1. science
2. mathematics

Diving Deep: Transforming Educational Practice for All Students
through CCSS/NGSS
Saturday, May 2, 2015
UC San Diego/Pepper Canyon Hall
Presentation Summaries
9:30-10:45 am, A Sessions
A1. From YIKES! To YES: Using Culturally Proficient Professional Learning in Response to the Common
Core
Room: 106
Presenter(s): Delores Lindsey, CSU San Marcos
Randall Lindsey, CSU Los Angeles
Summary: Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for college and career readiness outcomes can drive
changes in instruction, curriculum alignment, and assessment in ways that focus educators’ attention on
equitable access to higher order learning and, thereby assure and ensure equitable educational
opportunities and outcomes in ways not yet seen. The Facilitators for this session engage participants in
using an Implementation Rubric that present Culturally Proficient Professional Learning as a guide to
implement College and Career State Standards. The 5 Essential Elements of Cultural Competence are
crucial in the implementation process. As outcomes, participants will: 1) Clarify role of Quality
Professional Learning for implementing Common Core Standards; and 2) Examine the 5 Essential
Elements as action behaviors to lead the change process.
A2. Critical Issues in Aligning Common Core State Standards with Developmentally Appropriate
Practices in High Quality Early Education (P-3)
Room: 109
Presenter(s): Alison Wishard Guerra, UCSD/Education Studies
Shana Cohen, UCSD/Education Studies
Bailey Choi, Carlsbad Country Day
Summary: This panel considers critical issues in how the implementation of the Common Core State
Standards aligns with Developmentally Appropriate Practice in support of high quality early education
spanning from preschool through 3rd grade. Early childhood educators have expressed dual concern
that the CCSS are not appropriate for young children and yet they recognize the need to prepare
children to enter elementary school in the age of CCSS. The three presentations in this panel will cover
the following:
1. Framing early education as a developmental continuum from Preschool- 3rd Grade:
Opportunities to improve practice in preschool and early elementary school by aligning CCSS and
DAP. Alison Wishard Guerra
2. Working with diverse families in early childhood: Building on Best Practices in ECE to support
CCSS. Shana Cohen
3. Preparing preschool children from Common Core: A look at a local preschool's process in aligning
the CA Preschool Learning Foundations and the CCSS. Bailey Choi
Time for discussion will be reserved to integrate the vast experience, questions, concerns, and
inspirations from the audience.
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A3. Close Reading in Science: Supporting Claims with Evidence and Reasoning (Grades 6-12) California
Reading & Literature Project, UC San Diego
Room: 120
Presenter(s): Kathy Melanese, California Reading and Literature Project (CRLP), UCSD
Jessica Nascimento, Sweetwater UHSD
Summary: Close reading in science is an integral part of a comprehensive science education. Both the
CCSS for ELA and Literacy and the NGSS call for students to read, write and speak in ways that are
grounded in evidence. In this workshop, participants will learn how to effectively engage students in
reading complex text focusing on specific strategies to scaffold understanding of the text and key
scientific concepts. An emphasis will be made on the interrelated aspects of both disciplines such as
making claims, finding evidence, and reasoning. Participants will engage in an activity simulating a close
reading lesson in a biology class, and will learn an approach for designing lessons to scaffold reading in
science.
A4. Preparing for Transformational Geometry in High School – A Middle School Introduction
Room: 121
Presenter(s): Osvaldo Soto, Math for America San Diego
Genevieve Esmende, San Diego USD
Kathleen Barry, Guajome Park Academy
Summary: Presenters will share their struggle and experience developing lessons that intellectually
necessitate transformations under the Common Core Standards. We will examine how the middle
school transformational geometry standards prepare students for transformational geometry at the
high school level. Participants will experience activities to explore rigid transformations.
A5. Smart Tech Use for Equity in the Era of CCSS and NGSS
Room: 122
Presenter(s): Kim Douillard, San Diego Area Writing Project & Cardiff Elementary School
Michael Salamanca, Madison High School
Alicia Johal, Mar Vista Academy
Jeri Aring, Chula Vista Hills Elementary School
Serena Pariser, Gompers Preparatory Academy
Mica Pollock, UCSD/CREATE/Education Studies
Summary: We will provide an engaging intro to efforts to test smart tech use for equity in the era of
CCSS/NGSS. We are a growing community seeking to support San Diego teachers as equity designers:
people who continually evaluate the pros and cons of their tech use with equity in mind, and document
evidence of it working or not working to support young people. We will share evidence of student work
from three ongoing teacher inquiries into whether simple technologies might support students to "go
deep" in discussing math, science, and literature. Then we will engage the audience in questioning
“smart” vs “not-so-smart” tech use in education that they have experienced.
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A6. Examining Formative Assessment Moves in a Mini PLC: Middle School Math Teachers’ Experiences
with Planning, Enacting, and Reflecting upon Video-Based Practice in Formative Assessment Circles
Room: 304
Presenter(s): Brent Duckor, San Jose State University
Summary: While research has shown for over a decade that teachers who engage in formative
assessment practices may have the most powerful impact on student learning (Black & Wiliam, 1998;
Shepard 2001; Wiliam, Lee, Harrison & Black, 2004; Hattie, 2012) less is known about the development
of teachers’ knowledge and use of formative assessment as they plan, enact, and reflect on their
formative assessment practices. This presentation focuses on how in-service middle school math
teachers take up the specific moves associated with “high leverage” formative assessment practice
(Duckor, 2014), attempt to coordinate those skills with other goals of teaching, and learn from reflecting
with colleagues in “formative assessment circles” on their practice. Utilizing a teacher learning
progressions framework, the session explores how to capture trajectories in teachers’ knowledge and
use of formative assessment practice as they pose more powerful questions, pause for cognitive
processing, probe for deeper responses, tag those student responses and bin different solution
strategies, while attending to academic language demands and the diverse needs of the California
classroom.
A7. Time to Explore NGSS & Common Core
Room: 340
Presenter(s): Sarah Motsinger, Shawna Codrington, Julianne Dugan, Gina Haggard & Cassie Santos,
Feaster Edison Charter Elementary/STEM Academy, Chula Vista ESD
Summary: At Feaster Charter School, students are at the center of all decision making. We prepare our
students to become 21st century learners in a multicultural society by infusing Visual & Performing Arts
as well as Science, Technology, Social Studies, Engineering & Mathematics into our daily curriculum and
literacy instruction. This integration challenges our students to communicate and think critically,
creatively and collaboratively.
Project-based learning and problem-based learning both assist students in their overall education as
they work on Common Core Standards at Feaster Charter. By identifying major problems that plague
scientists, engineers, and historians, students connect the standards being taught to real life problems
and invent or design solutions. This presentation will show how teachers at Feaster are able to embed
NGSS Standards into Common Core Lessons using real world problems.
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11:00 am – 12:15 pm, B Sessions
B1. Computer Science teaches thinking -- ala Common Core and NGSS -- and the BIG moves by districts
to broaden computer science in support of CCSS/NGSS.
Room: 106
Presenter(s): Art Lopez, Sweetwater HS, Sweetwater UHSD
Ray Kinne, San Diego High School, SDUSD
Summary: Dr. Jan Cuny, program director for Computer Education for the National Science Foundation,
outlined a plan for “Transforming High School Computing: A Call To Action.” Dr. Cuny made it clear that
we are at risk at losing our country’s leading edge in technological innovation and economic
competitiveness if we do not transform computer education from its current state. Computing and
computational thinking are key skills that are required from today’s workforce and are embedded within
most if not all STEM fields. This presentation outlines the importance of teaching computer science
education and the relationship between computer science and common core state standards and the
Next Generation Science Standards. The presentation outlines the severe shortages of and
underrepresentation of groups in CS, including young women and students of color, at all levels of public
education including K-12 and Higher Ed and the importance of Computer Science in STEM work within
Higher Ed. We also outline efforts of integrating and embedding Computer Science Education and
Curriculum and broadening student participation within the Sweetwater Union High School, San Diego
Unified, and other San Diego County districts. Supported in part by two National Science Foundation
(NSF) projects at UCSD -- ComPASS/CE21, now CS-CAVE, these districts have added the pilot AP
Computer Science Principles course and adopted a curriculum and cutting-edge pedagogy that teaches
Computer Science Principles, a course developed by Dr. Beth Simon, Dr. Sara Guthals, and Dr. Quintin
Cutts. The course is also currently taught at UCSD and SDSU. In short, this session covers the why and
how big districts are making big moves to bring computer science education to many more students.
B2. Transitioning to Common Core Math: A TK-5 District-Wide Model
Room: 109
Presenter(s): Andrea Barraugh, Poway USD
Rusty Bresser & Caren Holtzman, UCSD/Education Studies
Summary: Participants will learn about ways to support teachers in a coherent system-wide transition to
the Common Core Standards in Mathematics. They will experience high leverage instructional practices
and learn about district-wide collaboration structures which support the transition. The presentation
integrates opportunities to view student work, engage in discussion and experience common core
aligned activities.
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B3. Connecting NGSS and CCSS Literacy in Science
Room: 120
Presenter(s): Kathryn Schulz, San Diego Science Project, UCSD/CREATE
Summary: The goals of this session are to identify:
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the impact of integrating literacy and science standards on student thinking.
strategies for speaking and listening incorporating academic language and science vocabulary.
science notebook writing activities that develop student skills in writing that are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience.
strategies for reading complex text to enhance student understanding of science content.
Participants will also reflect on their classroom instruction to identify the literacy skill and strategies that
you are already teaching and how these skills and strategies compare with those defined in the CA CCSS
for ELA/Literacy.
Participants will watch a science lesson in which student learning is supported by the integration of
science hands-on activities with the CA CCSS for ELA/Literacy.
B4. Structure of the Smarter Balanced Math Assessment & How it Supports Instruction
Room: 121
Presenter(s): Sandy Sanford, Eduneering, Inc.
Summary: This interactive workshop will explore the unique structure of the Smarter Balanced Math
Assessment and focus on what that structure can tell us about preparing students for College and Career
in the 21st Century. We’ll study the Claim-Target-Standard (CTS) taxonomy and compare it to the
traditional blueprint system in effect in California for the last 14 years. We’ll explore the Computer
Adaptive Testing (CAT) algorithm and how it relates to Depth of Knowledge (DOK), Standard Error of
Measurement (SEM), and Domain requirements. We’ll dissect the different Item Types and postulate
the effect (pro & con) on tested students. Attendees will leave with a C-T-S Matrix (the comprehensive
document on Smarter Balanced Math Assessment structure) and many other support documents/links
to include samples of all item types.
B5. Common Core and Preparing Students for College Transition & Success
Room: 122
Presenter(s): Frances Contreras, UCSD/Education Studies
Karina Viaud, UCSD/Parent & Family Programs
Carri Fierro, UCSD/TRIO
Summary: Common Core standards are intended to raise the overall preparation levels of K-12 students.
As a policy framework however, few researchers are exploring the actual relationship (and potential)
between Common Core and college transition and success. This panel will discuss the landscape of
educational impediments to college preparation and access and the implications of Common Core on
college transition. Panelists will also discuss efforts to engage parents in the college planning process.
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B6. STEAMing Our Way to Success!
Room: 304
Presenter(s): Jessica Newkirk, Jackie Ma, Melissa Kwan, Melissa Kruse, Lincoln Acres Elementary School,
National School District
Summary: Our fifth grade unit is focused on Life Science. Our first grade unit is based on an engineering
project. We incorporated the following strategies into our units: science talks, science notebooks, an EL
focus on vocabulary and sentence frames, connections to complex texts and writing, engineering
models, and Google slides presentations. We will also briefly touch on other projects we have worked
on this year.
B7. Beyond Editing: Using Google Docs in Student Led Revision Groups
Room: 340
Presenter: Holly French, Cajon Valley Middle School, CVSD & San Diego Area Writing Project
Summary: Young people today are writing more and more in a digital context through text, tweets, blogs
and social media. Most schools have not caught up with the digital reality that students experience
daily. In this session, one educator will share her journey as she meets the needs of her students using
Google Classroom for revision with a whole class and student led groups.
12:00 – 1:45 pm, LUNCH & Pop-in Sessions
Enjoy your lunch in the courtyard, catered by Nutmeg: gourmet sandwiches, homemade chips, iced tea,
bottled water, and some savory snacks. (Note: Gluten free and vegetarian options are available for
people with dietary restrictions/preferences)
Building Advisory Programs in Support of the Common Core and NGSS Standards Shift: Lisa Hawk and
David Weber
Watch a video made by educators for educators about the Preuss School’s advisory program. Learn how
this award-winning school uses advisory to support their work on the Common Core and NGSS Shifts.
Room: 120
OR
#CommonCore: Exploring Social Media, Social Networks, and the Common Core State Standards
Join Alan Daly, UC San Diego Education Studies Professor and Department Chair, and learn about some
of his newest work – exploring the expansive public discussions of Common Core in Social Media…
tweet, tweet, tweet.
Room: 121
Informal sessions will start about 15 minutes after lunch begins, and there will be informal spaces for
folks to join in on interesting conversations!
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2:00 – 3:00 pm, C Sessions
C1. Implications of CCSS for Children with Disabilities: Issues related to Assessment and Curriculum
Implementation
Room: 302
Presenter(s): Shana Cohen, UCSD/Education Studies
Dennis Sisco-Taylor, San Diego USD
Amie Wong, San Diego USD
Brienne Downing, Excelsior Academy
Summary: In the context of federal policies like the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), the federal
law that ensures individualized services and education to children with disabilities, this session will
examine the impact of CCSS on child assessment and learning in the general education classroom. We
will specifically address how CCSS impacts children’s formative and summative assessments and their
placements in the least restrictive environment. We will also examine how CCSS impacts curriculum
development, teacher instruction, and student learning. Finally, our panel of contributors will identify
specific strategies to integrate CCSS goals into the classroom for students with varying abilities and
needs. Dr. Cohen will first provide an overview of the context in which public schools are mandated to
provide an individualized learning environment to all children with disabilities. Then she will facilitate an
open-ended discussion with our experienced panelists. Specific questions will address the challenges to
assessment and curriculum implementation for children with varying abilities and Education Studies.
Audience member participation will be strongly encouraged.
C2. How to Implement NGSS, Engineering, and Common Core in your Classroom
Room: 361
Presenter: Karen Bowers, Monte Vista HS, Grossmont UHSD & UCSD Noyce Master Teacher
Summary: In this session we will address the conceptual shifts in the Next Generation Science Standards.
We will explore strategies to implement the Common Core through writing and critical thinking,
including ways to transform worksheets to encourage students to start thinking for themselves. Further,
we will specifically address the new NGSS Engineering Standards and how they translate into classroom
activities. Discover how to help your students learn through modeling and self discovery rather than
through memorization and direct instruction. I have consolidated what I have learned from many
different conferences so that I can share some of the best current instructional strategies with you.
Various technology resources, as well as the entire presentation, will be shared on a Google doc so that
attendees will go home with activities they can implement tomorrow. Best for middle school and high
school teachers although various resources shared will allow participants to search by any grade level
and/or content area.
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C3. Competency-Based Grading through the Eyes of Students and Teachers
Room: 121
Presenter(s): Dr. Alec Barron, Allison Talbot, Britsi Abarca, Martin Ghattas, Aruna Gossai, Alias Qayum,
Del Lago Academy, Escondido EUHSD
Summary: Classroom grading policies and practices need to be considered when implementing new
state standards. This session will take audience members through the Del Lago Academy’s approach to
Competency-Based grading and No Mark policy. We will address the difference between CompetencyBased grading and traditional grading, and students from Del Lago Academy will discuss the major
benefits of this grading system for student success. Two teachers from math and science will also lead
conversations and answer questions about the connections between the new Common Core State
Standards-Mathematics and Next Generation Science Standards and the school’s no mark policy.
C4. Becoming Scientists: Helping All Students Meet the Next Generation Science Standards
Room: 122
Presenter: Sharon Fargason, Baker Elementary, SDUSD & UCSD/Education Studies
Summary: Albert Einstein once wrote, “The whole of science is nothing more than the refinement of
everyday thinking.” The Next Generation Science Standards ask that our students work on the
refinement of their nascent, everyday scientific ideas. These new standards require that students
behave as scientists as well as learn important content. In this session, we will talk about how to
encourage students to develop the practices and behaviors that turn them into scientists, rather than
simply learning about science. We will explore the power of a compelling opening question, connect
video examples to the NGSS standards, and work on refining our own everyday scientific ideas.
C5. K-2 Balanced Literacy
Room: 304
Presenter(s): Wendy O’Connor, Vista USD
Summary: As an Early Literacy Coordinator for the Vista Unified School District, I have been on an
exciting journey during the past year. The journey includes my experiences as a facilitator of our
district’s path into implementing the ELA Common Core standards through a balanced literacy approach.
Our goal is for all students to be proficient readers by 3rd grade. I will be sharing highlights of this
journey through a digital presentation as well as discussion activities.
During the past two school years, content support resources teachers have worked collaboratively with
teacher leaders across the district to develop and locate resources that support the implementation of
Common Core. Our most recent work has focused on organizing all of the ELA resources into a matrix to
provide a balanced literacy structure to include daily opportunities in the following components:
Foundational Skills; Reading for Informational and Literary Text; Writing through writers’ workshop; and
opportunities for independent reading. Analysis of student assessment data drives the balance. This
session will provide opportunities for participants to hear about our district’s journey toward balanced
literacy as well as discuss ways in which other districts are striving toward the same goal of all students
becoming proficient readers by 3rd grade.
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C6. Experiencing Instructional Shifts under NGSS and Math CCSS Standards
Room: 340
Presenter(s): Daniel Crook, Castle Park HS, Sweetwater UHSD &UCSD Noyce Master Teacher;
Glenn Melero, Grossmont UHSD & UCSD Noyce Master Teacher
Summary: Instructional shifts under NGSS and Math CCSS will be discussed and participants will have a
chance to experience the shifts as outlined in the standards. After this session, participants will be asked
to reflect upon their experience with these shifts virtually, at a later date.
FEEDBACK – PROVIDE FEEDBACK ALL DAY LONG TO THE CONFERENCE ORGANIZERS – by emailing
[email protected], or tweeting @ #UCSDCommonCore
We especially want your input on ideas for future conference sessions/local educators/innovators you
know and suggestions for improving this event.
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