FAQ about the Missouri shift to the Common Core State Standards from the Fox C-6
perspective:
The Missouri Learning Standards are set of statements about what students should know and
be able to do at each grade level and in each course and content area. For English Language
Arts (ELA) and Mathematics, Missouri has chosen to utilize the Common Core State Standards
(CCSS). The Common Core State Standards define the expectations for what students should
know and be able to do in order to be better prepared for college and careers by the time they
graduate high school.
These standards were developed by the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council
of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). States had the choice whether to adopt the standards or
continue using the standards they currently have in place. In general, the Common Core State
Standards (CCSS) are clearer, fewer, and more rigorous than the standards Missouri currently
utilizes. They were adopted by Missouri in 2010 and, at present, have been adopted by 45
states and the District of Columbia. Missouri currently uses state-developed Grade-Level
Expectations and Course-Level Expectations as our standards in English Language Arts and
Math. Fox C-6 will still determine our own curriculum that we believe best prepares students to
meet those standards and prepare them to be capable, curious, confident learners. Beginning
in 2014-15 the Missouri Learning Standards, which include the Common Core State Standards,
will replace Missouri's Grade and Course-Level Expectations in ELA and Math.
Questions about What’s in the Standards
What does the term “Common Core State Standards” mean?
Looking at each part of the name can help us get a basic understanding of what the term
means:
“Common”: Currently, each state designs and implements its own standards. These standards
are designed to be an option for states to adopt, at their own choosing, in place of the
standards they have selected or designed. By electing to adopt standards also used by other
states, it becomes possible for educators to collaborate across state lines, to ensure that every
student is expected to learn those things that will prepare him/her for life after high school, and
to accurately determine if students in every state are achieving at the same levels.
“Core”: They address English Language Arts and Mathematics only (along with identifying
connections for what it means to be literate in Social Studies, Science, and Technical fields).
“State”: States may choose to adopt these standards or not. The standards were created
through a state-led initiative spearheaded by governors and state education leaders. Educators
from throughout the country, including Missouri, helped develop the standards.
“Standards”: Standards define what students should know and be able to do. Currently,
Missouri has state standards, and Fox C-6 (and every other district) determines the best
curriculum, resources, tools, and strategies to meet those standards. In the same way, under
these standards school districts will still determine the best methods, curricular and otherwise,
to help students graduate prepared for careers after graduation.
What academic areas do the standards address?
The Common Core State Standards include grade level standards for each grade from
Kindergarten through Twelfth grades in English Language Arts and Mathematics. They also
include explicit connections for literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical
subjects.
I would like to read the Common Core State Standards for myself. Where can I find them?
The standards are available at http://corestandards.org
Click on “The Standards” at the top of the webpage.
How are these standards different from the current state standards?
The Common Core State Standards build upon the strengths of our existing state standards. In
addition to ensuring essential content knowledge, they also incorporate problem-solving,
communication, and critical-thinking skills necessary for students to be successful in career
paths after graduation. The Common Core State Standards are, in most cases, fewer in number
and more rigorous than current state standards.
A comparison of Missouri’s current standards to the Common Core State Standards for English
Language Arts is available at http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curriculum/common-coreela.htm#crosswalk
For math at http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curriculum/common-core-math.htm#crosswalk
Also, to read about shifts in English Language Arts, you can visit here:
http://www.achievethecore.org/ela-literacy-common-core/shifts-practice/
Finally, to learn about the broad goals for Mathematics practice, visit here:
http://www.achievethecore.org/math-common-core/math-shifts/
“The mission of the Fox C-6 School District is to motivate and inspire success to build a
foundation for life-long learning through achievement, character and excellence.”
The Fox C-6 School district is the largest school district located in Jefferson County, Missouri. It
is located in the northeastern section of the county and covers an area of 104 square miles with
approximately 65,000 residents. The northern half of the district is a suburban community
while the southern half is rural.
The Fox C-6 School District has the honor of achieving Distinction in Excellence from the
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for all Twelve YEARS this award
has been given out. Guffey Elementary, Ridgewood Middle, Fox Middle and Seckman High have
been recognized as a National Schools of Character. The entire school district has been
recognized as a National District of Character.
Our Lone Dell Elementary School is a Blue Ribbon School and was recognized as a Missouri
State Gold Star School. Antonia Elementary and Fox Elementary have been recognized as
Missouri Schools of Character. Both high schools, Fox Senior High and Seckman Senior High, are
rated A+ Schools. Many of our schools are consistent Top Ten achievers as Most Improved and
Highest Performance schools, as recognized by the Missouri Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education (DESE).
Fox C-6 School District itself encompasses eleven elementary schools, four middle schools, and
two high schools Currently the district enrolled nearly 12,000 students in grades kindergarten
through twelve. The district has designed its programs to achieve its mission by providing a full
range of programs such as Parents As Teachers, full day Kindergarten, comprehensive special
education services, gifted education classes, college-level classes for high school students
offered on-site and through interactive television, computer assisted instruction, and effective
classroom instruction in all academic areas, the fine arts and physical education.
Success in life also comes from having a strong foundation of principle on which to base
learning. In addition to the educational development of our students, we also concern
ourselves with their character development as well. Each month the district highlights a special
quality or trait as part of our Character Education Trait of the Month, a program designed to
establish wholesome values in every child alongside their studies.
Our greatest resource is the people in the communities that Fox C-6 School District serves.
Residents continue to support the district in many different ways, from serving as volunteers at
various schools to attending school concerts, activities, and athletic events. Many Fox C-6
School District graduates remain here in our local neighborhoods to give something back to the
community that supported their education.
Local businesses and service organizations also support the district as a part of the community.
As the district is located just south of the St. Louis metropolitan area down Interstate 55, the
community has access to all the cultural resources from that city, such as the St. Louis Art
Museum, St. Louis Science Center, and institutions of higher learning like Washington University
and the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
How are the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) related to the Fox C-6 mission to motivate
and inspire success to build a foundation for life-long learning through achievement,
character and excellence.
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are designed to ensure every student leaves high
school “college and career-ready”. They also require that students can use and apply what they
have learned to real-world situations. They include a focus on problem-solving and critical
thinking. All of these components line up very closely with Fox C-6’s mission and vision. With
that close alignment, the change to the Common Core State Standards will help us further focus
on providing Fox C-6 students a world-class education.
Will the Common Core State Standards dictate Fox C-6’s Curriculum?
No. Just as the current Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) state
standards are not Fox C-6’s curriculum, the Common Core State Standards will not become
Fox C-6’s curriculum either. The Fox C-6 curriculum is comprised of a number of different local,
state, and federal assessments. Those include our Mission and Vision, parent and community
expectations, the state standards, college/workplace expectations, and many others. Fox C-6
will continue to create its own curriculum, select its own resources, and utilize the best possible
instructional strategies for our students.
Will any new or different information be collected about students as a result of the Common
Core State Standards?
No. Common Core State Standards replace Missouri’s current grade and course level
expectations; there are no new or additional pieces of information collected about students as
a result of Missouri’s adoption of the Common Core State Standards.
Questions about How the Standards were Created and Adopted
Who developed the Common Core State Standards?
The standards were created through a state-led initiative with the goal of establishing a single
set of clear educational standards for English language arts and mathematics to be shared
among states. The effort was spearheaded by governors and school chiefs through their
membership in the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and
the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), respectively.
How were the standards created?
Governors and schools chiefs convened a diverse team of teachers, parents, administrators,
researchers, and experts in the education community to design the standards in order to
ensure they reflect the best current thinking in education, the realities of the classroom and
aspirations for our children. CCSSO and the NGA Center also provided public comment periods
for all stakeholders to submit feedback on the draft standards documents.
How was it decided, specifically, what would be in the standards?
The standards were developed according to the following criteria, set by states through
governors and school chiefs:
• Alignment with expectations for college and career success
• Clarity, so that educators and parents know what they need to do to help students learn
• Consistency, so that students are taught to a high standards regardless of where they live
• Inclusivity of both content and the application of knowledge through higher-order skills
• Grounded in strengths and lessons of existing state standards
• Benchmarked to top performing nations across the world
• Realistic for effective use in the classroom
• Evidence and research–based
Were teachers involved in creating the Common Core State Standards?
Yes, teachers have been a critical voice in the development of the standards to ensure that they
are practical in the classroom. The National Education Association (NEA), American Federation
of Teachers (AFT), National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), and National Council
of Teachers of English (NCTE), among other organizations, have been instrumental in bringing
together teachers to provide specific, constructive feedback on the standards.
Questions about How the Standards will be Assessed
Will there be new assessments or will the MAP tests continue?
Since the MAP tests measure student learning of the current state standards, new tests will be
needed to assess the Common Core State Standards. These new tests will replace the current
MAP tests in the 2014-2015 school year. End of Course Exams (EOCs) will continue in high
school, and 11th graders will take a cumulative “end of high school” exam in English and
Mathematics.
What are these new tests?
Just as states can choose whether or not to adopt the Common Core State Standards, they can
also choose what test they will use to measure the standards. There are currently two
assessment consortia developing tests specifically designed to measure student learning of the
standards. The two groups are Smarter Balanced and Partnership for the Assessment of
Readiness for College and Career (PARCC). PARCC and Smarter Balanced are non-corporate
consortia funded entirely through Race to the Top grants. Missouri is currently a governing
state in the Smarter Balanced consortium; it is currently expected that Smarter Balanced
assessments will be used in place of MAP.
Are these traditional, multiple-choice, paper and pencil tests?
Smarter Balanced and PARCC tests represent a “new generation” of assessments. They are
interactive and online. In addition to traditional items, these new tests include a variety of more
complex item types, including extensive “performance events” that require students to use and
apply what they know when faced with real-world problems.
Can I see examples of what will be on these tests?
Yes, there are a variety of examples posted on the Fox C-6 website at www.fox.k12.mo.us.
Click on the “What’s New” section to learn more about how Fox C-6 is addressing the changes
to the state standards to prepare for the upcoming Common Core State Standards assessments
in 2014-2015. Samples are available at www.smarterbalanced.org
Click on Smarter Balanced Assessments and then click on Sample Items and Performance Items.
Introduction
Vision Missouri has just been released by the Missouri School Boards’ Association (MSBA) and
the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA). The common desire of Vision
Missouri is to create a world-class educational experience for all of Missouri’s students. I
believe that this is a common goal amongst all Missouri schools however; I believe some school
districts like Fox C-6 are more advanced in their progress toward this goal than others.
Continuous Improvement Initiatives
The preamble talks about each child engaging in a rigorous, world-class learning system to
enable career and college/university readiness, where there are high expectations for students,
a mastery of literacy and numeracy, and a culture of innovation and continuous improvement,
and technology. This directly relates to the curricular initiatives in the Fox School District. Our
commitment to teaching and learning is evident through the use of walk-through evaluations,
differentiated instruction, and our continuous assessing for learning. These are some of our
district’s initiatives which are directly aligned to the Missouri Vision Project.
Meaningful Partnerships
The partnership between parents and the school community is a critical component to the
growth and success of our students. Improving communications and relationships with
students, parents, and the Fox community will better enable our students to be accountable for
their learning and our teachers to learn as much as they can about each student in order to
meet their learning needs.
Goal Oriented
Some of our goals include:
 Creating unifying transformational principles (Distinction in Performance-12 years in a
row, Character Plus Champions for Character, 2012 St. Louis Rams Character Fitness
Model School, and National Schools of Character district-wide)
 Increased educational opportunities
 Build trust and support for public education (Recently successful $18.5 million dollar
bond issue to improve facilities district-wide)
 Relevance and rigor of the curriculum (Walk-through Evaluations, Differentiated
Instruction, and Assessing for Learning)
 Early learning and student success (Fox C-6 Early Childhood Center); Students
completing early education programs are better prepared for school entry.
 Creating systemic change in our academic culture (Fox C-6 Curricular Initiatives)
 Compensation, evaluation, and organizational responsiveness
 Accountability
 Technology and Infrastructure; a robust use of technology
 School Completion Options (Alternative Education and At-risk programs)
Responsive Teaching
Our curricular and technological innovations must be purposeful and sustainable for
competiveness.
We must respond to the varying needs of our diverse student body. We must have the
flexibility and the resources to adjust things like time/school calendars, instructional methods,
and overall learning environments. Defining a state wide curriculum and integrating problem
solving and critical thinking across all subject areas is an integral part of attaining meaningful
learning. This can be accomplished by collaboratively working together with all stakeholders to
develop the relationships necessary to have the ownership and trust to what is best for all
students. The development of relationships and the collaborative ownership is a vital piece.
Assessment data used to inform ongoing professional development is focused on advancing
student learning. (I.e. walk-through evaluation, differentiated instruction, accessing for
learning, teacher instructional teams, professional development in-service, etc.)
The role of the teacher will continue to shift as technology’s role in education continues to
evolve. As we prepare our students for careers that do not exist today, we must focus on the
reality that the use of one-to-one technology will be eminent in the very near future.
Teachers need to utilize a range of methodologies, from direct teaching to facilitation. They
also need an effective assessment system that measures progress toward both subject mastery
and student goals. Data should be utilized to assist in overall teaching and learning and specific
student instructional needs. For schools and districts, data drives decisions about professional
development, resource allocation, and curricular design.
Developing a Learning Culture
Culture is an important determinant of climate, or the “feel” for a school district. We must
demand a climate and a culture that supports a positive learning environment in which all
individuals can achieve measurable success creating a culture of high expectations, community
collaboration, and innovation. Our people are the key to building and maintaining this culture.
We need to better enhance teaching practices and the recruitment and retention of effective
teachers in every classroom. Additionally, effective leadership at the building and district level
is a must in order to achieve continuous improvement in student achievement.
Leadership
Now more than ever, students everywhere need people to run for their school boards who
have no other agenda except to provide the finest possible education to our students; we are
fortunate to have such a school board in Fox C-6. Missouri needs an educational system that
promotes accountability, accreditation, assessment, and student readiness. We need systems
to evaluate how boards and superintendents function as a unified district leadership team.
What we are doing annually in Fox C-6, with our administrators and directing curricular goals is
directly in line with Vision Missouri. We are defining our goals (district and building) and
following through to track our progress toward reaching the goals. These goals are based on
measurable learning standards that drive and inform instructional practice, which leads to
better administrative leadership and governance.
Summary
The Fox C-6 School District has definitively created an environment that actively promotes and
supports innovation, within and beyond the school walls to better meet the expectations of our
students today and give them the education they deserve.
In conclusion, the Fox C-6 School district mission and vision is in direct alignment to Vision
Missouri. As we grow in technology, compensation, and overall teaching and learning, so too
will our vision and desire to always put Fox C-6 students first.
Dr. Dianne Critchlow
Superintendent
Fox C-6 School District
745 Jeffco Blvd.
Email @ [email protected]
Twitter @ Dr.DianneCritchlow@FoxC6Supt