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COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS K-12 Parent Guide

PARENT GUIDE

Common Core State Standards

A Guide for Parents

The more states that adopt these college- and career-based standards, the closer we will be to sharing innovation across state borders and becoming more competitive as a country.

—Bill Gates, Co-Chair, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

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© Common Core State Standards. Copyright 2010. National Governor’s Association Center for Best

Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.

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CCSS: A Guide for Parents © Sussman Sales Companyiii

Table of ContentsGoal of This Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Development and Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

What are the Common Core State Standards? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Who developed these standards and why? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Why change what we’ve been doing? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

How will these new standards help? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Which grades and subjects do the standards cover? . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Mathematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

English Language Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Implications/What’s Next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Common Core and Your Child . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Glossary and Web Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

1CCSS: A Guide for Parents © Sussman Sales Company

Goal of This DocumentWelcome to the Common Core State Standards parent guide. This guide is meant to introduce you to the new Common Core standards adopted by your state. Here you will find answers to the most frequent questions parents have about the Common Core.

Getting to Know the Termsassessment: measurement of student progress in a given area; test

CCSS: Common Core State Standards; new educational standards developed by teachers, parents, and experts; adopted by 45 states as of March 2012

domain: larger group of related standards within a subject, such as math or English language arts

standard: defines what a student should be able to do and understand at a certain grade level

See full glossary beginning on page 21 for these and other terms, as well as web links for further information.


What are the Common Core State Standards?The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are a set of sequential benchmarks to show what a child needs to have learned and be able to do by the end of each grade. The standards build on one another like a pyramid, starting with an emphasis on developing strong foundational skills, and moving up with each grade. The ultimate goal is for each student to graduate ready and able to move on to college or into a career. Currently, 45 states and the District of Columbia have adopted the Common Core. You can visit http://corestandards.org/in-the-states to see when your state adopted the standards.

The Common Core was developed using existing state standards, with input from educators and experts from 48 states. Each state adopting the Common Core State Standards will be allowed to customize it by using up to 15% of their old standards along with the Common Core. You may find that the new standards are similar to what you’re used to in many ways.

Who developed these standards and why?Who: The Common Core is state-driven; it’s not a federal program. Educators from 48 states worked together to create a uniform set of expectations for all students. The standards were developed by a partnership with the states, teachers, school administrators, education

experts, parents, and business leaders from around the country. The Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices coordinated the effort. In addition, the draft standards were subject to public comment and input.

Fast FactWhen the draft of the Common Core State Standards was opened for public comment, more than 10,000 people participated.

Development and Purpose


Once the CCSS were finalized, adopting states were allowed to further customize them to suit their needs. You can learn more about your state’s specific additions by visiting the website for your state’s department of education.

Why: Students deserve an education that prepares them for real success—and jobs—in a rapidly changing world. The Common Core provides thorough, relevant, and consistent guidelines for learning. The standards focus on the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the real world and thrive in the global workforce. The developers looked at what works—and doesn’t work—in the states, and also in countries with high-performing students. With the Common Core, expectations for students are appropriate and consistent for students of all abilities, no matter where they live.

With common standards, the states can also save taxpayer dollars by using the same tests. Common Core-based tests are being developed. (For more information on these tests, see the Implications/What’s Next section later in this guide.)

The common core standards finally make real the promise of American public education to expect the best of all our schoolchildren.

—Michael Casserly, Executive Director, Council of the Great City Schools

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Why change what we’ve been doing?Employers are looking for workers who are knowledgeable, highly capable, and prepared for work on the first day. More and more jobs require technology and higher-order thinking skills. Generalized education standards that don’t relate to the skills actually needed after graduation produce graduates who may or may not have learned what they need to be successful on the job or in college.


Furthermore, in today’s global marketplace, graduates face increasing competition for jobs from all over the world. Standards that are consistent and demanding will help close the gap between American students’ skills and those of students from high-performing countries.

Before Common Core With Common Core

Every state had its own expectations and standards.

More than 40 states have agreed to common expectations about what students need to know and be able to do.

Mostly educators developed academic expectations.

Business and community members worked with educators, academics, and researchers to develop the CCSS in order to help create a framework of instruction that prepares students for the modern workplace.

How will these new standards help?The CCSS are clear and consistent. For decades, each state’s educational standards were different from all the others. Some states had rigorous, detailed standards. Other states had standards that were vague and open to interpretation. The Common Core takes the best of what each state had to offer, with input from parents, educators, and employers. These new standards raise the bar for every state and student. Since the writers also looked at what works in other countries, the CCSS will help to ensure that students from the United States can compete anywhere in the world.


The CCSS are based on evidence. The new standards are designed to help students of all abilities achieve. They focus on problem solving and critical thinking skills—not just memorizing answers. How students learn is just as important as what they learn; the CCSS support different learning styles and backgrounds. This way, the new standards build levels of knowledge and understanding that students retain.

The CCSS are flexible. With the Common Core State Standards, local schools decide how to teach so that students master the skills. Since educational leaders from 48 states wrote the Common Core, it takes advantage of each state’s resources. The Common Core also addresses what states really need.

Which grades and subjects do the standards cover? The Common Core addresses K–12 for math and English language arts. There are no separate Common Core State Standards for other subjects. Mathematics and English language arts were selected because other content areas build on the skills learned in those disciplines. It is anticipated that standards for other subjects will follow.

Since the CCSS incorporate standards from several different states, there will be changes to the order in which students across your state learn certain concepts. Some concepts that were taught in higher grades before may be taught in lower grades under the Common Core. This allows students to build the important foundational skills sooner and continue to progress as they get older. With longer exposure to necessary math and English language arts concepts, students will be better able to understand these ideas and use them well.


The Common Core standards for math are divided into sections for lower, middle, and higher grades. Groups of related standards are called domains*. The tables that follow describe the domains for kindergarten through grade 12 under the CCSS.


Mathematics instruction was often procedural, focusing on computation, OR conceptual, emphasizing problem solving.

Instruction will be balanced so that all students will be both fluent in computation and proficient in problem solving.

Most students didn’t begin to study algebra until high school.

An emphasis on algebra begins in sixth grade, preparing students for higher levels of math in high school. However, the foundation for algebraic problem solving is laid in kindergarten.

*These domains are not the names of the units that students will be studying. Rather, the domains will inform the units that students will study. For example, a kindergarten teacher might design a unit called “Super Shapes” that addresses the CCSS domains of Geometry and Measurement and Data.

Mathematics


Elementary Grades: K–5KindergartenStandards introducing number and operations in base ten appear in kindergarten. Students will work with numbers 11–19 to start to understand place value. Standards introducing basic algebraic thinking skills—not problems with variables—appear in kindergarten.

New Common Core DomainsCounting and Cardinality

Operations and Algebraic Thinking

Number and Operations in Base Ten

Measurement and Data

Geometry

Grades 1–2Notice the continuing focus on algebraic thinking.

New Common Core DomainsOperations and Algebraic Thinking



Geometry


Grades 3–5Note the greater emphasis on number and operations in these grades.

New Common Core DomainsOperations and Algebraic Thinking


Number and Operations—Fractions


Geometry

Middle Grades: 6–8In middle grades, the CCSS address the following domains.

Grades 6–7Students in grades 6 and 7 will see an emphasis on algebraic concepts such as proportional relationships, expressions, and equations.

New Common Core DomainsRatios and Proportional Relationships

The Number System

Expressions and Equations

Geometry

Statistics and Probability


Grade 8This grade will continue to focus on algebraic concepts such as expressions, equations, and functions.

New Common Core DomainsThe Number System

Expressions and Equations

Functions

Geometry

Statistics and Probability

High School Grades: 9–12In high school grades, the Common Core math domains are organized into conceptual categories. A conceptual category includes several content domains and highlights the idea that a high school math course is often made up of many different topics. These conceptual categories are addressed through specific, common courses.

The following Common Core math conceptual categories are addressed in grades 9–12:

• Number and Quantity• Algebra• Functions• Modeling• Geometry• Statistics and Probability


Nationally, high school math courses under the Common Core will generally stick to one of four suggested pathways. The pathways are guidelines on how to organize math courses. Each school district decides how to use the pathways in building their courses, and whether to use the pathways at all.

The four pathways are:

• Traditional Pathway: The most common structure of math courses in the U.S. The traditional pathway includes two algebra courses and a geometry course. Each course includes some data analysis, probability, and statistics.

• Integrated Pathway: Three courses (Math I, Math II, and Math III) that each blend number theory, algebra, geometry, probability, and statistics.

• Compacted Traditional Pathway: Seventh grade, eighth grade, and Algebra I courses are condensed to fit into two years (seventh and eighth grades), so students have time for college-level courses in their senior year.

• Compacted Integrated Pathway: Seventh grade, eighth grade, and Math I courses are condensed to fit into two years (seventh and eighth grades), so students have time for college-level courses in their senior year.


Mathematical PracticesThe Common Core standards include a list of Mathematical Practices. The Mathematical Practices aren’t standards; they are common-sense skills for how to think about and solve problems. They are intended to complement the standards. The Mathematical Practices are based on long-standing evidence and research into how students develop math expertise. These Mathematical Practices emphasize the importance of perseverance, the use of appropriate tools, and reasoning. These skills will be important to students in their education and in their careers. In all grades, teachers will help students develop these skills as they work to master the CCSS.

Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice 1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.

3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.

4. Model with mathematics.

5. Use appropriate tools strategically.

6. Attend to precision.

7. Look for and make use of structure.

8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.


The CCSS for English language arts are divided into sections for K–5 and 6–12. The standards for all grades fall into the following domains, or groups of related standards:

• Reading: covers analysis and understanding of literature and informational text

• Writing: deals with persuasive, narrative, and expository writing; organization; and research

• Speaking and Listening: focuses on comprehension, presentations, and working with others

• Language: includes grammar, usage, punctuation, vocabulary, and other conventions of language

Text recommended under the CCSS may be more complex than what was used under your state’s old standards.


English classes may have focused mostly on literature and creative writing.

English language arts includes a balance of reading and writing across genres for a variety of purposes. There is a greater emphasis on reading, writing, and understanding informational text. Literature and creative writing are still in the curriculum, but to a lesser degree.

English Language Arts


Elementary Grades: K–5The standards for younger students focus on developing comprehension strategies, or different ways to understand what they read. The goal for kindergarten through grade 5 is to help students become independent readers and writers who can think critically about literature. This way, students build a solid foundation for middle and high school.

Students will:

• develop basic foundational skills in using written and spoken language in kindergarten

• learn how to read and think critically about informational text, such as newspapers, maps, and charts

• become effective communicators• discover how to present their knowledge and converse with

others in a respectful way• understand the basics of how to use language properly, in both

speaking and writing

These skills will lay the groundwork for students to convey their ideas well in later grades.

Middle Grades: 6–8Middle school students are expected to look even deeper into what they’re reading, and to use what they learn about structure and literary elements in their writing.

They will:

• become familiar with different types of text, such as modern fiction, nonfiction, myths, and plays

• explore texts in different media, including digital text and video• learn more about elements of literature, such as irony• analyze text for meaning, bias, and other complex elements• learn how to conduct research projects, build persuasive

arguments, and present their findings to others• continue to develop grammar and expand vocabulary


High School Grades: 9–10 and 11–12High school standards are organized into two-year bands rather than separate grades. This way, courses can be more flexible. Students at this point are preparing for college and workplace communication through reading, writing, and speaking.

They will:

• fine-tune research and critical thinking skills• demonstrate understanding of what they read by writing detailed

analyses and research papers• show a strong mastery of the elements of literature and

informational text• become proficient with grammar, vocabulary, and language

conventions• learn how to construct persuasive arguments and debate issues

coherently using facts


How will the Common Core affect instructional materials?It depends on how different your state’s standards are from the Common Core. Instructional materials will need to align to the new standards if they don’t already. The order in which skills build upon one another in the Common Core may be different from what has been taught in any given school district. Each district needs to evaluate what they’ve been using, then decide what needs to change and how.

The CCSS focus on critical thinking skills. They don’t dictate what teachers should use in their lessons. In math, the Mathematical Practices encourage critical thinking. The goal is for students to learn how math works, not just how to memorize formulas. In English language arts, the new standards call for teachers to use “high-quality” literature and informational text. Suggestions include Shakespeare and the Federalist Papers. These suggestions demonstrate the sort of works that students are expected to study and analyze. However, the teacher chooses the material.

How will the Common Core affect instruction?Again, the Common Core State Standards are guidelines and expectations for what students should be able to do by the time they graduate. Districts, schools, and teachers decide how to teach the standards. Some topics may be taught in different grades than in the past (either higher or lower grades); this is in part because the participating states had different standards, and partly because of evidence that certain skills are more appropriate at different grades than may be familiar to you.

Implications/What’s Next


When and how will the transition to the Common Core take place?It’s likely that educators in your state have already been working together and attending training sessions to prepare to teach the Common Core. Most states began phasing in CCSS in the 2012–2013 year and will continue to work on the transition throughout 2013–2014.

How do these new standards affect assessments?New assessments are currently under development. Two groups, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and the Smarter-Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC), are developing common national assessments for the Common Core. The new assessments are planned for the 2014–2015 school year.

How will the national assessments “count” for grades, graduation, etc.? Starting in 2012–2013, many states will use assessments that address some Common Core standards, but that are in the format students are used to. All states will begin using the new PARCC or SBAC assessments in the 2014–2015 school year.

Throughout the year, teachers will assess student performance in order to help them with lesson planning. Student progress will also be reviewed on an ongoing basis. Just like before, a student who isn’t making progress will receive interventions, remediation, or re-instruction.



Every state had its own testing. More than 40 states have agreed to use common standards and at least one of two common national assessments that are being developed.

Performance on state tests was typically much better than performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

State and national assessments will be consistent, providing a more accurate picture of student achievement.


How will the new standards help my child?• Skills outlined in the CCSS build upon one another. They’re

designed to help students learn and remember more of what they understand so they’re ready to move on to the next steps. For example, kindergarteners learning basic addition will understand it in a way that helps them prepare for algebra several years down the road.

• Students who master the CCSS will be ready for college-level work; that means they won’t need to spend time and money on remediation classes after high school.

• High-school graduates moving directly into the workforce will have the critical reading, thinking, problem solving, and content skills employers are looking for.

What about children with special needs?The Common Core State Standards were written with all students in mind. The standards are flexible enough to allow for differentiated approaches for all learners. In fact, differentiated instruction is an important part of the CCSS philosophy. Students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) will still receive the same accommodations and learning supports. Students with learning or cognitive disabilities will still be taught the same standards, in a manner appropriate for their unique needs. Finally, gifted and talented students will continue to be offered extra challenges and opportunities for enrichment and/or acceleration.

Common Core and Your Child


How do I know if my child is meeting the standards?Your child’s teacher and school will communicate with you about your child’s performance. You will still have report cards and conferences to keep you informed.

How will the Common Core help me?• You will know more about how your child learns, and what he or

she is expected to be able to do.• You will have clear, consistent standards to refer to in order to

gauge your child’s progress. You will know where your child stands not only in your school, but compared with schools nationwide.

• You will be reassured that your child’s education is on par with schools across the nation, allowing your learner to graduate with the right skills to enter college or the workforce competitively.

How can I �nd out more about the standards?You can learn more on your state’s Department of Education website, which can be found through the U.S. Department of Education site.

• U.S. Department of Education: State Contacts http://www2.ed.gov/about/contacts/state/index.html.

The Common Core State Standards site also has excellent resources for parents as well as educators.

• Common Core State Standards www.corestandards.org


• The Common Core State Standards are designed to help your child learn effectively.

• The standards are based on scientific evidence and the experiences of the participating states and experts who helped write them.

• The standards are not a federal program—they were developed by a partnership led by the states.

• Local schools decide what is taught—not the federal government.

• The standards will make sure graduates are prepared for college and the workplace.

• The standards will help American students compete globally.

• The standards will make sure that all students nationwide meet the same high expectations.

Summary


assessmentmeasurement of student progress in a given area; test

CCSS Common Core State Standards; new educational standards developed by teachers, parents, and experts; adopted by 45 states as of March 2012http://corestandards.org/

Compacted Integrated Pathway Seventh grade, eighth grade, and Math I courses are condensed to fit into two years (seventh and eighth grades), so students have time for college-level courses in their senior year.

Compacted Traditional Pathway Seventh grade, eighth grade, and Algebra I courses are condensed to fit into two years (seventh and eighth grades), so students have time for college-level courses in their senior year.

Council of Chief State School Officers one of the agencies responsible for coordinating the development of the Common Core State Standardshttp://www.ccsso.org/

domain larger group of related standards within a subject, such as math or English language arts

Individualized Education Program (IEP) plan of services to meet the educational needs of a child who may have a disability

Integrated Pathway

Three courses (Math I, Math II, and Math III) that each blend number theory, algebra, geometry, probability, and statistics.

Glossary and Web Resources


Mathematical Practices thinking and working habits that enable students to critically and proficiently evaluate mathematical problems

http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards/mathematics /introduction/standards-for-mathematical-practice/

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessments, covering mathematics, science, reading, social studies, the arts, and other content areas, that are used nationwide to gauge student progress and compare it to students in other countries

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/

National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center)

one of the agencies responsible for coordinating the development of the Common Core State Standards

http://www.nga.org/cms/center

Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC)

one of two groups working to develop common assessments for the Common Core

http://www.parcconline.org/

Smarter-Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) one of two groups working to develop common assessments for the Common Core

http://www.k12.wa.us/SMARTER/

standard defines what a student should be able to do and understand at a certain grade level

Traditional Pathway the most common structure of high school math courses in the U.S.; includes two algebra courses and a geometry course. Each course includes some data analysis, probability, and statistics.


Sources

Common Core State Standards Initiative. “Common Core State Standards.” http://corestandards.org/ (accessed Dec. 12, 2011).

Common Core State Standards Initiative. “Quotes from Supporters.” http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Quotes-from-Supporters.pdf (accessed Jan. 6, 2012).

Kuchment, Anna. “The New, New Math: A Parent’s Guide.” Scientific American Blog Network. http://blogs.scientificamerican.com /budding-scientist/2011/09/06/the-new-new-math-a-parents-guide/ (accessed Dec. 12, 2011).

National Center for Education Statistics. “What is NAEP?” http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/ (accessed Dec. 12, 2011).

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