Implementation Of Common Core State Standards Set To Begin

This fall, Washington's public schools will begin the process of implementing the Common Core State Standards in mathematics and English language arts. What are these standards? Where did they come from? How do they compare with Washington's existing standards? Keep reading for the answers to these and other questions.

What are the Common Core State Standards?

In June 2009, the nation's governors and chief state school officers, recognizing that the knowledge and skills that all students will need to be successful do not differ from one part of the country to another, launched a state-led initiative to define those standards—benchmarked according to international standards--and encourage their voluntary adoption by all states. More than 40 states have adopted these standards, including Washington, which tentatively adopted them last year and is expected to formally adopt them in July, following further review by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), headed by Superintendent Randy Dorn. More information about the standards and Washington's process is available here.

What are the benefits of the Common Core State Standard?

Washington state's k-12 education system has been standards based since 1992, but other states' experiences with standards are quite varied. Families who move into or from another state often find that their children are expected to know things they weren't taught in their previous school or, worse yet, repeat subject matter that they have already mastered. This is a particular hardship for military families, who move around the country and the globe on a regular basis, but can also be an issue faced by other families in our mobile population. In addition, these standards are rigorous and keyed to the knowledge and skills that students need to have to be competitive in the global economy. The standards also align with college and work expectations; are clear, understandable, and consistent; include rigorous content and application of higher-order skills; and build upon the strengths and lessons of current state standards and standards from countries around the world. Finally having the majority of states using the same standards will make it easier and less costly to acquire text books that are aligned with the standards and save on the development and administration of assessments.

How were the Common Core State Standards developed?

The Common Core State Standards start at the end, asking what children need to know by the time they graduate. The standards then identify stepping stones for getting there. The goal is to get all children, no matter where they live, working at consistently high standards and to link those standards to real skills that kids need to transition into adulthood and the workplace. The governors and school leaders started with math and English language arts, and similar standards for science are in development. In putting the standards together, the team of experts looked to the most effective national and international models and consulted with parents, teachers, school administrators, experts, and state educational leaders. The intent is to identify benchmarks, not dictate teaching methods.

How do the math and English language arts standards align with Washington's current standards?

Fans say Washington's new math standards are better – they are clearer and they've earned an A from a national reviewer. But both an internal state review and the independent reviewer who gave our math standards an A say that the Common Core math standards are very close to our current math standards. Our existing English language arts standards are not as strong. They rate a C, according to the independent analysis, and most agree the Common Core standards in this area are a major improvement over Washington's current standards. You can read and download a copy of the OSPI comparative analysis here.

What's the next step here in Washington?

Superintendent Dorn's office has just completed a bias and sensitivity review to assure that implementation will work for all children, and will post a report by June 30th. His office is expected to formally adopt the standards in July, but that's just the beginning—full implementation is expected to take three years. The OSPI's tentative implementation timeline is available here.

Where can I get more information about the Common Core Standards?

National PTA recently developed the Parents' Guide to Student Success to help parents support learning at home, and professional development tools are similarly under development by education associations and regional learning research centers. You can review and download grade-by-grade summaries of the math and English language arts standards here.