1. Common Core State Standards: A Quick Overview
Digital Book World
January 14, 2014

2. Common Core State Standards
Common Core State Standards are a set of educational goals for K-12 students in English/language arts (ELA) and math
Standards establish grade-by-grade milestones for the skills students need to master to be ready for college or careers by the end of high school
Adopted voluntarily by 45 states
New assessments based on the standards will be administered in spring 2015
Common Core is driving a significant overhaul of curricula across the country

3. Common Core State Standards
The English/language arts standards:
Broken out into standards for Reading, Writing, Language and Speaking & Listening
There are separate standards for literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects
Standards increase the emphasis on informational texts and other types of non-fiction
Standards are designed to ensure that students can read, understand and analyze texts appropriate for their grade levels
The specific instructional materials to be used are not mandated

4. Common Core State Standards
Example of an ELA standard:
Anchor Reading standard:
“Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meaning, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.”
The corresponding standard for grade 6:
For informational text: “Determine the meaning of words and phases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative and technical meanings.”
For literature: “Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.”

5. Common Core State Standards
For more information:
See for the complete ELA standards
Check out Demystifying the Common Core: How Trade Publishers Can Profit from the New Curriculum Standards
White paper available at the Digital Book World online store, at:
demystifying-common-core-report-t3590