The latest information about the California Common Core Standards is now available on the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) website. Included in the information is a helpful list of Frequently Asked Common Core Questions designed to better explain the standards changes.
In August 2010, the State of California joined 33 other states and the District of Columbia in approving national K-12 academic standards for math and language arts. The new academic benchmarks were recommended by the 21-member California Academic Content Standards Commission, which worked to join the state standards and federal Common Core standards. The State Board of Education adopted the Common Core Standards on August 2, 2010.
The goal of the new education framework is to provide instruction that is consistent, and consistently rigorous, nationwide and allow for comparisons in standardized tests. The standards also will make it easier to share successful teaching techniques, curriculum and standardized tests and make transitions smoother for students who move to another state.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Sacramento County Board of Education Trustee Greg Geeting to serve as one of the Commission members. Mr. Geeting also served as Commission chair.
The Sacramento County Office of Education provided the staff for the Commission's work, including retired experts in the area of English language Arts and Mathematics. Sue Stickel, SCOE Assistant Superintendent overseeing Curriculum and Instruction, served as Project Director.
The Commission held 2-day meetings on June 17 and 18, July 6 and 7, and July 14 and 15. All meetings were held at the Sacramento County Office of Education. SCOE coordinated and broadcast a live Internet video feed of the meetings. The work of the Commission and its staff was supported by funding from various foundations. The Commission concluded its work by July 15, 2010 as outlined in Senate Bill X5 1 (Steinberg).
The new standards are expected to be in place within the next two years. For more information, visit the Commission website.