Common Core Standards in 2014: Curriculum and Professional Development at the District Level
This report is part of a three-part series, Common Core State Standards in 2014, conducted and published by the Center on Education Policy. The series provides an in-depth look at Common Core State Standards (CCSS) implementation. The data reported from the series comes from a survey of a nationally representative sample of school districts located in Common Core-adopting states that are also members of the PARCC or Smarter Balanced testing consortium. This report “discusses districts’ efforts to develop and put in place CCSS-aligned curricular materials and to provide professional development to teachers and principals to prepare them for the standards” (p. 2). In particular, it examines “anticipated timelines for implementing CCSS-aligned curricula in all schools, sources of CCSS-aligned curricula, the estimated percentages of teachers and principals who have participated in CCSS-related professional development, anticipated timelines for when all teachers and principals will be prepared for the CCSS, and providers and topics of CCSS-related professional development” (from the abstract). Additional findings from the survey are found in the Center on Education Policy’s two related reports: districts’ perceptions, progress, and challenges; and district implementation of consortia-developed assessments.
This report, relying on data from the CEP’s survey, provides valuable information on district practices relating to the implementation of math and ELA curricula aligned to the Common Core, as well as professional development programs for teachers. The document’s organization, along with its numerous figures and tables, add to the quality of the resource in communicating findings. Both timely and relevant, the information provided will be useful for readers looking to gain insight on professional and curricular development related to Common Core standards.