Skip to main content
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact

Search form

American Institutes for Research

  • Our Work
    • Education
    • Health
    • International
    • Workforce
    • ALL TOPICS >
  • Our Services
    • Research and Evaluation
    • Technical Assistance
  • Our Experts
  • News & Events

You are here

  • Home
10 Mar 2014
Brief

Common Core Implementation: Units of Study in Sacramento City

Joel Knudson

As district leaders search for the best ways to improve student learning with the Common Core State Standards, some early implementers are giving us an opportunity to learn from their experience.

This brief describes Sacramento City Unified School District’s approach to developing units of study that guide teachers’ classroom practice. The units provide a valuable tool for designing curriculum and instructional materials, but just as importantly, they have driven teacher capacity building and engagement in the implementation of the new standards. It also examines the units of study strategy as it has unfolded in Sacramento, identifies some of the key points of evolution since the district began its work three years ago, and discusses some of the challenges and tensions facing districts that might employ a similar approach.

Among the key findings:

  • Achieving the Appropriate Level of Specificity. Teachers must consider many specific elements of classroom instruction when implementing a unit of study.
  • Balancing Teacher Empowerment With Quality Control. Developing units of study can help teachers understand the standards in deeper and more meaningful ways than traditional approaches, but the model also calls on teachers to act as curriculum developers, a role that is new for many.
  • Leveraging Teachers’ Experiences and Perspectives. The units of study fundamentally rely on teachers’ professional judgment to drive Common Core implementation efforts.
  • Building Trust to Facilitate Teacher Growth. For these efforts to be successful, district and site leaders need to create trusting environments where teachers feel Common Core Implementation: Units of Study in Sacramento City comfortable taking risks.
  • Providing Enough Time and Support. Finding time for teachers to learn and engage in the unit development process is an ongoing struggle.
Common Core Implementation: Units of Study in Sacramento City

Related Projects

Project

California Collaborative on District Reform

The California Collaborative on District Reform, an initiative of AIR, joins researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and funders in ongoing, evidence-based dialogue to improve instruction and student learning for all students in California’s urban school systems. In particular, the group recognizes the key role that districts play in supporting educational improvement.

Further Reading

  • Still Learning from the Past: Drawing on California’s CLAS Experience to Inform Assessment of the Common Core (2015)
  • Implementing LCFF: Communicating About District Plans
  • LCFF Implementation: Building Capacity to Realize the Promises of California’s New Funding System
  • Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) Implementation: Early Lessons From the Field
  • Learning from the Past: Drawing on California’s CLAS Experience to Inform Assessment of the Common Core (2012)
Share

Topic

Education
Teacher Preparation and Performance

RESEARCH. EVALUATION. APPLICATION. IMPACT.

About Us

About AIR
Board of Directors
Leadership
Experts
Clients
Contracting with AIR
Contact Us

Our Work

Education
Health
International
Workforce

Client Services

Research and Evaluation
Technical Assistance

News & Events

Careers at AIR


Search form


 

Connecting

FacebookTwitterLinkedinYouTubeInstagram

American Institutes for Research

1400 Crystal Drive, 10th Floor
Arlington, VA 22202-3289
Call: (202) 403-5000
Fax: (202) 403-5000

Copyright © 2020 American Institutes for Research®.  All rights reserved.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap