Essential Skills Essential Skills Basics, Transitions, and Common Core Connections

Derek Brown, ManagerCristen McLean, Policy Analyst

Topics and ObjectivesTopics and ObjectivesTopic ObjectiveEssential Skills 101 Collect feedbackCommon Core and Essential Skills

Examine the connection between the Essential Skills and the Common Core

Common Core assessment selection

Describe process and outcomes for Common Core assessment work group meetings

Essential Skills graduation requirements

Describe the assessment options during the assessment transition

OAKS to Common Core assessment

Describe the OAKS to Common Core assessment transition impacts graduation requirements

Work sample planning Examine how Common Core implementation impacts work samples

ESSENTIAL SKILLS ESSENTIAL SKILLS 101101

101 Topics101 TopicsWhat are the Essential Skills?Are they another set of content standards?Why do we have the Essential Skills?Which Essential Skills are required for

graduation?How do students show that they have

these skills?What else is required for graduation?Do other states have similar graduation

requirements?

What are the Essential Skills?What are the Essential Skills?… … cross-disciplinary skills that students should cross-disciplinary skills that students should be developing across grades K- 12. be developing across grades K- 12.

These skills are necessary for success after high school. 1.Read and comprehend a variety of text2.Write clearly and accurately3.Apply mathematics in a variety of settings4.Listen actively and speak clearly and coherently5.Think critically and analytically 6.Use technology to learn, live, and work 7.Demonstrate civic and community engagement8.Demonstrate global literacy9.Demonstrate personal management and teamwork skillsThese skills are necessary, but not sufficient for success after high school. These represent the basic toolkit and there are many additional important skills.

Are they another set of content Are they another set of content standards?standards?……no, they are proficiencies that are embedded no, they are proficiencies that are embedded within the content standards.within the content standards.

The Essential Skills are skills that all students should have as a result of completing K-12 education. Content

StandardsEssential Skill Proficiencies

Smaller grain size Larger grain sizeGuides curriculum development

Describes outcomes of educational experiences

Describes what students should learn each year

Describes what students should be able to do at the end of high school

Why do we have the Essential Why do we have the Essential Skills?Skills?… … to make the diploma meaningful.to make the diploma meaningful.Essential Skills were developed: •As a part of the New Oregon Diploma (within a national movement)•By the Essential Skills Task Force

Educators Post-secondary connections ODE

Legislators Business community State Board

•Over multiple years, which included defining each skill, setting implementation timeline.Essential Skills were adopted into law in 2008. This was the 8th grade year for the first group of students who would be accountable for Essential Skills graduation requirements.

Which Essential Skills are required Which Essential Skills are required for graduation?for graduation?… … in order to earn a diploma this year*, in order to earn a diploma this year*, students must show that they have the first 2. students must show that they have the first 2.

1. Read and comprehend a variety of text2. Write clearly and accurately

* Graduation requirements are based on the year that students begun high school. The first two Essential Skills are required for students who begun high school 2009-10, most of whom will be graduating this spring, 2012-13.

… … the remaining 6 skills are not yet planned as the remaining 6 skills are not yet planned as diploma requirements.diploma requirements.

in a variety of settings4.Listen actively and speak clearly and coherently5.Think critically and analytically 6.Use technology to learn, live, and work 7.Demonstrate civic and community engagement8.Demonstrate global literacy9.Demonstrate personal management and teamwork skills

How do students show that they How do students show that they have have these skills? these skills? … … by earning a certain score on one of the by earning a certain score on one of the following assessments.following assessments.

• OAKS• Local performance assessment (districts

develop, administer, and score work samples)

• Other standardized tests (ACT, SAT, AP, IB, etc.)

What else is required for What else is required for graduation?graduation?… … students must meet two other requirements.students must meet two other requirements.• Earn 24 credits.• Complete personalized learning

requirements

Do other states have similar Do other states have similar graduation requirements?graduation requirements?… … well, it varies.well, it varies.

There is substantial variability from state to state.Some states have:•Similar graduation requirements, but easier assessments or more difficult assessments. •More graduation requirements, such as requiring more assessments.•Fewer graduation requirements, such as only requiring credits and not requiring assessments results. This is why it is not possible to compare graduation rates across states.

Summary of the Essential Skills Summary of the Essential Skills Graduation RequirementGraduation RequirementThe Essential Skills represent the skills that are necessary for success after high school. This year – to graduate – students must show they can:

1. Read and comprehend a variety of text2. Write clearly and accurately

Next year – to graduate – students must also show they can:

3. Apply mathematics in a variety of settings

There are a variety of assessments that students can use to show that they have these skills. The Essential Skills include 6 other skills that are not yet required for graduation.

COMMON CORE AND COMMON CORE AND ESSENTIAL SKILLSESSENTIAL SKILLS

Reading and Writing

Common Core and Essential Common Core and Essential Skills…Skills……are not separate.

All that you do for Common Core implementation is also helping with Essential Skills.

You are already:◦ Helping students develop proficiency in the

Essential Skills. ◦ Preparing students to meet the Essential

Skills graduation requirement.

ReadingReadingLook at the Essential Skills definition and the Common Core reading anchor standards.

What similarities do you see?

WritingWritingLook at the Essential Skills definition and the Common Core writing and language anchor standards.

What similarities do you see?

COMMON CORE COMMON CORE ASSESSMENT ASSESSMENT SELECTIONSELECTION

Convene a representative workgroup

Workgroup outcomes1.Examined assessment options against Oregon’s requirements for an assessment 2.Voted on % of selection for each of the assessment features (distribute 100% over 5 features)3.Independently evaluated each assessment against criteria for each feature4.Through discussion, established group consensus on which assessment was best in terms of each feature5.Calculated assessment selection per feature against % for each feature to determine assessment with highest %

Assessment SelectionAssessment Selection

OutcomeOutcome

Feature % of 100

Best Assessment

1. Quality Assessment 33 SMARTER BALANCED

2. Accommodations Available

22 SMARTER BALANCED

3. Suite of Resources Available

28 SMARTER BALANCED

4. Aligned with college and career

07 SMARTER BALANCED

5. Oregon can contribute to content

10 SMARTER BALANCED

ESSENTIAL SKILLS ESSENTIAL SKILLS GRADUATION GRADUATION REQUIREMENTSREQUIREMENTS

2014-2015: OAKS (ELA and Math) will be replaced by the Smarter Balanced assessment

Students will still have three assessment options for demonstrating proficiency in the Essential Skills

Available Assessment Available Assessment OptionsOptions

Transition timeline, through the lens of cohorts (or grade groups)

Cohort ImpactCohort Impact

11-12 12-13 13-14 14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 19-203 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 114 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 125 6 7 8 9 10 11 12  6 7 8 9 10 11 12    7 8 9 10 11 12      8 9 10 11 12        9 10 11 12          10 11 12            

Cohort/Grade

School Year

Cohort YearSmarter Balanced Assessment - Operational

Will students be able to use Essential Skills evidence collected prior to the transition to Smarter Balanced?

◦ Yes, so long as it comes from the approved list of assessment options.

Eligible Evidence for Eligible Evidence for Graduation RequirementGraduation Requirement

OAKS TO SMARTER OAKS TO SMARTER BALANCEDBALANCED

Smarter Balanced field test results will be used to establish an equivalent level of rigor to OAKS

0

236 (meets)

280

0

500

300

* Mock Scale

*

Equivalent Levels of RigorEquivalent Levels of Rigor

Summer 2014: Smarter Balanced will set achievement level; results may reveal a discrepancy in the level of achievement defined as “meets”

Late Summer/Fall 2014: State Board will make final decision regarding achievement level required for students to meet Essential Skills graduation requirements

Achievement LevelAchievement Level

0

236 (meets)

280

0

500

300

* Mock Scale

*320 (meets)

Raising the achievement level(s) required for students to meet Essential Skills graduation requirements means students must be given adequate notice ◦Defined as March 1st of the 8th grade year

0

236 (meets)

280

0

500

300

* Mock Scale

*320 (meets)

Raising the Achievement Raising the Achievement Level?Level?

The achievement level must be consistent across all assessment options.

◦ The two other assessment options will be stable in terms of achievement levels while equivalent levels of rigor are being established.

Achievement Level Achievement Level Across Assessment Across Assessment OptionsOptions

WORK SAMPLE WORK SAMPLE PLANNINGPLANNING

When did your school transition to the Common Core?

Common Core TransitionCommon Core Transition

11-12 12-13 13-14 14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 19-203 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 114 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 125 6 7 8 9 10 11 12  6 7 8 9 10 11 12    7 8 9 10 11 12      8 9 10 11 12        9 10 11 12          10 11 12            

Cohort/Grade

School Year

Cohort YearSmarter Balanced Assessment - Operational

Work samples should be aligned to the standards to which the majority of their curriculum was aligned.

Who QuestionDistricts who transitioned last year or before

How has the transition to Common Core impacted your work sample planning?

Districts who are currently transitioning or will transition

How are you planning for Common Core-aligned work samples?

Common Core Work Common Core Work SamplesSamples

Questions?Questions?Cristen McLean, Policy AnalystCristen.McLean@state.or.us

Derek Brown, ManagerDerek.Brown@state.or.us