Common Core State Standards

Resources for Teachers | Resources for Parents

The mission of the Common Core State Standards Initiative is to "provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy."

These new standards focus on integrating academic content with skill instruction. The CCSS makes clear what students should be able to do, as well as what they should know when they graduate. All of the English/Language Arts standards at the lower grades build, or spiral, to the twelfth grade standards. It is possible to trace the development of a standard from kindergarten through graduation, at each level the work increases in complexity. The Math standards focus on "habits of mind" that students can apply at all levels of mathematics. This shift is an exciting opportunity for teachers to vertically articulate curriculum in ways not possible under the current standards.

Quicklinks

Three-Minute Video Explaining Common Core State Standards

Parent Roadmaps

English Language Arts: Common Core Works - ELA
Spanish Language versions Common Core Works . -Spanish Language ELA
Mathematics Common Core Works - Mathematics
Spanish Language versions Common Core Works - Spanish Language Mathematics

CA Department of Education: Common Core State Standards

Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC)

California State PTA's Parent Guide to the Common Core

The National PTA’s Parents’ Guide to Student Success

Guide providing an overview of what your child will learn by the end of each school year.

English Language

Spanish Language

Resources for Teachers

AUSD Letter to Teachers, September 2013

Mathematics

K-12 Math Crosswalks: CA to CCSS and back again

English Language Arts (ELA/Literacy)

K-12 ELA Crosswalks: CA to CCSS and back again

CCSS aligned writing templates for the content areas—includes scoring rubrics (6-12)

Rubric for assessing qualitative measures of text complexity in informational text

Rubric for assessing qualitative measures of text complexity in literary text

Pedagogical Shifts demanded by the Common Core State Standards

Assessment Tools

Writing Rubrics for Grades 9-10

Writing Rubrics for Grades 11-12

General

Video: Common Core State Standards: A New Foundation for Student Success

Q&A: Frequently Asked Questions

Educational Services

Teaching and Learning
(P) 510.337.7076
(F) 510.337.7018

Steven Fong
Chief Academic Officer
sfong@alamedaunified.org

510.337.7092

Shirley Clem, Ed. D.
Coordinator of Elementary Education
sclem@alamedau nified.org

510.337.7154

Terri Elkin
Coordinator of Secondary Education
telkin@alamedaunified.org
510.337.7113

Common Core Assessments

The State of California introduced the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress in 2015. Also called the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments, the tests are given annually to students in various grades. The tests are taken online and replace the previous Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR), which was paper based. You can learn more about the CAASPP program here.