The Common Core Writing Standards: A Descriptive Study of Content and Alignment with a Sample of Former State Standards
Troia, G. A., Olinghouse, N. G., Wilson, J., Stewart, K. A., Mo, Y., Hawkins, L., & Kopke, R. A. (2016). The Common Core writing standards: A descriptive study of content and alignment with a sample of former state standards. Reading Horizons, 55(3), 99-142.
This article compares the content of the Common Core State Standards for writing and language with a sample of former state writing standards. It evaluates breadth, frequency, balance, and alignment, showing that the Common Core offers concise and relatively balanced coverage while prior state standards varied considerably and aligned only weakly.
Key takeaways
- The Common Core writing and language standards cover some aspects of writing broadly but leave uneven emphasis across important content elements.
- Former state standards differed markedly in breadth, frequency, and balance, with no strong alignment to the Common Core set.
- The findings suggest districts may face curricular and instructional mismatches when shifting from former state standards to the Common Core.
Why it matters
This work strengthens Dr. Wilson's policy-oriented scholarship by showing how changes in standards shape the instructional landscape in which writing assessment and teaching occur.
Coauthors
Gary A. Troia, Natalie G. Olinghouse, Joshua Wilson, Kelly A. Stewart, Ya Mo, Lisa Hawkins, Rachel A. Kopke
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