Arizona Common Core State Standards

 – The Newest Iteration of Arizona’s Curriculum Frameworks

“Embodied in the state’s curriculum frameworks, is the vision that the Essential Skills represent ambitious academic standards. It is assumed that higher order thinking and problem solving skills represent more valuable criteria for school work and are important for the state’s economic well being.” …a statement about the new Arizona Common Core State Standards?

No.  It’s a quote from a technical report, Reforming School by Reforming Assessments – Consequences of the Arizona Student Assessment Program – ASAP, written in 1997, by Arizona State University. Arizona has been involved in developing standards, assessments and school report cards for decades. The Arizona Common Core State Standards are the most recent review and update. This time, in recognition that families move from state to state, Arizona experts worked in partnership with other states to develop a framework in common, then return to Arizona to modify that framework to fit Arizona’s needs.  For interesting reading and some Arizona history on our state’s involvement in the standards movement, go to http://www.cse.ucla.edu/products/reports/tech425.pdf.  Here you’ll also find information about ASAP and Essential Skills.

Also, KUDOS to the Arizona business and community leaders who came together to support the Arizona Common Core State Standards!  In a letter to Senate President Andy Biggs, ninety-eight leaders signed the letter in support of retiring the AIMS test, and move forward with an assessment that matches Arizona’s new state standards.  To read the letter, click here.

Additional resources: 

Myths and Facts of the Common Core Standards

Common Core Standards FAQs

Three-Minute Video Explaining the Common Core State Standards

2013 ARIZONA LEGISLATURE

Legislative statistics – For what it’s worth …

• Women make up 35.6 percent of the Legislature. There are 13 women in the Senate; 19 in the House.
• Republicans make up 58 percent of the Legislature; Democrats, 42 percent. There are no independents, Greens or Libertarians.
• 31 percent of the Legislature is new. The 28 freshmen make up a large class, but it’s not the biggest ever. That occurred in 2003, with 35 new members.
• 74 percent of the lawmakers are married, 18 percent are single, 7 percent divorced, and 1 percent widowed.
• Two lawmakers are openly gay.
• The Legislature spans generations: The oldest member is 74, the youngest is 26.
• Forty lawmakers, or 44 percent, are Arizona natives.

Source: The Republic|azcentral.com