First implemented in 2009, Common Core was an ambitious initiative to revolutionize the American education system. National leaders from Bill Gates to President Obama supported the idea and it cost an estimated $15.8 billion to implement.
Years later, research showed the new curriculum had minimal impact on student performance. Can a common curriculum be successful for all students? On Feb. 12, 2020, Florida adopted the Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking. New York is also developing its own curriculum - The Next Generation Learning Standards. However, experts remain doubtful about whether the new standards truly stand by themselves. “The standards that the states have come up with, where they claimed they were different from Common Core, they’re really not that much different,” said Tom Loveless, an educational researcher and former senior fellow at Brookings. “Some states just basically took the Common Core label off and then slapped the new label on the package.”
The following two videos will provide a look at the intentions of Common Core as well as reflections about their effectiveness. Few people disagree with the initial intent of Common Core.....there is more conflict associated with the implementation process.
Reflection Questions for a PLC or Staff Meeting:
- How can we use data to inspire professional development and promote positive school reform?
- What do you think will be the best path forward for our students and education system?
- How can our school district establish priority standards for our students?
Data reported over the next month will be utilized for the Report Card 25 (RC25) summative designation which will be released in late October 2025. Schools need to verify that the information reported to the Illinois State Board of Education is accurate.
Data components that every administrator should review prior to submission
5Essentials: The survey closed in March. Each 4-12 principal should ensure that all students who did not complete the survey and were eligible to be removed from participation have been removed.
EL Progress: The ACCESS test was administered in January. Please review the data to ensure that all students who were tested have been recorded accurately.
Attendance: Have all students who were hospitalized/homebound been accurately coded? Do you have attendance protocols to ensure consistent and accurate attendance records across all grades and buildings?
Graduation Rate: Staff involved with completing the student management close out for the year must CODE every student accurately. Review this data before submitting to ISBE. It is also essential to review coding for any student removed from a cohort.
IAR/SAT/ISA/PSAT: This data will be released in the next few weeks. When released, administrators should complete corrections to ensure ISBE can calculate accurate proficiency, growth, and participation.
9th Grade on Track: To ensure accurate reporting next year, review all 9th grade schedules for Fall 2023. Every student should be enrolled in the appropriate number of courses to verify the opportunity to be on track.
College & Career Readiness: This data will be utilized on RC25. Establishing a system to collect and report the data this year will provide staff an opportunity to make plans for all students to meet the requirements in the future.
The Data Review Verification Tool (DRVT) process starts with the entry of all data in June to the data warehouse. If your administrative team is changing, this process must be completed with fidelity before staffing changes.
YouTube Tech Tips
Many schools utilize YouTube either in the classroom or as a form of communication with district stakeholders. The following article will demonstrate some useful strategies within this format.
- How to blur faces in a video
- How to create a YouTube channel
- How to clip sections of your video
- How to timestamp your videos
Planet Fitness is partnering with IHSA this summer. High school students ages 14–19 will be able to work out for free all summer long from May 15 through August 31! Planet Fitness is committed to providing a safe and comfortable place for teens to work out for free all summer long.
Planet Fitness' High School Summer Pass™ offers a solution for teenagers to stay active during the summer when school is out and important academic and extracurricular programs such as sports, gym class, and after-school activities are in recess. Teens can register beginning May 1 and officially gain access to the club on May 15. Teens under 18 in the U.S. must register with a parent or guardian online or in-club.
Planet Fitness is giving away $200,000 to high schools and students! Teens ages 14–19 who register for High School Summer Pass can help win a scholarship for their school and participate in a TikTok video contest for a chance to win academic scholarships.
