1. The Common Core State Standards Initiative Laura Slover Warren Institute Education Roundtable March 4, 2010

2. 2 About Achieve Bipartisan, non-profit organization created by the nation’s governors and business leaders in 1996 Board consists of 3 Democratic governors, 3 Republican governors and 6 CEOs, and is chaired by Gov. Phil Bredesen (D-TN) and Intel Chairman Craig Barrett Early research through American Diploma Project (ADP) identified “must-have” knowledge and skills graduates will need to be successful in college and careers Research resulted in the development of ADP Benchmarks in math and English Now working 35 states in ADP Network to design and implement policies that will prepare all young people for postsecondary education, careers, and citizenship Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

3. 3 American Diploma Project Governors and leaders from K-12, postsecondary, and business in the 35 ADP Network states have made a commitment to: Align high school standards with the demands of college and careers. Require students to take a college-and career-ready curriculum to earn a high school diploma. Build college-and career-ready measures into statewide high school assessment systems. Develop reporting and accountability systems that promote college and career readiness. Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

4. 4 ADP Network formed in 2005 with 13 states now includes 35 states, educating nearly 85 percent of students nationally Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

5. 5 Foundation for the Common Core State Standards State action has provided a foundation for the adoption of the Common Core State Standards: Thirty-one states have taken action to align their high school standards with the demands of college and careers so that students can: Enter into credit-bearing course work in two-or four-year colleges, without the need for remediation and with a strong chance for earning credit toward their program or degree. Gain entry-level positions in quality career pathways, which often require further education and training. Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

6. 6 Thirty-one states have aligned standards Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT Aligned standards formally verified by Achieve Aligned standards not verified by Achieve *Only math standards aligned **Only one content area verified by Achieve: NY (Eng), AL (Math)

7. 7 States already share a set of common expectations in English and mathematics Out of Many, One: Toward Rigorous Common Core Standards From the Ground Up (Achieve, July 2008) A critical mass of states has arrived at a common core of standards in English (12 states) and math (16 states) as a direct result of their alignment efforts. As of May 2009, the critical mass has increased to 18 states in English and 22 in math. The Common Core State Standards Initiative ensures further clarity around those common expectations Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

8. 8 The Common Core State Standards Initiative An Initiative of the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association in Collaboration with Achieve Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

9. 9 What is the Common Core State Standards Initiative? The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a significant and historic opportunity for states to collectively develop and adopt a core set of academic standards in mathematics and English language arts. Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

10. 10 Why is this important? Currently, every state has its own set of academic standards, meaning public school students in each state may be learning different content and be held to different expectations All students must be prepared to compete --not only with their American peers, but also with students from around the world 48 states, DC, and 3 territories have signed on to the Common Core State Standards Initiative led by CCSSO and the NGA Center for Best Practices This initiative will potentially affect 44.5 million students --about 88% of the student population (Source: SchoolDataDirect.org; 2007) Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

11. 11 Why is a common core of state standards good for students? Preparation: It will help prepare students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in college and high skilled careers Competition: It will help our students compete globally for jobs and be prepared when they enter the workforce Equity: Expectations will be consistent for all kids and not dependent on a student’s zip code Clarity: Clearer standards will help students (and their parents and teachers) understand what is expected of them and allow for more self-directed learning Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

12. 12 Why is a common core of state standards good for states? Quality and rigor: Standards will be internationally benchmarked and based on evidence of best practice Collaboration: Allows states to work collaboratively, pooling resources and expertise Platform for: Curricular tools Professional development Common assessments Comparison: Allows states to more accurately compare performance, evaluate policies that affect achievement, and learn from each other Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

13. 13 Process and Timeline College and Career Ready Standards: Achieve, ACT, College Board, Student Achievement Partners – released in September 2009 K-12 Standards: Core Writing Team Extended work teams: Postsecondary faculty K-12 teachers State curriculum and assessment experts Representatives from State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) and National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

14. 14 Process and Timeline K-12 Standards: Timeline: Sept. 2009 – Feb. 2010: drafts shared with extended work teams; feedback incorporated March 2010: draft K-12 standards April 2010: final standards released Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

15. 15 Feedback and Review There are three points of external feedback 1.External and State Feedback Group provide input and guidance to the Writing Teams Postsecondary faculty K-12 teachers State curriculum experts National experts Researchers National organizations (see next slide) Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

16. 16 Feedback and Review National Organizations: Council of Great City Schools American Council on Education (ACE) National Education Association (NEA) Campaign for High School Equity American Federation of Teachers (AFT) National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences Benjamin Banneker Association (BBA) National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Council on Exceptional Children National Down Syndrome Society National Center on Learning Disabilities Learning Disabilities Association Center for Applied Technology (CAST) National Association of State Directors of Special Education National Center for Educational Outcomes Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

17. 17 Feedback and Review 2.Public review of the standards 3.Validation Committee provides an additional external check to ensure standards are evidence-based Researchers Postsecondary faculty Teachers and administrators Leading assessment experts Additional review: Through a grant from the Gates Foundation, the Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC) will validate the standards against college- and career-ready expectations Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

18. 18 What will the Common Core State Standards look like? Building on the strength of current state standards, the common core standards will be: “Fewer, clearer, and higher” Focused Clear Rigorous Ready for states to adopt Internationally benchmarked Aligned with college and career expectations Evidence and research based Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

19. 19 Common Core State Standards will be Internationally Benchmarked Writing teams used various sources as reference points: PISA and TIMSS frameworks International Baccalaureate syllabi Informing Grades 1-6 Mathematics Standards Development: What Can Be Learned From High- Performing Hong Kong, Korea, and Singapore (American Institutes for Research) A+ Composite from A Coherent Curriculum: The Case for Mathematics (Bill Schmidt, Richard Houang, Leland Cogan) Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

20. 20 Common Core State Standards will be Internationally Benchmarked Standards from individual high performing countries and provinces were used to inform content, structure, and language. Writing teams looked for examples of rigor, coherence, and progression. Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT Mathematics 1. Belgium 2. Canada (Alberta) 3. China 4. Chinese Taipei 5. England 6. Finland 7. Hong Kong 8. India 9. Ireland 10. Japan 11. Korea 12. Singapore English language arts 1. Australia New South Wales Victoria 2. Canada Alberta British Columbia Ontario 3. England 4. Finland 5. Hong Kong 6. Ireland 7. Singapore

21. 21 Common Core State Standards will be College- and Career-Ready Writing teams used various sources as reference points: ACT research and materials Ready for College and Ready for Work: Same or Different? National Curriculum Survey WorkKeys requirements College Board research and materials Advanced Placement Course Descriptions A Survey to Evaluate the Alignment of the New SAT ® Writing and Critical Reading Sections to Curricula and Instructional Practices. Achieve research and materials Ready or Not: Creating a High School Diploma That Counts American Diploma Project Workplace Study Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

22. 22 Achieve Research on College and Career Readiness Ready or Not: Creating a High School Diploma That Counts Partnership of Achieve, the Education Trust, Fordham Foundation, and National Alliance of Business Initial ADP research study conducted in Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Texas Involved wide variety of K-12, postsecondary education, and business representatives Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

23. 23 Achieve Research on College and Career Readiness Convened focus groups in each state of two- and four- year postsecondary English and mathematics faculty— plus humanities, sciences, and social sciences faculty Identified “must have” math and English competencies for success in first year, credit-bearing courses Compiled them into a draft set of postsecondary expectations Gathered postsecondary assignments Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

24. 24 Achieve Research on College and Career Readiness American Diploma Project Workplace Study Commissioned Carnevale/Desrochers to do a study that identified “good jobs” using data from Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Department of Education’s National Educational Longitudinal Survey (NELS) Identified which courses people in these “good jobs” had taken in high school Content experts then delineated the content of those courses Developed preliminary workplace expectations for English and mathematics and circulated among focus groups of front-line managers in 22 industries Gathered workplace tasks from various occupations Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

25. 25 Common Core State Standards will be Research and Evidence Based International benchmarks and college- and career-ready expectations were used to guide critical decisions in the following areas: Whether particular content should be included When content should be introduced and how that content should progress Ensuring focus and coherence Organizing and formatting the standards Determining emphasis on particular topics in standards Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

26. 26 Adoption of the Common Core State Standards Adoption: Voluntary for states Means accepting the standards as written The Common Core State Standards will represent at least 85% of the state’s standards in mathematics and English language arts States have been asked to share their timelines for adoption of the common core (27 states have timelines that would allow for adoption within 12 months). Kentucky Board of Education adopted a draft of the standards in February. Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

27. 27 Next steps Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT Content Standards: Common Core State Standards Curriculum Frameworks and Instruction Assessment Frameworks and Performance Indicators Next Steps: There is an obvious role for additional tools, curriculum, and assessment; some states will voluntarily come together to develop new, innovative, common assessments and other shared materials.

28. 28 What happens after states adopt Common Core State Standards? The Common Core State Standards are the first step in transforming our education system. For systemic change to occur: Educators must be supported in changing classroom practice based on the standards Instructional materials need to be developed that align to the standards Assessments will be developed to measure student progress Policies will need to be re-examined (accountability, graduation requirements, etc) Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

29. 29 Additional Achieve Work Development of Next Generation Science Standards Funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York Partnership between Achieve, National Research Council, National Science Teachers Association, and American Association for the Advancement of Science International work: 2012 PISA Frameworks Assistance to states around the Common Core State Standards Gap Analysis Tool Content Briefs Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

30. 30 How can I get more information? Visit the Common Core State Standards Web site page to learn more: www.corestandards.org or www.nga.org or www.ccsso.orgwww.corestandards.orgwww.nga.org www.ccsso.org Subscribe to Common Core State Standards updates at www.ccsso.org www.ccsso.org Contact: Scott Montgomery, Deputy Executive Director, CCSSO scottm@ccsso.org Chris Minnich, Director of Standards and Assessments, CCSSO chrism@ccsso.org Laura Slover, VP for Content and Policy, Achieve lslover@achieve.org Achieve | AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT

31. Achieve Washington, D.C. www.achieve.org March 4, 2010