I have been hearing about Common Core Standards and not fully understanding how they will affect my son's education. What will be changing in his school? -- Need to Know
Answer: First of all, Common Core is the new state standards initiative preparing America's students for college and a career, as well as making sure that all children are literate in the 21st century in both print and digitally. Almost every state has adopted these standards, which are for English language arts and mathematics.
Implementation will begin in some school districts this coming school year. Most school districts will have the standards in place in the 2014-15 school year because that is when standardized tests will be aligned with the new standards. It is quite possible that there will be no great changes in the curriculum at your son's school this year.
When the standards are introduced in your child's school, the English language arts curriculum will include a greater emphasis on literacy in history/social studies, science and technical subjects. You will notice your son reading more nonfiction. Students also will need to read to cite answers, not just rely on their opinions. Plus, students will be required to show that they can listen and speak clearly. Your son will definitely be required to explain concepts and be able to find information primarily from expository texts. And there will be more use of the Internet.
In mathematics, there actually will be considerable changes. No longer will teachers be covering as many topics as possible. Instead, teachers will be going into more depth each year in fewer mathematical areas. The idea is to eliminate content that is not helpful. Having students develop a deeper understanding of basic mathematical principles will help them move on to more advanced mathematical topics.
Parents will be able to see exactly what the new standards include for each grade level by visiting www.corestandards.org.