CRESTVIEW — A meeting for Crestview High School parents concerning school standards is set for 6:30-7:30 p.m. Monday at 1250 N. Ferdon Blvd.
School and district administrators will share information on Okaloosa County’s transition to Common Core State Standards and answer questions from parents and community members. Parents should attend this meeting to be aware of changes they can expect in curriculum, classroom instruction and student assessments.
One major change related to Common Core standards is the PARCC exam, short for Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers, which will replace FCAT in 2014.
This assessment system will provide students, educators, policymakers and the public with tools to identify whether third-grade to high school-age students are on track for postsecondary success, where gaps may exist, and how they can be addressed before students enter college or the workforce, the PARCC website states.
Other issues covered during Monday’s meeting will include the need for changing to Common Core standards, benefits to students and the reduction in the number of standards taught.
This past summer, teachers and administrators from every north Okaloosa County school attended a four-day training program on implementing the standards locally. Preparing teachers for this implementation is a primary focus for all schools’ professional development this year, a spokesperson said.
The system is a nationwide education initiative that affects the standards being taught as well as how students will be assessed. Florida and 44 other states have adopted it as the basis for kindergarten through high school classroom instruction.
The goal is a set of standards that are the same nationwide, aligned with college and workforce expectations, clear and consistent, and based on evidence and research.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Meeting on state education standards set for Monday