Navigating Achievement for Struggling Students with the Common Core State Standards

The Common Core State Standards are now a reality in most states in the US, and educators are grappling with the implications as they wait for new high-stakes assessments to take effect. Educators are weighing in with their concerns, chief among them the worry that struggling students will struggle even more in the era of the Common Core. This fifth handbook in the Getting Ready for the Common Core Series, Navigating Achievement for Struggling Students with the Common Core State Standards will help teachers and administrators reflect on the needs of students who struggle, whether from poverty, language acquisition, ineffective feedback, reluctance to engage, or other reasons, and it offers multiple and flexible examples for educators to take away and adapt to their unique situations. This collection of strategies and research-based information provides user-friendly guidance for implementation of the Common Core State Standards with the leverage needed for success. The premise of the contributing educators is that all students can find success when instructed well. Topics, such as the prior knowledge students bring with them into the classroom, the power of the feedback they get from teachers, and student vocabulary acquisition and use, help generate teacher ideas for classroom instruction. Concepts, such as scaffolding learning, effective differentiation in secondary schools, and direct instruction for all learners in light of Response to Intervention processes, it help guide teacher thinking and planning. This handbook provides multiple views on the very complex subject of what to do better to serve struggling students as we embrace the Common Core State Standards.