What's New for 2011-2012
Director's Letter
Lead and Learn Together
“These [Common Core State] standards are not intended to be new names for old ways of doing business. They are a call to take the next step. It is time for states to work
together to build on lessons learned from two decades of standards-based reforms. It is time to recognize that standards are not just promises to our children, but promises we intend to keep.”
-Council of Chief State School Officers and National Governors’ Association Center
As you are well aware, Illinois has adopted the Common Core State Standards in English/Language Arts and Math to be our very own. The good news is that many educators across our state will learn about these standards and will lead local efforts to integrate them into the curriculum. The better news is that this same process is happening in over 40 other states across our country.
There is no single right way to implement these new standards. We do know, as is reflected in the quote above, that we are being offered a challenge to teach in a different way. The Common Core State Standards require that we teach a high level of math beginning at the elementary level,
provide a strong emphasis on reading informational text in all grade levels, encourage students to use higher-order thinking skills, and strive for student engagement in all that we do.
ROE SchoolWorks is very interested in working with you as we all embrace the challenges provided by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Over the next three years we will offer a variety of content workshops in English/Language Art (ELA) and Math. More importantly we will invite you to participate in discussion cohorts to talk about implementation strategies and challenges. Please visit us at www.roeschoolworks.k12.il to see our latest offerings and to sign up for the ELA or Math listservs. Participants on the listservs will receive information directly from us about professional development opportunities.
We look forward to working with you as we Lead and Learn Together!
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