Common Core State Standards

The State Board of Education adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) on July 12, 2010. The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers. The standards were developed in collaboration with teachers, school administrators, and experts to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare our children for college and the workforce.

These standards are modeled after the highest, most effective practices from states across the country and countries around the world and provide teachers and parents with a common understanding of what students are expected to learn. Consistent standards will provide appropriate benchmarks for all students, regardless of where they live.

These standards define the knowledge and skills students should have within their K-12 education careers so that they will graduate with the ability to succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing academic college courses and in workforce training programs. These standards are aligned with college and work expectations; they are clear, understandable and consistent; they include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills; they build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards; and they are used by other top performing countries so that all students are prepared to succeed in our global economy and society.

These Common Core state standards are the first step in transforming our education system in Arkansas. For systemic change to occur in Arkansas, educators must be given resources, tools, and time to adjust classroom practices. Instructional materials will need to be developed that align to the standards; assessments will need to be developed to measure student progress; and federal, state, and district policies will need to be re-examined to ensure they support alignment of the Common Core with student achievement throughout the system.

The state of Arkansas, as well as our district, will implement Common Core State Standards over the next three years. K-2 will implement the CCSS this school year. 3-8 will implement the standards in 2012-2013. 9-12 will implement in 2013-2014.

Our district provided professional development for all K-2 this summer to prepare for the Common Core implementation this year. We will review the CCSS and plan for the changes coming in grades 3-12 over the next few years. Our district has established building-level and district-level teams to guide the CCSS process within our district. We plan to provide parents more information regarding Common Core during parent teacher conferences in October. Link to CCSS web page.