Common Core Standards Basics
The Common Core Standards set consistent and clear expectations for what students must know at the completion of each grade from kindergarten through high school. The standards establish expectations in three academic areas:
Mathematics: The Common Core Standards for mathematics focus on gaining essential understanding to help students acquire a deeper knowledge of only the most important concepts and develop the skills to tackle mathematical problems in the real world. The standards call on students to develop deeper knowledge and higher-level skills in each successive grade, so it’s vitally important that students get a handle on the material covered in each grade.
English language arts (ELA): The ELA standards are structured to build foundational literacy skills in early grades and to continue to equip students with reading and writing skills as they progress into middle and high school. The standards gradually increase in complexity from grade to grade, so pay special attention to the additional concepts and skills added from one grade to the next.
Literacy: The literacy standards establish reading and writing expectations for students in social studies, science, and technology. These standards provide few specifics on what students need to read or write, focusing instead on how students should read and write in these courses and how to evaluate what qualifies as good writing.