Common Core Standards
TEST BOOKS
The state of California has adopted Common Core State Standards. Scotts Valley Unified School District has taken the charge very seriously. This page will give you information about Common Core, provide links to articles and videos, and announce parent education nights. (Much of this information has been taken from the California Frameworks put out by the California Department of Education.)
English language arts and math were the subjects chosen for the Common Core State Standards because they are areas upon which students build skill sets which are used in other subjects. They are also the subjects most frequently assessed for accountability purposes. The federal government was not involved in the development of the standards.
The 4 C’s of 21st Century Education
Collaboration
Communication
Creativity
Critical Thinking
READING STANDARDS K-5
There are reading standards in literature as well as informational text that provide students exposure to a wide range of texts and tasks. Rigor is infused through the requirement that students read increasingly complex texts through the grades. Foundational skills foster student understanding and a working knowledge of concepts of print. The point is to teach students what they need to learn and not what they already know—to discern when particular children or activities warrant more or less attention.
WRITING AND LANGUAGE STANDARDS K-5
Students are expected to gain mastery in a variety of skills and applications. Each year in their writing, students should demonstrate increasing sophistication in all aspects of language use, from vocabulary and syntax to the development and organization of ideas, and they should address increasingly demanding content and sources.
MATH STANDARDS K-5
The Math standards are based on evidence of the skills and knowledge needed for college and career readiness and an expectation that students be able to both know and do mathematics by solving a range of problems and engaging in key mathematical practices. They include two types of standards: Eight Mathematical Practice Standards (the same at each grade level) and Mathematical Content Standards (different at each grade level). Together these standards address both “habits of mind” that students should develop to foster mathematical understanding and expertise and skills and knowledge – what students need to know and be able to do. The mathematical content standards were built on progressions of topics across a number of grade levels, informed both by research on children's cognitive development and by the logical structure of mathematics.
ASSESSMENT
There are numerous ways that students will be assessed in Common Core. Each teacher has formative assessments that help to guide instruction. Trimester report card data is based on summative assessments and district benchmarks. The state of California implements the CAASPP online computer assessment for students in 3rd - 5th grade.
Curriculum Standards are determined by California Department of Education and are the foundation of our education program. Electronic versions are available for the following content areas: