Common Core State Standards

Educational standards describe what students should know and be able to do in each subject in each grade. In California, the State Board of Education decides on the standards for all students, from kindergarten through high school. Since 2010, a number of states across the nation have adopted the same standards for English and math. These standards are called the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Having the same standards helps all students get a good education, even if they change schools or move to a different state. Teachers, parents, and education experts designed the standards to prepare students for success in college and the workplace. The California Department of Education helps schools make sure that all students are meeting the standards. Information about the standards and the CCSS-related activities taking place in California.

Common Core Connector

Core Content Connectors (CCCs) identify the most salient grade-level, core academic content in ELA and Mathematics found in both the Common Core State Standards and the Learning Progression Frameworks. CCCs illustrate the necessary knowledge and skills in order to reach the learning targets within the LPF and the CCSS, focus on the core content, knowledge and skills needed at each grade to promote success at the next, and identify priorities in each content area to guide the instruction for students in this population and for the alternate assessment.

State Symposiums

These free webinars have been archived on the CDE website including all support documentation. They are part of a series called California Common Core State Standards Symposium for Special Educators. Links to each webinar can be found at CDE’s Common Core Resources for Special Education page.

Digital Chalkboard Professional Development Modules

Common Core State Standards

The Special Edge

The Special Edge is a newsletter that is published triennially by the California Services for Technical Assistance and Training, a project of the California Department of Education, Special Education Division. The information shared in the Winter-Spring of 2014 edition relates to supporting students with disabilities in the common core. It also provides some essential resources for teachers.