The Common Core State Standards (CCSS), adopted by 45 states so far, provide an opportunity to change education practices so as to turn around the performance of student groups most in need of improvement.

And such turnaround is more important today than it’s ever been. Throughout the nation, almost every subgroup of students performs poorly on measures such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress, and students with disabilities are typically the lowest-scoring subgroup.

English learners don’t fare much better. The gaps between these groups and higher-performing peers are huge.

This article describes:

  • Integrating and aligning standards
  • Combining flexibility with high expectations for all
  • Embedding literacy learning in all subjects
  • Putting the ideas into practice