-- Posted by AdvancePath Educational Consultant and blogger, Charmain L. Carter

As we continue preparation for return to school, parents, students and educators have many questions about Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and its implementation, locally and nationally. Lately, there seems to be more questions than answers regarding CCSS implementation and testing the Standards. Some of the most common questions that we will address in this post are: What is Common Core and how will it ensure rigorous and high academic achievement for students?" Why are the changes happening now and what impact will they have on state standardized testing? What is the difference between standards states already have in place and the Common Core State Standards? Are the standards mandatory or can each school district select to participate? Will Districts have control over curriculum?

In order to get a better understanding of Common Core, let's start by focusing on its bold and concerted beginning. The Common Core State Standards Initiative was an educational initiative that detailed what K–12 students should know in English language arts and mathematics at the end of each grade. The initiative is sponsored by the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and sought to establish consistent educational standards across the states and to ensure that students graduating from high school were provided with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in college and careers. States chose whether to adopt the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Initially, forty-four of the fifty U.S. states and the District of Columbia were members of the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Adoption was not required by the federal government, but those states that did adopt the standards received various incentives. Several states that initially adopted Common Core have since voted to repeal or replace it. Other states elected to overhaul their state standards but did not adopt the Common Core State Standards Initiative.*

One of the biggest misnomers about Common Core involves whether it is in itself a curriculum. Common Core is not a curriculum. The standards outline what students should know and be able to do at each grade level. They are defined more as “goals.” The Standards do not dictate any particular pedagogy or what order topics should be taught within a particular grade level. Curriculum is how teachers teach each day (instructional and learning strategies) and in what order. For instance, several different teachers in different states might each use different instructional strategies and teach in a different order the same standard in the first mathematical practice of “making sense of problems and persevere in solving them.” The students will work toward the same goal, but using different instructional strategies, which are generally outlined at the state or district level.

Previous standards focused on how to perform tasks, such as addition and subtraction and memorizing information, whereas Common Core focuses more on critical thinking and problem solving, without eliminating skill building. There are fewer, clearer and higher standards which are intended to help students understand the “why” behind what they learn. In English language arts Common Core focus is on more complex text and academic language. Students perform tasks in reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from text. As student’s progress into higher grades the emphasis shifts to more non-fiction text and persuasive and technical writing in order to prepare them for college and career readiness. The Common Core goal of the mathematics standards is to achieve greater focus and coherence in the curriculum. It highlights greater focus on fewer topics. Coherence, linking topics and thinking, within and across grades is critical. The Standards mandate that eight principles of mathematical practice be taught.

The AdvancePath Model supports CCSS by focusing on the capacity of learners, with data driven decision-making and increased student engagement. Along with our district curriculum partners, the AdvancePath Model provides specific and clear teaching and learning strategies, with interventions and support for students at all levels of academic readiness.

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Core_State_Standards_Initiative