A look at common core standards
Common Core Standards
Atlanta Public Schools adopted Common Core
Georgia Standards to provide our students with rigorous instructional programs
that foster student success in school and life. To ensure that all students have
greater opportunities and access to the careers of their choice, we needed an
instructional framework that imparts the knowledge and skills most valued by
employers and higher education.
Today’s — and tomorrow’s — jobs value
postsecondary education and training more than ever. Americans without the
requisite knowledge and skills will struggle to access good jobs in the
increasingly competitive global economy.
Georgia chose to adopt the K–12 Common Core
Georgia Standards to help ensure that all students graduate from high school
with the core academic knowledge and skills necessary for success in college,
careers and life, for the benefit of their futures and the future of our
nation.
What are the Common Core State
Standards?
The Common Core State Standards are K–12
academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy.
They were developed by states, and states
voluntarily choose to adopt them.
They are aligned to the expectations of two and
four year colleges and have been internationally benchmarked.
The Common Core help ensure comparability across
states, districts and schools, mitigating challenges with student and teacher
mobility.
Standards are a critical first step in improving
America’s education system. They provide the necessary foundation for local
decisions around curriculum, assessments and instruction.
Why the Common Core?
To compete in a knowledge-based
global economy, we must improve the educational outcomes of our students.
Consider:
- 62% of new jobs available in 2018 will require some postsecondary education.
Without a dramatic change of course, U.S. employers will be unable to fill 3
million of these positions. (Georgetown Center on Education and the
Workforce)
- A 2009 international assessment (PISA) revealed that 15-year-old students
from more than 30 countries were outperforming U.S. 15-year-olds in mathematics.
More than 25 countries had a higher percentage of students scoring at the
highest levels than America, meaning even America’s most advanced math students
were outperformed by their international counterparts.
The Common Core will ensure that teachers teach
and students learn the knowledge and skills to meet the challenges of today and
tomorrow, including communications skills, perseverance in problem solving,
technical reading and writing, literacy across disciplines, and the most
important mathematical skills.