User:Heatherer/David Coleman Common Core

The Common Core
In 2008, Coleman and Zimba, together with educational analyst Sue Pimentel, co-founded Student Achievement Partners (SAP), a non-profit organization focused on supporting evidence-based approaches to improve students' academic performance.

After reading a 2007 paper published by Coleman and Zimba calling for “math and science standards that are fewer, clearer, higher”, The National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers hired Student Achievement Partners in 2008 to lead their initiative to write Common Core State Standards for elementary through high school English Language Arts and Mathematics. Coleman helped secure support and funding for the program through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Coleman was a member of the English Language Arts writing team, which was comprised of educators and representatives from states across the country. The standards developed by the writing team aimed to identify the knowledge and skills students should have at the end of each grade in reading, writing and speaking in order to succeed in college and careers. Key components of the English Language Arts and Literacy standards include using evidence from texts to analyze ideas and make arguments, reading more non-fiction texts in a wide range of subjects, and the use of texts that grow in complexity as students progress through each grade.

As a founding partner, Coleman and Student Achievement Partners worked to support the implementation of the Common Core State Standards. During 2011, the standards started to attract controversy, and Coleman's educational priorities, as well as his lack of classroom experience, faced some criticism. As of 2015, the Common Core standards have been adopted by 43 states and the District of Columbia with continued support from Student Achievement Partners. Coleman left Student Achievement Partners in 2012 to join the College Board.