COMMON CORE STANDARDS Information for Families

WHAT ARE ACADEMIC STANDARDS? 2  Standards are what students need to learn in each grade and subject area in school.  For example – 3 rd grade students are expected to be able to solve word problems using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.  Each state develops its own standards.  Arizona has had state standards since the 1990s.

WHY DO WE HAVE STANDARDS? 3  So every student and every teacher knows what the student needs to learn that year.  So every student, no matter where they go to school, should be taught the same thing.  So we – as a state – can make sure our students are learning what we want them to learn.

SO WHY CHANGE STANDARDS? 4  Students all across the United States – including here in Arizona – are not learning the same amount or same skills as kids around the world.  Our standards are lower that many other countries.  Because each state has its own standards, students who move from state to state are being taught different things at different times.

THEN WHAT IS THE SOLUTION? 5  Raising the standards  We know our students are as smart as anyone in the world.  The new standards are set at the same level as other top countries, so our students will learn the same amount and same skills as others.  Sharing the standards  46 states and DC (including Arizona) are all using these new standards, so if a student moves around, he/she will still get the same high-level of instruction.

WHAT ARE THESE “COMMON CORE STANDARDS”? 6  Common Core Standards are the new academic standards in Math and English/Language Arts.  They were developed by education experts and teachers from many states.  The goal of these standards is to make sure all students graduate from high school ready for college and/or their career.

WHAT DO PARENTS NEED TO KNOW? 7  Arizona’s Common Core Standards will change what work in the classroom looks like  More discussion  More projects  Higher expectations for students  AIMS will go away  There will be a new test for the Common Core Standards call PARCC

HOW WILL COMMON CORE IMPACT MY CHILD? 8  Your child will be held to the same expectations as students across the country.  Your child will have to meet higher expectations, but when he/she graduates from high school, he/she will be prepared to go to college or go into the workforce.  Your child will have the skills to be competitive with anyone around the world for jobs.

WHEN IS THIS HAPPENING? 9   Transition year – you might see some new types of work or teaching, but some might still be the same   Final transition year – all classrooms should be following the Common Core standards   First full year – Common Core is fully in place and the new tests start

WANT TO KNOW MORE? 10 Check out the next presentation: Helping Your Child with Common Core