The 411 on Common Core Standards

There has been plenty of hype surrounding the implementation of the new California Common Core State Standards, or a set of academic guidelines that more or less shape all curriculums and how students are educated and tested.
Now, parents can check out exactly what those new standards are on the California Department of Education website or purchase print versions of them.
Those interested in viewing online can visit:
1) Click here to view the English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Students, Science and Technical Subjects.
2) Click here to view the mathematics standards.
CDE press, the publishing arm of the state education department, has made the publications available for purchase here or by calling 1-800-995-4099.
Created by select teachers, principals, parents, education experts and feedback from the public in an initiative spearheaded by governors and state school chiefs, the standards “provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them,” as explained on the initiative’s website.
Almost all 50 states have voluntarily signed on, including California, which formally adopted the standards in 2010.
State Superintendent Tom Torlakson also announced Monday the release of a short video explaining the importance of California’s transition to assessments on the new Common Core State Standards.
“These standards are the blueprints for remodeling our education system, laying out step-by-step what students need to know and be able to do to graduate ready to start a career or go to college,” Torlakson said. “And if we’re updating how and what we teach students, then we have to update the way we test as well.”
Standards define the knowledge, concepts and skills students should acquire at each grade level. They are designed so that all students – no matter where they come from or where they live – receive a world-class education that is consistent from school to school, and graduate ready to contribute to the future of the state and the country, according to the CDE.
Decisions on how to implement the new standards remain with local school boards. The standards establish what students need to learn in English-language arts and mathematics; and also provide a clear understanding of what students are expected to learn at every grade level – but do not tell teachers how to teach, according to the CDE.
One of the next steps statewide is the transition to new, computer-based assessments aligned with Common Core Standards. Torlakson’s recommendations for this change are incorporated in Assembly Bill 484, which is making its way through the legislative process.