Common Core Assessment Video Series 

Dear Colleagues,

When I communicated with you last week, I introduced a new series of videos on the new Common Core state assessments. The video below is for parents about the Common Core Standards and the upcoming Grade 3-8 state assessments in English language arts and math. Please forward this email or share the link to this video with the parents and family members of your students.

There's much more information about the Common Core and the new assessments below and on EngageNY.org. Take a moment to check out what's posted there.

Also, two other videos in the Common Core Assessment Video Series have been posted on EngageNY on what parents should know about the upcoming tests and how those tests fit into their children's education. Those videos are available at the links below:

What Should Parents Know About the New Common Core Assessments?

How Do the Common Core Assessments Fit into our Children's Education?

Thank you for all you do every day to help our students learn.

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Transition to Common Core Regents Examinations in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics

In order to ensure adequate notice and time for students to be prepared to take the new Regents Exams measuring the Common Core, and based on feedback from the field, the Department plans to provide an overlap in the administration of the current Regents Exams measuring the 2005 Learning Standards with the new Regents Exams measuring the New York State Common Core Learning Standards and to provide a phased-in sequence for math. As a result, adjustments have been made to the June 2014 Regents Exam schedule and the Common Core exam implementation timeline.

To assist schools in the transition, test specifications and sample questions will be available in the late spring 2013 for the Common Core Regents Exams in ELA and Algebra I that will be administered for the first time in June 2014.

Read the memorandum providing additional information on the transition to Common Core Regents Exams in ELA and in mathematics (Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II). 

Common Core Resources

Below is a list of key resources on EngageNY.org designed to assist educators with the implementation of the Common Core.

The New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards in ELA and Mathematics
Read the standards organized by grade level in both English language arts and math.

The Common Core Shifts   

These resources explain the six instructional shifts in ELA and math needed to effectively implement the Common Core.

Memo regarding the Implementation of the Common Core
The State Education Department sent this memo to school administrators providing an update on Common Core implementation.

Common Core Curriculum Materials in ELA and Math
Access free Common Core-aligned curriculum materials, including lesson plans and performance tasks, in ELA and math.

Common Core Assessment Design   

View Item Review Criteria and additional guidance resources designed to guide test question development on the Grades 3-8 ELA and math assessments.

Test Guides and Sample Questions for Grades 3-8 ELA and Math Assessments

The test guides and sample questions demonstrate how the Common Core will be measured on the 2013 assessments.

Text List for P-12 ELA

The Text List for P-12 ELA contains all the full-length books, articles, excerpts and other texts to be used in the ELA curriculum modules on EngageNY.

Tri-State Quality Review Rubric and Rating Process

The Tri-State Collaborative (composed of educational leaders from Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island and facilitated by Achieve) has developed criterion-based rubrics and review processes to evaluate the quality of lessons and units intended to address the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and ELA/Literacy.

Workbook for Network Team Implementation of Common Core, Data Driven Instruction, and APPR 

This workbook is designed to assist Network Teams, District Superintendents and superintendents in their ongoing Common Core, Data Driven Instruction, and APPR implementation efforts.

Evidence Collection Tools for Classroom Use 

The purpose of these tools is to capture evidence of the shifts in practice in each of our classrooms. The results of this collection can play a key role in providing evidence-based feedback in general and as it relates to APPR specifically.

Common Core Video Library

Watch how educators are bringing the Common Core to life in their classrooms.

Toolkit for Parents and Families

A collection of materials and resources that will help parents and families understand the Common Core and how to help their child learn, including an FAQ, Parent's Backpack Guide to the Common Core, and What Parents Can Do to Help Their Children Learn.