Implementing CT Core Standards - School and District Leaders

Latest News for CCSS Implementation

• Latest News, Resources, Videos for CCSS Implementation (achieve.org)
• Action Briefs Outlining Role of School Personnel in Common Core Implementation--a series of action briefs on the role of school counselors, secondary school leaders, and elementary school leaders in the implementation of the Common Core. All publications are free and available in PDF format.  (Achieve,in partnership with College Summit, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and the National Association of Elementary School Principals)       
• Implementation of K-12 State Standards for Mathematics and English Language Arts and Literacy- Findings from the American Teaching Panel - This 2016 RAND Education report is designed to help states and school districts reflect upon areas where teachers may benefit from additional guidance regarding implementation of state standards and methods that best support student learning. (rand.org)    
• Teaching Higher: Educator’s Perspectives on Common Core Implementation - This February 2016 report from the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University provides the results of a multi-state study on the efficacy of educational initiatives. The findings of the study are intended to support local implementation efforts. (cepr.harvard.edu)          
• District College and Career Ready Standards Implementation - Progress and Capacity Rubric 

Overview Materials- Getting Started

• Implementing the Common Core State Standards, The Role of the Secondary School Leader, Revised February, 2013 (achieve.org)
• Common Core Implementation Checklist—outlines steps in the areas of leadership, awareness building and communications; professional development for teachers; implications for student learning; capacity building; and special considerations for schools  (NAEP)
• Core Ready Schools—a self-assessment tool designed to assist administrators in the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (corereadyschools.org)
• iCONN, a comprehensive search engine–provides all students, teachers and administrators with free online access to a wealth of essential library and information resources from trustworthy sources. It is freely accessible from every school, library, and home. Access from home requires a public library card. (iconn.org)
• National Association of Secondary School Principals— resources to help school leaders implement Common Core State Standards  (nassp.org)

Common Core Implementation for All Students

• Why Social and Emotional Learning is Essential for Students –Today's schools are increasingly multicultural and multilingual with students from diverse social and economic backgrounds. Educators and community agencies serve students with different motivation for engaging in learning, behaving positively, and performing academically. Social and emotional learning (SEL) provides a foundation for safe and positive learning, and enhances students' ability to succeed in school, careers, and life. Read this article for tips to successful SEL. The article is co-authored by Roger Weissberg, Joseph A. Aurlak, Celene E. Domitrovich, and Thomas P. Gullota. (edutopia.org) 
• English Learners Resources from the CT State Department of Education  
• An Innovative High School CCSS Lesson for ELLS: Letters from John Smith – This blog posted on colorincolorado.org by Diane Staehr Fenner describes some innovations that provide strategies for all teachers of ELLs. (colorincolorado.org) 
• NEA - How Educators Can Advocate for English Language Learners: ALL IN! 2015 Advocacy Guide (nea.org and colorincolorado.org)  
• Language Demands and Opportunities in Relation to Next Generation Science Standards for ELLS: What Teachers Need to Know – a paper by Helen Quinn, Stanford University Okhee Lee, New York University Guadalupe Valdés, Stanford University that highlights challenges and opportunities as English Language Learners engage with the Next Generation Science Standards. These new standards represent a major shift in science instruction, toward an explicit focus on scientific sense-making, language use, and scientific practices. (ell.stanford.edu) 
• Using Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to Implement Common Core—This white paper encourages schools to embrace the needs of ALL students, and recommends implementing the standards within a framework of a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) that will help ensure that all students succeed.  (The Council of Great City Schools)
• The Role of Language and Literacy in College and Career-Ready Standards: Rethinking Policy and Practice in Support of English Language Learners—This report discusses the role of language and literacy in college and career-ready standards for English Language Learners (ELLs), initiatives already underway to help ELLs meet these challenges, and how policy and practice must change to help ELLs graduate ready for college and a career.(all4ed.org)
• Understanding Language Project — aims to heighten educator awareness of the critical role that language, literacy, and learning play in the CCSS  (Stanford University)
• PowerUp What Works— offers customizable resources for school-wide improvement that targets the teaching and learning of struggling students and those with disabilities  (powerupwhatworks.org)