Dare County Schools

NC Department of Public Instruction’s new Common Core and Essential Standards are replacing current curriculum in every grade and every course in the state for school year 2012-13.  Forty-six other states and several US territories are also adopting the Common Core State Standards. Alongside the classroom changes being developed, North Carolina also had created and validated a new educator effectiveness model to improve the evaluation system for teachers, principals and other educators. Read NC DPI's (Departmtent of Public Instruction's August 7th release concerning the many changes in education, here.

[This page  - a work in progress - is here to provide our parents with resources regarding new core curriculum , starting with NC PTA elementary, middle and high school "Putting It Together" brochures, followed by National PTA grade level specific Parent Guides to Student Success (in English and Spanish), must-reads for every parent and caregiver.]

NCPTA Putting It Together: Common Core State Standards in North Carolina:

• for Elementary Schools 
• for Middle Schools
• for High Schools 

National PTA Parent Guides to Student Success:

• Kindergarten
• First grade
• Second grade
• Third grade
• Fourth grade
• Fifth grade  
• Sixth grade
• Seventh grade
• Eighth grade
• High School - Math
• High School - English

To view and print the parent guides in black and white, click here.

North Carolina Department of Public Instruction:

In addition to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics, North Carolina adopted new Essential Standards in all other subjects including social studies, science, information and technology, world languages, health and physical education, arts education, career technical education and guidance. The new Essential Standards will dovetail with the new Common Core to ensure that our students have a greater understanding of what they are learning.  Together, all of our new standards will provide a much sharper focus on::

• collaboration skills
• critical-thinking skills
• research skills
• problem-solving skills
• technology skills

The new Common Core State Standards and the new Essential Standards become North Carolina’s new Standard Course of Study in fall 2012. They have been crafted in such a way that they will ensure that upon graduation students will have a deeper understanding of what they must know to be READY for higher education, for work – and for life.

• NCDPI's newest resource on ACRE: Accountability and Curriculum Reform Effort
• A listing of adopted new Essential Standards
• ACT, PLAN, and WorkKeys (high school) Preparing Students for College and Careers

The Hunt Institute:
short videos to provide a foundation of understanding about why these changes are necessary, the premises on which they are based, and how they will impact teaching and learning:

• Common Core State Standards: A New Foundation for Student Success
• Common Core Standards: Principles of Development K-12
• The Mathematics Standards: Key Changes and Their Evidence
• English Language Arts Standards: Key Changes and Their Evidence
  
  •  Click here for a list (that includes topics and presenters) of similar short video
      clips to further explain the new core curriculum/essential standards.

What is College and Career Ready Exactly?
“College and career readiness” refers to the content knowledge and skills high school graduates must possess in English and mathematics – including, but not limited to, reading, writing communications, teamwork, critical thinking and problem solving – to be successful in any and all future endeavors. Learn More.

What is "SMARTER Balanced Assessment" ?
The U.S. Department of Education awarded the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) a four-year, $160 million Race to the Top assessment grant to develop a student assessment system aligned with the Common Core State Standards. North Carolina is one of the 31 states nationwide participating in the SBAC. Read More.

>> Check back frequently for additional content and updates, as we update our efforts to communicate with parents and public about the transformation taking place within our schools to better prepare every student to be ready: for college, career, and adulthood.