What do parents need to know about the Common Core State Standards?

You’ve probably heard a lot of about the new Common Core Standards that your child is learning at school this year.  So what is it all about???

The Common Core State Standards were developed through a partnership with the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers with the goal of increasing the level of rigor and depth of what is being taught in our schools.  Forty-five states have adopted the Common Core which means our country has gone primarily to a national curriculum.  The standards are designed to prepare students for a competitive, global economy by providing a curriculum that focuses on higher order thinking skills and real life application. The goal is to provide clear, consistent expectations of what students are supposed to learn.

The Common Core consists of standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics.  The English Language Arts standards are broken down into five areas: 1) Reading, 2) Writing, 3) Speaking and Listening, 4) Language, and 5) Media and Technology.  The focus has shifted to increasing the complexity of text that students read and discuss.  Students are also expected to evaluate, integrate, and present information from a variety of sources.  The mathematics standards support a strong foundation of number fluency in the primary grades, a greater focus on problem solving skills, and an increased focus on application of mathematical concepts.

To sum it up, the Common Core is designed to prepare our students to be college and career ready, to compete in a global economy, and to think critically.  In essence, it requires learning to be more in depth and rigorous.  To learn more about the standards, visit http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards.