Implementation of Common Core State Standards: Roles for Advocates

Forty-six states and the District of Columbia have committed to fully implement the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) by the fall of 2013, and members of the two CCSS-aligned assessment consortia have committed to roll out an aligned assessment the following year. With less than a year until the CCSS must be in place in all classrooms, most states have at least some implementation activities already underway. But if these standards are to provide true game-changing leverage, advocates need to step up their involvement on at least two fronts. They need to make sure that the standards are implemented in effective and equitable ways. And they need to help parents and other stakeholders understand and support the standards. This brief guide is designed to help advocates who are new to standards work. It provides basic information on matters that are critical to common core implementation, including: (1) Transition Planning; (2) Communication; (3) Educator Training and Instructional Materials; (4) High School Curriculum and Graduation Policies; (5) Catch-Up Strategies; (6) English Language Learners; (7) Technology; and (8) Policy Alignment.