New Common Core Resources: Achieve the Core

Hi Everyone!

Diane is away this week but will be back next week with some updates on Common Core math resources for ELLs.

In the meantime, we are excited to share a groundbreaking new online resource with you from Achieve the Core, an initiative of Student Achievement Partners (SAP).

SAP is a non-profit organization founded by the lead writers of the Common Core whose primary aim is to ensure that teachers can put the new standards to work effectively.  With the help of teachers from around the country (including many members of our major partner, the American Federation of Teachers), SAP has recently re-launched its website with a new design and hundreds of new Common Core resources, lessons, guides, and professional development tools.

While these resources aren't currently scaffolded for ELLs or aligned to English language proficiency standards, they provide one of the most comprehensive collections of Common Core materials to date and offer a great starting point for discussion of what standards-based lessons would like for ELLs.

The Making of a Scientist

For example, this Grade 6 language arts lesson plan on "The Making of a Scientist" by Richard Feynman clearly outlines reading, vocabulary, syntax, and discussion activities and tasks alongside the lesson text. This model provides a concrete starting point for ELL teachers, language arts teachers, and science teachers to launch a discussion of what kinds of support ELLs would need to tackle the text and related activities, as Diane did in some of her previous posts.

Highlights of the new website include:

•  iTunesU Courses on the Shifts designed to help educators develop a deep understanding of the Common Core State Standards and the Shifts they require to prepare all students for college and careers. Related PD resources designed for sharing with colleagues are also available for the ELA and Math standards.
• A new Toolkit of free resources for evaluating instructional and assessment materials -- including textbooks, lessons, units, benchmark and classroom assessments -- for alignment to the Common Core State Standards. Developed for educators in joint partnership by Achieve, The Council of Chief State School Officers, and Student Achievement Partners.
• Instructional Practice Guides for ELA/Literacy and Math, which provide specific guidance for what the CCSS instruction looks like in planning and practice.
• In Common, a collection of hundreds of fully annotated student writing samples aligned to the Common Core, including K-12 samples from all three types of Common Core writing: argument/opinion, informative/ explanatory, and narrative.
• Annotated Mathematics Tasks, A growing collection of finely crafted mathematics tasks, for use in the classroom or in teacher professional development. Each task comes with commentary that explains how the task illustrates the focus, coherence, and rigor of the Standards.
• Leadership tools that for school and district leaders that focus on implementation and professional development

Throughout the website and materials, contact information is provided so that you can share your feedback, as well as ideas for getting involved and supporting the Core. Take a look at the website and send in your ideas!

We'd also love to hear from you - how do you think these materials can be used in preparing ELLs to meet the Common Core?