School Board to Hear All About Common Core State Standards

A presentation on the new Common Core State Standards curriculum and the PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) assessment test highlights the agenda of the Barrington School Committee meeting tonight, Dec. 5.

The presentation will follow the annual organizational meeting of the school board. 

The meeting starts at 7:30 pm in the School Committee Meeting Room in Town Hall. 

The Common Core is replacing the curriculum used by most schools in 45 states, including Rhode Island, and the District of Columbia for decades. The standards are described as offering a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. 

They are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers and to give American students the education then need to compete successfully in the global economy, according to the Common Core website.

The PARCC test is replacing the NECAP (New England Common Assessment Program) as the measure of how ready students are for higher education or careers. 

The Common Core is not without its critics, who often describe the standards as “educational folly.” The critics say the standards were written in private and never tested in real classrooms, and that educators aren't familiar enough with the standards to use them. 

The organizational meeting selects the School Committee’s leadership for the next year. 

Robert Shea Jr. and Kate Brody, both Democrats even though elected as non-partisan candidates, currently serve as chair and vice-chair of the board. They are expected to be re-elected with the Democrats holding a 3-2 edge over the Republicans on the board. 

Here is the complete agenda of tonight’s meeting:

BARRINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING

Government Center, 283 County Road, Barrington, RI  02806

AGENDA

December 5, 2013, 7:30 p.m.

A.     ANNUAL ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING (approx. 7:30 – 7:40 p.m.)

B.     PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE (approx. 7:40 – 7:42 p.m.)

C.     ACHIEVEMENT RECOGNITION (approx. 7:42 – 7:45 p.m.)

D.     INFORMATION AND PROPOSALS (approx. 7:45 – 8:05 p.m.)

1.      Common Core State Standards / PARCC

E.      GENERAL PUBLIC DISCUSSION AND INFORMATION (approx. 8:05 – 8:15 p.m.) 

F.      OLD BUSINESS (approx. 8:15 – 8:45 p.m.)

Superintendent and Staff

1.      Discussion Supporting Athletic Training Wall Grant                                      

School Committee

1.      All Day Kindergarten Task Force Update

2.      Approval of Building Committee Charge

3.      Building Committee Update

4.      Introduction of Strategic Communication Plan

5.      Governance Workshop

G.     NEW BUSINESS (approx. 8:45 – 9:10 p.m.)

Superintendent and Staff

1.      Appointments

NA, Building Intern

PH, Building Intern

SO, Building Intern

MS, Co-Robotics Coach

Request for Leave of Absence

HS, World Languages

2.      Approval of Request for Home Schooling

3.      Reorganization of the Central Office

School Committee

1.      Policy First Reading – Volunteers in Schools Policy

H.     DECISION ITEMS (approx. 9:10 – 9:12 p.m.)

1.      Consent Agenda

Meeting Minutes

Open Meeting and Executive Session of November 14, 2013

Open Meeting of November 19, 2013

Open Meetings and Executive Sessions of November 20, 2013 

I.     DISCUSSION ITEMS (approx. 9:12 – 9:20 p.m.)

1.      Discussion Future Agenda Items

2.      General Discussion to Guide Future Recommendations 

J.       GENERAL PUBLIC DISCUSSION AND INFORMATION (approx. 9:20 – 9:30 p.m.) 

EXECUTIVE SESSION (approx. 9:30 – 10:00 p.m.)