Earlier in the day, the commission passed milestone votes to send English Language Arts standards as modified by the commission to include additional standards from California's existing standards.
The math discussion has been far-ranging and often confusing. With various proposals on the table, the commission has sought various approaches to its work yesterday and today. The most important action came late in the afternoon when the commission voted to establish for 8th grade Common Core standards (as modified with California standards) and to add a full complement of standards that constitute an Algebra 1 course. This was a critical step towards meeting the Governor's often-stated requirement that the Common Core standards "maintain the rigor" of California's current standards.
But as the day has worn on, the complexity of design and the scope of the various proposals has worn on the commissioners. At times the commission's deliberations have seemed to be a standoff between Commissioners Bill Evers and Ze'ev Wurman and the rest of the commissioners. At other times, enormous good will and sincere efforts for compromise and resolution have come from all commissioners.
With the Governor's Office in attendance as well, it is likely that the standards finally approved for the State Board's consideration will undergo a battery of analyses regarding their coherence, student preparation for Algebra 1, and the translation of the high school standards into projected courses.
As the final actions of the commission occur, Standards Watch will provide full analysis and then turn towards the fate of the Common Core standards in front of the State Board of Education on August 2.
