easy for community members to be
• Mass mailing /letter from the
• Special “Common Core” web-
involved, and included parents in
superintendent to all district
site with links to many parent
the decision-making process. Over 2
addresses (November 2012)
resources • One-way email address so that parents can share concerns /
“By design, our Common Core communications plan fostered a welcoming environment for families, created
questions directly with district administrators.
predictable community meetings that made it easy
These communications efforts
for community members to be involved, and included
— most especially the communi-
parents in the decision-making process.”
ty forums — have helped parents understand the transition to CCSS. Still, many parents found themselves frustrated by CCSS when they sat
1/2 years, district and building per-
• Flier posted on all 31 websites
down to help their children with
sonnel held 12 evening community
and promoted in district email
math homework. Based on feedback
forums around the district. Specific
newsletter reaching 38,000
from the community forums, we have
events around CCSS and PARCC
email addresses (Winter
taken a multi-pronged approach to
include:
2013)
getting the word out to parents: the
• Initial distribution of 30,000
• Held the first of three rounds of
Common Core standards will change
specially-produced fliers, map-
community forums, each with
what and how students learn. That
ping “The Road to the Common
four meetings. The first round
approach includes family math nights,
Core,” to all parents during
was titled, “What’s coming …”
letters to parents about Common Core
parent-teacher conferences
(Spring 2013)
math, videos that describe curricular
(November 2012)
IASB Service Associates The best of everything for schools IASB Service Associates provide quality products and services for schools. Membership is by invitation only. A list of Service Associate firms is on the IASB website and in this Journal.
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• Community forums were pro-
changes, and posting detailed parent
moted in press releases to local
math guides for each grade level on
and regional media and web-
school websites. Teachers also send
sites, in the district’s Spring
home one- to two-page newsletters
2013 newsletter and in a series
for each new unit students are doing
of Connect-ED calls.
in math class.
• A second round of community forums emphasized “Math standards/teacher experience.” (Fall 2013)
Conclusion The road to the implementation of the Common Core State Standards
• The third round of community
in school districts is continuing. It
forums included “English stan-
has been filled with curves and speed
dards / PARCC” and a status
bumps along the way. Higher, clear-
update focusing on the shifting
er, deeper standards are a good thing.
political and public reaction to
When implemented properly in a
CCSS. (Fall 2014)
school district, and by developing
• A fifth forum will take place
parent support for the change, stu-
in Spring 2015 to highlight
dents will become self-directed prob-
the results from the first-ever
lem solvers better prepared for the
PARCC assessment
world of work or college.
THE ILLINOIS SCHOOL BOARD JOURNAL / MARCH-APRIL 2015