Dear Fellows,

We have prepared a list of articles, websites, links, etc., that can support our learning about the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) session on Monday, March 18th. We have assembled a description, agenda, and a list of panelist biographies, who will be presenting during our session, and is posted on the EPFP Calendar link. Below is a list of both requested resources and optional resources for your preparation of theupcoming session.

The resources include articles pertaining to both base knowledge as well as those that present a critical point of view of the CCSS. We would like to present some different ways of looking at CCSS. As the time for CCSS implementation draws near, more dissenting voices are inevitably, “coming out of the wood work,” including serious ones like Professor Diane Ravitch. To prepare for the CCSS session we challenge you to ask yourselves, are these simply the usual “sky is falling” narratives that always accompany difficult change? Or, is there merit to some of these criticisms? If so, which ones? How do we know? Some people feel that much of the CCSS discourse has lacked critical analysis of many fundamental assumptions made by CCSS implementers.

We hope to engage you in an active dialogue and debate over the CCSS on Monday. We hope that you will come away with new ways of thinking about the CCSS and what it all means for us as Michigan educators and leaders.

See you Monday,

David, Daryl, John, Scott, & Todd

Requested Reading Resources:

Introduction to the Common Core State Standards; June 2, 2010

Common Core State Standards Initiative - Preparing for 2014: A Fundamental Shift Toward College and Career Readiness as the Focus of K-12 Education

Why I oppose Common Core standards: Ravitch (Diane Ravitch, February 26, 2013)

Why Common Core Standards Will Fail (Jay Mathews and Chester Finn)

This provides many links for major works of scholar on CCSS

Optional Reading Resources:

Reference document from CCSSO

MDE Common Core Site

A Teacher’s Critique of the Common Core Standards(Dianerav; December 20, 2012)

  • Argument: CCSS are detailed and complex which increases the work of teacher to a great extent.

Coming to Terms with Common Core Standards (Willona Sloan)

A general description of the CCSS, process of implementation from different states. A comparative issues analysis.

  • Argument, “Adoption of common standards "will bring all states' standards down to the lowest common denominator”.

Common Core State Standards – Are Dangerous (Tultican)

A tough critique of Common Core on early childhood education (Valerie Strauss)

Beyond Standardization: State Standards and School Reforms

State English Standards: An Appraisal of

English Language-Arts/Reading Standards in 28 States

Understanding Common Core Standards

Issues in Analyzing Alignment of Language Arts Common Core Standards with State Standards (Richard W. Beach)

State School Boards Raise Questions About Standards (Catherine Gewertz)

The Case for Literature (Nancie Atwell)

Relating Policy to Research and Practice: The Common Core Standards (Randy Bomer and Beth Maloch)

No Child Left Behind embraces 'college and career readiness'

A very good website for finding good stuff…

Subject-Matter Groups Want Voice in Standards: Math, Reading Associations Fear They'll Be Overlooked (Sean Cavanagh)

Opening the Literature Window (Carol Jago)

A diploma worth having

What is the Development of Literacy the Development Of? (Glynda A. Hull, University of California, Berkeley and Elizabeth Birr Moje, University of Michigan)

The Common Core State Standards: Caution and Opportunity for Early Childhood Education

Peering Toward the Horizon: Reconciling Teacher and Student Perspectives on Studied Literature Texts in Anticipation of Common Core Standards (Kierstin H. Thompson)

A Common Core of a Different Sort: Putting Democracy at the Center of the Curriculum

Framework for English Language Proficiency/ Development Standards Corresponding to the Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards

June 2012

The Battle for National History Standards (Annika L. R. Labadie)

National costs of aligning states and localities to the CCSS, (Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research), No. 82, February, 2012.

and,

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