National Math and Science Initiative Offers Free Common Core Resources, Open-Source LMS to Teachers
Teachers will now have free access to implementation-related Common Core State Standards (CCSS) resources and materials, along with an open-source learning management system (LMS), via a partnership between the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC).
Access to the materials and LMS comes as part of the Educator Leader Cadre initiative pursued by the partnership in hopes of increasing the number of teachers who understand, support, and feel ownership of the successful implementation of the CCSS and PARCC assessments as these implementations unfold state by state.
The Common Core State Standards initiative has grown to include 46 states and PARCC is a consortium of 22 states and the United States Virgin Islands working to design and develop a common set of K-12 assessments in math and English focused on what it takes to be college and career-ready.
Common Core resources released for free access under the partnership consist of videos, documents, and meeting plans covering topics including:
- What Are The ELCs?;
- PARCC Assessments;
- Model Content Frameworks;
- PARCC and Common Core;
- PARCC for Diverse Student Populations;
- Communication and Messaging;
- Tri-State Rubric;
- Common Core Meeting Materials; and
- Virtual Convenings Archive.
Teachers can gain access to these resources by signing up at nms.org/commoncore. Additional free classroom-ready lessons are also available on the NMSI site.
NMSI was formed as a non-profit in 2007 to address the declining number of students who are prepared to take rigorous college courses in math and science and equipped for careers in those fields. The project was initiated as a public-private partnership, led by private donors such as Exxon Mobil Corporation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation.
About the Author
Kevin Hudson is a freelance journalist based in Portland, Oregon. He can be reached at [email protected].