SPUSD teaching teachers how to teach Common Core
November 11, 2015
By Brian D. Wilson
Santa Paula News
Students aren’t the only ones struggling to learn the new Common Core State Standards.
Teachers are having to learn new ways of teaching their subjects and to do this the Santa Paula Unified School District (SPUSD) is scheduling more Professional Development training to support the transition to the new standards.
Donna Rose, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services told the board that the district is spending a little more than $776,000 on professional development for the current school year. The money includes both state and federal money.
Christine Schieferle, Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services gave the SPUSD Board an update on the training. “It’s important that all of our staff members understand the expectations and rigors of the standards,” she said. She added that there’s a shift from the previous standards. “That shift goes beyond knowledge and recall to a deep understanding of content,” she noted. “No longer is it acceptable to just understand content. Now that you know the content what can you do with it? Ultimately it’s about access and equity for all of our students.”
She told the board that K-5 teachers have five full days and two half days of professional development training. Transitional kindergarten teachers get three full days of training. Middle school and high school teachers receive three full days on core subjects and three full days of instructional rounds. Career technical education teachers get two full days of training (9-12 only).
So far Schieferle said that teachers are giving the training high ratings. High school teachers gave the training a 67 percent excellent or above average rating. The K-5 teachers had a similar rating at about 69 percent favorable.
Board member Kelsey Stewart asked if this same level of professional development training will be required in future years. Schieferle said yes, but it probably will be different from this year. She said the district will start planning for next year in January and they will try to schedule training for days when students are out.
The Common Core standards describe what students should know and be able to do in each subject in each grade. In California, the State Board of Education decides on the standards for all students, from kindergarten through high school.
Since 2010, 45 states have adopted the same standards for English and math. These standards are called the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Having the same standards is designed to help all students get a good education, even if they change schools or move to a different state. Teachers, parents, and education experts designed the standards to prepare students for success in college and the workplace.
