Plainfield Schools to Host Common Core Forums

Submitted by District 202:

District 202 will host four special community forums about the new Common Core State Standards for learning that are being implemented this school year. 

The first of the four forums will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 19, at Ira Jones Middle School, 15320 Wallin Dr., Plainfield.

The program will be held in the cafeteria. There is no admission and light refreshments will be served. 

The same information will also be presented on:

• Sept. 25 – 7 p.m., John F. Kennedy Middle School
• Oct. 2 – 7 p.m., Aux Sable Middle School
• Oct. 9 – 7 p.m., Timber Ridge Middle School 

As well, the September 19th presentation will be recorded and posted with updated CCSS information on the District 202 web site for parents who cannot attend any of the four public programs. 

District 202 hosted four similar community forums last spring as part of a year-long effort to educate parents about the CCSS. Each forum was very successful and drew between 80 and 100 people. 

Illinois is one of 45 states that have adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The CCSS are national learning expectations that will replace the current state learning standards in math and English Language Arts, and, eventually, science and social studies.

District 202 is implementing the mathematics CCSS this year, and the English Language Arts CCSS next year. New standardized assessments for both math and English will also be given starting in 2014-15.

The CCSS will be one of the most significant changes to public education in many years. The new learning expectations are more challenging and in-depth than the current standards. As a result, officials predict some initial “learning gaps” between grades and lower initial standardized test scores as students transition to the new system among other challenges.

“This is a huge project with significant implications for our students and schools,” said Glenn Wood, District 202 Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction. 

“It is very important that our families understand the Common Core standards as much as possible as we start the work of implementing them this year and next year, so we encourage as many people as possible to come to these community forums,” he said.