Adopting states are making professional development a priority and are launching statewide professional development materials and resources for use in local programs.
Twenty-seven states said they are aligning their teacher preparation programs with the Common Core State Standards, and five said they do not intend to. Twenty-five states are modifying or creating educator evaluation systems that will ensure teachers are held accountable for student mastery of the standards, and six said they do not plan to implement such an evaluation system.
Twenty-eight of the states surveyed said they will require school districts to implement the Common Core standards, but only 15 of those states will require districts to develop long-term, comprehensive plans for local implementation.
Implementation challenges
Twenty-one states said that “finding adequate resources to support all of the activities necessary for implementing” the Common Core standards will be a major challenge, eight identified it as a minor challenge, two said it would not be a challenge, and one state said it would not be a problem.
Supporting teachers presents another hurdle, and 20 states said that providing sufficient professional development programs that are rich in both quality and quantity would be a major challenge. Nine said it will be a minor challenge.
Eighteen of the states surveyed said aligning college and university teacher preparation programs with the Common Core State Standards is a major challenge.
Only two states said that “overcoming resistance to the [Common Core standards] from within the K-12 system” is a major challenge, 14 said it is a minor challenge, and 15 said it presents no challenge.
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