Common Core State Standards

Currently, just over 200 teachers from across Tennessee are participating in leadership training sessions on the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), according to the Tennessee Department of Education. Using the knowledge they gain, these educators will then lead sessions for more than 11,000 instructors throughout the state this summer.

More than 400 teachers took part in a rigorous application process so they could have a chance at becoming a Core Coach. In the end, 205 of these instructors were selected by the Common Core Leadership Council, which is comprised of the 13 state educators who are overseeing Tennessee’s transition to the CCSS.

"This is an exciting moment for Tennessee as we take the important concepts of the Common Core State Standards directly to classroom teachers where they will have the biggest impact for children," said Emily Barton, the Department’s assistant commissioner for curriculum and instruction.

In the next academic year, schools across Tennessee will adjust their third- through eighth-grade math curriculum so it is aligned with the CCSS. Then, during the 2013-2014 academic year, students will be introduced to the Common Core’s new English Standards.

Currently, students in schools across Louisiana follow the state’s Comprehensive Curriculum. This will change come the 2014-2015 academic year when the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) must be fully implemented, the Bastrop Daily Enterprise reported.

In addition to equipping students with knowledge that is aligned with college and work expectations, the CCSS’ website states that the Standards will combine basic instruction with a focus on the real-world application of the skills they gain in the classroom. For example, at the high school level, students will be required to apply mathematical ways of thinking to real world issues and challenges.

For any educators, parents or students who are confused about what the real-world application of classroom topics will be like, David Nordman, the Morehouse Parish Schools’ secondary curriculum superintendent, provided the news source with an example.

"If I give you a basic multiplication or division problem, you would give a standard answer," Nordman said. "If I give you an actual problem that identifies so many square feet to build a fence and a certain amount of money to do it, that’s a real-world application."

Currently, students enrolled in institutions within the Concordia Parish School District are trying to tackle too many subjects in class, said Rhonda Wilson, president of the Concordia Parish School Board, according to The Natchez Democrat. However, the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is expected to provide a solution to the problem these Louisiana schools face.

"The Common Core gets us to slow down and teach a limited number of things, but make sure they understand those before moving on," said Wilson, as quoted by the news source.

Members of the School Board recently assembled for two presentations on the CCSS, and what they will mean for the quality of education students receive in the District. This coming fall, kindergartners and first-graders will adhere to a curriculum that is completely aligned with the Common Core. Meanwhile, students in the second grade through high school will still be in a transitional period, according to the news outlet.

While students may tackle fewer topics during the school year, the knowledge and skills they do acquire are considered to be essential for success in college and beyond. According to the Common Core's website, the CCSS are clear, consistent, evidence-based and realistic and build on the strengths of current Standards. 

Between 1980 and 2009, the number of school-age children who spoke a language other than English at home increased from 4.7 to 11.2 million, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. With so many students considered to be English language learners (ELLs), it is expected that some of these youths may have some difficulty meeting the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

To help ELLs keep up with native speakers, Oxford University Press will introduce two new vocabulary-based education tools – the Oxford Illustrated Math Dictionary and the Oxford Illustrated Science Dictionary. These texts, which are designed for middle and high school math and science students, feature terms that are critical to ELLs’ understanding of these topics.

"Based upon our conversation with educators, it was clear there was a real need for tools to help ELLs achieve in the areas of math and science," said Laura Pearson, general manager of Oxford's American English Language Teaching Group.

The books are the result of a collaboration between Oxford University Press and math and science experts. Teachers and students who work with the new resources will find the Illustrated Science Dictionary contains more than 700 terms, while the Illustrated Math Dictionary features over 500.

In addition to schools across the country, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is also having an effect on publishers of children's books. Among these companies is Kingfisher, a part of the Macmillan publishing group.

Publishers Weekly reported that the widespread adoption of the CCSS influenced Kingfisher to introduce a new line of illustrated children’s books. The titles in the Kingfisher Readers series are available in five different levels and are designed to capture the interest of young learners.

"By the summer of 2011, most states had adopted these curriculum standards, which demand that 50 percent of the text students encounter in the classroom in grades K-5 is informational text," Brian Buerkle, associate publisher and director of marketing at Kingfisher, told the news source.

Buerkle views schools’ adoption of the CCSS as an "immense opportunity" for Kingfisher and other publishers. Between 20 and 30 Kingfisher Readers titles will be published each year.

According to the Kingfisher Readers website, book levels one through five are designed for children who are beginning to read; beginning to read alone; reading alone with some help; reading alone; and reading fluently, respectively.

Technological skills are an essential part of the Framework for 21st Century Learning, according to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills website. As a result, many schools are looking to introduce high tech software and devices in their classrooms to help students acquire the knowledge they will need to excel throughout life.

Recently, the Idaho State Department of Education announced a partnership with digital resource provider Discovery Education that will provide classrooms throughout the state with new technology, the Teton Valley News reported.

"This partnership is part of our continued efforts to transform every classroom into a 21st century classroom that will give every teacher in every school and every student in every classroom equal access to the best educational opportunities," said Tom Luna, superintendent of public instruction, as quoted by the news source.

Following a rigorous review process, state education officials selected Discovery Education as the provider of the technological resources, according to the news source. Through this collaboration, teachers and students will be able to use Discovery Education Streaming Plus. This program connects them to a digital library of more than 200,000 interactive resources that are aligned with the Common Core State Standards.

As teachers prepare to implement the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), they may find themselves participating in a learning session similar to the one that was recently held for educators at Monticello High School in New York.

During this training session, Kate Gerson, a senior fellow with the Regents Research Fund, spoke to teachers about the new Standards they will soon adhere to in their classrooms, the Times Herald-Record reported. Gerson was joined by Ken Slentz, New York’s associate education commissioner for district services.

Once the CCSS is fully implemented, New York teachers will be required to create lesson plans that are aligned with the Common Core, according to the news source. When assembling these plans, Gerson advised instructors to ask themselves a series of questions.

"It's about: 'What am I trying to teach here? Why did I choose this text?' And keeping you focused on it," Gerson said at a recent session, as quoted by the news outlet.

Ultimately, the CCSS will help students dig deeper and gain a better understanding of what they are learning about in class. For instance, when it comes to reading, pupils will be expected to gain insights and broaden their perspective as they work through required texts, according to the Common Core’s website.

The Chicago Public Schools’ website states that students who attend classes at these institutions spend 15 percent less time learning than the average public school student in the U.S. To rectify this situation, several city schools volunteered to extend their academic day by 90 minutes.

Some time has passed since this education initiative began, and principals at the 13 pioneer schools recently reported that they are seeing results, according to a piece they wrote for the Chicago Sun-Times. Furthermore, they believe the longer school day will better prepare students for the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), which will be introduced next year.

The principals wrote that the longer school day has provided their educators with the time they need to teach students important subjects, such as math, reading and science. Once the CCSS are fully introduced, the additional class time will also be useful in ensuring that pupils have all of the skills they will require for success in college and beyond.

Overall, the schools are working with an additional 110 hours of class time, which is the equivalent of 22 extra days of instructional time, according to the news source.

On June 22, 2010, Maryland adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Now, like many other academic institutions across the country, middle schools in Howard County are making curricular changes to better align with the CCSS, Elkridge, Maryland’s Patch website reported.

For instance, the news source stated that all 19 Howard County middle schools will now feature the same daily schedule – seven fifty-minute periods. As each class will gain an additional five minutes, teachers will be able to devote more time to core subjects.

To properly align with the CCSS, the schools extended the amount of time students spend in physical education class, and made world language instruction mandatory for sixth-graders, according to the news outlet. However, in order to create room in the schedule, the schools had to eliminate formal reading classes.

With this change, three years of reading instruction will be reduced to two quarters, the news source reported.

However, the development of strong reading skills is still a major focus of the Common Core. According to the CCSS’ website, students will read a range of written works, including classic mythology, U.S. documents and the writings of William Shakespeare.

The SCOE’s eStandards Web app is free, and instantly connects K-12 teachers and administrators to the CCSS. Educators who download this program onto their mobile device will have the ability to make sure their English and math lessons are aligned with the Common Core.

"We are always looking for new and better ways to help our teachers," said David W. Gordon, Sacramento County superintendent of schools. "It is our hope that this California Common Core resource will help teachers and curriculum specialists better apply the Standards in their daily lessons."

Sue Stickel, deputy superintendent of schools, added that the information the app provides will also help teachers, students and their parents better understand the CCSS. The simple, yet informative app has been optimized to run on both iOS and Android smartphones.

Thanks to a $200,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, ConvergeUS, the nonprofit arm of TechNet, will be able to research the CCSS. Using this funding, ConvergeUS will learn how states’ adoption of the Common Core will strengthen the long-term competitiveness of the U.S. economy, prepare students for emerging sectors and promote innovation in education. TechNet is dedicated to leveraging technology to advance social innovation.

"The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the gold standard when it comes to organizations working to improve public education in America," said Patrick Gusman, executive director of ConvergeUS. "This grant will help us facilitate improved uses of technology to enhance our education system."

During the presentation, Holly Miller, the Ledyard Public Schools district language arts consultant, spoke about a few of the changes parents and students can expect in English class, the news source stated. For instance, there will be a greater balance between fiction and non-fiction texts, as well as an increased focus on writing evidence-based arguments.

In addition, Joe Chella, the Middle School’s principal, spoke to parents about the ways in which the CCSS will reshape math education. According to Chella, math classes will promote the development of critical thinking skills by focusing more on speed and accuracy.

"We won’t just ask students to solve the problem," Chella said, as quoted by the news outlet. "We will ask them to create the problem, then solve it."

According to the CCSS’ website, the knowledge and skills that are provided by these Standards will prepare students for the courses they will take in college, as well as entry-level positions and workforce training programs.

John Battista, assistant superintendent of schools for the Monroe Public Schools district, told Monroe, Connecticut’s Patch website that the Standards will help high school graduates earn a living wage, should they decide to begin their career following their graduation.

"Students need to be college and career ready," Battista told the news source. "Some of our students may choose to enter the world of work and we want them to be ready."

According to the news outlet, a majority of the students who graduate from the district’s Masuk High School choose to enroll in college or technical schools, while some look for work instead.

This was the case in Connecticut, where officials from the West Hartford Public Schools recently shared a PowerPoint presentation and handouts that provided information on the implementation of the new Standards, West Hartford's Patch website reported.

The presentation was given by Eileen Howley, assistant superintendent for instruction and curriculum in the district, as well as Paul Vicinus, director of teaching and assessment. According to the news source, both education officials are excited about the CCSS.

"The Standards don’t tell us how to teach, they teach us what to teach," Howley told the news outlet.

Howley added that small shifts are being made to West Hartford’s curriculum, rather than radical changes. Ultimately, there is the belief that teachers and students will become more engaged through the implementation of the Standards.

When the CCSS were adopted on July 7, 2010, Mark K. McQuillan, state education commissioner, issued a statement that said Connecticut’s current standards are already high. However, by embracing the Common Core, Connecticut can offer a more uniform educational experience.

In Wisconsin’s Green Bay School District, not only will the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) mean changes for schools’ curricula, but the report cards they send home to parents as well, the Green Bay Press Gazette reported.

Schools that are implementing the CCSS are expected to have new report cards in place by the 2013-2014 academic year, the news source stated. Format-wise, the report cards are not expected to look that different from those that are currently sent to students' homes. However, the information they contain is expected to provide parents with an understanding of how their children are performing in terms of meeting the benchmarks set by the new Standards.

In the Green Bay School District, pupils and their parents can expect to see numerical marks, the news outlet reported. A student who receives a one is not meeting expectations, while a four indicates that he or she is exceeding expectations.

Schools that have embraced the new Standards have done so to provide their students with the knowledge and skills they will require in order to succeed in college and beyond, according to the CCSS’ website.

There are many topics that teachers and parents of school children may think about on a regular basis, from the safe use of the internet to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and how they will affect students' learning. These subjects and more were recently discussed at the Delaware Parent-Teacher Association's (PTA) 100th anniversary conference on November 12, the Brandywine East Community News reported.

This event, which was held at the Delaware School for the Deaf, managed to attract almost 100 state delegates, educators and parents, according to the news source. The conference's theme was A Century of Voices, while Tom Carper, the U.S. senator for Delaware, opened the event talking about the importance of parental support.

Several other state officials spent the afternoon participating in a panel discussion on the CCSS, the news outlet stated. Delaware adopted the new Standards on August 19, 2010, and many students in the state have already been introduced to elements of their new curricula, according to Coastal Sussex Morning News.

"We have to set standards that allow our children to be globally competitive," Quinn Gray, president of the Delaware School Board, said, as quoted by the news source. 

As schools prepare to transition from their current educational standards to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), it is expected that educators from some states will have questions on the implementation process. This February, these teachers and school officials will be able to attend a national conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

The forum, titled Architecture for Implementing the Common Core Standards: Strategies, Partnerships & Progress, will be co-hosted by the Council on Postsecondary Education and the College Readiness Partnership from February 27-29. It is fitting that the event will be held in Louisville, as Kentucky was the first state to adopt the CCSS on February 10, 2010.

While the first day of the forum will be dedicated to helping Kentucky-based educators, the remaining days of the conference will be open to school officials from other College Readiness Partnership states, such as Massachusetts, Oregon and Wisconsin.

Those who attend the forum at the Marriott Louisville Downtown Hotel will hear from higher education leaders, as well as Kentucky school officials who will share their CCSS successes as well as the challenges they have faced during the implementation process.

The University of Iowa College of Education's Iowa Testing Programs has replaced the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) with the Iowa Assessments, the Iowa City Press Citizen reported. According to officials behind the revamped tests, the changes will lead to benefits for both students and teachers.

For instance, Catherine Welch, director of statewide testing programs at the University, told the news source that the Iowa Assessments allow educators to track students' growth from year to year.

"They will have reports that provide more detailed information about a student’s individual performance at a standard level," Welch told the news outlet. "It can serve as a guide for how a child has changed over the years and where that child needs additional help and where more progress is expected."

Welch added that the revised tests were designed based on content that makes up the Iowa Core and the Common Core State Standards.

According to the University's website, the Iowa Assessments are available at different levels and measure students' abilities in broad academic areas, such as reading, social studies, math and science. The tests also focus on important skills, including the capitalization of words and punctuation.