Two parallel developments spell opportunity for trade publishers with content that is suitable for younger audiences. The first of these is the new Common Core curriculum standards being adopted in most states, which encourage schools to use content not readily found in textbooks, particularly in non-fiction areas. So, for example, students studying "The Grapes of Wrath" might be required to read non-fiction material about the Depression, the Dust Bowl, or the 1930s. At the same time, schools are "going digital," equipping students with iPads and other mobile devices. (It should be noted that NY-area high school Archbishop Stepinac has gone to an all-digital content model, which has just been announced.) This creates a companion shift in content-delivery mechanisms. The first of these creates a potential pot of gold for publishers to pursue. The second means that the roads to the pot of gold are, at best, new, and, in most cases, still being paved. The procedures and business rules around delivering content into this big new market are still being written.

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Common Core State Standards are a set of
educational goals for K-12 students in
English/language arts (ELA) and math
Standards establish grade-by-grade milestones
for the skills students need to master to be ready
for college or careers by the end of high school
Adopted voluntarily by 45 states
New assessments based on the standards will
be administered in spring 2015
Common Core is driving a significant overhaul of
curricula across the country
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3. The English/language arts standards:
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Broken out into standards for Reading, Writing,
Language and Speaking & Listening
There are separate standards for literacy in
History/Social Studies, Science and Technical
Subjects
Standards increase the emphasis on informational
texts and other types of non-fiction
Standards are designed to ensure that students
can read, understand and analyze texts
appropriate for their grade levels
The specific instructional materials to be used are
not mandated
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4. Example of an ELA standard:
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Anchor Reading standard:
› “Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text,
including determining technical, connotative, and
figurative meaning, and analyze how specific word
choices shape meaning or tone.”
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The corresponding standard for grade 6:
› For informational text: “Determine the meaning of words
and phases as they are used in a text, including
figurative, connotative and technical meanings.”
› For literature: “Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative
and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a
specific word choice on meaning and tone.”
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5. For more information:
 See
http://www.corestandards.org/elaliteracy for the complete ELA standards
 Check out Demystifying the Common Core:
How Trade Publishers Can Profit from the
New Curriculum Standards
› White paper available at the Digital Book World
online store, at:
http://store.digitalbookworld.com/
demystifying-common-core-report-t3590
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