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Getting to the Core

This course will explore the Common Core State Standards. It will provide teachers with an understanding of the CCSS, but more importantly it will give them the strategies and tools necessary to create an educational framework to meet the needs of students, to help them achieve success, and be fully prepared for college and the workforce.

Carlow University ED 610 Mercy University EDUT 525

The required text for this course is Pathways to the Common Core, by Lucy Calkins, Mary Ehrenworth, and Christopher Leham.

Graduate participants earn 3 semester hours of graduate credit and will receive a transcript from one of our partner institutions below. Professional development participants will receive a certificate of completion for 45 hours of professional developments credit for face-to-face classes and 60 hours of professional development credit for online classes.

Professional
Development

Course Schedule

Spring 2026

ZOOM

Feb 6-8 & Feb 13-15

Maria Mavrogenis

Textbook List FAQs

Outline
Objectives
Partner Universities
Important Information
Student Academic Integrity

Print Face To Face Course Outline

Outline

Session 1: Introduction to the Common Core State Standards

Contents:

List commonly heard negative ways of thinking about the CCSS
List valuable ways of thinking about the CCSS
Reflect upon what you are already doing in your classroom, and what the Common Core requires.
Reflect upon ways you can begin to bridge the gap

Session 2: The Reading Standards

Contents:

Analyze the Reading Standards
Examine what the standards find significant in reading comprehension
Examine how the same skills are applied to reading literature and informational texts

Session 3: Literal Understanding and Text Complexity

Contents:

Analyze how the CCSS recommends finding a text's level of complexity
Examine how to get students reading increasing complex text
Explore how to support students who are reading below grade level

Session 4: Reading Literature: Standards 2-9

Contents:

Analyze a literature text, between the reading standards
Explore implementing the literature standards in your classroom

Session 5: Reading Informational Text: Standards 2-9

Content:

Analyze a informational text, between the reading standards
Explore implementing the informational standards in your classroom

Session 6: The Writing Standards

Contents:

Analyze the Writing Standards
Examine the types of text the standards call for, (narrative, argument, information)
Examine the quality of writing expected
Examine the writing process and writing across the disciplines

Session 7: Gaining a Greater Understanding of the Writing Standards

Contents:

Reflect upon the methods your school currently uses to teach writing
Evaluate how these methods align or conflict with the CCSS
Explore how you can bridge the gap, to support students' growth

Session 8: The Speaking and Listening Standards

Contents

Analyze the Speaking and Listening Standards
Explore the use of technology in the classroom
Examine how students should learn to use grammar and conventions
Examine different strategies for vocabulary development

Session 9: Assessments and Reform

Contents

Evaluate your thoughts from this course
Examine your "best practices" in your classroom
Explore how you can strengthen those practices, to align to the CCSS
Explore how you, and your colleagues, can continue to implement the CCSS

Session 10: Tying it All Together

Contents:

Complete Lesson Plan Project
Complete Personal Position Paper
Complete Student Survey

Objectives

Develop working definitions for the Common Core State Standards
Analyze the Reading Standards
Examine Literal Understandings and Text Complexity
Explore various ways to implement the CCSS for reading literature
Explore various ways to implement the CCSS for reading informational texts
Analyze the Writing Standards
Examine the quality of writing expected
Examine the writing process
Examine writing across the disciplines
Evaluate and create a plan to implement the CCSS
Create a lesson plan that incorporates the CCSS
Research current educational policies and research-based educational programs that puts into practice the CCSS
Analyze how data can drive meaningful instruction
Investigate the Speaking and Listening Standards
Explore and evaluate improvement possibilities for teacher professional development and community building

Partner Universities

Our Partners are well-established regionally and nationally accredited colleges and universities, recognized for academic excellence and their commitment to teachers.

Important Information

Online 3-graduate credit courses are 13 weeks in length.

On-site weekend courses are held Friday evening from 6:00pm-9:00pm and Saturday/Sunday, 8:30am-5:30pm.

Weekday courses are Monday-Friday from 8:00am- 6:00pm.

It is the responsibility of the student to check with their state, county, district, or school to ensure that all requirements are being met by the course you're taking.

Check the Partner Universities page for specific university information as well as course numbers which are specific to the university partner.

Students are required to purchase their own textbook, the information for which can be found here. If no book is required it will be specified on the list. We have copies of many of the textbooks should you wish to purchase directly from TEI.

Professional development (PD) participants receive a certificate of completion from TEI for 45 hours of PD credit for face to face classes and 60 hours of PD credit for online classes. These certificates are mailed within one week of the end of the class and reflect the course title, dates of attendance, and credit hour information.

Student Academic Integrity

Participants guarantee that all academic class work is original. Any academic dishonesty or plagiarism (to take ideas, writings, etc. from another and offer them as one's own), is a violation of student academic behavior standards as outlined by our partnering colleges and universities and is subject to academic disciplinary action.