This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Nancy Frey, Maureen McLaughlin, Barbara G. Pace, Joshua L. Kenna, Paula Maccini, Joanne Yatvin, David Whitenack, ASCD, Melinda M. Leko, and Kenneth Wright.
(2015). Equitable Education of English Learners in the Common Core Age: Implications for Principal Leadership, Educational Leadership and Administration: Teaching and Program Development. This paper highlights the importance of school principals in English Learners' academic achievement in the age of the Common Core State Standards. Revising the curriculum of administrator preparation programs to include a greater emphasis on curriculum and instruction is one approach to enhancing principal leadership for English Leaners. Another approach is to reculture site-level instructional leadership through professional development to address the academic learning needs of English Learners. [More] Descriptors: Principals, Administrator Role, English (Second Language), Academic Achievement
(2015). Five Keys for Teaching Mental Math, Mathematics Teacher. After studying the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) and brain-based learning research, James Olsen believes mental math instruction in secondary school mathematics (grades 7-12) and in teacher education programs needs increased attention. The purpose of this article is to share some keys for teaching mental math. Olsen also shares his rationale for his recommendation to increase mental math instruction in secondary school mathematics and in teacher education. A bibliography is included. [More] Descriptors: Mental Computation, Teaching Methods, Mathematics Instruction, Secondary School Mathematics
(2013). Common Core State Standards 101, Alliance for Excellent Education. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) represent the first time that nearly every state has set common expectations for what students should know and be able to do. In the past, each state set its own standards, and the results varied widely. And while states collectively developed these common standards, decisions about the curriculum and teaching practices for reaching them are made locally. In addition, the CCSS differ markedly from most state standards that preceded them. They are tied to college and career readiness, and students who meet the standards are expected to be able to go on to postsecondary education without the need for remedial classes–basic skills courses that are costly and do not confer credit but are needed to bring students up to the level of competency expected for new college entrants. The CCSS are also internationally benchmarked, and match the expectations of the highest-performing nations. As a result of these factors, the standards call for significant shifts from traditional practice in both English language arts (ELA)/literacy and mathematics. This brief will describe the CCSS initiative and its current status. It will discuss how the initiative came about, briefly describe the changes in instruction the CCSS call for, assess the current state of implementation, describe the views of supporters and critics, and discuss some of the keys to ensuring that the standards deliver on their promise. [More] Descriptors: Academic Standards, State Standards, Standard Setting, Benchmarking
(2013). Warning: The Common Core Standards May Be Harmful to Children, Phi Delta Kappan. The author, a longtime teacher and principal, levels harsh criticisms against the English/language arts standards of the Common Core State Standards. Some standards call on young children to behave like high school seniors, making fine distinctions between words or literary devices, carrying on multiple processes simultaneously, and expressing their understandings in precise academic language, she says, while others expect them to have a strong literary background after only two or three years of schooling. [More] Descriptors: Academic Standards, State Standards, Language Arts, Knowledge Level
(2012). Fulfilling the Promise of the Common Core State Standards: Moving from Adoption to Implementation to Sustainability. First launched in April 2009, the Common Core State Standards Initiative was conceived to identify and develop college- and career-readiness standards that address what students are expected to know and be able to do when they have graduated from high school. The initiative introduced the final version of the standards in June 2010, and by September 2012, 46 states, the District of Columbia, and other U.S. territories had adopted the Common Core State Standards. States also organized themselves to design and develop next-generation assessments to measure student learning aligned with the Common Core standards, with the target of the assessments being administered by the 2014-15 school year. To support teachers in the classroom and advance the understanding and implementation of the Common Core State Standards, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) is providing a multifaceted program of information and professional learning. The work, with funding from a three-year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, includes: (1) Hosting statewide summits in four states; (2) Developing an online, digital application for professional development that uses math and literacy resources aligned to the Common Core State Standards; and (3) Providing technical assistance to support standards implementation. The statewide summits presented a powerful opportunity to determine educators' level of understanding about the new standards and their professional development needs and to provide information. This report outlines findings from four state summits and offers key recommendations for action. [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Curriculum Development, Technical Assistance, Professional Development
(2017). Examining Secondary Special Education Teachers' Literacy Instructional Practices, Exceptionality. This study presents findings from a survey of secondary special education teachers who teach reading. Respondents were 577 special education teachers from a large Midwestern state who completed an online or mail survey. Results based on quantitative and qualitative analyses indicate predominant foci of secondary special education teachers' reading instructional practices were teaching vocabulary and comprehension, engaging in ongoing formative assessment, and incorporating technology into instruction. Major themes included the widespread use of commercial reading programs and a bifurcation of instructional roles. These findings are discussed in relation to the national discourse on adolescent literacy and current schooling initiatives including the Common Core State Standards and Multi-tiered Systems of Support. [More] Descriptors: Special Education Teachers, Educational Practices, Statistical Analysis, Qualitative Research
(2017). Paraphrasing Strategy Instruction in Content Area Text, Intervention in School and Clinic. Reading comprehension is important for academic success and is a skill required for many activities in school and beyond. With the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), many teachers have reported feeling overwhelmed by the expectations that reading and writing skills should be emphasized, taught, and supported in the content area classroom. This article discusses how to teach a paraphrasing strategy using the self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) model in content area texts to support the development of comprehension skills. The strategy can easily be incorporated into existing curriculum as a support for a variety of readers who struggle with comprehension and aligns well with the CCSS. [More] Descriptors: Reading Comprehension, Teaching Methods, Independent Study, Middle School Teachers
(2014). Implications of Common Core State Standards on the Social Studies, Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas. Social studies teachers have often been on the outside looking in during much of the era billed as the standards-based educational reform (SBER), but with the adoption and implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), social studies teachers seem to have been invited back inside. Yet, how will the standards impact social studies teachers' instructional practices? The article attempts to address those issues, while also briefly describing the history of the SBER, and the state of social studies education. [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Social Studies, Teaching Methods, Educational History
(2014). An Examination of Intervention Research with Secondary Students with EBD in Light of Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, Behavioral Disorders. In this review, the authors offer a critical analysis of published interventions for improving mathematics performance among middle and high school students with EBD in light of the Common Core State Standards. An exhaustive review of literature from 1975 to December 2012 yielded 20 articles that met criteria for inclusion. The authors analyzed the body of research for the nature of participants, settings, interventionists, interventions, and alignment with Common Core State Standards. Despite limitations with the body of research, the results of the review indicate a number of promising practices exist for secondary students with EBD in mathematics, including: (a) peer-mediated approaches, (b) interventions that address academic performance as well as behavior, (d) use of technology, and (e) use of strategy instruction to support conceptual understanding. Implications for research and practice are provided. [More] Descriptors: Intervention, Mathematics Achievement, Middle School Students, High School Students
(2010). Comparison of Virginia's College and Career Ready Mathematics Performance Expectations with the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. This paper presents a comparison of Virginia's mathematics performance expectations with the common core state standards for mathematics. The comparison focuses on number and quantity, algebra, functions, geometry, and statistics and probability. [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Algebra, Core Curriculum, Alignment (Education)
(2012). The Common Core: Insights into the K-5 Standards, Reading Teacher. The role of the Common Core English Language Arts Standards in grades K-5 literacy instruction is the focus of the article. The authors begin by raising four questions: (1) What is the essential philosophy of the Common Core State Standards?; (2) What do educators need to know to use the College and Career Readiness Standards and Common Core State Standards effectively?; (3) What do classroom teachers need to do differently to help their students achieve?; and (4)What is the role of professional development in the implementation of the Common Core State Standards? In the article, the authors respond to these queries and discuss a variety of challenges that states, school districts, and teachers face as they implement the Common Core. [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Literacy, Language Arts, Educational Philosophy
(2013). Using Smartphones to Supplement Classroom Reading, Reading Teacher. Supplementing classroom reading with smartphones can develop better vocabulary knowledge, comprehension, technology skills, and writing. This article connects smartphones to reading complex, informational text and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The author suggests that smartphones motivate, scaffold comprehension, and invite investigations that allow students to engage with authors, illustrators, and each other in ways that invite deep and thoughtful reading. [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Reading Instruction, Vocabulary Development, Teaching Methods
(2015). Improve Reading with Complex Texts, Phi Delta Kappan. The Common Core State Standards have cast a renewed light on reading instruction, presenting teachers with the new requirements to teach close reading of complex texts. Teachers and administrators should consider a number of essential features of close reading: They are short, complex texts; rich discussions based on worthy questions; revisiting and annotating the text; and being inspired by the text. Educators should consider these the look-fors that deepen students' interactions with text. [More] Descriptors: Reading Improvement, Educational Practices, State Standards, Reading Instruction
(2017). Complex Questions Promote Complex Thinking, Reading Teacher. Intermediate-grade teachers often express concerns about meeting the Common Core State Standards for Reading, primarily because of the emphasis on deep understanding of complex texts. No matter how difficult the text, if teachers demand little of the reading, student meaning making is not challenged. This article offers a tool for teachers to consider as they elevate their questioning of students to create situations where complex comprehension is expected. Using a continuum for categorizing teacher questions, the article suggests ways for teachers to reconsider their interactions with students around texts, focusing on high-level questioning that prioritizes the deep meaning making emphasized in the Common Core. [More] Descriptors: Common Core State Standards, Difficulty Level, Reading Comprehension, Reading Difficulties
(2013). Teaching with Challenging Texts in the Disciplines: Text Complexity and Close Reading, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. The Common Core State Standards highlight the need to read–independently, closely, and proficiently–increasingly complex texts. However, they do not specify how such reading is to be done. This column provides a brief critique of text complexity and close reading and offers some concrete ideas for operationalizing these two concepts in secondary subject area classrooms. [More] Descriptors: Content Area Reading, Difficulty Level, Secondary Education, Academic Standards