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Common Core State Standards

Introduction

The mission of the Common Core State Standards Initiative is to "provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy."

These new standards focus on integrating academic content with skill instruction.  The CCSS makes clear what students should be able to do, as well as what they should know when they graduate.  All of the English/Language Arts standards at the lower grades build, or spiral, to the twelfth grade standards.  It is possible to trace the development of a standard from kindergarten through graduation, at each level the work increases in complexity. The Math standards focus on "habits of mind" that students can apply at all levels of mathematics.  This shift is an exciting opportunity for teachers to vertically articulate curriculum in ways not possible under the current standards.

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Common Core Assessments

The State of California introduced the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress in 2015. Also called the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments, the tests are given annually to students in various grades. The tests are taken online and replace the previous Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR), which was paper based.

About the CAASPP Program