Frameworks that connect to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in Social Studies, such as the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies States Standards, highlight the need to engage in inquiry-based instruction (NCSS, 2013). Participation in such inquiry requires students to engage in…

What drives many educators is the need to advocate for students for whom the system does not work. Educators need to find ways to close the equity gap for English learners and kids living in poverty, and that means they need to find ways to improve their access to a high-quality education. As a key strategy for building teachers capacity to…

In their article "Beyond the Common Core…," Cassidy, Ortlieb, and Grote-Garcia (2016), express concern that the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS; National Governors Association [NGA] Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers [CCSSO], 2010) may have the "unintended consequence" of diverting…

The need for a shared vision concerning exemplary curricula for academically advanced learners must be a priority in the field of education. With the advent of the Common Core State Standards adoption in many states, a new conversation has been ignited over meeting the needs of students with gifts and talents for whom the "standard"…

The philosophy behind the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and its tenets of critical thought, creativity, and application of knowledge require a shift from a focus on content knowledge to how that knowledge is applied across the curriculum and why it forms the foundation of education. The problem now facing educators is that CCSS has changed…

We examine the distinction between teaching and teachers as it relates to instructional improvement. Drawing from work outside of education on improvement systems and from analyzing the Japanese system of lesson study, we contend that a focus on teaching can shape a coordinated system for improvement whereas a focus on teachers, common in the…

This report is made up of seven chapters relating to Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) performance level setting (PLS). Chapter one describes the goals of the PARCC program, content standards measured by PARCC, PARCC performance levels, and components of the PARCC system. Chapter two discusses the goals of…