Top TEN Things You Need to Know About Common Core State Standards
Beginning in the spring of 2009, Governors and state commissioners of education from 48 states, 2 territories and the District of Columbia committed to developing a common core of state standards for K-12 English-language arts (ELA) and mathematics. The Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI) is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). Parents, teachers, school administrators and experts from across the country together with state leaders developed these standards. Throughout the process of drafting and approving these standards, public comment periods were opened to provide timely and significant feedback. To date 45 states have adopted these Common Core State Standards (CCSS).
What you need to know:
- The Kansas State Board of Education formally adopted the Common Core State Standards for mathematics and English/language arts on October 12, 2010. The CCSS now become district curricular standards.
- These standards provide clear goals for student learning in language arts and mathematics and help teachers ensure that students have the skills and knowledge they need to be successful, whether they plan to go on to postsecondary education or enter the workforce.
- Local educators will use the CCSS to create lesson plans and tailor instruction to the individual needs of the students in their classrooms.
- Assessments based on these standards will not begin until the 2014-2015 school year. Assessments will be written in collaboration with the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium.
- During the 2011-2014 school years, students will continue to complete annual state assessments in grades 3-8 and once in high school for reading and math using the2003 Kansas State Standards.
- During the 2011-2012 school year educators in Morris County USD 417 are learning more about the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). They have had the opportunity to attain knowledge about the content and organization of the standards. Terminology in both CCSS English/language arts and mathematics is different from the 2003 Kansas State Standards. Additionally, terminology for the new CCSS is different for math and English/language arts.
- CCSS English/language standards are written for each grade level, K-8, with standards organized for grades 9-10 and 11-12. Literacy strands include reading, writing, speaking/listening, language.
- CCSS mathematics includes Standards for Mathematical Practice that are integrated across all grade levels and K-8 Standards for Mathematical Content. For high school students CCSS include content standards for traditional courses or integrated mathematics. Examples of mathematics domains include rations and proportional relationships, the number system, expressions and equations, geometry, and statistics and probability.
- For states choosing to adopt the CCSS, having one set of standards will make it easier for states to share information and resources.
- For more information, check out the following website –
http://www.ksde.org Click on the Common Core State Standards Initiative.
