About Common Core

The goal of the Common Core State Standards is to instill the 21st century, higher-thinking skills that prepare all students for college and their careers - as well as to succeed in a global economy and society.

 

Here are some ways the Common Core State Standards will challenge students:

• Thinking and writing: Students will need to show the evidence and reasoning that supports their thinking - not just memorize and repeat facts. They’ll have to demonstrate this through clear, convincing writing.
• Not just worksheets: Because students will be expected to demonstrate deep reasoning, homework assignments might be thinner but could take longer, as they require more analytical thinking and writing.
• Fact AND fiction: Students will be reading a much greater proportion of nonfiction writing to supplement their work with fiction as they practice analyzing evidence to formulate arguments.
• Teamwork is key: Collaboration is vital for success; no one works in isolation anymore. Students must learn how to express ideas, listen to each others’ thoughts and integrate and evaluate information.
• Tests will challenge all students: Computer-adaptive testing adjusts the difficulty of tests depending on which questions students answer correctly, getting progressively harder. This personalizes learning and pushes all to grow academically.
• Some struggle is good: Common Core State Standards measure academic growth in all students, regardless of their starting points. That means all students will be challenged to stretch their learning. 

 

On the navigation bar to the left is a guide to new standards for each subject.

 

You may submit questions, comments, or feedback regarding the Common Core State Standards or this site in particular.