Center for Standards, Assessment, and Accountability

Grade Level: Elementary School (K-5)

The Role of Strategic Communications in the Transition to New Academic Standards and Assessments: Case Studies of Tennessee and Kentucky

This case study examines how the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the state of Tennessee managed communications in the transition to more rigorous standards. The authors present eight important lessons including: proactive communication; coordinated communication; educator engagement; simple messages; engaging partners; planning for the inevitable; tying education reform to improved outcomes for students and state economic growth; and meeting with […]

ArtsEdge: Lesson Finder

ArtsEdge is the Kennedy Center’s free, digital resource site for teaching and learning in – and through – the arts. The Lesson Finder webpage is a searchable portal to hundreds of K-12 arts-based lesson plans and projects for classroom and afterschool.  

BetterLesson

BetterLesson is an online site dedicated to providing educators with access to high-quality tools and resources that support implementation and alignment to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The site features lessons and resources from over 130 selected Master Teachers from across the country. Master Teachers are charged with developing and sharing lessons and resources […]

Testing Reform Victories 2015: Growing Grassroots Movement Rolls Back Testing Overkill

As its title suggests, the authors of this publication present information related to recent changes in state and district assessment policies. Those issues include: Graduation Test Policies  Test-Based Grade Retention Opting Out of Testing Public Opinion about Tests Tests for College Admissions; and   Recommendations for Continued Changes in Test Policies. The authors cite a broad […]

ELA Gazette

The CCRS Gazette template is used to guide teachers’ analysis of the standards as a collection of grade-level expectations.