This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Drew Wiley, Nathan A. Burroughs, Susan K. Johnsen, Terri Ann Land Simpson, William H. Schmidt, Christopher H. Tienken, Diane Stark Rentner, Kellie Rolstad, Helena Curtain, and Linda J. Sheffield.
(2012). Powerful Alignment: Building Consensus around the Common Core State Standards, Language and Literacy Spectrum. This paper examines a sampling of arguments for and against the Common Core State Standards from the period surrounding their adoption. While supporters of the standards have articulated common goals such as economic security, equity, and alignment, opposing voices have failed to coalesce around a unified set of principles or a common language. An analysis of the various arguments and rhetorical techniques used by supporters and opponents reveals a model for achieving rapid, dramatic change in the modern educational landscape. [More] Descriptors: Alignment (Education), Core Curriculum, State Standards, Persuasive Discourse
(2012). Just the Facts: Common Core State Standards, Educational Horizons. In this article, the author talks about the Common Core State Standards and what they mean to teachers and their students. The Common Core State Standards Initiative provides an opportunity for classroom practitioners across the nation to hone their skills, focus on student learning, and ensure that all the students they serve will be working toward the college and career readiness that is critical to their future success. In 2009, the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers agreed to coordinate a state-led, voluntary effort to develop core academic standards in English language arts and mathematics. One year later, after collaboration with individual teachers, school administrators, experts on human development, feedback from national organizations representing a variety of education stakeholders (including teachers, postsecondary educators, and civil rights groups), and a period of public comment, reviews, and revisions, the final Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were released. To date, 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have formally adopted these voluntary standards, which are often referred to as the "common core." They are designed to identify the most essential skills and knowledge students need, but not how they acquire them. [More] Descriptors: Expertise, Feedback (Response), State Schools, Civil Rights
(2013). What Can We Learn from the Common Core Standards in the Early Language Learning Classroom?, Learning Languages. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the National Standards for Foreign Language Education have several areas of commonality: (1) both standards have the goal that all students, by the end of 12th grade, will have the skills they need to be successful world citizens; (2) the literacy skills that are found in the Common Core are the same skills that can be practiced and reinforced in the world language classroom; (3) teachers must work to ensure that all learners in world language classes have the same types of experiences; (4) teachers are being asked to focus on developing deep comprehension skills in addition to the focus on phonics and other basic skills that had been the hallmark of No Child Left Behind requirements; and (5) the new standards ask teachers to place greater emphasis on rich and varied texts so that students can be engaged in reading and learning at the same time. The author notes that after examining the connection between the National Standards for Learning Languages and the Common Core State Standards, there was an overlap between the two standards in that the strands of both are related to listening, speaking, reading, and writing at various levels of proficiency. Examples show teachers of young learners can support the demands of the Common Core State Standards, and in doing so, increase the skills of their language students, challenging them with intrinsically interesting, cognitively engaging activities that are connected to global cultures. [More] [More] Descriptors: Second Language Instruction, Second Language Learning, Core Curriculum, FLES
(2014). Common Core State Standards in 2014: Districts' Perceptions, Progress, and Challenges, Center on Education Policy. This report, based on a survey of a nationally representative sample of school districts in Common Core-adopting states, examines school districts' efforts to implement the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The report addresses district leaders' views on the rigor of the CCSS and their impact on learning and instruction, progress on and challenges in implementing the standards, outreach efforts to inform various stakeholders about the CCSS, district collaboration with other entities on various implementation activities, and the types and helpfulness of CCSS-related assistance from the state education agency. [More] Descriptors: State Standards, School Districts, Program Implementation, Academic Standards
(2015). Implementation of Common Core State Standards: Voices, Positions, and Frames, Career and Technical Education Research. The purpose of this study was to describe the voices heard, positions portrayed, and frames of newspaper messages regarding the implementation of Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The dataset contained 69 articles from 38 community newspapers in 24 states (n = 62) and from three national newspapers (n = 7). Researchers identified five voices (learning experts, journalists, politicians, teachers, community members including parents) and four positions (positive, negative, cautionary, neutral attitudes) regarding CCSS implementation. Four frames (accountability, comprehensive perspective, economic impact, and school governance) came from newspaper messages related to the implementation of CCSS. The outcomes of this study indicate the overall feelings of multiple groups while addressing the trend for factual information being reported by the varying mediums. [More] Descriptors: Program Implementation, Common Core State Standards, Content Analysis, Newspapers
(2013). How ASCD Supports the Common Core, Educational Leadership. As the Common Core State Standards Initiative moved from the development and adoption of the standards to their implementation, ASCD embarked on a multifaceted program to help educators understand and implement the new standards. With support from a $3 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, ASCD has enacted a three-pronged approach to partner with four states to help with implementation and to share lessons learned nationally. In late 2011 and early 2012, ASCD hosted statewide summits in Arkansas, Colorado, North Carolina, and Utah to gauge and promote educators' knowledge of the standards and to learn about educators' needs. ASCD created the EduCore digital tool as a repository of evidence-based strategies, videos, and supporting documents to help educators transition to the Common Core State Standards in both mathematics and English language arts and literacy for the secondary grades. EduCore is free and available to all educators. ASCD continues to partner with the state education agencies and ASCD affiliates in each of the summit states to develop and provide technical assistance resources to achieve the recommendations that came out of the summits. The 2012-13 school year is a pivotal time for implementing the Common Core State Standards as a critical mass of teachers begin to integrate the standards in their classrooms. Because the standards are relatively new to most, educators have unprecedented opportunities for professional learning and collaboration. [More] Descriptors: Partnerships in Education, State Standards, Evidence, Technical Assistance
(2013). How the Common Core Boosts Quality and Equality, Educational Leadership. The adoption of the Common Core State Standards by 46 states and the District of Columbia represents a dramatic departure in U.S. education. In the past, national efforts to improve education have been directed by the federal government and have emphasized resources or organizational structure. In contrast, the Common Core State Standards in math and language arts were developed under the leadership of state governments to improve the "content" of instruction. A tremendous commitment of time, money, and human resources has gone into creating the new standards–and even more will go into implementing them. If the ambitions of the Common Core initiative are realized, for the first time almost every public school student in the United States will be exposed to roughly the same content, especially in grades 1-8. All of which raises the question, Is all this effort worth it? In the case of mathematics, the authors think the answer is yes because the new math standards will address two long-standing problems in U.S. education: the mediocre quality of mathematics learning and unequal opportunity in U.S. schools. In short, the Common Core State Standards have the potential to improve both quality and equality in mathematics education. [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Public Schools, Educational Change, Mathematics Education
(2011). The Cost of Unprepared Students, College Board. Presented at the College Board National Forum, October 2011. In this session on academic preparedness and the Common Core, presenters summarized research on academic rigor and current course taking patterns for students and discussed how the new common core state standards will impact curriculum and expectations for student coursework. [More] Descriptors: College Preparation, Course Selection (Students), Common Core State Standards, Educational Attainment
(2014). New Teachers' Implementation of the Common Core State Standards, Action in Teacher Education. This study investigates new teachers' challenges in implementing the secondary mathematics and English Common Core State Standards (CCSS) using a survey approach that addressed 17 secondary mathematics and English teachers' understanding and implementation of the CCSS and their needs for collaboration with peers in a positive learning community. The findings included new teachers' perspectives about their lack of preparedness and their challenges in understanding the CCSS language, content, and student learning. The teachers also reported difficulties in working with veteran teachers. The teachers described needing preparation during their teacher education programs; collaboration among teachers of similar content areas, programs, and schools; and professional development and support from administrators. [More] Descriptors: Beginning Teachers, Curriculum Implementation, State Standards, Secondary School Teachers
(2015). Seven Traps of the Common Core State Standards, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. Using sociologist C. Wright Mill's analogy of the trap, this piece invites readers to think about the Common Core State Standards beyond the classroom, outward toward its historical and political context. The traps describe the connection between larger social issues related to the implementation of the Common Core and changes at the classroom level with immediate impact on teachers' and students' daily lives. Within the analysis of the seven traps is critical examination of the production of both the Common Core and the Publisher's Criteria and how the documents represent literacy generally, reading and writing specifically, and children's literature. The analysis positions both documents as open and changeable texts waiting for the thoughtful input of teachers, parents, community members, and students. [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Alignment (Education), Core Curriculum, Social Influences
(2014). The Common Core State Standards and the Great Divide, International Multilingual Research Journal. This article contextualizes recent developments around issues of language and the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in terms of the classic distinction between literates and non-literates in the Great Divide debate. Using a social practices perspective to frame the issues, the authors argue that the CCSS reiterate the debate, and reflect an autonomous, deficit orientation. The authors argue that the deficit orientation embedded in language-related proposals around the CCSS hold negative consequences for policy and practice. The authors note the absence of critical engagement of these issues in the CCSS literature, and review major criticisms of the construct of academic language, a cornerstone of the new standards. [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Educational Policy, Educational Practices, Politics of Education
(2016). An Evaluability Assessment on the Implementation of the Common Core State Standards in Louisiana, ProQuest LLC. The Partnership for Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and the National Governor's Association formed a coalition to present common standards for all grade levels across all states (PARCC, 2012). Louisiana was one of the initial state participants who agreed to create a specific timeline for implementation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not fidelity was maintained in implementation; which, if any, components of implementation were perceived to be beneficial; and whether or not the participants' perception toward the Common Core State Standards was indicative of success (National Governor's Association, 2010). The research in this study was conducted through an explanatory multiple-case evaluability assessment designed by Wholey, Hatry, & Newcomer (2010) and further enhanced by Rossi, Lipsey, & Freeman (2004). Educators and administrative personnel throughout Louisiana were contacted through a blind email solicitation as an invitation to participate via an email survey. In addition, State Department of Education employees were contacted for their responses. Seven out of a possible 65 parishes responded with letters of support and followed with survey participation. The majority of those responding were from southwestern Louisiana. Fidelity in implementation, or the consistency and accuracy in which the methods of implementation are duplicated, comes from commonly placed processes, fund sources, and expectations (Wholey et al., 2010). The purpose behind this evaluability assessment was to gain a deeper understanding for the implementation processes, to garner shareholder perceptions, to suggest areas which could be strengthened through changes in processes, and, in turn, provide improvement for the continued implementation of the Common Core State Standards. The responses from the 97 educators and 39 administrators identified a lack of fidelity in the methods of implementation, professional development and further proposed that the Common Core State Standards would not succeed. The report that follows indicates several missed opportunities, afforded to the state and districts, which would have strengthened the implementation efforts and achieved the goal of a united utilization of nationally accepted teaching standards. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta… [More] Descriptors: Program Evaluation, Program Implementation, Common Core State Standards, Fidelity
(2013). Translating the Common Core State Standards, AASA Journal of Scholarship & Practice. As the authors describe in Chapter 7 of their new book, "The School Reform Landscape: Fraud, Myth, and Lies," the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) initiative continues to ramble on, without evidence to support its efficacy. That is because education reform in the United States is being driven largely by ideology, rhetoric, and dogma instead of evidence. Sadly for today's children, the ideas put forth via the Common Core are simply recycled from those presented by the Committee of 10 and Committee of 15 in 1893 and 1895. The rhetoric used by the vendors of the CCSS seemingly attempts to mask the fact that there is little that one can consider innovative or equitable in the latest product to enter the current education reform landscape. Presented in this article are excerpts from their book in which they take some of the claims made by the vendors of the CCSS and provide translations of the considerations the vendors of the standards claim they made when constructing the CCSS. [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Educational Change, Vendors, Academic Standards
(2012). Using the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics with Gifted and Advanced Learners, Prufrock Press Inc. "Using the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics With Gifted and Advanced Learners" provides teachers and administrators examples and strategies to implement the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS) with advanced learners at all stages of development in K-12 schools. The book describes–and demonstrates with specific examples from the CCSS–what effective differentiated activities in mathematics look like for top learners. It shares how educators can provide rigor within the new standards to allow students to demonstrate higher level thinking, reasoning, problem solving, passion, and inventiveness in mathematics. By doing so, students will develop the skills, habits of mind, and attitudes toward learning needed to reach high levels of competency and creative production in mathematics fields. [More] Descriptors: Gifted, State Standards, Elementary Secondary Education, Advanced Students
(2015). Aligning "TextEvaluator"® Scores with the Accelerated Text Complexity Guidelines Specified in the Common Core State Standards. Research Report. ETS RR-15-21, ETS Research Report Series. The "TextEvaluator"® text analysis tool is a fully automated text complexity evaluation tool designed to help teachers, curriculum specialists, textbook publishers, and test developers select texts that are consistent with the text complexity guidelines specified in the Common Core State Standards.This paper documents the procedure used to align the TextEvaluator reporting scale with the Common Core text complexity scale and provides score ranges for use when placing texts into grade bands.Three evaluations of the proposed score ranges are reported: one implemented with respect to the set of 168 exemplar texts provided in Appendix B of the Common Core State Standards, one implemented with respect to a set of 10 career texts, and one implemented with respect to a set of 59 texts selected from textbooks assigned in first-year, credit-bearing college courses. Results suggest that the proposed ranges can help users determine an appropriate grade band placement for any text that has been evaluated by TextEvaluator, including informational, literary, and mixed texts. [More] Descriptors: Scores, Common Core State Standards, Computer Software, Computational Linguistics