Alternate Achievement Standards: The Common Core Essential Elements

In June 2010, Wisconsin adopted the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics, including the literacy in History, Social Studies, Science and the Technical subjects, for all students. These standards define K-12 academic standards which are aligned with college and work expectations, include rigorous content and application, and are internationally benchmarked. Additionally, the Common Core State Standards emphasize literacy in all of the disciplines. For all students to be career and college ready, including students with significant cognitive disabilities, educators should include both the content and the reading and writing skills that students need to demonstrate learning in the other disciplinary areas.

All students, including students with significant cognitive disabilities, deserve and have a right to a quality educational experience. This right includes, to the maximum extent possible, the opportunity to be involved in and meet the same challenging expectations that have been established for all students. Wisconsin educators collaborated with educators from 12 other states to create alternate achievement standards aligned to the Common Core State Standards. These alternate achievement standards are called the Common Core Essential Elements (CCEEs) in English Language Arts and Mathematics. The CCEEs were developed to satisfy the requirement of the U.S. Department of Education that Wisconsin have alternate achievement standards for its students with significant cognitive disabilities that are clearly linked to grade-level academic content standards, promote access to the general curriculum and reflect professional judgment of the highest expectation possible.These new standards will replace the current Extended Grade Band Standards and will be used as the basis for a new alternate assessment, which will replace the current Wisconsin Alternate Assessment for Students with Disabilities (WAA-SwD) in 2014-15.


These Common Core Essential Elements will be the basis for the new Alternate Assessment for Students with Significant Disabilities starting in the 2014-15 school year.  We will start to review these elements and incorporate into our curriculums and IEP goals/objectives starting with the upcoming 12-13 school year.  The Common Core Essential Elements for English Language Arts and Mathematics along with much further information is located at this website link: http://www.dpi.wi.gov/sped/assmt-ccee.html