This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Joslyn Sarles Young, Paul Manna, Aspen Institute, Jennifer Taylor-Cox, Linda Plattner, Catherine Gewertz, Inc. Achieve, Elizabeth Albro, Rachel Lagunoff, and Erik W. Robelen.
(2012). Common Core Taught through the Arts, Education Week. At the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, the painting "El Jaleo"–a canvas spanning 11 feet that features a flamenco dancer–is a popular starting point for getting students to spend time with a work of art. But viewing and discussing the 1882 piece by the American artist John Singer Sargent isn't just a cultural experience. It also presents a powerful opportunity to tap into some of the same skills asked of students under the Common Core State Standards, said Michelle A. Grohe, the director of school and teacher programs at the museum, which has a close partnership with four Boston public schools. As educators nationwide seek to help students meet the demands of the common core in English/language arts and mathematics, many arts education advocates are making the case that the arts can be a valuable partner. And in some cases, they're identifying ways to make the links explicit. "There are a lot of natural connections," said Susan M. Riley, a curriculum specialist with the 77,000-student Anne Arundel County district in Maryland. Riley sees the common core as a great platform for the arts to really rise and share their importance in the educational fabric of a school. [More] Descriptors: Art Education, Core Curriculum, State Standards, Alignment (Education)
(2010). Networked Governance in Three Policy Areas with Implications for the Common Core State Standards Initiative, Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Policy makers and researchers now recognize that designing effective institutions to govern policy networks is a major challenge of the 21st Century. Presently, the Common Core State Standards Initiative resembles an emerging network of organizations united around the goal of developing clear and challenging academic expectations for students in elementary and secondary schools. The present initiative has received praise from across the political spectrum, but the future of the Common Core network, assuming it persists, could take many forms. This paper aims to spark discussion about the potential future governance of Common Core by examining it through the lens of network management. This paper assumes that Common Core will persist as a network of connected organizations representing state and other interests. In exploring that possibility, the paper focuses on four issues. First, it considers network governance in theory by offering basic definitions as well as potential advantages and disadvantages of this organizational form. Second, it describes examples of network governance in action across a few diverse policy areas outside education. Third, it discusses some key governance questions that those examples suggest. Fourth, it considers some implications for any networked effort, including Common Core, designed to develop common educational standards and assessments. [More] Descriptors: Elementary Secondary Education, State Standards, Networks, Governance
(2012). Using Formative Assessment to Drive Mathematics Instruction in Grades 3-5, Eye on Education. This book provides targeted mathematics instruction for every child. This book combines formative assessment with practical activities to differentiate the elementary classroom. The formative assessments include student work samples at varying levels. The authors: (1) Illustrate the distinction between a "traditional" assessment and an "enhanced" assessment; (2) Describe specific differentiated activities so each student may consistently receive instruction geared to specific need; (3) Provide teachers with "Questions to Assess" to determine what each child understands about the math concept; (4) Show how to move students to higher-level mathematics thinking and to apply math concepts; and (5) Include extension activities to offer challenging work for children who have achieved skill mastery level. Each activity states a goal, the materials needed, a description of the activity, as well as specific questions to ask students. The assessments and activities are aligned with the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and the expectations described by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. This resource will help teachers, principals, and curriculum directors identify students' levels of understanding about mathematics and provide concrete resources for remediation, instruction, and enrichment. This book is also an excellent resource for use during workshops and in-class observations. [More] Descriptors: Classroom Techniques, Formative Evaluation, State Standards, Mathematics Teachers
(2012). SAT Future: Alignment to Standards, Education Week. One of the chief architects of the Common Core State Standards was named the next president of the College Board and said one of his top priorities is to reshape the organization's influential college-admissions test, the SAT, to better reflect the new standards. David Coleman will assume his new duties on Oct. 15, replacing Gaston Caperton, who is stepping down after 13 years as the College Board's president, according to an announcement last week from the New York City organization also known for its Advanced Placement program. Mr. Coleman's hope of reworking the SAT could play a role in moving the standards from a set of guidelines used in college course placement to one considered in college admissions. That, to Mr. Coleman, goes to the heart of the standards' intention. "The common core provides substantial opportunity to make the SAT even more reflective of what higher education wants," he said in an interview. "The real value here is that if the SAT aligns more to the common core, we won't be giving an assessment at the end of K-12 that's out of kilter with what we demand at the end of the day." [More] Descriptors: College Entrance Examinations, Alignment (Education), State Standards, Academic Standards
(2012). Ky. Road-Tests Common Core, Education Week. Results from new state tests in Kentucky–the first in the nation explicitly tied to the Common Core State Standards–show that the share of students scoring "proficient" or better in reading and math dropped by roughly a third or more in both elementary and middle school the first year the tests were given. Kentucky in 2010 was the first state to adopt the common core in English/language arts and mathematics, and the assessment results released last week for the 2011-12 school year are being closely watched by school officials and policymakers nationwide for what they may reveal about how the common standards may affect student achievement in coming years. The drop in Kentucky's scores conform to what state education officials had expected: that students in grades 3-8 taking the new, more rigorous Kentucky Performance Rating of Education Progress, or K-PREP, would not be able to reach their achievement levels of prior years. Overall, students in grades 3-8 demonstrated somewhat higher proficiency levels in reading than in math. [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, State Standards, Scoring, Testing Programs
(2012). Publishers' Guide for Mathematics Stresses Focus, Education Week. A new set of "publishers' criteria" crafted by the lead writers of the common core in mathematics is intended to help reshape K-8 instructional materials nationwide by spelling out what it means to align faithfully with the math standards adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia. The document blends general guidance with some real specifics, such as suggesting how long textbooks should be–fewer than 200 pages at the elementary level–and at what grade level it's appropriate for chapter tests to address particular topics. A key mantra is the standards' push for focus–covering fewer topics in greater depth–which the authors acknowledge "can seem like hard medicine for an educational system addicted to coverage." Some in the education and publishing fields have offered generally favorable reviews of the 24-page document, which has been endorsed by several prominent organizations that provided feedback on early drafts, including national groups representing governors, chief state school officers, state boards of education, and large urban districts, as well as Achieve, a Washington-based nonprofit organization that managed the process for developing the Common Core State Standards. A similar document for the common English/language arts standards–first issued last year and endorsed by the same five organizations–was revised this spring. [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Textbooks, Mathematics Instruction, Instructional Materials
(2012). Questions Dog Design of Tests, Education Week. On the verge of signing a contract to help design assessments for the common standards, ACT Inc. has withdrawn from the project amid conflict-of-interest questions sparked by its own development of a similar suite of tests. Even though it involves only a small subcontract, the move by the Iowa-based test-maker, and the questions from the state assessment consortium that propelled it, have set off ripples of reaction and reflection in the insular educational testing industry. That industry is reshaping itself in response to the unprecedented project by two big groups of states to create new tests for the Common Core State Standards, using $360 million in federal Race to the Top money. The discussions offer a glimpse into some of the thorny issues that crop up as the two gargantuan assessment projects move forward. How does each group manage intellectual-property concerns and potentially competing interests when 20-plus states and hundreds of players are involved? Even as those questions elude easy answers, the stakes are bigger than ever. [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Educational Testing, Academic Standards, Intellectual Property
(2012). Measuring up: Advances in How We Assess Reading Ability, Rowman & Littlefield Education. In recent decades, the science of reading acquisition, processes, and individual differences in general and special populations has been continuously advancing through interdisciplinary research in cognitive, psycholinguistic, developmental, genetic, neuroscience, cross-language studies, and experimental comparison studies of effective instruction. Some of the science of reading has emerged from the theory and research into the realm of practice and policy. Yet the science and practice of measuring "reading comprehension" has remained relatively immune to much of this foundational knowledge. "Measuring Up" discusses the "gold standard" measures of all these scientific advances and national investments continues to be performance on a single series of questions asked about a series of passages, with the primary modern innovation seemingly to be the addition of constructed/written responses and rubric scores. Sabatini, Albro, and O'Reilly believe that in light of the move towards Common Core State Standards and assessments, as well as significant national investments in reading and literacy education, it is a critical and opportune time to bring together the research and measurement community to address fundamental issues of measuring reading comprehension, in theory and in practice. [More] Descriptors: Reading Comprehension, Literacy, State Standards, Reading Ability
(2012). Common Core: Rx for Change, School Library Monthly. When David Coleman, one of the authors of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), spoke to New York educators, he stated that over the last forty years 8th grade reading scores have been flat. Despite doubling expenditures on classroom instruction, there has been little growth. Most educators are aware that what worked for the students of the 1950s does not work today. Transliterate students operate on a literacy platform that includes all types of media and information. When educators limit them to black-and-white print and lecture them in wooden seats, they tune out, disconnect, devalue the content, and see no meaningful application to their here-and-now. Educators must, therefore, repackage their delivery to address the needs of the 21st Century, transliterate, hyper-connected generation. Common Core wants educators to change their delivery (pedagogy) to engage the 21st-Century Learner, and librarians should be at the core. There are two essential shifts in the Common Core: (1) Content; and (2) Pedagogy. This article discusses a few prescriptions for change drawn from the Common Core. [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, State Standards, Change Strategies, Educational Change
(2012). Text Complexity and the CCSS. What is meant by text complexity is a measurement of how challenging a particular text is to read. There are a myriad of different ways of explaining what makes text challenging to read, from the sophistication of the vocabulary employed to the length of its sentences to even measurements of how the text as a whole coheres. Research shows that no matter what combination of factors is considered when defining text complexity, the ability to read complex text is the single greatest predictor of success in college. This finding is true regardless of gender, race, or socio-economic status. The implication is that teaching that focused solely on critical thinking would be insufficient: it turns out that being able to proficiently read complex text is the critical factor in actually understanding complex text. A key requirement of the Anchor Reading Standard 10 in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is that all students must be exposed to texts of steadily increasing complexity. The system for determining text complexity involves several factors, but the increased expectations regarding the ability of students to read complex text is illustrated by a comparison of past and present Lexile Ranges. The key elements of text complexity are: (1) Quantitative factors; (2) Qualitative factors; and (3) Reader and task factors. [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Predictor Variables, Reading Ability, College Readiness
(2012). Using Formative Assessment to Drive Mathematics Instruction in Grades PreK-2, Eye on Education. Provide targeted mathematics instruction for every child. These books combine formative assessment with practical activities to differentiate the elementary classroom. The formative assessments include student work samples at varying levels. The authors: (1) Illustrate the distinction between a "traditional" assessment and an "enhanced" assessment; (2) Describe specific differentiated activities so each student may consistently receive instruction geared to specific need; (3) Provide teachers with "Questions to Assess" to determine what each child understands about the math concept; (4) Show how to move students to higher-level mathematics thinking and to apply math concepts; and (5) Include extension activities to offer challenging work for children who have achieved skill mastery level. Each activity states a goal, the materials needed, a description of the activity, as well as specific questions to ask students. The assessments and activities are aligned with the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and the expectations described by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. This resource will help teachers, principals, and curriculum directors identify students' levels of understanding about mathematics and provide concrete resources for remediation, instruction, and enrichment. These books are also an excellent resource for use during workshops and in-class observations. [More] Descriptors: Classroom Techniques, Formative Evaluation, State Standards, Mathematics Instruction
(2011). SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium Common Core State Standards Analysis: Eligible Content for the Summative Assessment. Final Report, Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. This report is a descriptive analysis of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), intended to determine which content is eligible for the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium's end-of-year summative assessment for English language arts (ELA) and mathematics in grades 3-8 and high school. The high school standards analyzed were those in grades 9-10 and 11-12 for ELA, and all conceptual categories for mathematics. All high school standards were analyzed, since which high school content will be included in the summative grade 11 assessment has yet to be determined. Outcomes of this analysis are intended as a starting point to inform discussion as the Consortium designs its summative assessment and develops its test and item specifications. This report is intended to be used with other documents the Consortium has or is developing that provide more conceptual, construct-centered, and evidence-based frameworks for its assessment design and development. Appended are: (1) Guiding Principles and Considerations; (2) Descriptions of Item Types; (3) Webb Depth of Knowledge Levels; (4) List of Analysts' Comments; (5) Eligible Content Data Workbook; (6) Preliminary Report Review–Feedback and Responses; and (7) Considerations for Next Steps–Suggestions Based on Comments from the Consortium's Technical Advisory Committee. [More] Descriptors: Descriptive Writing, Content Analysis, Summative Evaluation, Mathematics
(2011). Connecting High-Quality Expanded Learning Opportunities and the Common Core State Standards to Advance Student Success, Council of Chief State School Officers. The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues. Since 1998, CCSSO has focused attention on expanded learning opportunities (ELOs) and worked to develop a shared understanding about characteristics of high-quality ELOs and effective state policies and initiatives that support such programs. This brief explores ways to strengthen expanded learning opportunities (ELOs) by building their connection to the Common Core State Standards Initiative (Common Core). The CCSSO is interested in both efforts and wants to support states in maximizing their impact to ensure the success of all learners. Without exception, states are attempting to improve the education of their students. These efforts are in response to: (1) persistent disparities in high school graduation rates that hinder students' ability to compete in today's global economy; (2) gaps in preparedness, as many U.S. students who graduate from high school are not ready to do college-level work and/or join the workforce; and (3) conclusive evidence that U.S. high school students' academic performance lags behind that of their peers in other developed nations. [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, State Standards, Technical Assistance, Graduation
(2012). Achieve & the American Diploma Project Network. Updated April 2012. At the 1996 National Education Summit, a bipartisan group of governors and corporate leaders decided to create and lead an organization dedicated to supporting standards-based education reform efforts across the states. To do so, they formed Achieve as an independent, bi-partisan, non-profit education reform organization. This unique perspective has enabled Achieve to set a bold and visionary agenda over the past 15 years. To make college and career readiness a priority in the states, Achieve launched the American Diploma Project (ADP) Network in 2005. Starting with only a handful of states, the Network has now grown to include 35 states educating 85 percent of all U.S. public school students. This paper discusses how Achieve supports ADP Network states through multi-state convenings, regular Network-wide communications, and on-the-ground support. While an impressive amount of progress has been made in the 15 years since Achieve was founded, the reform movement is at a critical juncture where translating good policy into practice will be essential to getting results. To that end, Achieve will focus on: (1) Common Core State Standards Implementation; (2) Next Generation Science Standards; (3) Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC); and (4) Advancing the College and Career Ready Agenda. [More] Descriptors: Educational Change, College Readiness, Change Strategies, Interstate Programs
(2012). Linking Learning: Connecting Traditional and Media Literacies in 21st Century Learning, Journal of Media Literacy Education. Media literacy, the abilities "to access, analyze, evaluate, and communicate information in a variety of forms" (NAMLE), is necessary to help people understand the information presented to them and make informed decisions. However, despite decades of work to include media literacy education in academic learning (Hobbs and Jensen 2009), American education continues to emphasize its focus on testing of traditional literacy. While there must be continued efforts to teach new literacies in mainstream education, it is also crucial for educators to understand how traditional literacies can be supported by media literacy in ways that meet the demands of today's high-stakes testing environment. This article strives to do just that: detail key links between literacy in its most traditional sense and how people are reading and writing in the 21st century so educators can immediately help learners build media literacy skills while developing traditionally tested skills and critical thinking abilities demanded in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) initiative. [More] [More] Descriptors: High Stakes Tests, State Standards, Testing, Media Literacy