At Metropolitan School we offer an American curriculum academic program based upon the U.S. Common Core State Standards (CCSS), which is a set of high-quality academic standards that outline what a student should know and be able to do at the end of each grade.The standards were created to ensure that all students graduate from high school with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in college, career, and life, regardless of where they live.

The U.S. Common Core State Standards are:

• – Research- and evidence-based
• – Clear, understandable, and consistent
• – Aligned with college and career expectations
• – Based on rigorous content and application of knowledge through higher-order thinking skills
• – Informed by other top performing countries in order to prepare all students for success in our global economy and society

To ensure all students are ready for success after high school, the Common Core State Standards establish clear, consistent guidelines for what every student should know and be able to do in math and English language arts from kindergarten through 12th grade.

The U.S. Common Core State Standards focus on developing critical-thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills, which are the skills students will need to be successful, as well as to become “engaged thinkers, ethical citizens and global entrepreneurs”.

In English language arts and literacy the Common Core State Standards require students to reach beyond stories and literature and to read more texts that provide facts and background knowledge in areas including science and social studies. They will read more challenging texts and be asked more questions that require them to refer back to what they have read. The Common Core State Standards require an increased emphasis on building a strong vocabulary so that students can read and understand challenging material.

In Math the Common Core State Standards requires teachers to concentrate on teaching a more focused set of major math concepts and skills. It also requires a more rich and challenging math content and to engage students in solving real-world problems in order to inspire greater interest in mathematics.