The Common Core State Standards, or CCSS, were developed to establish a clear and consistent set of expectations for student learning. To date, 40+ states and the District of Columbia* have adopted either the Common Core English Language Arts (ELA) standards, Mathematics standards, or both. The standards intend to provide a more consistent set of expectations between states, especially helpful given the mobility of families and expectations of colleges and employers in the 21st-century economy.
To bring you up to speed quickly, we’ve developed an overview of both the ELA and Mathematics standards, as well as tips for navigating each set of standards.
What, Why, and How
What are the Commons Core State Standards?
The Common Core State Standards, or CCSS, were developed to establish a clear and consistent set of expectations for student learning. To date, 40+ states and the District of Columbia* have adopted either the Common Core English Language Arts (ELA) standards, Mathematics standards, or both. The standards intend to provide a more consistent set of expectations between states, especially helpful given the mobility of families and expectations of colleges and employers in the 21st-century economy.
Why the Movement Toward Common Standards?
Giving every student a level playing field to learn and succeed is at the heart of the Common Core. Research shows that students perform better when measured against their own potential than when measured against one another. Most adults today remember the bell curve. If you were a motivated student, you tried to stay ahead of the curve—and if you were a struggling student, you were scaffolded merely to reach proficiency.
The Common Core State Standards are designed to level the playing field, giving all students the opportunity to exceed proficiency, to reach their full potential, and to be prepared for college and 21st-century careers. It starts by articulating a clear set of expectations.
How will the Common Core Standards Affect Schools?
To say that the Common Core State Standards represent a new “initiative” for school districts is an understatement. Fully implementing the standards by 2014 in time for the 2015 assessments is an enormous undertaking—requiring unprecedented collaborative efforts in states, districts, school buildings, and educational providers, like HMH.
The good news is that we’re not alone. Developed by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, the Common Core standards are national standards, based on the most successful state and global standards. The work that goes into implementing them across the country will be shared in new and innovative ways. Throughout the language of the standards is a theme of “shared responsibility.” For example, the English Language Arts standards require a focus on literacy across the disciplines, meaning that teachers of history, social studies, science, and technical subjects must align their instruction with the reading and writing standards for literature and informational text.
The Math standards are anchored by learning progressions between grade levels, and they require that students make greater connections between concepts, which will mean increased collaborative planning among teachers.