Resources

Primer on Common Core State Standards Initiative

August 27, 2010

The Common Core State Standards Initiative is picking up momentum and support around the United States. Things are moving fast in Oregon and this information is intended to be a short primer on the Common Core with links to additional resources.

What is the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI)? The Common Core State Standards Initiative is an effort led by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers to establish a shared set of educational standards for English language arts and mathematics that states can voluntarily adopt. To date, Oregon and 47 other states (plus the District of Columbia) have committed to the adoption of a common core set of standards in these two subjects. It is worth noting that the staff and policy makers involved with the Initiative take great pains to emphasize the voluntary nature of this project and the fact that these are not education standards being developed by the federal government as a new federal mandate.

Why was this Initiative started? According to the sponsors, there is growing concern that every child across the country has the tools they need to succeed in college or move on to the workforce. Citing such challenges as disparate standards across states, high student mobility, increasing global competition, and the ever-changing skills needed for the jobs of today and tomorrow, the sponsors of this work engaged education stakeholders across the nation to develop these standards. Sponsors believe the work is critical to “prepare students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in college and work,” “ensure consistent expectations regardless of a student’s zip code,” and “provide educators, parents, and students with clear, focused guideposts.”

What types of criteria did the Initiative use when creating the Standards? According to CCSSI, the following criteria were considered when developing the standards:

• Aligned with expectations for college and career success
• Clear, so that all educators and parents know what they need to do to help their students learn
• Consistent across all states
• Include both content and the application of knowledge through high-order skills
• Build upon the strengths of state standards and standards of top performing nations
• Realistic, for effective use in the classroom
• Create internationally benchmarked standards so that all students are prepared to succeed in our global economy and society
• Evidence and research-based criteria

What are the proposed Math and English Language Arts Standards? The latest version of the Standards was released on June 2, 2010. Access the documents here.

What are folks in Oregon saying about Standards? The Oregon Department of Education has surveyed stakeholders across Oregon to find out what they think of the proposed standards; anecdotally, there seems to be a very broad consensus that the proposed English language arts standards align well with what Oregon is doing/planning to do in this subject. There does seem to be some concern in the field that the math standards are not clear enough and there needs to be a further distinction between “advanced” math concepts and math concepts that denote a basic level of college and career readiness. The Oregon State Board of Education is encouraging members of the public and organizations to provide feedback with their thoughts, questions, and concerns prior to their October meeting. Some organizations, like Stand for Children, the Oregon Business Association, and the Chalkboard Project have been encouraging the Board to adopt the Standards. OSBA has not taken a position at the time of this writing. 

How does a state like Oregon adopt the Standards? At this point, CCSSI considers a state to have adopted the Standards when the “standards authorizing body within the state has taken formal action to adopt and implement the common core.” The expectation is that states adopt the Standards 100% word for word and may add their own additional standards (up to an additional 15%). In Oregon, the State Board of Education and the Legislature have the authority to adopt the Standards via rule or statute.

How many states have adopted the Standards? Is Oregon likely to adopt the Standards? According to the New York Times, as of July 21st, 27 states have adopted the Standards and 12 others are expected to adopt the Standards shortly. ODE staff report that as of August 20th, 37 states have now adopted. At the August 18th meeting of the Oregon State Board of Education, the Board indicated that they may adopt the Standards as early as October 2010. Oregon Department of Education staff have confirmed the possibility of a vote this October.

Is there a firm time line for implementation of the Standards? The short answer is no. Adoption of the Standards does not bind a state to a set time line for implementing the standards, updating curriculum, and assessing students. Some supporters of the Standards in Oregon have suggested that the 2014-2015 school year will be the target date for implementation. But each state is free to implement that Standards on their own time line without interference.

What feedback are OSBA Legislative and Public Affairs staff providing to policymakers considering the adoption of the Common Core State Standards? OSBA staff is strongly encouraging the Legislature, State Board of Education, Oregon Department of Education, and Supt. Castillo to make sure there are resources in place (financial and state level staff resources), that districts have access to good professional development tools for teachers/administrators/classified, and that the time line is reasonable for implementation and does not force districts to totally redo curriculums, but rather allows them to build off the work they are already doing to implement the new high school diploma and new math standards.