Year 3 of Implementing the Common Core State Standards: An Overview of States’ Progress and Challenges
This report provides an overview of state efforts to implement the Common Core. It discusses state views of the rigor of the CCSS, their impact on learning, and necessary changes in curriculum and instruction; state timelines for teaching curricula aligned to the CCSS; state activities to implement the CCSS, including collaborative efforts with other states and the impact of state funding cuts; implementation challenges; and the capacity of state education agencies (SEAs) to carry out CCSS related activities.
The goals are effectively stated on page 3, the fourth paragraph, and the report itself effectively meets its goals. The reader should be aware that there appears to be only one respondent from each state and that the respondent was a high level state education official; consequently, the results likely reflect only a state level view. The report would be strengthened by including interviews at district and school levels that would likely change many of the report’s findings, such as actual implementation and assistance that the state says was provided to school districts. The organization, language, length, and visuals are excellent throughout. It may have been helpful to provide the actual survey administered to states as an Appendix. The paper may likely be of greatest use to policymakers, but with substantially less utility for other audiences especially school districts and schools. No references to supplemental resources are included. Regarding completeness, it might be helpful if the report clearly said that there was just one respondent from each state. : Difficult to say that the resource will have a positive effect on learning. Because its findings are generally positive, it could politically support the CCSS, which one might argue will have a positive effect on learning.