Music, Implementing the Common Core

Identify What You Already Do
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are not a replacement for the Illinois
Learning Standards in Fine Arts. As a result, music educators do not need to
completely remake existing curricula. In most cases, educators are already doing much
of the learning outlined in the CCSS. Music teachers will find that simply reviewing the
CCSS through the College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards will reveal many
similarities in instruction.

Use the College and Career Anchor Standards
The CCSS Initiative began by identifying the skills students need to be prepared for—
and exceed in—college and future careers. These “anchor” standards are divided into
four domains: writing, reading, speaking & listening, and language. They are also
separated between K-5 and 6-12 grade levels.
Since all grade-specific standards are based off of an anchor, sometimes the best
strategy is to read through the College & Career Readiness anchor standards while
comparing the learning found within your own instructional unit. Once you find an
anchor standard that incorporates your classroom activity, you can find the specific
grade standard and code and add it to your existing list of standards for that unit.

Anchor Standards vs. Grade-Specific Standards
The CCSS has two levels of learning standards. The College & Career Readiness
Anchor Standards are broad, multi-grade learning standards whereas the English
Language Arts Learning Standards for History, Science and Technical Subjects and the
Mathematical Standards are more narrower standards that are targeted to specific
grades. In the interest in helping the widest number of music educators (and reducing
the size of this document) only the CCR Anchor Standards will be addressed.
If asked why a music teacher should use the CCR Anchor Standards and not the
grade-specific standards, it might be useful to point out that many educators teach
across multiple grade levels and any lesson plan which is applied to more than one
grade level would be a better fit for the CCR Anchors