Professional Book Reviews: Exploring Resources for the CCSS

Whether you are a supporter of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) or not, they continue to be a hot topic of conversation in educational circles across the country. The new standards are not without drawbacks, but they do set the goal of establishing what students need to learn without dictating to teachers how to achieve that goal. Over the past few years, many teachers have been engaged in professional development initiatives focused on the CCSS, all in an effort to help them be properly informed and ready to implement the standards in the best possible ways. Those states adopting the CCSS are individually deciding which implementation approaches best suit the needs of both their teachers and students. As a result, educators are looking for diverse resources that offer guidance on how to address the Standards to meet the needs of all learners in K– 12 classrooms. In this issue, we look at a number of resources that offer teachers valuable information about ways to engage students in reading, writing, listening, and speaking that meet the requirements of the CCSS and have the potential to help students become more proficient learners.