Common Core State Standards

In July 2010, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) adopted the Common Core State Standards. In doing so, Louisiana joined the District of Columbia and 44 other states to formally sign on to the state-led initiative, which is being coordinated by the National Governor’s Association (NGA) and the Council for Chief State School Officers (CCSCO). 

With the aim of providing educators and parents with a common understanding of what students are expected to learn and know, the Common Core State Standards are based on previous input from higher education leaders and employers as well as the most effective models in the country and across the world.  Designed in collaboration with teachers and school administrators, the standards define the knowledge and skills students should acquire throughout their K-12 education careers in order to graduate from high school prepared to succeed in their post-secondary education and workforce pursuits.  In Louisiana, the new standards will be fully implemented in the 2014-2015 school year.

While English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics are the primary focus of the new Common Core State Standards, Louisiana recently updated the state’s social studies standards as well. 
The grade-level standards:

• Are aligned with college and work expectations;
• Are clear, understandable and consistent;
• Include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills;
• Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards;
• Are informed by other top performing countries, so that all students are prepared to succeed in our global economy and society; and
• Are evidence-based.

Common Core State Standards Resources

To assist with the transition to Common Core State Standards, the state has published several resources.  To access a complete list of Grade Level Standards for ELA, math, science and social studies for the 2011-2012, 2012-2013, and 2013-2014 school years (all grades), please visit our Grade Level Expectations page.  

Also, ELA Crosswalk and Math Crosswalk documents provide a side-by-side analysis, comparing the  alignment between the Common Core State Standards and the standards outlined in Louisiana’s Comprehensive Curriculum. 
Additionally, to provide educators with clear guidance on aligning content instruction to the new Common Core State Standards, LDOE has developed and published ELA Content Comparison Reports and Math Content Comparison Reports, which detail content that will be added, content that will be deleted, and content that will remain unchanged for each tested and non-tested grade and subject. To facilitate understanding of these reports, there are also documents outlining How to Read ELA Content Comparison Reports and How to Read Math Content Comparison Reports.