District/School Administration Administration
Massachusetts Common Core of Learning

Dear Friends,

The landmark Massachusetts Education Reform Act enacted in June of 1993 put many reforms in motion for Massachusetts' 900,000 public school students in 1800 schools. One important effort was the development of a statewide set of broad educational goals for all students. This set of goals, called the Massachusetts Common Core of Learning, is presented in these pages. We are pleased to share it with you, tell you how it came to be written and how it fits into the Education Reform process.

The Massachusetts Board of Education organized a Commission on the Common Core of Learning, and over nine months of work from September 1993 to June 1994 the forty-member Commission listened to the people of Massachusetts. Almost 2,000 written communications were received, 16 hearings were held around the state, and in total we estimate that over 50,000 people participated either directly or indirectly in the development of the Common Core. This process resulted in major changes and improvements to early drafts, and there is no doubt that the Commission received significant benefit from such unprecedented participation by the public in the educational policy making process.

The Commission's final draft was presented to the State Board of Education in June 1994, and the Board received public comment and made further changes before unanimously adopting the Massachusetts Common Core of Learning in July 1994.

The Common Core of Learning establishes broad goals and emphasizes that teaching and learning must be interdisciplinary. It can be used as a guide by educators, families, students, community members, school committees and school councils to examine and refine current educational expectations, goals, policies and practices at the local school level.

When you read the Common Core of Learning, please consider the following questions:

• What can teachers and school leaders do to implement the Common Core goals for all students?
• How can classroom and school teaching practices best support interdisciplinary teaching?
• How can parents and families assist in making the Common Core succeed? How can the business community and the public at large help to ensure that students are prepared for the 21st century?

The Common Core of Learning is the first of three steps in a closely-connected process. The second step will be specific and rigorous curriculum guides in seven academic areas to assist teachers, and the third step will be a comprehensive system to assess the performance of each individual student and schools, too. Through this process, the Board and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education look forward to working in partnership with the Commonwealth's educators, families and all others as we strive to provide all our students with the knowledge and skills that are essential to their success.

Robert V. Antonucci
Commissioner of Education

Martin S. Kaplan
Chair, Board of Education

Madelaine S. Marquez
Vice-Chair, Board of Education

Table of Contents

• What Is the Purpose of the Commom Core of Learning?
• What Beliefs Form the Common Core of Learning?
• Thinking and Communicating
• Gaining and Applying Knowledge
• Working and Contributing
• What are our Responsibilities to Support the Common Core of Learning?
• How Can We Make the Common Core of Learning Succeed?
• The Massachusetts Commission on the Common Core of Learning
• Speaking Out on Education