(NAPSA)—Asstudents return to the classroom this fall, teachers across the country will be working hard to either begin implementing or continue implementing the new Common Core State Standards. The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust andrelevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge andskills that our young people need for success in college and careers. The new Common Core State Standards are forcing educators to change how they teach. This summer, many teachers nation- wide spent time becoming familiar with standards and reviewing how they might need to adjust their lessons and activities to meet the standards. Oneorganization helping educators integrate the standards into their classroom instruction is ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development), an educational leadership organization dedicated to advancing best practices and policies for the success of each learner. ASCDhascreated a numberof resources to help educators: Professional Development Institutes One- to three-day workshops provide information, awareness and training by acknowledged experts. These meetings encourage the exchange of ideas and experience and set the stage for additional course work. On-site Training ASCD provides on-site, customized, professional development Many teachers spend their school vacations learning how to improve their professional skills. to teachers at schools to build the local expertise for improved instruction. This training can include a multitude of useful classes that cover the implementation of Common Core State Standards in math and English language arts classes. Online Courses For the ease of accessibility, convenience and cost effectiveness, ASCDalso offers courses for teachers online. Their online courses span a broad range of topics. The courses cover not only teaching techniques but assessment methods that help to promote learning. Courses in common core mathematics are available for educators teaching grades K—5, 6-8, and 9-12. Common core courses for teachers on literacy strategies are also available in science, his- tory/social studies and English languagearts. Support Materials Finally, ASCD offers printed resources such as books, videos and DVDs to support educators and their continuing efforts to prepare for the new school year. To learn more information on the Common Core State Standards, visit www.ascd.org/com moncore.
