Elmont on track with state’s Core standards

The Common Core State Standards — a new state-mandated curriculum that was first announced by at the end of the 2010-11 school year, required to be implemented for 2012-13 math and English Language Arts exams for grades three through eight — are already in the works at Elmont elementary schools.

According to Al Harper, superintendent of the Elmont Union Free School District, the district is in the process of CCSS implementation for math, ELA and literacy. He explained that the change is happening gradually: teachers are slowly aligning their curriculum to teach new academic vocabulary, reading comprehension and written expression skills in all grade levels, as well as phonemic awareness, phonics and fluency in primary grades; other teachers are incorporating lessons on broader mathematical fluencies, concepts and mathematical practices, and bringing in projects and activities that require more real-world mathematical applications, in an effort to align the district’s curriculum with the CCSS.

Harper said that district is currently implementing the CCSS in its morning and after-school ELA and Math instructional sessions, Academic Summer School and summer enrichment programs. While the district’s educators have been working diligently to implement the standards since the summer, he added, they are already part of the district’s curriculum.

“Elmont teachers have always been held to the very highest teaching standards,” Harper said. “Preparing our students for a successful future will always be our primary goal … whether a kindergartner is engaged in science research, a third grader in gardening, or a fifth- or sixth-grader is proposing a resolution to support world literacy in our Model United Nations Program, he or she is building Common Core literacy, and mathematical skills and strategies.”

Currently, the district monitors student progress throughout the school year and, based on the assessment information, daily classroom lessons are developed and delivered.