District/School Administration Administration
The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

Update on the State-Led Common Core Standards Initiative and Revision of Massachusetts ELA and Mathematics Curriculum Frameworks

The purpose of the memorandum is to: (1) Provide an update on recent developments at the national level relating to the development of "common core standards" in English language arts and mathematics for grades K-12; (2) Discuss the implications of the common core standards initiative for the revision of the Commonwealth's English language arts and Mathematics Curriculum Frameworks; and (3) Update you on our progress in revising those frameworks.

I. Common Core Standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices have proposed the development and adoption of a common core of standards in English language arts and mathematics for grades K-12. The intent is to align the standards with college and work expectations, include rigorous content and skills, and benchmark the standards internationally. A second phase of the initiative will be the development of assessments aligned to the core standards.

Governor Patrick and I have signed a Memorandum of Agreement to join this initiative, as summarized below. By signing the MOA, the Governor and I have agreed only to the process and structure for developing the common core standards. We did not commit the Commonwealth to adopting the standards that result from the effort.

Summary of the Common Core Standards Memorandum of Agreement

• State-based leadership: The CCSSO and the NGA Center will facilitate a state-led process to develop ELA and mathematics standards that are:
  • fewer, clearer and higher, to best drive effective policy and practice;
  • aligned with college and work expectations;
  • inclusive of rigorous content and application of knowledge;
  • internationally benchmarked; and
  • research- and evidence-based.
• National Validation Committee: The CCSSO and the NGA Center will create an expert validation group to provide an independent review of the common core and certify state adoption of the standards. Participating states will have an opportunity to nominate individuals to the validation committee.
• Develop End-of-High-School Expectations: The CCSSO and NGA Center will convene Achieve, ACT, and the College Board to develop a set of end-of-high-school expectations in ELA and mathematics by July 2009. States will have an opportunity to provide input on these expectations.
• Develop K-12 Standards in ELA and Mathematics: The CCSSO and NGA Center will convene Achieve, ACT, and the College Board to develop K-12 standards by December 2009. Participating states will provide input and work as partners with the organizations in the development process.
• Adoption: Participating states will be expected to adopt the common core standards within three years. States choosing to adopt the standards would agree to ensure that the common core represents at least 85 percent of the state's standards in ELA and mathematics.
• National Policy Forum: The CCSSO and NGA Center will convene a National Policy Forum comprised of key national organizations to share ideas, gather input, and inform the common core initiative.
• Federal Role: Financial support for developing the common core, common assessments, professional development, and research to improve this effort over time would be sought from the federal government, through funding such as the Race to the Top Fund authorized in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Other federal supports and incentives would also be sought.

II. Implications of the Common Core Initiative for Revising the Massachusetts ELA and Math Frameworks

Given the significance of the common core initiative, I have directed Department staff to ensure that the schedule and process for revising the Massachusetts ELA and Mathematics Frameworks takes into account the development of the common core standards. This does not mean putting our revision process on hold until the common core is completed next December. On the contrary, I have directed staff to continue with the revision process, but to monitor the extent to which the revisions we are contemplating are consistent with information we get from the common core standards initiative. Our current standards will undoubtedly be considered as benchmarks for the common core along with the standards of several other states and nations known for setting a high bar for student learning. The extent to which we have considered how our current standards can be improved even further will only strengthen our ability to inform the development of the common core, and ensure that the end result is a set of standards that the Board would consider integrating into our own curriculum frameworks.

III. Revision of the ELA and Mathematics Frameworks

1. Mathematics Framework
   At the request of Board member Tom Fortmann, the Mathematics Framework Revision Progress Report submitted to the Board at the March 2009 meeting was sent to several experts for review. Board member Sandra Stotsky also provided feedback. The attached revised Progress Report reflects the experts' and Sandra Stotsky's comments and will be used to guide the revision of the framework in Phase II, which is scheduled to begin this summer.

2. ELA Framework
   You may recall the Department presented a revised draft of the ELA Framework to the Board in January 2009. Several concerns about the draft were raised at that meeting and at a subsequent meeting with Board members Stotsky and Fortmann and Department staff. In response, Department staff have been working on a second draft of the revised ELA Framework. While still a work in progress, the new draft will be more closely aligned with the standards published in 2001 than the version of the revised framework presented to the Board in January. While maintaining the integrity of content standards in the 2001 ELA revision, this second revised draft will include a number of differences:

   • Standards will be grade-specific rather than covering grade spans as they did in 2001;
   • Standards for the foundations of reading and vocabulary will be different as a result of research that has emerged since 2001;
   • Writing standards will be organized by purposes of writing (to convey experience, to explain, and to persuade); these categories are also used by NAEP; and
   • The standards will be organized into 15 topics, formerly 27 in the 2001 document, to create a more user-friendly and accessible document.

A draft of the newly revised ELA Curriculum Framework should be completed soon. Our next step will be to share it with a number of experts and evaluate its alignment with the emerging common core standards, before bringing it back to the Board for discussion next fall.

Revised Progress Report: Mathematics Curriculum Framework Revision Panel