Q. Where can I find the Domain Progression search that was on the old site?
A. The domain progressions are found on the Advanced Standards Search mini-site.
Q. Who was involved in the Common Core State Standards Initiative?
A. States across the country collaborated with teachers, researchers, and leading experts to design and develop the Common Core State Standards. Each state independently made the decision to adopt the Common Core State Standards, beginning in 2010. The federal government was NOT involved with the development of the standards. Local teachers, principals, and superintendents lead the implementation of the Common Core.
Q. Are the standards internationally benchmarked?
A. Yes. International benchmarks played a significant role in both sets of standards. In fact, the college and career ready standards include an appendix listing evidence that was consulted in drafting the standards and the international data used in the benchmarking process is included in the appendix.
Q. Does the federal government play a role in standards implementation?
A. The federal government had no role in the development of the Common Core State Standards and will not have a role in their implementation. The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort that is not part of the No Child Left Behind and adoption of the standards is not mandatory.
Q: What impact does adopting the CCSS have on the Hawaii State Assessment (HSA) Program?
A: Hawaii DOE is a member of the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC), collaborating with 30 other states to develop a common state assessment system aligned to the CCSS. There are many components to the assessment system, of which the required summative exam (used for NCLB accountability purposes) is just one. The common state assessment (summative exam) that all SBAC states will agree to administer is intended to be operational in SY 2014-2015. In the Spring of school year 2013-2014 students in grades 3-10 will take a Bridge Assessment. This assessment will rely heavily on the current HSA item bank and will be used to assess only the Common Core State Standards. Teachers should be fully confident in teaching only the Common Core State Standards in school year 2013-2014. Students will have two opportunities on the Bridge Assessment and one opportunity on the Smarter Balanced Assessment.
Q: Will quarterly benchmark maps be developed for the CCSS?
A: At this time quarterly benchmark maps will not be developed by the Hawaii Department of Education for the CCSS.
Q: Do the English language arts standards include a reading list or any other reference to content?
The Common Core State Standards include sample texts that demonstrate the level of text complexity appropriate for the grade level and compatible with the learning demands set out in the standards. The exemplars of high quality texts at each grade level provide a rich set of possibilities and have been very well received. This ensures teachers have the flexibility to make their own decisions about what texts to use, while providing an excellent reference point when selected their texts.