Arizonas College and Career Ready Standards are a set of academic standards in math and

English/Language Arts. These standards are the statement of what we expect students to know and
do in each grade level. They are designed to ensure all students graduate from high school collegeand career-ready.

In 2006, former North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt convened a meeting of governors and business
leaders to discuss how to raise educational standards to ensure a more competitive prepared
workforce. Led by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School
Officers, groups of experts, including experts from Arizona, worked together to develop the
Common Core State Standards. The draft standards were then available for extensive public
comment before they were finalized. In 2010, the Arizona State Board of Education conducted
many public meetings to discuss the standards, adapted them to meet Arizonas needs, and
adopted the standards.

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
adapt or adopt the Common Core State Standards, beginning in 2010. The federal government was
NOT involved in the development of the standards. Local teachers, principals, and superintendents
lead the implementation of Arizonas College and Career Ready Standards.

Arizonas previous standards were not preparing students for college and career. The final
assessment just determined basic skills, not the higher level skills that are needed for
postsecondary success. The College and Career Ready Standards, on the other hand, are clear,
concise, and focused on raising expectations for all students.

Also, prior to the adoption of Arizonas Common Core Standards, each state developed their own
standards, which varied widely across the country. The Common Core standards not only raise the
bar significantly for Arizona to give our students the best opportunities for success, but they also
establish a common baseline of expectations across the country. Students in Arizona will now be
held to the same high expectations as students everywhere else in the country.

The Arizona State Board of Education, which has the statutory authority to establish state
standards, voted in June 2010 at a public meeting to adopt the standards.

No. Arizona voluntarily elected to adopt the College and Career Ready Standards, with Arizona
additions and adaptations, because the State Board of Education and stakeholders recognized the
need to raise the quality of standards in our state.

The English language arts and math standards are for grades K-12. Research from the early
childhood and higher education communities also informed the development of the standards.

Arizonas College and Career Ready Standards are different in that

They are focused. Students will have the opportunity to go deep in their knowledge of a
particular subject and really focus on learning, rather than covering many topics at a
shallow level.

They are equitable. The standards are the same for all children regardless of background or
zip code.

They are rigorous. The College and Career Ready Standards are benchmarked against the
highest performing countries in the world so that our children will be prepared not only for
college, but for the global work place.

Standards are the statement of what students must learn, but the curriculum is the method
through which those standards are reached. Local governing boards and teachers adopt and
develop the curriculum.

Yes. The State Board of Education will adopt a test that is aligned with the new standards. The
new test will be determined in 2014, and the first test will be in the spring of 2015.

Schools have been transitioning to the new standards for three years now; this year, most schools
will be teaching the standards in all grades. The new assessments will used in 2014-2015. The
class of 2023 will be the first class to have been taught the standards each year in school.

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 stateled effort that is not part of No Child Left Behind and adoption of the standards is in no way
mandatory.

The new standards give states the opportunity to share experiences and best practices, which can
lead to an improved ability to serve young people with disabilities and English language learners.
Additionally, the standards include information on application of the standards for these groups of
students.

The Arizona Department of Education has been doing a great deal of professional development, as
have other organizations like the Arizona Charter School Association and the K-12 Center. County
Superintendents and the Regional Centers are also working to coordinate professional development
opportunities for teachers. The Department of Education is also putting together a repository of
materials and lesson plans for teachers to use.

The Arizona Department of Educations website contains links to many websites providing
academic assistance to students (http://www.azed.gov/azcommoncore/students/studenttoolbox/).
Also, most schools have intervention and tutoring programs to support struggling students. Be sure
to ask your childs teacher what is available. Finally, Stand for Children has put together some
examples of how parents can support their students at home in easy ways. That resource is
available online (get2core.org/Arizona).