As a district, we are implementing a new set of academic standards, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) which were recently adopted by the California State Board of Education. The CCSS are national learning expectations for college and career success developed by teachers, parents, school administrators, and education experts and adopted by forty-six states. These newly adopted standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn in K-12 mathematics and English language arts. The purpose of adopting the CCSS is to ensure that our students are receiving a relevant and rigorous education in preparation for the demands of college and/or career in the 21st century.

While there are many similarities between the previous California state standards and the CCSS, you will notice changes in instructional content, the grade level at which the content is taught, as well as in the structure and focus of homework. Literacy skills, specifically reading and writing, will be taught across all content areas with a greater balance of literature and informational text. The level of text complexity will increase, as well. Mathematics will focus on developing strong foundational knowledge and deep conceptual understanding, particularly its application to real world situations.

Parents and guardians are crucial partners in laying the groundwork for a smooth transition to the new standards. The National PTA has made available outstanding resources in English and Spanish on the topic of CCSS at www.pta.org/parents/content.cfm?ItemNumber=2583.