This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include M. Stephen Weatherford, Michelle Conrad, Susan Reese, Lasisi Ajayi, Wendy J Warner, Christopher H. Tienken, Mary Elizabeth Mira, Sheri Vasinda, D. Ray Reutzel, and Sarah K. Clark.
(2013). Strengthening High School Teaching and Learning in New Hampshire's Competency-Based System, Alliance for Excellent Education. For a century, most students have advanced from grade to grade based on the number of days they spend in class, but in New Hampshire, schools have moved away from "seat time" and toward "competency-based learning," which advances students when they have mastered course content. This report profiles how two high schools in New Hampshire made this shift and examines the changes that were necessary to make competency-based advancement an important part of New Hampshire's strategy for implementing the Common Core State Standards and ensuring that students graduate ready for college and a career. [More] Descriptors: Competency Based Education, High Schools, Educational Improvement, Educational Change
(2016). The CORE Community: Career and Technical Education Teachers' Perceptions of the Common Core State Standards, Career and Technical Education Research. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have been adopted in 43 states within the U.S. However, Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers are often unsure how their programs can successfully integrate CCSS. The purpose of this study was to understand how participants in a CCSS professional development project perceive the CCSS and how they are currently implementing standards in their classroom prior to beginning the training program. Data were collected through electronic surveys from CTE teachers who agreed to take part in of the CORE Community training program through the Association of Career and Technical Education (n = 170). Only 34% (n = 58) of respondents indicated currently using the CCSS in their teaching while 65% (n = 110) indicated they had received no training on how to integrate CCSS. Participants were most interested in learning how other teachers were using the CCSS in their classrooms and what resources were available for teaching. Teachers were least concerned with the CCSS being a distraction from their content. In regards to trainings needs, teachers indicated they needed the most support identifying education resources and describing the CCSS to other teachers. Teachers also identified ways they were currently integrating English/language arts and math into their programs. [More] Descriptors: Vocational Education, Teacher Attitudes, Common Core State Standards, Online Surveys
(2010). Common Core State Standards: I Wonder?, Kappa Delta Pi Record. On June 1, 2009, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) issued a press release stating that 49 states and territories had joined the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSS). That initiative proposed that all states voluntarily adopt the same set of curriculum standards and, eventually, submit to a national test, or at least a state test, aligned directly to those standards. Within months, many organizations, including the 16 education associations that make up the Learning First Alliance, pledged support for the yet untested initiative. In this essay, the author questions why educators have been so quick to support the common core state standards initiative. Some surprising data about how students of various countries have fared on international tests makes a case for questioning the reasoning behind this initiative. [More] Descriptors: State Schools, State Standards, Academic Standards, Program Effectiveness
(2014). Professional Development. State Implementation of Common Core State Standards, Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). The following profiles address how the state departments of education are helping educators prepare for and implement the Common Core and aligned assessments through professional learning. The major professional development efforts around the Common Core were examined in order to understand the overall efforts of each state. An exhaustive list of all of the professional learning that departments provide was not sought. These profiles provide a descriptive overview of each state's efforts in this area. For trends across the 15 states in their efforts, successes, challenges, types of support states need to move this work forward, and practitioner reflections of their own professional learning and experiences of implementation on the ground. [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Academic Standards, Program Implementation, State Policy
(2013). The Common Core: Far from Home, Academic Questions. In this opinion piece, Michael Toscano writes that his criticism of the Common Core State Standards ultimately has very little to do with their innate quality, but rather that their relation to other social spheres is disordered. He refers to the full reordering of American education away from families and local communities–which he states are absolutely essential to educational success–toward some abstract list of standards copyrighted in Washington, D.C. He concludes the piece by saying that a blaze, after all, can either warm the house or burn it down, depending on whether the fire's in the hearth or under the stairs. [More] Descriptors: Academic Standards, State Standards, Elementary Secondary Education, Educational Change
(2012). Growing Awareness, Growing Support: Teacher and Voter Understanding of the Common Core State Standards & Assessments. Since June 2010, 46 states and Washington DC have chosen to adopt the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)–K-12 standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy developed through a multi-state initiative led by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers. As implementation of the standards is underway, new common assessments also are being developed that will align to the CCSS. Together these Common Core State Standards and assessments will provide an important foundation for transforming education and making college and career readiness a reality for all students. These new standards and assessments will directly impact over 42 million students in K-12 public schools and 2.7 million educators teaching in those schools across the country. Through nationally commissioned polling, Achieve has been monitoring voter and teacher awareness and support for the CCSS. The first national poll was conducted in August 20111 followed by a newly released poll, conducted in May 2012. Key findings include: (1) Voters and teachers strongly support common standards and assessments. Voter support remains strong regardless of age, education level, race, ethnicity, or party affiliation; (2) There has been a significant increase in awareness of the Common Core State Standards among teachers since August 2011, while awareness of the CCSS continues to be very low among voters; (3) The more teachers know about the CCSS, the more positive impression they have of the standards. Similarly, voters who are aware of the Common Core hold a net favorable view of the standards; (4) A majority of both voters and teachers support the CCSS assessments and support holds when more information on the assessments is provided; and (5) However, there are mixed reactions to some specific components of the new assessments, although voters and teachers are fairly consistent in their views on the highest and lowest rated assessment components. [More] Descriptors: Elementary Secondary Education, Academic Standards, State Standards, Educational Assessment
(2014). Accountability. State Implementation of Common Core State Standards, Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). All of the 15 states in this study have recently been involved in school accountability system reform. Since 2011, the states have taken advantage of a federal program to give them flexibility around certain accountability requirements of the "No Child Left Behind Act" of 2001 (NCLB), the most recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). States requesting ESEA flexibility waivers must meet federal guidelines as part of the changes they make to their statewide accountability systems. While some of the changes states make vary, all states must adopt certain policies the U.S. Department of Education considers fundamental to school accountability reform. These policies include, among others, college- and career-ready standards and assessments, Common Core-aligned alternate assessments for students with severe cognitive disabilities, English language proficiency (ELP) standards and assessments for English learners (ELs), and educator effectiveness systems that incorporate the use of student performance data. States are working hard to integrate the work of such complex reforms. These profiles examine how states' new statewide accountability systems incorporate measures that hold schools accountable for student learning of the Common Core. The profiles also explain how states' accountability reporting for the use of federal Title III funds to serve ELs incorporates such measures. In each profile, the accountability measures are listed, followed by what is known about the extent of their alignment to the Common Core. [More] Descriptors: Accountability, State Standards, Academic Standards, Program Implementation
(2011). CTE and the Common Core State Standards, Techniques: Connecting Education and Careers (J1). When the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) released the Common Core State Standards in June 2010, it was the culmination of a yearlong process. It resulted in what the two organizations stated was the establishment of clear and consistent goals for learning that would prepare America's children for success in college and work. According to NGA and CCSSO, the K-12 English-language arts and mathematics standards were developed in collaboration with content experts, states, teachers, school administrators and parents, and the final standards were informed by nearly 10,000 public comments and by standards in other top-performing countries. In this article, the author discusses what the Common Core standards will mean for the career and technical education (CTE) classroom, and what lies ahead as schools and states work to implement them. [More] Descriptors: Elementary Secondary Education, State Standards, Vocational Education, Academic Standards
(2013). The Common Core Initiative: What Are the Chances of Success?, Educational Leadership. The Common Core State Standards have been adopted by 46 states and the District of Columbia. They enjoy a huge following of well-wishers and supporters who are optimistic that the standards will boost achievement in U.S. schools. Setting aside the cheerleading and fond hopes, what are the real chances of success? The most reasonable prediction is that the Common Core initiative will have little to no effect on student achievement. Moreover, on the basis of current research, high-quality professional development and "excellent" curricular materials are also unlikely to boost the Common Core standards' slim chances of success. [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, State Standards, Professional Development, Curriculum Development
(2011). Engaging Educators: Common Core State Standards Implementation. To date, 44 states and the District of Columbia have adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Achieve has prepared this planning document to help all states in the American Diploma Project Network (ADP) and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) consortium engage educators in the essential work of understanding and delivering the CCSS and related assessments. This tool is primarily aimed at the state K-12 education agency. However, the Governor's office, higher education leaders and third-party organizations also may find the tool helpful in determining how they can be involved in engaging educators to ensure seamless and effective implementation of the CCSS. Where applicable, this document is drawn from and references the Achieve/Education Delivery Institute workbook, "Implementing Common Core State Standards and Assessments," presented at the June 2011 PARCC Multi-State Implementation Institute. The tool focuses on two key areas: (1) Developing a broad communication plan to reach all educators with basic information about the CCSS; and (2) Engaging educators in the development and delivery of aligned instructional materials and professional development plans. The tool will help states develop comprehensive plans that build educator capacity to spread awareness about the CCSS. Additionally, it will help states establish systems for deep and meaningful educator engagement around the development of tools and resources for implementation. Specific Engagement Opportunities and Strategies are appended. [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Instructional Materials, Elementary Secondary Education, Academic Standards
(2011). Affirming the Goal: Is College and Career Readiness an Internationally Competitive Standard? Advance Brief for State Policymakers. According to MetLife's March 2011 Survey of the American Teacher: Preparing Students for College and Careers, approximately 93% of secondary school parents, 85% of secondary teachers, and 80% of business executives believe college and career readiness should be a priority in the nation's classrooms. This college and career readiness priority is shared by many of the nation's governors and chief state school officers. Forty-four states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have adopted the Common Core State Standards, a state-led initiative that identifies what knowledge and skills in English language arts and mathematics students need to be successful in life after high school. ACT helped write those standards, and its definition of college and career readiness is the one on which the Common Core State Standards are based. But do individuals know if ACT's–and thus every state that has adopted Common Core State Standards–definition of college and career readiness is not only the right goal, but also internationally competitive? The newest policy research report, Affirming the Goal: Is College and Career Readiness an Internationally Competitive Standard?, attempts to answer this question. This paper presents key takeaways from the report. (Contains 2 figures.) [For the full report, "Affirming the Goal: Is College and Career Readiness an Internationally Competitive Standard?," see ED520009. For the executive summary, "Affirming the Goal: Is College and Career Readiness an Internationally Competitive Standard? Executive Summary," see ED520012.] [More] Descriptors: School Readiness, College Preparation, International Education, Comparative Education
(2016). High School Teachers' Perspectives on the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards: An Exploratory Study, Educational Research for Policy and Practice. This was an exploratory study that examined high school teachers' perspectives about their early experiences with the English language arts Common Core State Standards. The sources of data for the study included a survey and structured interviews. Twenty-three high school ELA teachers from one unified school district in Southern California participated in the study. The findings suggested that the teachers wanted to acquire more knowledge about many aspects of the CCSS for ELA. In addition, they perceived that their professional development and curricula materials were inadequate to meet the high standards set in the CCSS. Also, the teachers perceived that they were not ready to teach the ELA CCSS even though they believed that the standards would help students have satisfying personal and professional lives. The implications were discussed, including the need for schools to provide ongoing, high-quality professional development, and research-based, aligned curricula materials for high school ELA teachers. In addition, California and school districts have to make adequate financial investment to support implementation of the CCSS. [More] Descriptors: High Schools, Secondary School Teachers, English, Language Arts
(2013). Evidence Use and the Common Core Standards Movement: From Problem Definition to Policy Adoption, American Journal of Education. Despite calls for research-based policies, other types of evidence also influence education policy, including personal experience, professional expertise, and normative values. This article focuses on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) initiative, examining how research use varied over stages of the process and how it was integrated with other types of evidence. By drawing on elite interviews, we find that CCSS promoters and developers used evidence in much the way that policy analysis research would predict and that while research evidence was a major resource, it was combined with other types of evidence depending on political and policy goals at different stages of the CCSS process. [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Evidence, Educational Policy, Research Utilization
(2016). Young Meaning Makers–Teaching Comprehension, Grades K-2. Common Core State Standards in Literacy Series, Teachers College Press. One of the most critical elements in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is the effective teaching of reading comprehension in the early years. This timely resource provides evidence-based practices for teachers to use as they work to meet standards associated with comprehending complex literature and informational texts. The authors offer a practical model with classroom applications that draw on the "Construction-Integration (CI) model of text comprehension." Illustrating why comprehension is so important in the CCSS framework, the book distills six key principles for meeting CCSS and other high-challenge standards. Chapters show teachers how to build oral language and text comprehension skills with young readers, including selecting texts, organizing materials, scheduling time, and assessing the acquisition of knowledge. Book Features: (1) A practitioner-friendly model for teaching comprehension of informational and narrative texts in the early grades; (2) Guidance for how to create a classroom environment that supports oral language acquisition; (3) Instructional strategies, including teaching children to understand text structures, key details, and main ideas of a story or information text; and (4) A standards-based series of formative comprehension assessments. [Foreword by P. David Pearson.] [More] Descriptors: Common Core State Standards, Reading Comprehension, Reading Instruction, Academic Standards
(2013). Sharing Common Ground: Texas and the Common Core State Standards, Texas Journal of Literacy Education. When browsing through professional catalogs or attending national conferences, one cannot help but notice the growing emphasis on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). So, what does this mean for Texas teachers? As part of a special four-part series in our Texas Journal of Literacy Education, a special task force from the TALE Board will share the common ground among the CCSS, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), and the College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS). Here, we begin part one of this series by briefly discussing the history of this national movement and the creation of our own state standards. Throughout the series, we will discuss the commonalities and differences among the various sets of standards and how they each address student outcomes for developing skills for both writing and reading. [More] Descriptors: Common Core State Standards, College Readiness, Career Readiness, Reading Skills