Publications & Resources

Implementation and Effects of LDC and MDC in Kentucky Districts

Jan 2015

Joan Herman, Scott Epstein, Seth Leon, Deborah La Torre Matrundola, Sarah Reber and Kilchan Choi

The first state to adopt new college and career ready standards (CCRS), termed the Kentucky Core Academic Standards, Kentucky and many of its districts have moved proactively and strategically to meet the challenge of more rigorous expectations and to facilitate educators and students’ transition to the new demands. All students are to be on a trajectory to graduate high school, and should be prepared for college and career success. Basic skills have given way to goals for deeper learning, where students are expected to apply, reason with, communicate, and use their knowledge to solve complex problems.

This brief summarizes early evidence on the success of two tools Kentucky districts have used to support their teachers’ transition to these more demanding goals: Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) and Mathematics Design Collaborative (MDC). With support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, LDC and MDC tools have been designed and implemented to embody the key shifts in teaching and learning that the new standards demand. By implementing the tools, teachers then engage in new pedagogy and address relevant learning goals of the Kentucky Core Academic Standards.

Herman, J., Epstein, S., Leon, S., La Torre Matrundola, D., Reber, S., & Choi, K. (2015). Implementation and effects of LDC and MDC in Kentucky districts (CRESST Policy Brief No. 13). Los Angeles: University of California, Los Angeles, National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST).