Common Core State Standards

The most useful part of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is that they are made to build off of one another. They start in first grade with very basic expectations for young readers such as “Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details” and build throughout a child’s schooling to more complex ideas such as “Analyze the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed)”. This scaffolding really gives students the chance to make sure that they have mastered the skills needed to succeed as they move along in their school life.

Another great use of the CCSS is that it helps teachers get away from only teaching to a standard for a test. Old state standards would be so varied that they would have very specific standards such as teaching specific grammar and usage rules. This would lead to students only being taught those grammar rules and how to use them in order to pass the state exams. The CCSS promotes a deeper and masterful understanding of the required content though better instruction. While it may feel as if the CCSS are only there to govern what is being taught, the truth is they were created so that all students would be able to have an equal opportunity after school based upon the fact that they learned how to do the same things in school such as research, problem solving, and basic writing. The CCSS were created for students, not teachers, so that all students will get the same learning.