Frequently Asked Questions Of The Office Of Academic and Professional Standards
New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
Q. The State Board adopted the Core Curriculum Content Standards (CCCS) in October 2004. When will they be reviewed for update?
A. The CCCS are reviewed every five years from their implementation. The revised language arts literacy, mathematics and science standards were adopted in July 2002. The language arts literacy standards were then revised to align with NCLB requirements and readopted by the Board in October 2004, along with standards in the visual and performing arts, comprehensive health and physical education, world languages, social studies, technological literacy, and career education and consumer, family, and life skills. The next review process will not begin until 2008-2009.
Q. Will new frameworks be developed to align with the revised standards?
A. The department will not be creating new frameworks, but will be adding new information to fill in any gaps between the original and revised standards. The curriculum frameworks continue to serve as a bridge between the general goals stated in the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards and the greater specificity required by district curricula. They contain valuable information and should not be discarded.
Q. How will teachers have an opportunity to become informed about the standards?
A. From November 2004 through May 2005, the department conducted standards information sessions. Copies of the standards were disseminated at each of these sessions as well as at NJEA convention and other large conferences around the state. Each school principal and chief school administrator received a copy of the revised standards. The standards are also available on the web at www.nj.gov/njded/aps/cccs.
In fall 2005, the department will disseminate to every school building a more detailed version of the NJCCCS. The document will be available online at www.nj.gov/njded/aps/cccs and for purchase through the department’s Office of Publications (609-984-0549) or http://www.state.nj.us/njded/genfo/publist.htm.
Q. What other resources does the department provide to support the implementation of the standards?
A. The department will provide ongoing support for the implementation and assessment of the standards. A horizontal matrix is being developed for each content area that will provide a clear scope and sequence approach to the standards. The matrices will be available on NJPEP (www.njpep.org) or on the content area web pages at www.nj.gov/njded/aps/cccs. Additional materials on curriculum alignment and assessment can be found on NJPEP. NJDOE content specialists are developing a series of content-specific workshops that will be delivered during the 2005-06 school year. The department will also release a searchable CD-ROM that features the revised Core Curriculum Content Standards. It is the intent of the department to develop and release additional resources every few months. Most of these resources will be posted on the department’s web site.
Q. How can I find out about professional development opportunities?
A. The department posts professional development opportunities in several locations. For content specific information, go to www.nj.gov/njded/aps/cccs. Choose the content area and then scroll down to professional development opportunities. Upcoming conferences and workshops, many conducted by the department’s content coordinators, are listed. Another source for professional development listings is www.njpep.org. NJPEP provides a wide array of content specific and general education professional development listings as well as on-site training.
