Common Core State Standards

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) provide a consistent, salve clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, treatment 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.

CCSTEM CCSS Contact

Patricia Garrett, Director
Curriculum, Instruction, & Technology
San Luis Obispo County Office of Education
805-782-7271

What Are The Common Core State Standards?

Overview of Common Core State Standards

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were developed by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governor’s Association Center for Best Practices. As of January 2014, forty five states have adopted the Common Core. The focus of the CCSS is to guarantee that all students are college and career ready as they exit from high school. The CCSS are:

• Aligned with college and work force expectations
• Clear, understandable, and consistent
• Rigorous content and application of knowledge through higher-order skills
• Internationally benchmarked

Because the standards were developed by states in collaboration with one another, they provide common expectations for what students are expected to learn. The standards encourage collaboration with other states on best practices, instructional materials, and professional development.

In English/Language Arts, the CCSS include reading writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language standards. There is increased focus on non-fiction and an equal focus on reading and writing. College and Career Anchor Standards are embedded at all grade levels. There is also a separate set of literacy standards for content courses in grades 6-12. In Mathematics, the focus is on the eight Mathematical Practice Standards, K-12.

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively
3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
4. Model with mathematics
5. Use appropriate tools strategically
6. Attend to precision
7. Look for and make use of structure
8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning

There is a balance between math conceptual understanding and procedural skill with an increased emphasis on fractions in the elementary grades. There are two pathways for high school mathematics that includes a traditional (typical in U.S.A.) and integrated pathway (Typical outside of U.S.A.).

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