The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). Governors and state commissioners of education from 48 states, 2 territories and the District of Columbia committed to developing a common core of state standards in English-language arts and mathematics for grades K-12.
The point of the state-led effort to create common academic standards is simple: improving teaching and learning to ensure that high school graduates in every part of the nation have the knowledge and skills they need for college or a career. The process is designed to produce standards that are research and evidence-based as well as internationally benchmarked. If students meet these new rigorous and clear standards, they will have better choices in their lives and the nation will be more competitive in today’s global economy. These sets of standards define the knowledge and skills students should have to succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing, academic college courses and in workforce training programs.
Arizona Timeline and Transition Plan
- Arizona Timeline for Adoption and Implementation (Updated December 2010)
- Arizona Plan for Transitioning to the 2010 Mathematics and English Language Arts Standards (Updated March 2011)
- Overview of the PARCC consortium for assessment – PowerPoint presentation (Updated May 2011)
Mathematics Standards
- 2010 Arizona Mathematics Standards (based on the Common Core State Standards)
- Common Core State Standards for Mathematics
English Language Arts (ELA) Standards
- 2010 Arizona English Language Arts Standards
- Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science & Technical Subjects
- English Language Arts Appendix A: Research supporting key elements of the standards and glossary of key terms
- English Language Arts Appendix B: Text exemplars and sample performance tasks
- English Language Arts Appendix C: Samples of Student Writing
General Information
