In 2010, California adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for math and English. The new standards are part of a state effort to prepare students for college and careers in the 21st-century global economy and narrow longstanding achievement gaps. The state's implementation is complete, but because districts decide whether and when they…

The California State Board of Education (SBE) adopted the California Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) to transform science teaching and learning in K-12 schools in 2013. The new standards emphasize "three-dimensional learning": disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science and engineering practices. They are aligned…

In 2010, California adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for math and English. The new standards are part of a state effort to prepare students for college and careers in the 21st-century global economy and narrow longstanding achievement gaps. The state's implementation is complete, but because districts decide whether and when they…

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS)--adopted in 2010--are similar to California's current K-12 standards, but their emphasis on conceptual understanding and problem solving will require changes in classroom instruction. California's transition to the CCSS has gotten off to a slow start. Survey data suggest that many teachers will deliver the…

The 2014-15 school year was the first in which the Smarter Balanced assessments (referred to here as the SBAC) were administered statewide. While educators and policymakers agree that multiple measures over multiple years are the best way to gauge student, school, and district performance, the first-year SBAC results provide an important baseline…