Introduction to the Draft Common Core Standards

March 9, 2010

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors
Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) are pleased to present the draft
Kindergarten-12 grade level Common Core State Standards documents that our
organizations have produced on behalf of 48 states, two territories, and the District of
Columbia. These English language arts and mathematics standards represent a set of
expectations for student knowledge and skills that will result in high school graduates
who are prepared for success in college and careers.

To develop these standards, CCSSO and the NGA Center worked with representatives
from participating states, a wide range of educators, content experts, researchers, national
organizations, and community groups. These drafts reflect their input, and we are grateful
for the time and insight hundreds of individuals have contributed to the development of
these important documents.

Now, we seek public comment on these draft documents and encourage input via our
online survey available at www.corestandards.org. The public comment period will end
on April 2, 2010.

After our work groups have had an opportunity to review all of the feedback from the
general public and state-led reviews, they will produce final documents. It is expected
that the final set of standards documents will be available in late spring 2010.

You will notice that the college- and career-readiness standards have been incorporated
into this draft. The final English language arts and mathematics standards documents will
include college- and career-readiness standards along with the K-12 grade level standards.

The criteria that we used to develop the college- and career-readiness standards, as well
as these K-12 grade level standards are:

 Aligned with college and work expectations;

 Include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills;
 Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards;
 Informed by top-performing countries, so that all students are prepared to succeed
in our global economy and society; and,
 Evidence and/or research-based.

The following links provide more information about the criteria and considerations for
standards development.

The standards development process has maximized the best practices and research from
across the nation and the world. While we have used all available research to shape these
documents, we recognize that there is more to be learned about the most essential
knowledge for student success. As new research is conducted and we evaluate the
implementation of the common core standards, we plan to revise the standards
accordingly on a set review cycle.

Our organizations would also like to thank our advisory group, which provides advice
and guidance on this initiative. Members of this group include experts from Achieve,
Inc., ACT, the College Board, the National Association of State Boards of Education, and
the State Higher Education Executive Officers.
 Application of Common Core State Standards for English Language Learners

English language learners (ELLs) must be held to the same level of standards expected of
students who are already proficient in English. However, these students are acquiring
both English language proficiency and content area knowledge concurrently, so some
students will require additional time, and all will require appropriate instructional support
and aligned assessments.

ELLs are a heterogeneous group with differences in ethnic background, first language,
socioeconomic status, quality of prior schooling, and levels of English language
proficiency. Effectively educating these students requires diagnosing each student
instructionally, adjusting instruction accordingly, and closely monitoring student progress.
For example, ELLs who are literate in a first language that shares cognates with English
can apply first-language vocabulary knowledge when reading in English; likewise ELLs
with high levels of schooling can bring to bear conceptual knowledge developed in their
first language when reading in a second language. However, ELLs with limited or
interrupted schooling will need to acquire background knowledge prerequisite to
educational tasks at hand. Those ELLs who are newcomers to U.S. schools will need
sufficiently scaffolded instruction and assessments to make sense of content delivered in
a second language and to display this content knowledge.

English Language Arts

The common core standards for English language arts (ELA) articulate rigorous grade-
level expectations in the areas of speaking, listening, reading, and writing to prepare all
students to be college and career ready, including English language learners. Second-
language learners also will benefit from instruction about how to negotiate situations
outside of those settings so they are able to participate on equal footing with native
speakers in all aspects of social, economic, and civic endeavors.

ELLs bring with them many resources that enhance their education and can serve as
resources for schools and society. Many ELLs have first language and literacy knowledge
and skills that boost their acquisition of language and literacy in a second language;
additionally, they bring an array of talents and cultural practices and perspectives that
enrich our schools and our society. Teachers must build on this enormous reservoir of
talent and provide those students who need it with additional time and appropriate
instructional support. This includes language proficiency standards that teachers can use
in conjunction with the ELA standards to assist ELLs in becoming proficient and literate
in English.

To help ELLs meet high academic standards in language arts it is essential that they have
access to:
 Teachers and personnel at the school and district levels who are well prepared and
qualified to support ELLs while taking advantage of the many strengths and skills
they bring to the classroom;
  Literacy-rich school environments where students are immersed in a variety of
language experiences;
 Instruction that develops foundational skills in English that enable ELLs to
participate fully in grade-level coursework;
 Coursework that prepares ELLs for postsecondary education or the workplace yet
is made comprehensible for students learning content in a second language
(through specific pedagogical techniques and additional resources);
 Opportunities for classroom discourse and interaction that are well-designed to
enable ELLs to develop communicative strengths in language arts;
 Ongoing assessment and feedback to guide learning; and
 Speakers of English who know the language well enough to provide ELLs with
models and support.

Mathematics

ELLs can participate in mathematical discussions as they learn English. Mathematics

instruction for ELL students should draw on multiple resources and modes available in
classrooms—such as objects, drawings, inscriptions, and gestures—as well as home
languages and mathematical experiences outside of school. While mathematics
instruction for ELLs should address mathematical discourse and academic language, this
involves much more than vocabulary instruction.

Language is a resource for learning mathematics; it is not only a tool for communicating,
but also a tool for thinking and reasoning mathematically. All languages and language
varieties (e.g., different dialects, home or everyday ways of talking, vernacular, slang)
provide resources for mathematical thinking, reasoning, and communicating.

Regular and active participation in the classroom—not only reading and listening but also
discussing, explaining, writing, representing, and presenting—is critical to the success of
ELLs in mathematics. Research has shown that ELLs can produce explanations,
presentations, etc. and participate in classroom discussions as they are learning English.

ELLs, like English-speaking students, require regular access to teaching practices that are
most effective for improving student achievement. Mathematical tasks should be kept at
high cognitive demand; teachers and students should attend explicitly to concepts; and
students should wrestle with important mathematics.

Overall, research suggests that:

 Language switching can be swift, highly automatic, and facilitate rather than
inhibit solving word problems in the second language, as long as the student’s
language proficiency is sufficient for understanding the text of the word problem.
 Instruction should ensure that students understand the text of word problems
before they attempt to solve them.
 Instruction should include a focus on “mathematical discourse” and “academic
language” because these are important for ELLs. Although it is critical that
 students who are learning English have opportunities to communicate
mathematically, this is not primarily a matter of learning vocabulary. Students
learn to participate in mathematical reasoning, not by learning vocabulary, but by
making conjectures, presenting explanations, and/or constructing arguments.
 While vocabulary instruction is important, it is not sufficient for supporting
mathematical communication. Furthermore, vocabulary drill and practice are not
the most effective instructional practices for learning vocabulary. Research has
demonstrated that vocabulary learning occurs most successfully through
instructional environments that are language-rich, actively involve students in
using language, require that students both understand spoken or written words and
also express that understanding orally and in writing, and require students to use
words in multiple ways over extended periods of time. To develop written and
oral communication skills, students need to participate in negotiating meaning for
mathematical situations and in mathematical practices that require output from
students.
 Application of Common Core State Standards for Students with Disabilities

The Common Core Standards articulate rigorous, grade-level expectations in the areas of
English language arts and mathematics to prepare students to be college and career ready.

All students, including students with disabilities― students eligible under the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ― must be challenged to excel within the general
curriculum and prepared for success in their post-school lives, including college and/ or
careers. The common core state standards provide a historic opportunity to improve
access to academic content standards for students with disabilities. The continued
development of understanding about research-based instructional practices and a focus on
their effective implementation will also help improve access to the common core state
standards.

Students with disabilities are a heterogeneous group with one common characteristic: the
presence of disabling conditions that significantly hinder their abilities to benefit from
general education (IDEA 34 CFR §300.39, 2004). Therefore, how these high standards
are taught and assessed is of the utmost importance in reaching this diverse group of
students.

For special education students to meet high academic standards and to fully demonstrate
their conceptual and procedural knowledge and skills in mathematics and English
language arts, their instruction must incorporate supports and often times,
accommodations, including:

 Special education supports and related services designed to meet the unique needs
of these students and to enable their access to the general education curriculum
(IDEA 34 CFR §300.34, 2004).
 An Individualized Education Program, which includes annual goals aligned with
and chosen to facilitate their attainment of grade-level academic standards.
 Teachers and specialized instructional support personnel who are prepared and
qualified to deliver high-quality, evidence-based, individualized instruction and
support services.

Promoting a culture of high expectations for all students is a fundamental goal of the
common core state standards. To participate with success in the general curriculum,
students with disabilities, as appropriate, may be provided additional supports and
services, such as:

 Instructional supports for learning, based on the principles of Universal Design

for Learning, which foster student engagement by presenting information in
multiple ways and allowing for diverse avenues of action and expression.
 Instructional accommodations ―changes in materials or procedures― which do
not change the standards but allow students to learn within the framework of the
common core state standards.
  Assistive technology devices and services to ensure access to the general
education curriculum and the common core state standards.

For some students with significant cognitive disabilities to access certain standards, those
standards may need to be extended and/or adjusted. However, standards should be
extended and/or adjusted only after students receive access to multiple means of learning
and demonstrating knowledge. Any extensions and/ or adjustments must align with and
retain the rigor and high expectations of the common core state standards.