is the accountability assessment adopted by the state of Rhode Island. As a result, it is required that all eligible public school students be assessed using this tool commencing the spring of 2015. Public school students currently eligible for the Alternate Assessment will continue to be assessed under the Alternate Assessment System. For students taking the PARCC, accommodations are available. For a complete description of available accommodations for English as a Second Language students, students with special needs and students with 504 Plans, see the PARCC Accommodation Manual.
Is the PARCC Assessment developmentally appropriate for K-2?
Students in K-2 will not be assessed by the PARCC or by any other high-stakes state assessment.
What grades will be assessed with the PARCC?
Students in grades 3-11 in English Language Arts and students in grades 3 through Algebra II in mathematics will be assessed annually with the PARCC beginning in March of 2015.
Will PARCC be a diploma or graduation requirement?
RIDE has not issued a decision about the PARCC being used as a diploma or graduation requirement. At this time, the Class of 2016 is the last class required to pass the NECAP with a minimum score of 2 on both the math and English Language Arts assessments during their junior year. To view a complete outline of the Rhode Island diploma requirements, visit the RIDE website.
Will PARCC pose privacy issues for students?
As with the current NECAP, RIDE will continue to collect demographic information for the state assessment. There will be no changes in these protocols as the security and privacy of each and every student is of the highest importance to both the district and the state.
Are Barrington teachers evaluated solely on student performance on the state assessments?
No, the teacher evaluation tool does not currently include student growth on the state assessment. This may change in the future. Currently, teachers are evaluated on assessments created at the school level, observations, and professional practice. Multiple data points are considered for each teacher, and the use of multiple data points, observation, and professional practice will not change even if the state assessment does.
1 Rhode Island Kids Count. (June 2013). Rhode Island Kids Count Issue Brief: Improving college access and completion in Rhode Island.
2 Ibid.
3 Complete College America. (2012). Remediation: Higher education's bridge to nowhere. 3
2 Ibid.
3 Complete College America. (2012). Remediation: Higher education's bridge to nowhere. 3