On Next Network’s Resource Page for the Common Core State Standards you will find information, resources, and links to help your school make the transition from your current state standards to the Common Core State Standards.  We believe the challenge of these more rigorous standards is a unique opportunity to positively transform education in the coming years. Here are some quick links to get you started:

• Quick Snapshot
• What are they?
• Why are they important?
• Classroom Implications for the Common Core State Standards

Professional Development Center

When you click this icon you will access a search of the Next Network site for all resources related to the CCSS. To find a specific type of resource, start by selecting the resource type you want in the PD center and use the search engine on that page.

Research and Publications about the Common Core State Standards

SPN Research collects articles and publications related to the creation and implementation of the Common Core State Standards. By clicking on this icon, you will be taken to the SPN Research Archive with a listing of publications for downloading and viewing.

Next Navigator

SPN and the International Center partnered to create a digital tool that helps educators create Next Generation Assessments aligned to the Common Core Standards. Click on the icon to learn more about how it works.

Busy educators need efficient resources to support their continuous professional development. Typically, educators are expected to use professional learning community time, after school sessions, and delayed opening time to come together to build shared understandings and improve their instructional practice. The Next Network, powered by SPN, created FOCUS Segments to help.

Each FOCUS Segment is designed for Next Network PD Center resources such as a Videocasts, Technical Bulletins, or Webinars.

FOCUS Segments are intended to assist a designated facilitator lead educators through 60-90 minute collaborative professional development activities. All FOCUS Segments are divided into five featured areas.

• Foundation – presents information about which SPN resources will be shared among the group as part of the activity.
• Overview – provides a clear learning objective for the session.
• Connect - creates a common experience for all group members around a SPN resource.
• Unpack – describes the learning activity educators will use to expand their knowledge base around the topic.
• Strategize – helps participants reflect on learned material and design a plan for implementation.

FOCUS Segments are written for groups of educators, described in the “Unpack” section. These groups may be organized in a variety of ways: content areas, grade levels, experience, or deliberately mixed. Some FOCUS Segments are labeled “For K-12 Educators” when they target foundational teaching and learning topics. Some are targeted for specific grade levels, noted for each FOCUS Segment. Look for the FOCUS icon whenever you search PD Center resources.  

Please look for new FOCUS Segments each month.

Learning Criteria ™

The Learning Criteria was developed in partnership with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) as part of a five-year initiative to identify and analyze the nation’s most successful high school practices and policies for achieving a rigorous and relevant curriculum for ALL students.

 

Each year the International Center for Leadership in Education hosts a national conference to showcase schools that are exceeding expectations and have earned the distinction, “Model School.” These schools present their successful practices, give insight into their success, and share their research about what makes a difference in their school. SPN and Next Network partner with the International Center in this effort to promote and share what works in schools from across the country.

• What is a Model School?
• What criteria is used to determine if a school is a Model School?
• How can I apply to present at the Model Schools Conference?
• Where can I learn more about the Model Schools?
• Professional Development Center - Improving Your School to Meet the Challenge
• Model Schools Case Studies

What is a Model School?

A Model School has shown continuous and rapid growth to become a high performing school. These schools demonstrate unique practices or innovative solutions that have allowed them to achieve this status.

365 Networking with Model Schools 

Every Model School who presents at the Model Schools Conference also becomes a member of the Next Network. As such, all Network members are able to connect, network and learn from the Model Schools and their successes.

For more information on each Model School and information on how to connect with them, please see the Case Study section in the PD Center.  

Why?

While the national focus has been on the shift to the Common Core State Standards, the larger challenge will be preparing students for success on the next generation assessments. These new assessments will be fundamentally different from the current state assessments in that they will be performance-based. Your students will need to demonstrate their ability to function in Quadrant D by thinking in complex ways and applying their skills when confronted with perplexing, complicated problems.

To bridge the gap between the current state assessments and the next generation assessments, Next Navigator will support your instructional leaders and teachers in planning instruction that prepares students for these new requirements.

Rigor/Relevance Framework™

The Rigor/Relevance Framework is a tool developed by staff of the International Center for Leadership in Education to examine curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The Rigor/Relevance Framework is based on two dimensions of higher standards and student achievement.

The Rigor/Relevance Framework is easy to understand. With its simple, straightforward structure, it can serve as a bridge between school and the community.

The Rigor/Relevance Framework is versatile; it can be used in the development of instruction and assessment. Likewise, teachers can use it to measure their progress in adding rigor and relevance to instruction and to select appropriate instructional strategies to meet learner needs and higher achievement goals.

Nearly all the resources on the Next Network are tied to the Rigor Relevance Framework. Clicking on the "MORE" button (to the right) brings you to our framework's homepage complete with a full description, links to white papers, and a video of Dr. Daggett explaining both the simplicity of understanding the framework and the complexity of the differences it can make in how we understand teaching and learning.