Bibliography: Common Core State Standards (page 047 of 130)

This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices.  Some of the authors featured on this page include Victoria J. Riski, Caroline T. Chauncey, Jan Umphrey, Kathryn Herr, Andy Davies, Shelly Kelly, Lauren L. Causey, Lee Galda, Kelly Lynch, and Patrick Murphy.

Sulzer, Mark (2014). The Common Core State Standards and the "Basalisation" of Youth, English Teaching: Practice and Critique. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were published by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association in 2010 as part of a widespread standards-based reform movement in the United States. The education marketplace has responded with CCSS-aligned products, including standardised tests, professional development training and curriculum materials. This essay examines the discourse of reading/readers that the CCSS promotes by analysing a CCSS- aligned textbook intended for 9th grade English/language arts students. In operating under a New Critical paradigm of textual interpretation, this CCSS-aligned textbook positions reading as an activity comprised of a discrete skillset allowing readers to extract meaning from a text. Reading skills are envisioned as objective, neutral and eternal–and importantly, conducive to measurement. In drawing on dominant views of youth, this CCSS-aligned textbook positions young readers as "detectives" undergoing a training regimen. Young readers are envisioned only in terms of their progress toward college and career readiness, which prioritises their future importance and discounts their importance in the present. Together, these views ignore the transactional properties of reading and the creative capacities of the reader. In this essay, I examine how these views become normalised through metaphors, marginal notes, questions/prompts, standardised goals, and testing practice in Holt McDougal's Literature (Common Core Edition). I argue that under the CCSS, the creative activity of reading becomes simplified, and the identities of young readers become homogenised. Added together, these views promote a style of reasoning I refer to as the "basalisation" of youth.   [More]  Descriptors: State Standards, Academic Standards, Alignment (Education), Core Curriculum

Boyd, Fenice B.; Causey, Lauren L.; Galda, Lee (2015). Culturally Diverse Literature: Enriching Variety in an Era of Common Core State Standards, Reading Teacher. The authors argue for the overwhelming importance of finding and including culturally diverse literature into the curricula teachers are authorized to teach. They discuss the implications of use and offer ideas on how to identify quality literature to include in classroom and school libraries.   [More]  Descriptors: State Standards, Culturally Relevant Education, Curriculum Enrichment, School Libraries

Harla, Donna K. (2014). Improving Middle School Parental Engagement in Transition to Common Core State Standards: An Action Research Study, ProQuest LLC. Parental involvement in schools is an important potential contributor to improving American education and making the U.S. more globally competitive. This qualitative and quantitative mixed-methodology action research study probed the viability of engaging parents around issues of educational improvement by inviting them to participate in training sessions on the implementation of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) at a Florida middle school. Approximately 2,000 parents were invited, through fliers and face-to-face communication, to attend a discussion and training session on the CCSS. Only 21 parents attended either of the two sessions, reflecting the difficulty of recruiting parent participation on curriculum issues. The same survey (containing questions on attitudes toward parent participation and familiarity with the CCSS) was administered both before and after a one-hour training session, and discussion groups took place before and after the training. Results showed that the training was sufficient to enable parents to feel well informed about the CCSS. However, discussion revealed significant frustration over the fact that parents received no information about the CCSS before they were implemented. More generally, many of the parents expressed the perception that schools do not encourage parent involvement. On the other hand, parents' actual levels of participation in opportunities available to them, such as PTA membership, appeared lower than their expressed interest in participating. The study suggests that, in order to enlist parents as effective partners in education, schools must make a much more concerted effort to make parents feel wanted and to explain how they can participate effectively in their children's learning. [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: Parent Participation, Parent School Relationship, Mixed Methods Research, Common Core State Standards

Grady, Maureen (2016). Whatever Happened to Productive Disposition?, Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School. In 2001, Kilpatrick, Swafford, and Findell proposed a new way to look at what it means for students to be mathematically proficient. They described mathematical proficiency as comprising five intertwined strands: procedural fluency, conceptual understanding, adaptive reasoning, strategic competence, and productive disposition. The vision is that these proficiencies develop together, each reinforcing one another and each being critical to a student becoming mathematically proficient. With the advent of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSI) in 2010, four of these strands were expanded and adapted to become part of the eight Standards for Mathematical Practice. Conspicuously absent, however, from these new standards is the strand of mathematical proficiency called "productive disposition." Despite the importance of this strand of mathematical proficiency, productive disposition is mentioned only in the introduction to the Common Core's Standards of Mathematical Practice, not explicitly codified in the eight practices. Because productive disposition is not explicitly built into the Standards for Mathematical Practices, the author's concern is that it seems to be getting left out of the discussion about how we want students to engage in mathematics. At conferences, in classrooms, and in new curriculum materials, we discuss how to help students reason about mathematics, develop conceptual understanding, become strategic problems solvers, and develop procedural fluency. Very seldom do we talk about how to help students develop mathematical dispositions to support these other practices.   [More]  Descriptors: Mathematics Instruction, Mathematics Skills, Concept Formation, Mathematical Concepts

Riski, Victoria J.; Vogt, Mary Ellen (2016). Professional Learning in Action: An Inquiry Approach for Teachers of Literacy. Common Core State Standards in Literacy Series, Teachers College Press. Risko and Vogt provide a unique and progressive approach for engaging the professional learning of teachers of literacy, reading specialists, literacy coaches and instructional leaders, content specialists, and administrators. Their deliberate use of Professional Learning signals the importance of educators engaging in authentic and inquiry-based decision-making. They describe and provide examples of needs assessments and progress monitoring activities that are embedded within differentiated professional learning activities, such as book clubs, lesson study, family literacy groups, and peer and literacy coaching. Actions and decisions are directed by questions generated by teachers, coaches, and administrators as they engage in collaborative and self-directed efforts to advance their knowledge and resolve dilemmas that impact instruction and students' learning. Features of this book include: (1) Authentic examples for implementing professional learning (PL) that addresses and resolves authentic dilemmas educators and students face; (2) Synthesis of current research on effective professional learning with a literacy emphasis; (3) Description of evidence-based and differentiated professional learning opportunities that engage instructional changes that are situated within meaningful and school-based applications; (4) The book advances knowledge about applications of professional learning that is collaborative, substantive, situated, dynamic, intense, and personal; (5) Makes explicit connections to Common Core and similar State standards-based instruction; and (6) Includes reflection and self-study questions at the end of each chapter. [Includes a foreword by Douglas Fisher.]   [More]  Descriptors: Professional Education, Faculty Development, Literacy Education, Reading Teachers

Cleaver, Samantha (2011). The Common Core: Everything You Need to Know to Succeed, Instructor. In 2008, the Council for Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association started discussing the possibility of moving away from separate state standards. State education leaders were concerned that existing state standards weren't rigorous enough. So, in 2009, 48 states signed on to develop the Common Core State Standards, and in June 2010, the standards were finalized. Now, each state that has adopted the standards is working on its own timeline toward full implementation by 2014-2015. The overarching goal of the Common Core standards is to improve the academic achievement of American students. This article offers tips on how to refocus one's instruction around higher standards.   [More]   [More]  Descriptors: State Schools, State Standards, Academic Achievement, Program Implementation

Anderson, Gary L.; Herr, Kathryn (2011). Scaling up "Evidence-Based" Practices for Teachers Is a Profitable but Discredited Paradigm, Educational Researcher. This article takes issue with the notion that professional learning communities need to be more focused on teacher expertise through the use of online videos of lessons taught by expert teachers that are aligned with the Common Core State Standards. The authors argue that the use of externally developed, research-based, and standards-aligned videos violates the principles of authentic inquiry that underlie professional learning communities. They also caution that a profit-seeking education industry is increasingly behind the promotion of evidence-based products.   [More]  Descriptors: Expertise, Evidence, Video Technology, State Standards

Shanahan, Timothy (2016). Averted Vision: How Common Core May Help Struggling Readers, Literacy Research and Instruction. In their article "Beyond the Common Core…," Cassidy, Ortlieb, and Grote-Garcia (2016), express concern that the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS; National Governors Association [NGA] Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers [CCSSO], 2010) may have the "unintended consequence" of diverting instructional attention from the needs of struggling readers. Timothy Shanahan writes in this article that although it is correct that CCSS focuses on the needs of all students, not just those with reading problems, the consequence of that may be more positive than Cassidy et al. (2016) assume. Shanahan suspects the situation is akin to trying to see dim stars; they are better seen when not looked at directly. Here Shanahan presents the idea that by re centering vision of the reading needs of all students, the instructional needs of struggling readers might also come into clearer focus. He argues that while there are issues that concern only struggling readers, there are at least as many issues that equally concern both struggling readers and those whose learning paths are less challenged. For example, quality of teachers and their preparation, high quality curriculum materials, reliable and valid assessments, attentive and supportive parent involvement are concerns that matter to all students.   [More]  Descriptors: Common Core State Standards, Reading Difficulties, Teaching Methods, Educational Objectives

McDonnell, Lorraine M.; Weatherford, M. Stephen (2016). Recognizing the Political in Implementation Research, Educational Researcher. The widely publicized opposition to the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is in marked contrast to its relatively uncontroversial development and adoption–a contrast that points to the importance of understanding how the politics of enactment differs from the politics of implementation. In this article, we draw on the research literatures on enactment, implementation, and policy feedback to outline the reasons that the politics of policy implementation may look quite different from the politics of enactment, and we argue that education researchers need to pay as much attention to the political sustainability of reforms as to their implementation into school-level practice. This essay is an exercise in retrieval and construction, looking back to early implementation studies that featured political factors as key components of their analytical frameworks but also building on the insights from newer research that uses policy feedback as its theoretical lens. In arguing why the analysis of a policy's political sustainability should be more systematically integrated into implementation research, we draw illustrative examples from the CCSS.   [More]  Descriptors: Common Core State Standards, Program Implementation, Politics of Education, Political Influences

Lynch, Kelly (2014). A Comparison of the American Common Core State Standards with the Finnish Educational System, Online Submission. With the failure of the No Child Left Behind policies of the 1990's, educational reformers wished to establish a "new and improved" set of standards for the United States to follow. However, since their inception in 2006-2007, the new Common Core State Standards have become increasingly unpopular due to the fact that they remain largely untested, and are riddled with inconsistencies. Standards that were put in place to make sure that every child is "job-ready" when they graduate have actually created more division between wealthy schools, who can afford the computers and textbooks required for the new standards, and poorer schools who can barely afford the outdated and worn out textbooks they already have. While many opponents of these new standards would like to see them eliminated completely, there are alternative methods of assessment that may actually enhance or improve the standards that are already in place. However, some countries have eliminated standardized testing altogether and are thriving. Ranked as one of the best educational systems in the world, Finland reformed their educational system over thirty years ago, and has continued to develop their educational system with continued investment, teacher training, and the practice of trust.   [More]  Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Comparative Analysis, Academic Standards, State Standards

Uecker, Ruth; Kelly, Shelly; Napierala, Marni (2014). Implementing the Common Core State Standards: What Is the School Librarian's Role?, Knowledge Quest. School librarians will play a crucial role in the support of the implementation of the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards (CCSS). More than ever, to ensure these standards are met, school librarians must work in tandem with classroom teachers. School librarians will be instrumental in providing opportunities for students to access resources that will support their becoming critical consumers of information. In this article, the authors explore the instructional shifts as a whole that adoption of the CCSS will require (EngageNY n.d.). Each shift will adequately prepare students for success in a college or career pathway. Teachers and specialists, such as librarians, will need to explore these shifts and discern how their roles will change because of them. If all educators implement the outlined CCSS, students will have clear, consistent, and targeted benchmarks to follow, a circumstance that will allow each student to be better prepared. Schools must coordinate and collaborate at all levels by creating opportunities for all students to gain the knowledge and skills needed for their undefined futures. Schools must create students who are adaptable, are able to adjust to various situations, and are problem solvers. These traits can also be defined as 21st-century soft skills. School librarians must become familiar with the CCSS and know how to support students and classroom teachers in the implementation process. The article concludes with a discussion of the six shifts as seen from the viewpoints of a K-6 superintendent and Common Core specialists with an analysis of how school librarians fit within each shift.   [More]  Descriptors: State Standards, Program Implementation, Library Role, Library Services

Chauncey, Caroline T., Ed. (2011). Harvard Education Letter. Volume 27, Number 4, July-August 2011, Harvard Education Press. "Harvard Education Letter" is published bimonthly at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This issue of "Harvard Education Letter" contains the following articles: (1) Integrated Data Systems Link Schools and Communities: Researchers Combine School and Non-School Data to Inform Interventions and Policy (Patti Hartigan); (2) Student-Directed Learning Comes of Age: Teachers Adopt Classroom Strategies to Help Students Monitor Their Own Learning (Dave Saltman); and (3) The Common Core State Standards: Challenges for Assessment (W. James Popham). Online version may contain additional articles.   [More]  Descriptors: State Standards, Teaching Methods, Newsletters, Access to Information

Umphrey, Jan (2011). Making Sense of Mathematics, Principal Leadership. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) is a voice and advocate for mathematics educators, working to ensure that all students receive equitable mathematics learning of the highest quality. To help teachers and school leaders understand the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) and to point out how the CCSSM can be implemented with support from NCTM's prior standards work, NCTM recently released "Making It Happen," a guide to implementation. In this interview, NCTM President Michael Shaughnessy answers some questions about that effort and the state of mathematics education in schools today.   [More]  Descriptors: Mathematics Education, Academic Standards, Mathematics Teachers, Mathematics Instruction

Davies, Andy (2014). Consider the Core: Why Independent Schools Shouldn't Ignore the Common Core State Standards, Independent School. Independent schools–and their teachers and administrators–are, as the name suggests, fiercely independent. So when the Common Core State Standards hit the national stage in March 2010 and became the center of the national conversation on education, it was no surprise that the majority of independent schools dismissed the standards as another bureaucratic set of hoops that the public school system would need to jump through, but which the author and his colleagues could blithely ignore. The author contends that people tend to dismiss the Common Core standards because the media have focused heavily on two areas of debate regarding the standards. One debate swirls around the principle of the federal government dictating curriculum. The second focuses on the implementation of the standards and the subsequent testing that will drive numerous decisions about students, teachers, and schools. For public schools, and those who care about public schools, both of these conversations matter in terms of how the standards are applied. However, both conversations distract from the actual content of the standards, which in fact can provide a platform for meaningful discussion of curriculum at any school–including independent schools. While this author does not suggest that independent schools blindly adopt the Common Core standards, his experience at Aspen Country Day School (Colorado) underscores the value of reviewing an independent school curriculum in light of the standards. By taking time to review their program through the lens of the Common Core State Standards, they have become more methodical in the design and documentation of their curriculum, more mindful in their differentiation of instruction for a range of learners, and more effective in distinguishing themselves in a market with a strong public school. Having a set of minimum standards does not preclude a school from providing a highly creative and student-centered program. The hallmark of an independent school is the development of the critical thinking, creativity, and compassion essential for students to become positive members of both local and global communities–and that should never change. Considering the Common Core standards is not about trying to look like a good public school. It is about gaining deeper understanding about what independent schools do and how they do it. In the end, the students will benefit–and the school will have a much stronger sense of its identity and purpose.   [More]  Descriptors: State Standards, Private Schools, State Policy, Program Implementation

Warren, Paul; Murphy, Patrick (2014). California's Transition to the Common Core State Standards: The State's Role in Local Capacity Building, Public Policy Institute of California. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Local Control Funding Formula are introducing major changes to California's K-12 system. Implementation of new curricula and instruction is under way at the district level, but California started its transition relatively late and it has taken a more decentralized approach than most other states. Though California budgeted $1.25 billion in 2013 and the California Department of Education (CDE) has taken several steps to implement CCSS, the state has preferred to place the responsibility for implementation in the hands of the districts. In other states, such as Kentucky, New York, and Tennessee, strategies were developed centrally to train teachers in the new standards and improve instruction and curriculum at the local level. In addition to changing what goes on in the classroom, the CCSS are altering the state's role in K-12 education. Under the CCSS, California will no longer establish learning standards or develop student assessments in mathematics and English language arts (ELA). In addition, the new standards create a national market out of what used to be many state-controlled markets for textbooks and teacher training services. As a result, districts have many more choices of materials and services, and the existing state review process no longer meets district needs. At the same time, the new Local Control Funding Formula eliminates most categorical funding programs, which gave CDE an array of policy and regulatory powers. By ceding primary responsibility for determining how best to use funding to meet the needs of students to school districts, the new law further reduces CDE's clout. This report compares California's implementation strategy to those of other key states and outlines new ways for the California Department of Education to help districts improve student outcomes.   [More]  Descriptors: Common Core State Standards, Elementary Secondary Education, Funding Formulas, Capacity Building

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