General Resources
Core Commons Web Site from the Education Commission of the States (ECS)
The Core Commons web site from the Education Commission of the States (ECS) covers information on emerging strategies and issues in implementing the Common Core. The Education Commission of the States (ECS) is an interstate compact created in 1965 to improve public education by facilitating the exchange of information, ideas and experiences among state policymakers and education leaders.
http://www.ecs-commoncore.org/
Selected E-Resources for the Common Core Collaborative (January 2012)
Resources that Support District Actions to Address Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Prepare Students for SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) Assessments.
Download the Document
Preparing Students for College, Career and CITIZENSHIP: A California Guide to Align Civic Education and the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects
This innovative resource published by the Los Angeles County Office of Education provides English-Language Arts teachers with a civic education context for improving literacy skills, and offers history-social science teachers a pedagogical framework for building literacy competencies needed for civic life. By integrating the goals of the Common Core State Standards Initiative and the goals of civic education, educators can truly provide all students with the knowledge, skills and dispositions needed for success as effective, responsible and engaged citizens in the 21st century. This document can be downloaded at no cost. For additional information, please contact Michelle M. Herczog, Ed.D. Consultant III, History-Social Science, Los Angeles County Office of Education at (562) 922-6908 or Herczog_Michelle@lacoe.edu.
Download the Document
Making Civics "Common" in California
The Education Commission of the States (ECS) - Core Commons web site offers a short summary on the Preparing Students for College, Career and CITIZENSHIP resource.
http://www.ecs-commoncore.org/?p=546
California Department of Education - Grade Level Curriculum
The California Department of Education has developed grade level documents that show what a child should know and be able to do at that grade level as well as prerequiste skills and guidance for English Learners. These are aligned with the Common Core State Standards. At this time grades K-6 are completed and grades 7 and 8 are expected to be released late January 2012.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/grlevelcurriculum.asp
The American Educator Periodical, Fall 2011
The Fall 2011 issue of The American Educator, a publication from AFT (American Federation of Teachers), is focused around the Common Core State Mathematics Standards. Hung-Hsi Wu, professor emeritus of mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley, discusses bringing a new partnership between mathematicians and educators so that correct mathematics and effective pedagogy can be written into brand new teacher education programs and student textbooks.
http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae/
California Teachers Association 2011 Summer Institute - Common Core State Standards Materials
Presentations on the Common Core State Standards delivered as part of the California Teachers Association (CTA) 2011 Summer Institute held at the University of California at Los Angeles on August 2, 2011. The CDE web site has PDF versions of the presentation materials.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cc/cta2011summerinstitute.asp
California Legislation and the Common Core State Standards
A list of bills that were recently signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown that impacts the implementation of the Common Core State Standards in California.
Download the Document
California Department of Education - Supplemental Instructional Materials Review FAQs
Related to Senate Bill 140 (Lowenthal), these are frequently asked questions regarding the Supplemental Instructional Materials Review.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/sspimaterialreviewfaqs.asp
The American Educator Periodical, Summer 2011
The Summer 2011 issue of The American Educator, the publication from AFT (American Federation of Teachers), is focused around the Common Core State Standards. You will find this publication very practical and thought provoking. Dr. Marilyn Adams: Advancing Our Students' Language and Literacy The Challenge of Complex Texts, discusses the language of text used in our middle and high schools and how that relates to student's reading comprehension decline.
http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae/summer2011/index.cfm
ELA Common Core State Standards
http://corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf
- ELA Common Core State Standards - Appendix A
- ELA Common Core State Standards - Appendix B
- ELA Common Core State Standards - Appendix C
Mathematics Common Core State Standards
http://corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_Math%20Standards.pdf
California Common Core State Standards
California's Common Core State Standards are available on the CDE web site. Select the first two links under "Common Core State Standards" on the web site.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cc/
California Department of Education Common Core State Standards Resources
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were developed through a state-led initiative to establish consistent and clear education standards for English-language arts and mathematics that would better prepare students for success in college, career, and the competitive global economy. The California State Board of Education (SBE) adopted the standards on August 2, 2010. To access information and resources on SBAC visit the California Department of Education web site at:
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cc/
National Initiative for the Common Core State Standards
This web site, sponsored by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, provides information on the progress of the Common Core Standards initiative across the country. It includes recent news, presentations and information about the standards initiative in individual states.
http://www.corestandards.org
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Regarding the Common Core Standards
This FAQ, posted on the Sacramento County Office of Education web site, provides answers to general questions about the Common Core Standards. The FAQ is organized into the following categories:
- Background: National Initiative for Common Core State Standards
- Background: California Common Core Standards
- Frameworks and Instructional Materials
- Assessment
- California Common Core Standards for Mathematics
- California Common Core Standards for English-language Arts
- Resources
http://www.scoe.net/castandards/multimedia/common_core_faq.pdf
SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC)
On June 9, 2011 California joined the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) as a governing state. The SBAC is a national consortium of 29 states that have been working collaboratively to develop a student assessment system aligned to a common core of academic content standards. Of those, California is one of 19 governing states, which allows decision-making participation. The remaining 10 are advisory states. The SBAC focus is on assessing students annually in grades three through eight in English-language arts and mathematics and once in grades ten through twelve under current federal requirements. To access information and resources on SBAC visit the California Department of Education web site at:
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sa/smarterbalanced.asp
California Press Release Regarding SMARTER Balanced
http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr11/yr11rel43.asp
One Page Summary of SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium
http://www.k12.wa.us/smarter/pubdocs/sbacsummary2010.pdf
Sample Assessment Items
SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium Overview and Samples, April 2011 http://www.renniecenter.org/event_pages/110412_SMARTER_BalancedOverview.pdf
English Language Arts and Literacy Draft Content Specifications
http://www.k12.wa.us/SMARTER/Resources.aspx
Mathematics Draft Content Specifications
http://www.k12.wa.us/SMARTER/Resources.aspx
Additional information on SMARTER Balanced can be found at the SMARTER Balanced web site located at:
http://www.SmarterBalanced.org/
Council of Chief State School Officers - Common Core Implementation Video Series
To further aid states as they continue to implement the Common Core State Standards (Standards), the Hunt Institute and the Council of Chief State School Officers have commissioned a series of video vignettes that explain the Standards in far greater depth. Several of the key Standards writers were asked, in their own words, to talk about how the Standards were developedand the goals they set for all students.
http://www.ccsso.org/Resources/Digital_Resources/Common_Core_Implementation_Video_Series.html
Alliance for Excellent Education - Common Standards
The mission of the Alliance for Excellent Education is to promote high school transformation to make it possible to graduate prepared for postsecondary learning and success in life. This web site provides information on the progress of the Common Core Standards initiative across the country
http://www.all4ed.org/common-standards
Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) - Policy Insights, June 2011
The June 2011 issue of Policy Insights from WICHE covers the Common Core State Standards and its Implications for Higher Education in the West.
http://www.wiche.edu/info/publications/PI-CommonCoreStateStandards.pdf
Rennie Center - The Road Ahead for State Assessments
A publication from the Rennie Center. The adoption of the Common Core State Standards offers an opportunity to make significant improvements to the large-scale statewide student assessments that exist today, and the two US DOE-funded assessment consortia -- the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) -- are making big strides forward. But to take full advantage of this opportunity the states must focus squarely on making assessments both fair and accurate.
http://renniecenter.issuelab.org/sd_clicks/download2/road_ahead_for_state_assessments
Consortium for Policy Research (CPRE) - Learning Trajectories in Mathematics (January 2011)
This report from CPRE aims to provides a useful introduction to current work and thinking about learning trajectories for mathematics education, why we should care about these questions, and how to think about what is being attempted in the field, casting some light on the varying, and perhaps confusing, ways in which the terms trajectory, progression, learning, teaching, and so on, are being used by the education community.
http://www.cpre.org/images/stories/cpre_pdfs/learning%20trajectories%20in%20math_ccii%20report.pdf
ASCD - Common Core Standards Adoption by State
This web site provides information on states having adopted the Common Core State Standards is based on official announcements by state departments of education or published stories in reputable news sources from within the particular state.
http://www.ascd.org/public-policy/common-core-standards.aspx
CCSESA Common Core Tools
The California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA) provides the organizational mechanism for the 58 County Superintendents of Schools to design and implement statewide programs to identify and promote quality cost-effective educational practices and services, and provide support to school districts in the areas of student services, curriculum and instructional services, fiscal accountability and business services, and technology and telecommunications.Subject matter contained herein is adapted from the Common Core Standards Communication Tools under copyright by the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA) (2011).
Common Core Standards: Overview Video
Common Core Standards: Overview PowerPoint Presentation
This general overview of the Common Core State Standards can be viewed as a regular PowerPoint but know that there are trainer notes provided as well. In order to view those once in PowerPoint go to View, and select notes.
You can add background to these and your district name if you'd like to customize your presentation. This presentation will provide your audience with the history behind the development of these new standards. This could be used with your school board or teachers.
California's Common Core Standards Parent Handbook
A tool to become familiar with is the K-8 California's Common Core Standards Parent Handbook. This handbook will be useful to share with PTA members to build an awareness of why Common Core State Standards were developed and what they emphasize. The video will give more detail about the handbook.
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the Common Core Standards
These questions provide answers to general questions about the Common Core Standards.
They are organized into 7 categories:
- Background: National Initiative
- Background: California Common Core Standards
- Frameworks and Instructional Materials
- Assessment
- California Common Core Standards for Mathematics
- California Common Core Standards for English Language Arts
- Resources
Mathematics
California's Common Core Standards for Mathematics: Overview PowerPoint Presentation
This PowerPoint will give a basic understanding of the format and two types of standards that are found in the Common Core Standards for Mathematics. Examples of pages from the document are highlighted throughout the presentation. The video will give more clarity to what is examined in the overview.
California Common Core Standards: Introduction to the Mathematics Administrator Snapshot Video
California Common Core Standards: Introduction to the Mathematics Administrator Snapshot
This document will provide administrators a quick look at the Mathematics Standards at each grade level (K-8). It focuses on what is new or highlighted at each grade and what is no longer included or has been moved from each grade level. The video shares highlights additional information that can be found in the document.
California's Common Core Content Standards: An Introduction for Teachers in Mathematics
This is an introduction of the Common Core Standards for California so that teachers will be familiar with the organization and content of the standards. The trainer notes are included with the powerpoint presentation. The teachers will need to have a copy of the Common Core Content Standards. The session is in two parts, general overview concentrating on the focus and coherence of the standards and mathematical proficiency as defined by Common Core and 2) the structure and organization of the standards with example.
English/Langauge Arts
Common Core Content Standards for ELA: Overview PowerPoint Presentation
This PowerPoint shows the design and structure for all grades K-12. The criteria used to augment with 15 percent of additional California standards is highlighted. The video includes further explanation of each strand and the emphasis in the Common Core on informational text.
California Common Core Standards: Introduction to the English Language Arts Administrator Snapshot
This document will provide administrators a quick look at the English Language Arts Standards at each grade level (K-12). It focuses on what is new or highlighted at each grade and what is no longer included or has been moved from each grade level. The video highlights additional information that can be found in the document.
California's Common Core Standards An Introduction for Teachers - English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Science and Science and Technical Subjects
This presentation is an introduction to California's Common Core content Standards so that teachers will be familiar with the organization and content of the standards. The participants will need a copy of the ELA Common Core Standards for California. The format of the presentation covers the key design considerations, and highlights the similarities between our existing California ELA standards and the Common Core. This presentation also points out the areas of emphasis in the new standards.
International Benchmarking
Benchmarking International Standards PowerPoint Presentation
This PowerPoint discusses what is used in the comparison for international benchmarking. The video shares the international assessments used in Mathematics and Reading Literacy.
Comparison of International Benchmark Standards in Mathematics and Reading with Selected Common Core Standards and California Standards
This document shows a select set of Composite Standards, with selected Common Core Standards and CA Standards alignment. It is not intended to be a one to one correlation.