2011 Really Good U: What the Common Core Standards Mean For You
 Photo by misskprimary Jonathan’s’s family is moving this summer. They are relocating from the deep south to a small town in Massachusetts. When Jonathan enters his third grade classroom in the fall he will be behind in some areas and ahead in others. The discrepancies in what he knows are not because his school in the south was in anyway inferior, but simply did not have the same standards as his new school in Massachusetts. Enter the Common Core Standards (CCS) and, theoretically, Jonathan can move to any school in any of the states that have adopted the CCS and he will be right on track with his new classmates. Find out what that means for you and what you need to know about the Common Core Standards to help you get ready.
There is a lot of misconception about who started the Common Core Standards Initiative (CCSI). Many think that the federal government had a direct hand in developing and shaping the CCS as a way of nationalizing education. What surprises many is that the CCSI was, and continues to be, a state-led initiative. Not all states have adopted the CCS, but the majority of them have. While implementation may be delayed for a couple of years in most states, some have pushed forward with implementation beginning as early as the 2011-2012 school year. If your state has decided that this is the year that the CCS will be taking effect, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with them now instead of waiting until the week before school begins. This week we will be breaking down both the language arts and math CCS to help you get a better understanding of them.
In order to be included into the CCS, the standards were evaluated based on criteria that was both practical and research based. One of the keys was that the standard must be realistic and able to be taught and implemented in the classroom. For teachers, this means that all of the standards for their grade level are, or should be, easy to incorporate into lessons. This may be realistic for those whose current state standards are similar to the CCS, but for those who come from states where the CCS includes some radical shifts from the current standards, it can be a daunting task to have them ready for September.
Since the CCS tackle standards from 12th Grade down to Kindergarten, they impact teachers at all grade levels. While teachers will still get to decide how to teach the concepts within the confines of their school or district’s guidelines, they onus will fall on the classroom teacher to find or create materials that directly relate to the standards. Naturally, the first few years of implementation promise to be more work as teachers must rely on new materials or lessons for a number of the standards. What is important to remember is that because so many teachers are in the same position of having the CCS adopted in their state, the creation of new materials will be available at a fast and furious rate as the first few years progress.
For the classroom teacher, the CCS do a few things beyond promising more work upon the initial adoption and implementation. They give teachers a consistent set of standards upon which effective and exciting lessons can be built. They ensure that new students have the same background in subjects when they transfer in, thus, making the transition easier for both the student and the teacher. The CCS also give teachers a clear list of what is expected of each child in terms of academic progression. While some teachers and unions oppose the CCS, they offer a common set of expectations that may just make teaching easier.
Join us this week as we continue to discuss the CCS and give you resources for materials and lessons that will address the new curriculum. #TeachChat on Wednesday, July 13th at 9pm will focus on the CCS and provide you with an opportunity to bounce ideas off of other educators who are also facing the implementation of a new curriculum. We hope you will join us! |
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Commented On July 11th, 2011 4:42 pm
Our school is doing a rolling implementation. Kindergarten implemented last year and k and 1 will do it this coming school year. The K that started last year should not ever see the state test and only the CCS testing. We are hoping by starting them now by the time the CCSI takes place and they are entering 3rd grade for their first year of testing we will be on target. Being a 3rd grade teacher, it scares me a little. It seemed the jump from Illinois Standards to the CCS is quite a large jump. Lets hope they are ready.
Commented On July 11th, 2011 11:14 pm
I’m eager to hear from teachers who have already begun using the CCS.
Also if Commenters would, please add your state to your post.
Oklahoma
Commented On July 11th, 2011 11:21 pm
I am going to start implementing these this year. I teach Kindergarten and my class this year will be the first group to take the new CC test. I am a little scared and overwhelemed. I just finally get familar with the GLE’s and now I have to learn something new. I am going to start learning about the new changes tomorrow. Wish me luck.
Commented On July 11th, 2011 11:48 pm
I’m looking forward to the breakdown….thank you so much!
Commented On July 12th, 2011 12:01 am
The district I work in has no money…They will shove 30 kids in every classroom and expect us to do this…..With so many discipline problems and special needs kids, and nothing but testing every other day….
Commented On July 12th, 2011 12:56 am
Thank you for this series! I am looking forward to the information to be posted this week. The CCS is a wonderful idea and I feel that it will be very beneficial for students; however, many teachers are still a little overwhelmed.
Commented On July 12th, 2011 10:02 am
Training on Math and ELA Georgia Performance Standards – CSS this school year for rollout in 2012.
Commented On July 12th, 2011 9:06 pm
My school is implementing CCS in the Primary grades this year. I will attend training in 2 weeks to help become more familiar with changes that I may need to make for my specific grade level. Very interested and anxious for the training.
Commented On July 13th, 2011 2:26 pm
Of course the big gaping hole in the south is Texas…we kind of do our own thing down here! I am looking forward to the chat because I am a proponent of Common Core Standards.
Commented On July 15th, 2011 9:27 pm
I have just completed my first year teaching so I am still getting used to the standards, especially going to college in one state and then teaching in another!! I think the CCS is a good idea because then you won’t have the problems stated above with Jonathan. I feel that each state having their own standards affected me when I was in school. I moved a lot, and as a result, I was never taught how to read a ruler. In one school they were teaching it in the next grade up from me, but then I moved over the summer and those kids learned it the previous year. This seems like a silly thing, but to this day I hate trying to read a ruler (except for the usual inch, 1/2 inch, 1/4 inch) because I don’t know what all the marks on the ruler mean.
Commented On July 17th, 2011 12:29 pm
Went to a three day training at the beginning of summer, as part of our leadership team. We took at look at the standards, the language and the requirements. We are going to begin implementing the core standards this year. Full implemenation by next school year. It should really impact the curriculumn.
Commented On July 17th, 2011 12:59 pm
My district will be using the CCS in the 2012-2013. Luckily, our Standards are very similar to the CCS so the change will not that dramatic. I think this is a plus for everyone. However, I do hope that distrcits or states do continue to teach relevant material to their area. For example, I live in Florida. I think students should be aware of severe weather like hurricanes when doing a study on weather.
Commented On July 25th, 2011 1:14 pm
I think the Common Core is a good idea… But there still could be problems! We don’t all teach the same way with the same curriculum… Therefore if a kids moves mid-year, they still might miss something and have gaps…