Newsletter

The Common Core Issue

Summer 2012

A leader in ensuring that every Michigan educator engages in effective professional learning every day so every student achieves

Stephen R. Hecker, Ph.D., LFM Newsletter Co-Editor and Secretary to the Board

he Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are upon us. What are they? How will we do this? Will it make any difference?

This issue of the Learning Forward Newsletter is dedicated to the CCSS. Of course, there is some controversy (isnt there always?) about this initiative. Possibly the most cogent argument is made by Diane Ravitch, who in April wrote in the The New York Review of Books that the CCSS have never been field-tested. No one knows whether these standards are good or bad, whether they will improve academic achievement or widen the achievement gap, she said. That would seem to be a pretty big problem. On the other hand, 45 states have now adopted the standards for implementation. The pretty strong face validity of the CCSS (a common list of what students should know and when they should know it) is accompanied by numerous anecdotal stories of success (one seen in USA Today on May 1). Therein, 10th grade history teacher David Riesenfeld lauds the deeper learning of his students under his implementation of the Standards. This brings us to the issue of the day, which educators have faced since time immemorial: how are we going to help make it happen? The most recent Journal of Staff Development (April 2012) provides key blueprints and examples for use of the Implementation Standard from the Standards for Professional Learning. It also includes articles on other issues surrounding change, such as the need for time and for deep learning. Our current newsletter includes articles specific to Michigan, with resources and thinking dedicated to CCSS success in our own state. On reflection of this effort, and echoing one of my takeaways from our last Newsletter on changing teacher evaluation policy, I share this thought: In times of great struggle, there is opportunity for great progress. Seizing CCSS properly, as with other broad initiatives, can be a springboard to better human relations, better labor relations, improved teaching practices, greater clarity, increased trust, improved student achievement, reduction in achievement gaps all these and more can result. We know what works, weve seen the protocols and we have the knowledge. Whats needed more than ever is the will to make this right, to implement with intelligence and fidelity. We must reach over the traditional barriers, be they fiscal or human resource-related, no matter how high they might be. Ron Edmunds (l978) said it best: Newsletter Co-Editors Cynthia Carver Steve Hecker We can whenever, and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need, in order to do this. Whether we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we havent so far.

Strategic Priorities:
To fulfill its mission, Learning Forward Michigan will engage in the following strategic priorities: Advocate for comprehensive, sustained, and intensive professional learning Contribute to the transformation of professional learning Model high quality professional learning

Learning Forward Michigan

Implementing the Common Core State Standards

By Brandy Archer, Education Consultant, Michigan Department of Education and Laska Creagh, Education Consultant & LFM Board Member

s outlined in recent legislation, full implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is expected by 2014-2015. To make this transition, Michigan teachers will need high quality and sustained professional learning opportunities. The newly passed Michigan Professional Learning Policy and accompanying Learning Forward (LF) Standards for Professional Learning can be a valuable tool for streamlining the professional learning needed to implement the CCSS with fidelity. With the CCSS in mind, we review the standards here. Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students occurs within learning communities committed to continuous improvement, collective responsibility, and goal alignment. Culture will be a key factor for districts and schools working towards successful CCSS implementation. School improvement alignment and the development of collective responsibility will be essential for working towards continuous improvement. As stated in the LF Standards, Collective participation advances the goals of a whole school or team as well as those of individuals. Communities of caring, analytic, reflective, and inquiring educators collaborate to learn what is necessary to increase student learning. How do schools that are not yet functioning with learning communities reach this foundational level? By starting with teacher leadership! Teacher leaders can be found in all buildings. Providing them with the tools and time to influence the structure of grade/department level meetings is one step toward successful learning community work. Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students requires skillful leaders who develop capacity, advocate, and create support systems for professional learning. Sustaining the capacity of effective learning communities takes effective leadership on many levels. Leader actions model the attitudes and behavior expected of all educators. Leaders assist in setting the agenda for professional learning by aligning it to classroom, school and school system goals for student learning. Leaders use data to determine staff and student learning needs. CCSS implementation creates a need for responsiveness

by leaders at the superintendent, principal and grade levels to carefully remove barriers and allow for regular job embedded learning communities. Leaders align people, money, space and time to provide opportunities for staff to work together. The depth of knowledge necessary for college and career readiness will require deep learning by teachers. Skillful leaders provide for a system where everyone is learning. Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students requires prioritizing, monitoring and coordinating resources for educator learning. What resources are necessary for teacher learning, planning and subsequent implementation of the CCSS? Quite possibly, time is the primary one. Experience implementing CCSS reveals that teachers are voicing a need for expertise in CCSS focus areas. Thus, monetary resources need to be considered in order to provide learning time for teachers, as well as for bringing in experts to assist this understanding. As stated in the LF standards, Decisions about resources for professional learning require a thorough understanding of student and educator learning needs, clear commitment to ensure equity and in resource allocation and thoughtful consideration of priorities to achieve the intended outcomes for students and educators. Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students uses a variety of sources and types of student, educator, and systems data to plan, assess and evaluate professional learning. CCSS provides an opportunity for educators to assess students current achievement with assessment data. Using multiple data sources offers a balanced and complete picture. Through data analysis, educators can determine possible entry points for transition to the new standards. Data can be used to drive both CCSS implementation and development of a longer-term, sustained professional learning plan. Data can also lead to school-based monitoring of the professional learning plan, its effects on educator practice, and on student learning.

Learning Forward Michigan

Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students integrates theories, research and models of human learning to achieve its intended outcomes. Implementing the CCSS may take various forms, with active engagement, modeling, reflection, metacognition, application, feedback, ongoing support and assessment that support change in knowledge, skills, dispositions, and practice. Job embedded professional learning may include coaching, action research, department or grade level meetings, during the school day or outside of student hours. Our experience with building CCSS understanding and implementation needs across the state include all of the above. Teachers need and want time to study individually, in small groups, in grade level teams, with experts, and with direction from skilled leaders. Exploring more formalized learning designs using Powerful Designs, a LF publication, can assist schools in determining how best to find a format for professional learning that best supports local CCSS implementation. Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students applies research on change and sustains support for implementation of professional learning for long-term change. CCSS implementation has the same primary goal as all professional learning; namely, changes in educator practice and increases of student learning. Those responsible must continue to apply the research on effective policy implementation and change leadership to support long-term change in practice. This requires clear goals and maintaining high expectations. Implementing the CCSS requires study, planning, timelines and a safe environment that supports risk taking and reflection for continuous improvement. As educators dig deeper to develop their depth of knowledge of the CCSS, all involved need to be aware of how the changes are affecting personal, cognitive and work environments in order to differentiate support, tap educators strengths and talents, and increase educator effectiveness and student learning.

Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students aligns its outcomes with educator performance and student curriculum standards. As stated in the LF standards, when the content of professional learning integrates student curriculum and educator performance standards, the link between educator learning and student learning becomes explicit, increasing the likelihood that professional learning contributes to increased student learning. Implementation of CCSS will demand an up-close examination of the current curriculum, which may also shift instructional practices for improved student learning. Organizing professional learning to address CCSS-needed instructional shifts will help to ensure that educator performance and effectiveness are linked with student outcomes. LFs Standards for Professional Learning can ensure that Michigan teachers are able to deliver on the promise of an effective, equitable education for every student. The time needed for teachers to grasp this new curriculum is essential. Our Michigan teachers can and will deliver this new curriculum, and they deserve the culture, leadership, resources, data, learning design, and implementation understanding to do so. Professional learning is the first step to CCSS implementation. Using the appropriate tools can streamline the professional learning process. Specifically, LF is revising its current Innovation Configuration (IC) maps, which identify and describe the major components of a new practice for each role group charged with educator and student learning. The current IC maps (www.learningforward.org/standards/ics.cfm) depict, in behavioral terms, what each group needs to look like in practice. As stated on the LF website, These tools facilitate and accelerate implementation of each standard by identifying what actions key education stakeholders take in support of each standard. The IC maps for the new standards will be available later this summer.

learningforwardmichigan.org

Executive Directors Message

There is No Time for Tinkering Around the Edges

Amy Colton, LFM Executive Director he words resonated with everyone in the room when a Kentucky Professional Learning & CCSS Task Force member had the courage to remind participants that they were brought together to recommend ways to transform the states professional learning system in support of the states college and career ready agenda, not tinker around the edges of the current system. The Task Force is part of Learning Forwards initiative to develop a statewide comprehensive professional learning system to support educators in Kentuckys implementation of the Common Core State Standards. Kentucky Department of Educations leadership has taken the bold step of asking its stakeholders from the education community to critically review its current professional learning policies and practices and to recommend ways to create a more effective system for supporting teachers in making the deep changes to their practice required by the new standards. As the words of the task force member continue to ring in my ears, I ask Michigan educators to follow suit; be bold and contribute to the transformation of Michigans Professional Learning System; there is no time left to tinker around the edges. Here are three initial steps you can take to get started. 1. Develop a common understanding of Michigans new vision of professional learning by bringing teams of educators and community members together to study Michigans Policy and Standards for Professional Learning. There is a Facilitator Guide on the Learning Forward website to help you guide others through the new standards. Learning Forward Michigan is also available to help you with this endeavor. 2. Once a common understanding is developed, ask team members to critically review the professional learning policies and practices in your organization to determine how well the quality indicators listed in the MI Professional Learning Policy have been met. Ask yourselves such questions as: What evidence is there that our educators are engaged in facilitated, sustained, collaborative, job-embedded professional learning? The quality indicators in the MI Policy are drawn directly from the evidence-base found in the research regarding professional learning that contributes to increased student results. Where your organization falls short take the necessary steps to rectify and strengthen things. 3. As you learn about ways to transform professional learning, share it with others on Learning Forward Michigans Facebook site. No one should have to do this work alone. Be bold. Theres no time to tinker around the edges. If we want MIs students to be career and college ready, we have to transform professional learning for Michigans educators NOW!

If we want MIs students to be career and college ready, we have to transform professional learning for Michigans educators NOW!

Learning Forward Michigan

Presidents Message

The Common Core is Coming! The Common Core is Coming!

David Swierpel, LFM President, Carmen-Ainsworth Community Schools hen the colonists found out that the British were planning to attack, they knew that they would have to be ready. They sent riders throughout the colonies to spread the news. On April 18, 1775, Paul Revere went for his famous Midnight Ride. Legend says that he rode through the night yelling, The British are coming, the British are coming! This issue of the Learning Forward Michigan newsletter explores the soon arriving Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and what it means for Michigan educators. The first sentence of the mission statement for the Common Core State Standards Initiative is as follows, The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The question for us as educators? How do we help teachers know how to know what they need to help students? What type of professional learning will educators need as the CCSS are being implemented? Educators will need to be supported with the same type of learning that the CCSS are proposing for students. We need professional learning that emphasizes critical thinking and new ways to approach complex problems. Students will no longer see fill-in-the-blank worksheets and we can no longer support educators with generic fill-in-the-blank professional learning. The CCSS will require changes in curriculum, instruction and assessment. In turn, this will require a change in the professional learning that we provide for educators. As students are assessed on their progress toward the CCSS throughout the school year, teacher teams will need the time and tools to analyze the data and revise instruction. Providing for a cycle of continuous improvement will be critical if we want student learning to improve. The standard model for delivering professional learning will not support the changes in instruction that the CCSS will demand. Professional learning for educators that is only scheduled in occasional six hour blocks or other isolated segments of time wont be sufficient to sustain the continuous improvement in learning that the implementation of the CCSS is hoping to generate for students. Learning Forward Michigan has been involved as a stakeholder in the Michigan Department of Education-led design of a system for high quality professional learning for Michigan educators. This new system provides the blueprint for the type of professional learning that will support the CCSS. Stay in touch with Learning Forward Michigan and we will keep you connected to the latest developments at the state and national levels as we spread the news that High quality professional learning is coming, high quality professional is coming! Learning Forward Michigan is committed to our mission of ensuring that every Michigan educator engages in effective professional learning every day through advocacy, influence, and modeling.

learningforwardmichigan.org

Teacher Leaders Reflect on CCSS Implementation

Common Core State Standards is a Unique Opportunity for Teachers

By Lauren Bauer, Elementary Teacher Leader, Waterford School District

s I sat with my colleagues listening to our opening year speaker, one comment lodged in my mind. He said, The Common Core expectations arent really that different than what most of you are already doing in your classroom each day; they are just more rigorous than we are used to. With that lens in mind I began to look more closely at the CCSS expectations for students. I began the process by reviewing resources and engaging in professional learning opportunities. As a result, I have seen promising practices emerge. There are many resources available for assisting teachers with implementing teaching practices that reflect the rigors of the CCSS. My advice to colleagues is to stop waiting for someone else to illuminate the expectations for CCSS. Go forth and find your own opportunities for meaningful professional learning so that you can move forward confidently, without hesitation. The CCSS are critically important because we are facing a unique time where the expectations have never been higher for teaching and learning, yet the path to getting there seems somehow less clear. We see and hear about these expectations, but too often wait for someone to show us exactly how to get there and by when. What teachers most need to know is that they are not alone! Teachers all over the country are embarking on the same journey: reflecting on student learning, fine-tuning instruction, and aligning practices in order to serve students better.

This spring Ive been reading Pathways to the Common Core by Lucy Calkins, Mary Ehrenworth and Christopher Lehman. This book illuminates the roots of this initiative, unpacks the standards, and highlights teaching strategies that move our students (and our teaching) forward. There are equally helpful resources in mathematics. For example, I have found excellent CCSS-aligned assessments on the site masteryconnect.com. I also joined an ISD team that is piloting and reviewing CCSS-aligned math tasks. With assessments and tasks that reflect the standards, teachers and curriculum leaders can use backwards design to support student progress towards new expectations. The CCSS initiative is a unique opportunity for teachers to look inward, reflect on their practices, and move forward with these new expectations for teaching and learning in mind. It is my belief that the Common Core can help us to realize a better future for our students. I often reflect on my favorite Corey Booker quote: The world outside of you is a reflection of what you have inside of you. If you see hope every time you open your eyes, then you can help, but if all you see are problems, thats all there will ever be. I see the CCSS initiative as a unique opportunity for teachers to come together, tighten their instructional practices, and help ensure that all students no matter where they live are prepared for success in college and the workforce.

LFM Teacher Leadership Study Group

A small group of LFM members met regularly this past year to re-imagine the role of teacher leaders in building capacity for a transformed system of professional learning. As outlined in the groups theory of action, by purposefully connecting job-embedded professional learning with shared leadership and ongoing school improvement, a culture of continuous learning for all educators will be created. The study group is led by Amy Colton, LFMs Executive Director, and includes the following LFM members: Cynthia Carver, Oakland University; Lauren Childs, Oakland Schools; Laska Creagh, Educational Consultant; Kimberly Hempton, Clarkston Community Schools; Jennifer Rosenberg, Educational Consultant; and Gloria Waters, Educational Consultant. Stay tuned as the group prepares to take action in 2012/2013!

Learning Forward Michigan

Teacher Leaders Reflect on CCSS Implementation

What Do You Notice? Connecting Critical Thinking to Common Core State Standards
By Seth E. Berg, Elementary Teacher Leader, Birmingham Public Schools

y students and I have been the benefactors of an incredible Professional Learning Community (PLC) this year. Our third grade math team has been working hard to generate, share, and support one another in the purposeful execution of ideas for instruction aimed at fostering the kind of critical thinking suggested by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). We kicked off the effort by bringing in a math workshop expert from Oakland Schools. One of the first skills we worked on was questioning. We were told that by giving students a math-related visual to examine (pictures, words, or numbers) and prompting them with the question, What do you notice? we could begin to foster the kind of abstract reasoning outlined in the CCSS. After seven months of practice, I am a believer. It was difficult at first. I was compelled to assert myself in the discussions that the question, What do you notice? generated. I wanted to tell students whether or not they were on the right track. I wanted to give them the answers. What I have since realized is that some students notice things that I dont. Some notice things that I wouldnt have thought about without their input. More importantly, when things I dont notice are brought to my attention and Im given the opportunity to examine

them critically I grow. Through this practice I have seen my students grow as well. As we work to integrate the CCSS into our instructional design, we should be engaged in the type of learning it suggests for our students. We should be collaborating, thinking critically, asking questions, taking reasonable risks, and engaging all stakeholders in authentic conversations centered on student achievement. We should be asking ourselves what we notice; and we should be eager to consider the observations and ideas of others. Change is difficult. I feel fortunate to be working in a field that encourages slow but steady growth, and in a district that supports collaborative innovation. Our third grade math PLC is just one example of the efforts were making to think critically about the shift to the CCSS. The workshop model is being explored and implemented across the curriculum at all levels. Teachers are finding success as learning coaches, facilitators, and collaborators. Interest and inquiry driven project-based learning is being used to combine content area studies and produce authentic, socially relevant outcomes. The dialogue is open and expanding.

Membership Opportunities
Learning Forward Michigan offers two separate membership plans, Individual and Institutional.

Individual Membership $40

Membership includes: Learning Forward Michigan newsletter, member rate for Learning Forward Michigan sponsored workshops, access to networking opportunities with other educators from across the state, tools and resources on the website.

Institutional Memberships $100

This is designed for district, school, ISD, education agency, higher education institution, or professional association. An Institutional Membership includes five Individual Memberships which receive the same benefits listed above.

Click here to join or visit us at learningforwardmichigan.org!

learningforwardmichigan.org

Teacher Leaders Reflect on CCSS Implementation

Teacher Leaders Jumpstart Common Core State Standards Implementation in Lake Orion
By Jason Larsen, Secondary Teacher Leader, Lake Orion Community Schools ake Orion Community Schools (LOCS) is addressing the implementation of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) by utilizing the resources of our ISD, Oakland Schools. Nearly all of the twenty-eight school districts comprising Oakland Schools are participating in this roll out. Oakland Schools is using a uniquely coordinated effort to use teacher-leaders as the main impetus for this conversion to the CCSS. At the district level, our Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Heidi Kast, has been instrumental in helping coordinate this county wide initiative as a member of the CCSS Initiatives Steering Committee at the county level with Oakland Schools. LOCS has sent teacher teams from elementary, middle and high school levels to work with Oakland Schools in developing units in ELA and Math. These select teachers pilot and review units, or write CCSS unit plans. The plan for rollout has already begun; in fact, Math departments at all levels have been assigned eight standards to incorporate into lessons this past year. In

ELA, the elementary began its rollout this Spring, while teacher-trainers will incorporate additional standards over the next school year. Administrators in our district have been involved in the scope and sequence of the CCSS implementation and will have a district-wide principals workshop in August to offer feedback and learn of professional development opportunities for educators. Oakland Schools has set a three-year plan for roll out, with full implementation of CCSS by the 2014-2015 school year. Switching from Grade Level Content Expectations to CCSS may be challenging and intimidating for many districts, administrators, and educators, but with Oakland Schools help, Oakland County schools have a common plan and a teacher leader-driven implementation model. For more information on the Oakland Schools plan for CCSS roll out, visit the Oakland Schools Learning Achievement Coalition website. Another resource for curriculum conversion is the MDE Crosswalk document, which can be found on the MDE website.

New MDE Professional Learning Programs

The Michigan Department of Educations Bureau of Assessment and Accountability (BAA) is pleased to announce the newest program for the Michigan Online Professional Learning System (MOPLS) hosted on Michigan Virtual Universitys (MVU) Michigan LearnPort. This resource is online, interactive, user-driven, and absolutely free to all K-12 education professionals in the State of Michigan, and requires no previous training. The MOPLS English Language Arts (ELA) program, MOPLS ELA: Transitioning to the Common Core State Standards, is complete and currently available on Michigan LearnPort. This comprehensive professional learning resource not only provides support for teachers who are seeking to align their instruction to the Common Core State Standards, but it also offers a large library of sample lessons and units of study that have been written and submitted by Michigan educators. In addition, Phase I of the program, MOPLS Mathematics: Understanding Fractions, is now accessible to all educators who want high-quality professional learning options that not only supports their mission to deliver content and instruction aligned to the Common Core State Standards, but also offers ways to engage students who struggle with key concepts in fractions, an area that often presents difficulties for learners. The program offers an introduction to balanced assessment for mathematics. Phase II of MOPLS Math, available soon, will include a new section dedicated to Operations With Fractions, with additional tasks, strategies, and activities aligned to the Common Core State Standards. Go to Michigan LearnPort to get started today by clicking the Login/Sign up link. Users who are new to accessing Michigan LearnPort content can follow the on-screen directions to create a free login and password. The new pilot program can be found by accessing the Catalog and searching with the keywords MOPLS Math. For technical questions or problems, contact the Michigan LearnPort Help Desk toll-free at 888.889.2840.

Learning Forward Michigan

Legislative and Policy Update: MI Council for Educator Effectiveness

he Michigan Council for Educator Effectiveness (MCEE) formerly the Governors Council on Educator Effectiveness was established in June of 2011 as part of Michigans teacher tenure reform efforts (PA 102 of 2011). Council members were appointed in September, and the legislature appropriated funding in mid-December of 2011. The original charge was to submit recommendations to the State Board of Education, the Governor, and the state legislature by the end of April 2012 that identified and recommended all of the following: A student growth and assessment tool. A state evaluation tool for teachers. A state evaluation tool for school administrators. Changes to the requirements for a professional teaching certificate. A process for evaluating and approving local evaluation tools for teachers and administrators that are consistent with the state evaluation tool for teachers and administrators and the act. Instead the MCEE prepared an Interim Progress Report requesting funding for a yearlong pilot. After consultation with numerous experts, and a review of both the research and the work of other states developing evaluation systems the MCEE concluded that a pilot test of all recommended tools and approaches is not only important it is imperativeWhile postponing the implementation of a complete educator effectiveness evaluation system might seem wasteful, not doing so would be reckless, both fiscally and technically (p. 12). Other states such as New Jersey, Rhode Island, Washington, and Colorado have all used pilots and phased-in years in order to learn more about the system and to adjust the approach before running at full scale. The MCEE wants no less for Michigan. The recommended pilot is proposed for the 2012-13 school year at a cost of over $6 million. The Marzano Observation Protocol has been selected by MCEE as a framework for the pilot program. The Marzano Observation Protocol is part of the Marzano Teacher Evaluation Model, which incorporates researchbased strategies that create causal links to raising student achievement when teachers use the strategies with fidelity. Pilot participants will be expected to submit administrator, teacher, and student data along with other artifacts to an external university-based research partner.

Michigans Transition to Common Core State Standard-Aligned Online Testing

By Joseph Martineau, Director, Bureau of Assessment & Accountability, Michigan Department of Education

s part of Michigans transition to online testing, the Michigan Department of Education joined the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC), a state-led consortium working to develop a next-generation assessment system aligned to the Common Core State Standards. The assessment system that will result from this consortiums work will be computer-adaptive and will include innovative item types that will provide for richer measurement of content. In addition, Michigan will benefit from the economies of scale resulting from the collective capacity of the 27 states currently participating and invested in SBAC. The very first issue of SBACs Smarter News publication was released last month and is available at the following link: http://t.co/oGQzUcKW. Smarter News will be published monthly and will detail the latest SBAC developments and will outline opportunities for educators, researchers, policymakers, and community partners to share their knowledge and resources as the development and implementation on this next-generation assessment system continue. You can elect to receive Smarter News directly or sign up to follow SBAC on Twitter by visiting the Publications & Resources section of consortiums website at www.SmarterBalanced.org. SBAC technical readiness efforts began this spring, as schools and districts were contacted to complete the first in a series of technical readiness surveys. For more information on SBAC events and development efforts between now and implementation in 2014-2015, please visit the interactive timeline posted on SBACs website. If you have general questions about the work of the consortium or Michigans role in these efforts, please contact the Bureau of Assessment & Accountability at baa@michigan.gov or 877.560.8378, option 7.

learningforwardmichigan.org

MAISA Career & College Readiness Standards Project

In February, Dr. Sally Vaugh, Deputy Superintendent/Chief Academic Officer, wrote the following to Superintendents across the state. In June of 2010 the State Board of Education unanimously adopted College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics and English Language Arts that were developed through the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI). These standards, developed by state and national experts and internationally benchmarked, have now been adopted by over 40 states. Given the limited resources districts have to develop their own curriculum aligned to the new standards, the MDE has formed a partnership with the Michigan Association for Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA) to develop model curriculum. Intermediate School Districts (ISDs) across the state are working with the MDE, professional associations that support Mathematics and English Language Arts education, teachers, consultants, and administrators to develop College and Career Ready Curriculum that give students the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in credit-bearing academic college courses and in workforce training programs. Over the past year, MAISA has worked with ISD Content Consultants from across the state to facilitate a CCSS curriculum-writing project between MDE and ISDs. The goal of this group is to work collaboratively with ISDs/RESAs across the state to design math and ELA curriculum resources to utilize within their region and local districts. A large part of this work includes the development and sustaining of a leadership group comprised of ISD Content Consultants from across the state. Each of the content area groups have come together 4-6 times this year to discuss processes and develop plans to collaborate on the development and piloting of the curriculum content units. To view the units, visti either the MAISA website. These same content consultants have also worked to develop quality professional learning opportunities to support the rollout of these units when brought back to individual ISDs and districts for piloting and review. The collaborative work of the content area groups is supported through the General Education Leadership Network group. The General Education Leadership group has focused its work on additional initiatives such as collaborating and sharing professional learning materials and resources to support one another across the state. A subgroup of this larger committee is working in collaboration with MDE to support one another in the common sharing of quality professional learning opportunities made available to all educators, across the state, with a common set of resources and materials to support the learning and growth of Michigan educators. The goal of this subgroup is to build on the success found across the state and find ways to duplicate the success in other areas. This professional learning subgroup is working with MDE to share ideas and to support one another in this collaborative effort. By sharing professional learning ideas and resources, we can support one another in ensuring high quality professional learning opportunities are available to every ISD and district to meet Michigans professional learning standard of every Michigan educator engaging in effective professional learning every day so every student achieves.

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Learning Forward Michigan

LFM Welcomes New Board Members

Results of the latest board election are in! LFM welcomes four new board members for two-year terms beginning in July. Kimberly Hempton, K-5 Literacy and Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator, Clarkston School District Marcia Hudson, Elementary Literacy Consultant, Avondale School District Robert Martin, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, West Bloomfield Public Schools Christopher Smith, Principal, Jackson Lumen Christi High School (formerly St. Johns High School) Additionally, the Board of Directors announces Cynthia Carver (Assistant Professor, Oakland University) as the new President-Elect and Laska Creagh (Consultant) as Secretary. Steve Hecker (Consultant) and Lauren Childs (School Quality Consultant, Oakland Schools) were appointed to two-year terms; and Lisa Guzzardo-Asaro (School Improvement Consultant, Macomb ISD) and Pat McNeill (Executive Director, Michigan ASCD) were appointed to one-year Board terms. Thank you for your service to the organization!

Learning Forward Supports Common Core Professional Learning System in Kentucky

earning Forward is assisting Kentucky as they develop a statewide, comprehensive professional learning system to support educators as they begin to implement the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). A 40-member task force is currently reviewing policies and recommendations to charter a new course in statewide professional development standards tied to the Common Core. In partnership with the initiatives advisory council, critical friends, and Learning Forward staff, the task force will develop tools such as materials, protocols, and strategies to sustain the planning and improvement of professional development in preparation of the Common Core implementation in Kentucky. Representatives from six additional states, Georgia, Illinois, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Utah, and Washington, serve as critical friends to Kentucky in their effort to transform professional learning. Joellen Killion, senior advisor with Learning Forward, and Kathleen Paliokas, director of InTASC at Council of Chief State School Officers, facilitate the task force. We are thankful the task force members have taken on this important work in Kentucky, said Stephanie Hirsh, executive director of Learning Forward. This team of experts is hard at work advancing professional learning and enhancing Common Core instruction in the states.

Kentucky was selected as the Demonstration State for the initiative, Transforming Professional Learning to Prepare College- and Career-Ready Students: Implementing the Common Core, and will receive training, coaching, and support from Learning Forward and other partner organizations over the next two years as a comprehensive plan is developed that incorporates professional learning practices and Common Core State Standards. The resources developed from the initiative will be made available to all states as they implement Common Core State Standards. Kentucky strives to ensure that all students are college and career ready upon graduation and have access to effective instruction and assessments based on the Common Core, said Terry Holliday, Ph.D., Kentucky Commissioner of Education. The partnership between Learning Forward, task force members, and educators will provide us with the guidance and support we need to work toward that goal and help other states do the same. Amy Colton, LFMs Executive Director, is a member of the LF Staff working with the Kentucky initiative.

learningforwardmichigan.org

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Mission:

Learning Forward Michigan will ensure that every Michigan educator engages in effective professional learning every day through advocacy, influence, and modeling.
Board of Directors:
Executive Director: Amy B. Colton President: John Summerhill Center Line Public Schools Past President: Dave Swierpel Carman-Ainsworth President Elect, Newsletter Co-Editor Cynthia Carver Oakland University Treasurer: Sam LoPresto Consultant Secretary: Laska Creagh Consultant Members at Large: Steve Hecker LFM Newsletter Co-Editor, Consultant Gloria Waters GJ Waters & Associates Lauren Childs Oakland Schools Naomi Norman Washtenaw ISD, Livingston ESA Richard Weigel Niles Community Schools Kimberly Hempton Clarkston School District Marcia Hudson Avondale School Distrtict Robert Martin West Bloomfield Public Schools Christopher Smith Jackson Lumen Christi High School Lisa Guzzardo-Asaro Macomb ISD Pat McNeill Michigan ASCD Donna Hamilton MDE Sarah-Kate LaVan MDE Piper Farrell-Singleton MDE

Announcing: Learning Forward 2012 Summer Conference

Attend the Learning Forward 2012 Summer Conference in Denver on July 22-25 to experience learning and networking that transform teaching and leadership practices and impact student success. Focus on todays essential topics: Implementing Common Core State Standards; Using formative assessment to make instructional decisions; Technology resources that improve teaching and learning; Effective facilitation; Evaluating professional learning; and Much, much more. Get more information and register today online at www.learningforward.org/summer12/index.cfm

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Learning Forward Michigan