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C-SAIL Blog

    Learn about standards implementation directly from stakeholders across the system – teachers, principals, policymakers, and researchers.

    Our blog presents posts by C-SAIL researchers, Center partners, and guest colleagues to examine the impact of college- and career-readiness (CCR) standards on teaching and learning; interpret state and national policies affecting CCR standards implementation; and present resources for education practitioners, policymakers, and researchers. We pay special attention to the experience of English language learners and students with disabilities, as well as the progress of standards reform in our partner states—California, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Texas.

    The views expressed by the C-SAIL bloggers do not represent the views of the Center on Standards, Alignment, Instruction, and Learning (C-SAIL) or its funder, the Institute for Education Sciences (IES).

    Bilingualism is a 21st Century Skill. So why are 21st Century Standards Ignoring It?
    Nelson Flores | July 18, 2016

    By failing to prioritize bilingualism in college- and career-readiness standards, U.S. education policy is missing a crucial element in preparing students to be global citizens.

    • English Language Learners

    Mapping Standards
    Katie Pak | July 5, 2016

    Our interactive maps incorporate high quality data from multiple sources, fill in knowledge gaps, and use state-verified data to culminate in the most comprehensive, well-researched, and current tool documenting college- and career-readiness standards implementation across 50 states.

    The Challenge of Alignment
    Morgan Polikoff | June 28, 2016

    If standards reform is all about alignment, why is alignment so difficult to achieve?

    The High Costs of High-Stakes Testing
    Katie Pak | June 22, 2016

    Standardized tests can be helpful instruments if implemented in the right ways, in reasonable dosages, for the right end goals. But recent reforms have caused unintended consequences that cost students, teachers, and school districts.

    • Testing

    The Missing Element of Standards Reform
    Andy Porter | June 16, 2016

    Why have two decades of standards reform been mostly inconsequential, and how does C-SAIL propose to change that?

    What Gives a Policy Power?
    Laura Desimone | June 9, 2016

    What gives a policy power and what role does power play in standards-based reform? Laura Desimone discusses a second attribute of the policy attributes theory which guides C-SAIL's research.

    • Accountability

    What Drives Common Core Opposition?
    Morgan Polikoff | May 31, 2016

    Who opposes the Common Core? The answer might surprise you.

    • Common Core State Standards

    Making English Learners a Priority in Standards-Based Reform
    Nelson Flores | May 16, 2016

    Is requiring schools and districts to report student subgroup data enough to ensure a quality education for America's English language learners? What do the Common Core State Standards say about the unique needs of ELL students?

    • English Language Learners

    Testing: How much is too much? How young is too young?
    Andy Porter | May 13, 2016

    Last month, Michigan state superintendent Brian Whiston told legislators he wants to overhaul the state's assessment system, including an 'age-appropriate' component for kindergarten students. But how much testing is too much, and how young is too young for standardized testing?

    • Testing

    Implementing New Standards: The Role of Authority
    Laura Desimone | April 28, 2016

    Teachers play an important role in giving a policy authority, as part of stakeholder buy-in, which is necessary if standards implementation is to be successful, Laura Desimone explains.

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