Common Core Standards

If you haven't looked at the Common Core Standards you probably should. A vast majority of states have adopted them (40 some odd), and they will likely replace your state standards soon. In Washington, this will take place in 2014 but some districts might make the move sooner (if I remember correctly). Since I have the time, since I'm at jury duty, I went through them today. I had done s previously but not in great depth. Today I went through the English Language Arts section. They simplify the Washington standards. Instead of EALR 2 with a variety of components, you have a standard that has some specificity. They are relatively easy to navigate. Go through your grade level and read the various descriptors. What I like is that the descriptors make sense. There is movement, in reading, from the explicit to the implied. You move from citing ideas from the text to making inferences, and using context for a variety of applications. That isn't necessarily new, but the implementation previously involved selecting the appropriate inference. Having kids select something doesn't necessarily guarantee you are getting a gauge of their reading. It could also be good multiple choice selection or some combination of the two. The last piece is the emphasis on integration. You aren't simply looking at technology standards but rather looking at how they are a part of communication- ways to research and present information. It is how we already do things, but included in one document instead of 3-4 (reading, writing, technology, and some sort of content). To me this is a step forward.