Updated July 2009

 

California's State Board of Education (SBE) voted unanimously on August 2, 2010 to adopt new "Common Core" standards.

The standards approved by the SBE are based on the K-12 English-Language Arts (ELA) and math standards created by the Common Core State Standards Initiative and augmented by California's Academic Content Standards Commission to establish learning objectives with the same level of rigor embodied in California's existing standards. Those existing standards will remain in effect while state officials consider when and how to implement the new ones.

Cost is a major factor affecting the implementation timeline. California will need to invest in new curriculum frameworks, which guide standards-based instruction, plus the development, adoption, and purchase of new instructional materials. In addition teachers and school leaders will need training, and the state testing system will need to be aligned with the standards.

Those steps will be significantly delayed unless California lawmakers lift a moratorium on updating curriculum frameworks and adopting new instructional materials enacted in 2009 and lasting through 2015-16. The Legislature is considering a measure, Assembly Bill 250, that may ultimately be used to at least partially resolve these timing conflicts.

Seven California school districts have indicated their intention to take a leadership role in implementing the Common Core standards. These districts-Clovis, Fresno, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Sacramento City, San Francisco, and Sanger-spearheaded California's ultimately unsuccessful second attempt to secure a federal Race to the Top (RTT) grant. They have announced plans to move forward with some of the reforms discussed in the RTT application anyway. To coordinate their efforts they launched a nonprofit organization, California Office to Reform Education (CORE).

Concurrently, there is a multi-state effort to establish tests based on the Common Core. Two coalitions, Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for Colleges and Careers (PARCC) and SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SMARTER), have received federal grants to develop such tests. Both groups are aiming to have tests ready by 2014-15. California originally joined PARCC, but in June 2011 the state withdrew from PARCC and instead became a governing member of SMARTER. Being a governing member gives California power in decision making. 

Historical and National Context

Fordham Institute Responds to the Common Core “Counter-Manifesto” ~ May, 2011

The Fordham Institute’s leaders, who support the Common Core, argue that the “counter-manifesto” described below is deeply flawed.

Closing the Door on Innovation - Why One National Curriculum is Bad for America ~ May, 2011

In response to a call for development of shared curriculum and tests based on the Common Core standards (see story below), a group of mostly conservatives has issued a "counter-manifesto." The group of education, business, and political leaders argues that shared curriculum and tests will stifle innovation, threaten local and state control, and not address students' diverse educational needs.

A Call for Common Content ~ March, 2011

In early March 2011, dozens of leaders in education, business, and government from across the country called for curriculum guidelines and resources for teachers aligned to the Common Core standards.

California and the "Common Core": Will There Be a New Debate About K-12 Standards? ~ June, 2010

This 20-page EdSource report describes the Common Core State Standards Initiative and the issues California had to consider in deciding whether to adopt them.

Two State Groups Win Federal Grants for Common Tests | EdWeek  ~ Sept. 2, 2010

The Department of Education announced awards of some $330 million to two state coalitions - representing 44 states and the District of Columbia - for the design of new assessment systems aligned to the common-core standards. California is a member of one of those coalitions.
(Education Week, premium article access compliments of edweek.org, 09/02/10)

California’s Academic Content Standards Commission is proposing a set of modified Common Core standards for adoption by the State Board of Education | Educated Guess Blog ~ July 16, 2010

On his blog, The Educated Guess, journalist John Fensterwald posted his take on the culmination of the commission’s work, which was adopted by the State Board of Education.

See the commission's website for documents related to its work in creating this set of proposed standards as well as video archives (coming soon) of its meetings.

The State of State Standards—and the Common Core—in 2010 ~ July 21, 2010

The K-12 academic standards in English language arts (ELA) and math produced last month by the Common Core State Standards Initiative are clearer and more rigorous than today’s ELA standards in 37 states and today’s math standards in 39 states, according to the Fordham Institute’s newest study. Yet California, Indiana and the District of Columbia have ELA standards that are clearly superior to those of the Common Core. And nearly a dozen states have ELA or math standards in the same league as Common Core.

Tracking which states have adopted the Common Core | Fordham Institute 

The Fordham Institute is regularly updating a national map to reflect which states have adopted the Common Core standards.