When will CCSS common assessments be available?

From the Common Core State Standards FAQ section:

Will common assessments be developed?

Like adoption of common core standards, it will be up to the states: some states plan to come together voluntarily to develop a common assessment system, based on the common core state standards. A state-led consortium on assessment would be grounded in the following principles: allow for comparison across students, schools, districts, states and nations; create economies of scale; provide information and support more effective teaching and learning; and prepare students for college and careers.

This state-led consortium on assessment is PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers), consisting of 24 states that have adopted the Common Core Standards that are working together to develop assessments in English and math anchored in what it takes to be ready for college and careers.

Those assessments will be ready for states to administer during the 2014-15 school year. The next year, PARCC plans to set scores on those assessments that will indicate whether a student is on track to be college ready. Visit the website for more info:

http://www.parcconline.org/

Mirrors & Windows Addresses CCSS Standards for Argumentative Writing

The Common Core Standards requires that students have "The ability to write logical arguments based on substantive claims, sound reasoning, and relevant evidence is a cornerstone of the writing standards, with opinion writing—a basic form of argument—extending down into the earliest grades."

Mirrors & Windows places a strong focus on writing logical arguments as an important form of college- and career-ready writing. The labels “persuasive” and “argumentative” writing are often used interchangeably—the purpose of both types is to persuade. The common core state standards draw the distinction that “logical arguments should convince the audience with the perceived merit and reasonableness of the claims and proofs offered” rather than to persuade using “either the emotions the writer evokes in the audience or the character or credentials of the writer.”

While Mirrors & Windows uses the label “persuasive writing” for the numerous argumentative writing opportunities throughout the program, these assignments clearly ask writers to support their arguments and opinions with convincing, reasonable evidence. As an example, the Mirrors & Windows Grade 10 Unit 4 Writing Workshop assignment asks students to “Write a persuasive essay, aiming to convince a larger audience to consider your viewpoint about a subject that is important to you.” The text offers the following definition for a persuasive essay:

“In a persuasive essay, the writer respectfully presents a clear position on an issue, using logic, reason, and information, to convince readers to see his or her viewpoint and, if appropriate, to take action on it.”

Mirrors & Windows provides argumentative/persuasive writing activities throughout the program in post-reading Writing Option assignments and in-depth Writing Workshops at the end of each unit and in the Exceeding the Standards: Writing supplement. Complete Common Core State Standards correlations are available at www.emcp.com.

Mirrors & Windows Response to Intervention (RtI) Support

We recently received a question asking what Mirrors & Windows has to offer in the way of screening and progress monitoring to support RtI initiatives at middle and high schools.

The RtI Responsiveness to Intervention pyramid chart above shows the extensive support materials available in the Mirrors & Windows program for students at each Tier. (Ask your Account Manager to send you a more legible copy.) The instructor’s Assessment Guide offers Formative Surveys, Remediation Rubrics, Oral Reading Fluency Assessments, and online testing and progress monitoring through the ExamView Assessment Suite on the Teacher Resources CD.

Formative Surveys: Two Formative Surveys measure students’ performance on key Common Core State Standards. One survey may be administered at the beginning of the course to establish a student’s baseline and help you identify appropriate teaching materials for that student. The second survey may be used later in the course to determine the student’s progress.

Formative Survey Remediation Rubrics: Following the Answer Key in the Assessment Guide, Remediation Rubrics list program materials that support each Common Core State Standard covered in the Formative Surveys.

Oral Reading Fluency Assessments: Oral Reading Fluency Assessments are provided in the Assessment Guide, along with Reading Fluency Rubrics, Reading Fluency Error Charts, and Reading Fluency Progress Graphs to evaluate and monitor student progress and to provide additional support.

ExamView Assessment Suite: The EXAMView Assessment Suite allows teachers to set up online testing on their local area network (LAN). The teacher can deliver the Mirrors & Windows Formative Surveys, Lesson Tests, and Unit Exams through the Test Player and Test Manager included in the Suite. Once teachers administer the online tests, they can then prepare a variety of reports based on the results data, and many of the reports include graphs and charts.