WHAT ARE THE
COMMON CORE
STATE STANDARDS?*
*(AND WHY SHOULD FOLKS IN
HIGHER EDUCATION CARE)?
Jef f
Hittenberger,
Ph.D.
Chief
Academic
Of ficer
Orange County Department of Education
Al Mijares, Ph.D., County Superintendent of Schools
1
WHAT ARE THE COMMON CORE
STATE STANDARDS (CCSS)?
- What should students know and be able to do by the
time they graduate from high school?
(Stated as Math and English Language Arts standards, but
intended to be integrated in all subject areas)
- What should they know and be able to do at each
level of their development?
- What competencies and habits of mind will equip
students for college and career readiness and
success?
Orange County Department of Education
Al Mijares, Ph.D., County Superintendent of Schools
2
WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?
- Early 1990s: Development of standards state -bystate
- 1997-98: Adoption of California standards for
English, Math, Science, and History/Social Science
- 2001: No Child Left Behind mandates that all states
adopt standards
Orange County Department of Education
Al Mijares, Ph.D., County Superintendent of Schools
3
WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?
- 1996: Nation’s governors establish Achieve, develop
an early set of college readiness standards.
- 2002: Partnership for 21 st Century Skills. National
surveys of employers and development of the 4Cs
model.
- 2009: National Governors Association (NGA) and
Council of Chief State Schools Officers (CCSSO)
initiate development of CCSS.
Orange County Department of Education
Al Mijares, Ph.D., County Superintendent of Schools
4
WHO ADOPTED THEM?
- 2010: Adopted by the California State Board of
Education based on a process initiated by the
legislature and signed by then-Governor
Schwarzenegger
- Also adopted voluntarily by 45 other states, now in
various stages of implementation
Orange County Department of Education
Al Mijares, Ph.D., County Superintendent of Schools
5
WHY DO WE NEED THEM?
-
International assessments
International benchmarking
Beyond memorization and multiple choice
Conceptual depth
Real-world application
Beyond remediation
Inadequacy of a high-school diploma
Orange County Department of Education
Al Mijares, Ph.D., County Superintendent of Schools
6
WHAT WILL THEY MEAN FOR STUDENTS
AND TEACHERS?
In ELA:
- Teachers will need to balance teaching of literary
texts with informational texts (across all subjects)
- Students will learn to use evidence from texts
systematically to support and illustrate their
arguments and responses to key questions
- Focus is on transferability of skills across subject
areas and into real-world settings.
Orange County Department of Education
Al Mijares, Ph.D., County Superintendent of Schools
7
WHAT WILL THEY MEAN FOR STUDENTS
AND TEACHERS?
In Math:
- Instruction will focus on key concepts
- Students will need to understand deeply the
foundational mathematical knowledge they are
taught at each grade level.
- The math in the CCSS is designed to be applied in a
wide variety of settings and situations, most of them
outside the math classroom setting.
- Adapted from New York Department of Education
Orange County Department of Education
Al Mijares, Ph.D., County Superintendent of Schools
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WHO SUPPORTS THEM?
-
California School Boards Association
California Teachers Association
California Parent Teacher Association
Association of California School Administrators
California County Superintendents Educational
Services Association
Orange County Department of Education
Al Mijares, Ph.D., County Superintendent of Schools
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WHAT IS THEIR RELEVANCE FOR
HIGHER EDUCATION?
-
Encouraging linkages
Emphasizing college and career readiness
Lowering remediation
Encouraging career pathways for use of knowledge in
real-world settings
Orange County Department of Education
Al Mijares, Ph.D., County Superintendent of Schools
10
WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE?
- Collaboration with your local schools, districts,
and county offices
- Brochure – ocde.us
- January 27: Dr. David Conley speaking at the
Irvine Marriott, author of College, Careers, and
the Common Core – See ocde.us
Orange County Department of Education
Al Mijares, Ph.D., County Superintendent of Schools
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