Making Common Core Work for Delaware

Most states, including Delaware, are revising their professional development, curriculum, and teacher training and evaluation systems in order to ensure students master the Common Core Standards, according to the Center on Education Policy’s report States’ Progress and Challenges in Implementing Common Core State Standards.

Delaware is taking the following steps to ensure the Common Core Standards are effectively implemented throughout our schools:

• The DOE has expanded the Common Core implementation timeline as stated in our Race to the Top application into four phases.  Each phase will involve initial implementation in certain grades while transitioning to full instructional implementation in grades K-12 by 2013-2014.
• The DOE is providing professional development opportunities for Delaware teachers in English/Language Arts and Mathematics.
• Teachers throughout the state are collaborating on student growth metrics based upon multiple measures in order to inform evaluation decisions on DPAS II.
• DCAS will continue assessing existing Delaware Prioritized Standards while approaching full alignment with the Common Core for grades 3-10 by 2013-2014. 

This approach is part of Delaware’s cautious, yet ambitious, approach to school reform currently underway through Race to the Top.  By providing ourselves ample time to understand and plan for successful implementation of each element, including the Common Core Standards, we are ensuring that these moving parts are successfully incorporated into the system – ultimately benefitting our students in the end.