The Whole Child and the Common Core: Issues to Consider

• Integration and alignment: Implementing the Common Core State Standards in isolation from a more comprehensive school improvement approach will have a minimal effect on student achievement. Schools, districts, and states must align their efforts to ensure that each child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.
• A well-rounded education: Effectively providing challenging, comprehensive curriculum across all content areas is essential for college, career, and civic preparation. Curriculum and instruction in all areas must demonstrate high expectations for students and reflect evidence-based strategies.
• Assessment: Every assessment measures health, safety, engagement, support, and challenge—whether that's the intent of the instrument or not. Schools need to use a balanced approach to assessments to provide reliable, developmentally appropriate information about student learning.
• Sustainability: To ensure long-term success, school policies and practices—from professional development to the school master schedule to community partnerships—must reflect the central effort to ensure that each child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.

Product Spotlight

• How grades 11–12 English language arts content differs from and builds on content in grades 9–10 standards.
• How the four strands throughout the standards are connected and reinforced.
• How the anchor standards establish the frame for preparing students for college and career.

• How the six conceptual categories throughout the math standards are connected and reinforced.
• How the modeling standards bring math content to life through real-world applications.
• How the mathematical practices standards are an integral part of the Common Core standards.