California math teacher: Common Core adds up

The Common Core State Standards, along with advances in technology, have opened up a new era in teacher collaboration over the past few years. Reaching across district and state boundaries, teachers are not only sharing useful resources and strategies, but also co-designing lessons and writing curricula.

As the first state to adopt the Common Core, Kentucky has managed a remarkably smooth and successful transition. After four years, test scores are improving and the high school graduation rate is up 87 percent, beating the national average.

The Mathematics Design Collaborative (MDC) brings to mathematics teaching and learning high-quality instructional tools and professional support services that play a pivotal role in helping the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation realize its ambitious goal of having 80% of low-income and minority students ready for college by 2025.