Designing 21st Century Universal Classrooms

What’s New: National Standards

The Common Core State Standards Initiative

The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy. Click here to visit the Common Core State Standards Initiative website.

Power Standards

The Big Ideas

Our curricula are framed by the CCSU Power Standards. These Power Standards represent a synthesis of the enduring, transferable, “big ideas” gleaned from National Standards, the Vermont Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities, and Vermont’s Grade Expectations. More about Power Standards…

Guaranteed, Viable Curriculum: Power Standards and Power Indicators

The Most Essential Knowledge and Skills that Endure, Advantage Learning across Multiple Content Areas, and Promote Readiness within and beyond the Grade Level 


The Power Standards and Power Indicators that comprise the Guaranteed, Viable Curricula outline the knowledge and skills that are most essential  at each grade level for accessing continued learning and making progress in the standards.  The essential knowledge and skills reflected in the Power Indicators are stepping stones to other important and desirable learning opportunities outlined in the Comprehensive Curriculum.   More about Guaranteed, Viable Curriculum: Power Standards and Power Indicators…

Comprehensive Curriculum

The Continuum of Essential, Important, and Desirable Learning Opportunities


The Comprehensive Curriculum places the most essential knowledge and skills identified in the Guaranteed, Viable Curriculum’s Power Standards and Power Indicators  in the context of other important and desirable learning experiences. Our Comprehensive Curriculum documents outline the big ideas that endure and transfer to other learning, provocative and engaging essential questions that encourage critical thinking and inquiry, what we want our students to know and be able to do, and those concepts and skills that are key to that learning. More about Comprehensive Curriculum…

Last updated: Jun 14 at 8:15 am