VICENZA, Italy -- Department of Defense Education Activity schools worldwide are moving toward full adoption of College and Career Ready Standards, and schools here are no exception. Vicenza Schools administration and faculty continue to put forth a strong effort toward meeting the new requirement.
The academic standards reform across the United States over the past few years has been an effort to better identify what students should know and do in each school grade. According to Thomas M. Brady, DoDEA director, the intention for DoD schools is to adopt CCRS for all content areas by the end of the 2017-18 school year.
While the 2015-2016 school year brought about changes in math for grades Kindergarten through 5, the second year of the multi-year process brings changes to math in grades 6 through 8, and literacy in grades 6-12. Next year will focus on math, grades 9 through 12.
CCRS standards are aligned with college and work expectations, Brady said in a memorandum to DoDEA employees. They are "clear, understandable, consistent and evidence-based. They include rigorous content and application of knowledge through higher-order thinking skills so that all students are prepared to succeed in our global economy and society."
Those familiar with Common Core in the States will see similarities. That is because, said David Rudy, VHS principal, CCRS is essentially the same thing but with improvements based on lessons learned from the way some states rolled out the plan.
"It's a rebranding of Common Core to more appropriately focus our intent," Rudy said. The intent is to make children ready for college and career.
"Last year, the elementary school adopted and implemented the math standards and it was a big change -- a big change for teachers, students and parents. This year, our math teachers are engaged in what's called the Standards of Mathematical Practice, dispositions and mindsets that all math learners need. The high school teachers will learn that this year and, by next year, all of our schools will be in compliance."
Literacy standards are also changing, and the school has received all new texts, novels, performance assessments and teacher resources. Teachers have already had a Materials Orientation Day to become familiar with the resources and will have four additional professional development days during the school year.
"We are fully resourced to deliver literacy this year in the language arts classrooms," Rudy said. The principal cautioned, however, that the first semester is a phased-in implementation. Parents may see their children using both old and new materials because teachers have until the end of first semester to fully transition.
"Some teachers will choose to jump in with both feet," he said. "Others will start the school year as usual and make the changes as the year gets under way. We want to honor the fact that, like kids, teachers learn in different ways. … There will be bumps along the way. We expect that, and it's okay."
Students tend to adapt easily to classroom changes, but sometimes it is harder for parents. Concepts, skills and problem-solving are different from how parents may have learned math. In regard to literacy, there is a significant shift away from a fiction-based, literature-centric language arts experience to more non-fiction, and paired readings of fiction and non-fiction. Literacy does not just mean reading and English classes anymore either; literacy across all subjects is a focus.
Each school will have a series of parent meetings held in in the evenings to ensure and encourage participation, Rudy said.
"What we want and what we need is for parents to play an active role in this transition. We certainly don't want to put parents in a position of feeling like they can't help their child," Rudy said. "We also want parents to recognize that the world they grew up in was not nearly as globalized as what their children are growing up in."
A key takeaway, the principal said, is that CCRS is Common Core "done right," and it is worldwide so transitions for children who move in and out is as seamless as it can be. According to Brady, common standards are particularly relevant for military children because it increases academic continuity.
The VHS principal is sure that CCRS will be successful.
"There is a clarity that these new standards brings that is not there in our current standards," he said. "We have been tasked in implementing with fidelity and that's what we will do. (The schools) have been provided resources and training materials, and there is no reason for us not to have a successful implementation. I have every confidence in our teachers' ability to make this pivot."
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