Common Core State Standards
Initiative
 State-led and developed common core
standards for K-12 in English/language arts
and mathematics
 Initiative led by the Council of Chief State
School Officers (CCSSO) and National
Governors Association (NGA)
What are
educational
standards?
Why do they
matter?
State-led Initiative
States in the driver’s seat
The federal government did
not develop the standards
or require their adoption.
Why do we need common
standards? Why now?
 Disparate standards across states
 Today’s jobs require different skills
 Global competition
 For many young people, a high school
degree isn’t preparing them for college or a
good job.
Why is This Important for
Students, Teachers, and Parents?
 Prepares students with the knowledge and
skills they need to succeed in college and
work
 Ensures consistent expectations regardless
of a student’s zip code
 Provides educators, parents, and students
with clear, focused guideposts
 Offers economies of scale
Features of the Standards
Aligned with college and work expectations
Focused and coherent
Include rigorous content and application of
knowledge through high-order skills
Build upon strengths and lessons of current state
standards
Based on evidence and research
Internationally benchmarked
Should be read to allow the widest possible range
of students to participate fully
6
Foundation for the Standards
Aligned with college and work expectations
 Prepare students for success in entry-level,
credit-bearing, academic college courses (2and 4- year postsecondary institutions)
 Prepare students for success in careers that
offer competitive, livable salaries above the
poverty line, opportunities for career
advancement, and are in growing or sustainable
industries
Standards Development Process
 College- and career-readiness standards for
English/language arts and mathematics developed
summer of 2009
 Based on the college and career readiness standards,
K-12 standards for each grade were developed
 Continual input throughout the process from states,
educators, and business and higher education leaders
 Public comment period with nearly 10,000 responses
 Final standards released on June 2, 2010
42 states and D.C. have fully adopted the Common Core State Standards; 1 state has provisionally adopted the standards; and 1 state
has adopted only the ELA standards.
What’s in the
Standards
Applications
 Applications for English language learners
 Learn academic content while learning English. English
proficiency is not a prerequisite to students achieving the goals
laid out in the standards.
 Application for students with disabilities
 “Students with disabilities are a heterogeneous group with one
common characteristic: the presence of disabling conditions
that significantly hinder their abilities to benefit from general
education.” (IDEA 34 CFR §300.39, 2004) Therefore, how
these high standards are taught and assessed is of the
utmost importance in reaching this diverse group of
students.
“Promoting a culture of high expectations for all students is a
fundamental goal of the Common Core State Standards.”
STANDARDS FOR
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS
(ELA)
&
LITERACY IN HISTORY/SOCIAL
STUDIES, SCIENCE, AND
TECHNICAL SUBJECTS
Design and Organization
Introduction
 Description of capacities of a literate student (e.g., demonstrate
independence, come to understand other perspectives and cultures)
Three main sections
 K−5 cross-disciplinary
 6−12 English language arts
 6−12 literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects
Three appendices
A: Research and evidence; glossary of key terms
B: Reading text exemplars; sample performance tasks
C: Annotated student writing samples
ELA Key Advances
Reading
 Balance of literature and informational texts
 Text complexity
Writing
 Emphasis on argument and informative/explanatory writing
 Writing about sources
Standards for reading and writing in history/
social studies, science, and technical subjects
 Complement rather than replace content standards
in those subjects
 Responsibility of teachers in those subjects
MATHEMATICS
STANDARDS
Design and Organization
Standards for Mathematical Practice
 Carry across all grade levels
 Describe habits of mind of a mathematically expert student
Standards for Mathematical Content
 K-8 standards presented by grade level
 High school standards presented by conceptual theme
Appendix
 Designing high school math courses based on the Common
Core State Standards
Math Key Advances
 Focus in early grades on number (arithmetic and
operations) to build a solid foundation in math
 Evened out pace across the grades
 Focus on using math and solving complex
problems, similar to what would see in the real
world in high school
 Emphasis on problem-solving and communication