Follow the Path to Common Core
Tara Mason, Ph.D., Curriculum Developer,
tara.mason@perkins.org
Rona Shaw, Ed.D., Curriculum Developer, rona.shaw@perkins.org
Training and Educational Resources Program
Perkins School for the Blind
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is a national initiative that
sets forth academic standards in English language arts/literacy (ELA) and
mathematics. The standards outline learning goals that a student should
know and be able to apply throughout the K-12 grade levels. The standards
were created to ensure that all students graduate from high school with the
skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in college, career, and life,
regardless of where they live. Forty-five states, the District of Columbia, four
territories, and the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) have
adopted and are moving forward with the Common Core.
Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVIs) may wonder how the new
standards apply to their work as well as to that of related support service
educational team members. Since the standards provide a K-12 roadmap
and hierarchy of knowledge that engages students in higher level thinking,
application, and generalization, TVIs play a crucial role in developing
cognitive, conceptual, and language skills early on that serve as a foundation
12
