Blogbook -- A First Look at the Common Core State Standards
Entry 30 Let me turn to the first of my two central examples, the CCSS and OS . Consider the first anchor standard in the CCSS ( CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.1 ) in Figure 8. It is the first standard in the “Language” group for all grades. It states, “Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking” ( note 193 ). This anchor standard is the larger standard for language learning that all students are supposed to meet or demonstrate, so it is the same for all grade levels, but it means something progressively different as one moves up grade levels. This is why it is called an anchor standard, but it really acts as an outcome in the way I described it in the last post ( entry 29 ). The anchor is broad in scope and is meant to be defined more specifically for each grade level. But what is this anchor standard actually measuring in student performances in classrooms? The anchor standard 11-12.1 assumes English language as a unified and un