Common Core State Standards

Charter Oak schools are in the midst of a transition from basing curriculum on California State Standards to Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The state of California recently adopted the CCSS, and all California schools will be making this transition. Charter Oak has implemented the new CCSS standards for math for this school year and will begin teaching CCSS in English Language Arts during the 2014-15 school year.
Charter Oak teachers have attended multiple days of professional development to assist them in this transition. Last March, teachers began by learning about the major “shifts” or changes required in the move to CCSS. This was followed in June by two days of professional development in math for all elementary and secondary math teachers and on implementing writing across all subject areas for all other secondary teachers. Since CCSS requires students to read more closely and to read a greater percentage of nonfiction material, all teachers spent a day this past August learning how to create text-based questions appropriate for CCSS implementation. Additional professional development during this school year will focus on using technology to implement Common Core State Standards (iPad apps, Google apps and Smart Board training), creating Common Core based curriculum units, and to implementation of Common Core for special education students. Committees of teachers have also been involved in selecting bridge and/or supplementary Common Core mathematics resources and developing new benchmark exams to correlate to the new standards.
Thanks to the expertise and professionalism of Charter Oak teachers, our District is moving steadily and competently into the new era of Common Core State Standards.