Dear KEDC Region Teachers and Administrators,
In recent weeks, KEDC has received your name as one your district's representatives to the KDE Content Networks in either math or language arts. As a participant in this work, you will join over 100 other representatives from our region in the "standards rollout" process that will occur over this next year and hopefully beyond.
KEDC is delighted to have you on board and would like to welcome you to this highly important and what we hope will be highly rewarding work. In this cross-district manner, we will be examining and developing a deep understanding the new Common Core Standards. We will unpack them so that they can be understood by all involved for the teaching and learning process (especially and most importantly our students), and we will design sample products for the transfer of these standards to our classrooms.
We know you have a lot of questions, and quite honestly, we still don't have all the answers, but we can share the following:
1. The first meetings for the KEDC Content Networks will be July 23 for Language Arts and July 29 for Math. These meetings will be held at the KEDC Conference Center in Ashland (directions attached). Sign-in and breakfast will begin at 8:00 a.m. (EST) with the session beginning at 8:30 a.m. and adjourning at 3:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided along with an afternoon snack.
2. KDE is referring to this initial day as an Orientation Session in which you will find out more about how this work will progress over the year. The work dates for the rest of the year are posted below.
3. You will receive sets of materials for this work including binders containing the Standards, at least two Rick Stiggins books, related articles, and other materials. Some of you may already have some of the items that will be provided (for example the Stiggins books) but nevertheless, each participant will receive these in an effort to add to the resources available for your district.
4. KEDC will have Facilitators who are assigned to each network, 4 each (plus a facilitator from Big East Coop) for math and language arts. These facilitators will be content specialists from our own staff (lead by Janet Castle in Math and Angela Hilterbrand in Language Arts); content leaders from MSU, and a Lead Facilitator and Content Specialist from KDE in each content area. In addition, there is an additional person from KDE assigned to Language Arts and there will be one yet to be assigned for Math.
5. By the time we meet in July, these Facilitators will have had four days of training and other planning sessions to prepare for the work. In addition, they will meet between the monthly sessions to continually develop and refine the work.
6. After their July12th and 13th Facilitators’ Training at KDE, KEDC will be able to contact you again by email with an agenda for the July 23 and July 29 sessions.
7. It is our intent that additional support will be provided to districts requesting it between these sessions. KDE will assign two of their staff members (one in math, one in language arts) full time to KEDC and we will make our own staff available to the extent possible to support you as you take this work back to teachers across your districts.
8. In each of your districts will have a Leadership Team planning your own "rollout" with your own schools. In addition to these Content Networks at KEDC, administrators from your districts will join their own either regional or state Networks (one for principals, one for Instructional Supervisors, and one for Superintendents).
9. We don't yet know when these Administrator Networks will begin their meetings. KDE shared this week that it appears the first meetings of the Instructional Supervisors Network (ISN) will be in August.
Again, welcome to KEDC and to this unprecedented regional process. As indicated earlier, shortly after July 13th we'll be sending you a last reminder about the July 23 or July 29 meetings along with an agenda. Thank you for your willingness to partner with us and to represent your districts. We look forward to seeing all of you and to supporting you however we can.
Content Network Meeting Dates
KEDC Conference Center Ashland, KY
8:00am – 3:30pm EST
English/Language Arts Math
July 23, 2010 July 29, 2010
Sept. 15, 2010 Sept. 16, 2010
Oct. 20, 2010 Oct. 21, 2010
Nov. 16, 2010 Nov. 30, 2010
Jan. 19, 2011 Jan. 25, 2011
Feb. 16, 2011 Feb. 22, 2011
March 9, 2011 March 22, 2011
June 2, 2011 June 7, 2011