SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources:
SBE moves one step closer to implementing common core math
By Tom Chorneau
Thursday, January 17, 2013
The California State Board of Education moved ahead Thursday on several fronts aimed at facilitating instruction in the common core math standards statewide within the next two years.
In addition to setting a schedule for evaluating new and supplemental instructional materials aligned to the nationalized curriculum goals, the board also formally wiped away confusing, dual standards tied to eighth grade math – a lasting imprint from the Schwarzenegger administration’s original adoption of the common core in 2010.
The development of the final standards was largely defined in legislation passed last summer, but carrying out the last steps has required significant refinement and analysis, much of it coming from work of the California Department of Education and advisory panels to the state board.
A key focus of that work surrounded the controversial question of eighth grade algebra.
Under the final standards adopted Thursday, local districts will continue to have a lot of latitude in deciding when