Common Core State Standards Mathematics (CCSSM)

On August 2, 2010, the State Board of Education (SBE) adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), with some additions unique to California. In this document, to distinguish between the CCSS and the enhanced set of California standards, the SBE-adopted standards are referred to as the "California Common Core Standards."

The following frequently asked questions provide answers to general questions about the Common Core Standards and they are organized into these categories:

Background: National Initiative for Common Core State Standards:

1. What is the national initiative for Common Core State Standards?
The Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) coordinated the state-led Common Core State Standards initiative. California was one of 48 states that participated in this effort. Because the standards were developed by states in collaboration with one another, they provide common expectations for what students are expected to learn. The final set of CCSS was released in June 2010. As of August 2011, the CCSS have been adopted by 44 states and two territories.

2. What are the Common Core State Standards?
The CCSS address the content areas of English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. Additionally, the common core ELA standards include literacy standards for history/social studies, science, and technical subjects. These kindergarten through grade 12 standards provide a progression of knowledge and skills that prepare students to graduate from high school and be ready for college and careers. The Standards are research-based and internationally benchmarked.

3. Why are Common Core State Standards needed?
Presently, each state has its own set of standards, and consequently, what students are expected to learn varies from state to state. The initiative is an effort to set a clear and consistent progression of K-12 standards that will prepare students for success in college and their careers. The CCSS articulate the same expectations for all students, regardless of where they live.

4. What are some of the advantages of having Common Core State Standards?
There are many advantages for adopting the Common Core State Standards. This effort provides opportunities to collaborate with other states, reduces costs by pooling resources, and articulates internationally benchmarked expectations for student performance. The English language arts and mathematics content standards, which were adopted by California in 1997, are considered to be among the most rigorous in the United States. The CCSS Initiative provided the opportunity to reexamine California’s standards against international benchmarks and the standards of other states. The new CCSS are rigorous, internationally benchmarked, and will prepare students to experience future success in
college and careers.

5. How were English learner considerations addressed in the Common Core State Standards?
Linguists and experts in English learner educational issues were involved in the development of the CCSS for English language arts. These individuals assisted in shaping the standards in general, and had a significant impact on the language and vocabulary standards. The developers of the CCSS have expressed an interest in creating English language development (ELD) standards.
 

Background: California Common Core Standards:

6. How were the California Common Core Standards developed?
In anticipation of the release of the Common Core State Standards, the Governor signed Senate Bill (SB) X5 1 in January 2010. The law required that 21 representatives be appointed to the Academic Content Standards Commission (ACSC) to develop academic content standards in language arts and mathematics. Eighty-five percent of the standards recommended by the ACSC were required to be from the CCSS, and fifteen percent could be added by California to ensure the rigor of the standards. The ACSC met for six days in June and July 2010 to develop the California Common Core Standards for English language arts and mathematics. The State Board of Education adopted the California Common Core Standards on August 2, 2010.
 

7. Are the new California Common Core Standards as rigorous as California’s existing standards?
Yes. The ACSC was able to add up to 15% to the CCSS for each subject. Consequently, they added information to address any perceived gaps and to ensure that the rigor of California’s existing standards would be maintained. To see California’s additions to the CCSS, visit the SCOE website at http://www.scoe.net/castandards/index.html and select “ELA Common Core State Standards adopted by SBE on 8/2/10” or ”Math Common Core State Standards adopted by SBE on 8/2/10.” The additions are indicated in bold and underlined font.

8. When will schools and districts be expected to implement the California Common Core Standards?
School Districts should continue using the present California Standards but begin to examine the CCSS and have teachers begin implementing the Standards for Mathematical Practice that are common for all grade levels. After the State Board of Education adopted the California Common Core Standards on August 2, 2010, the California Department of Education and the State Board of Education began developing a timeline and plan for implementing the Standards. Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O’Connell, stated that it would take two to four years to implement the standards. He added, “The implementation plan will address curriculum frameworks, instructional materials, assessments, and accountability measures.” Now is a good time for schools and districts to begin to familiarize themselves with the California Common Core Standards.
 

Frameworks and Instructional Materials:

9. What is the timeline for new frameworks and instructional materials adoptions?
In the past, California has had a cycle for revising the curriculum frameworks to incorporate new research, standards, and other appropriate information. The frameworks provide guidance about subject area content and standards implementation in the subsequent curriculum adoptions. A new schedule will be developed as the California Common Core Standards implementation plan unfolds. California’s Race to the Top application indicated that one possible schedule for framework development and curriculum adoption might be:
• Adopt new frameworks: Mathematics (May, 2013).
• Adopt new instructional materials: Mathematics (August 2014).
• New instructional materials available for schools: Mathematics (December 2014).
• California will be working to identify funds to support this new work.
 

10. What instructional materials should be used until new materials aligned to the California Common Core Standards are available?
In July 2009, the adoption of instructional materials and the development of new frameworks were suspended until the 2013-14 school year (Assembly Bill X4 2). Districts have the choice to purchase materials from the most recent adoption (2008 English language arts and 2007 mathematics), or continue using materials from Leading Mathematics Education Organizations.
 

Common Core Coalition has been formed to provide expertise and advice on issues related to effective implementation and assessment of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM). The members of the coalition are the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM),the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM), the Association of MathematicsTeacher Educators (AMTE), the Association of State Supervisors of Mathematics (ASSM), theCouncil of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), the National Governors Association (NGA),the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC), and the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). 

The coalition will focus on:
• Providing a means to review, research, develop, and communicate common messages throughout the implementation and assessment of CCSSM. Providing content and assessment expertise and advice from the communities of mathematics education for the development of the content frameworks of the assessment consortia for CCSSM.
• Collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information about CCSSM implementation and assessment processes to inform future revisions of the CCSSM.

“The Common Core State Standards present an unusual opportunity to guide and shape the future of mathematics education in the United States,” according to Mike Shaughnessy, president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and chair of the coalition. “This new Common Core environment also presents real challenges to teachers, districts, and leaders in the education system. The goal of our coalition is to realize the full potential of the Common Core State Standards by combining our strengths and coordinating our efforts to offer the best possible support for teachers and others responsible for delivering high-quality mathematics education to our students.”

The standards define the knowledge and skills that students should gain as they progress from Kindergarten to Grade 12 to ensure that they will graduate from high school ready to succeed in introductory-level, credit-bearing academic college courses and in careers. To date, 44 states and the District of Columbia have adopted the standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

Smarter Balanced Assessment
California has joined the SMARTER Balanced Assessment consortium (SBAC) as of June, 2011. The SBAC is a consortium of 29 states that have been working collaboratively with WestEd to develop a student assessment system aligned to the common core state standards. California is one of 21 governing states, allowing for involvement in decision making in the development of the assessments. There are eight states in the consortium that are not listed as governing states.