A helpful list for those working on the ELA CCSS. Enjoy!

This is an interesting artilce that impacts all of us.

Poverty in the U.S.: The 10 Worst States for Student Homelessness

www.takepart.com

Maine experienced a 58 percent increase in its homeless student population, which rose from 991 to 1,564. Experts say that in any given year 7,500 Maine students will spend at least one night on the

Can you tell where the CCSS fits in?

 

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As we great 2014 and increase our implementation of the CCSS, here are some effective ideas for increasing the use of nonfiction texts in the classroom. Courtesy of ASCD SmartBrief.

How one middle school naturally incorporated more nonfiction texts
The implementation of the Common Core State Standards means a greater focus on nonfiction texts in the English language arts curriculum -- a task that special-education teacher Pauline Zdonek says her middle school worked to accomplish organically. Among other things, she writes in this blog post, teachers taught nonfiction texts that read like fiction, such as the memoir "Night." Teachers also used nonfiction texts that incorporate pictures and selected one day each week to focus on those texts, she writes. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Education (12/26)

Here is one school's solution for focusing on the CCSS "subjects" and shifting towards integration. Courtesy of ASCD Smart Brief.

Texas middle school nearly doubles instruction time for core subjects
A Texas middle school has adopted a schedule that nearly doubles class time for core subjects -- math, science, English and social studies -- to 85 minutes from 45 minutes. Officials said the change is intended to help students better grasp core subjects and allow more time for remediation. The schedule limits students to one elective course daily to allow for the additional instructional time. Commerce Journal (Texas) (12/17)

As we have studied the Common Core this year, we have learned about the importance of the 3rd grade. Following are some ways other states have chosen to address preparing students for 3rd grade. Courtesy of ASCD SmartBrief.

3rd-grade reading proficiency a focus in many states
Nationwide, about 30 states have taken steps to improve students' reading proficiency by the third grade -- considered a threshold after which it is difficult for students to catch up. Among the strategies states are taking are to improve prekindergarten enrollment, retain students in the third grade if they do not meet certain standards, and alter reading curricula to include oral language and preliteracy proficiency. Stateline (11/15)

One of the major concerns teachers have had over the past year has been the role of handwriting in the curriculum. Here is a article about the state of affairs in Maine schools. Courtesy of ASCD Smart Brief.

Some Maine schools are considering dropping cursive for keyboarding
Portland Press Herald (Maine) (12/2)