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Mississippi school district already aligned to the CCSS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 09, 2012 16:07 PM



In schools throughout Mississippi, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) will be fully implemented during the 2014-2015 academic year, WLOX 13 reported. If state educators have any questions or concerns during this process, they may want to turn to the Gulfport School District, a Mississippi school system that fully transitioned to the CCSS during the 2011-2012 academic year.

"It's been a lot of fun," Glen East, Gulfport’s superintendent, told the news source. "It's been scary. It's been difficult as we work to develop capacity of the superintendent, the teacher, and the principal. But it's what's right for children."

Because of the early transition to the Common Core, kindergartners are now being taught reading lessons that used to be reserved for first-graders. In history class, where students were once told that Christopher Columbus discovered America, teachers now ask if the Vikings showed up before, while also focusing on the Native Americans who were already living on the North American continent. Ultimately, this new approach to education changes the way students think.

Whereas many students used to memorize facts to pass a test, the Standards will encourage them to learn mathematical concepts in a way they can apply to real world situations, according to the CCSS’ website. In English classes, readers will hone skills they can apply to texts that grow increasingly difficult with each new grade.


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