Introduction to the Special Issue on School Psychology and the Common Core State Standards

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Initiative is the most ambitious attempt to date to establish and institutionalize a national set of high expectations for what students in kindergarten through 12th grade should be able to achieve at each grade level to be ready for college and the twenty-first century workforce (http:// www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2014/05/27/307755798/the-commoncore-faq.) The Standards, which currently cover mathematics and English language arts, were developed by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, with input from teachers, school administrators, and education experts from 48 states (Sloan 2010). What do school psychologists need to know to participate in student study teams? * How will the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) and other student evaluations affect assessments for special education and related services? * What accommodations and modifications will be made for students with significant disabilities? * How will school psychologists assist with intervention planning, progress monitoring and data collection? After reviewing core characteristics of autism as defined by DSM-5 (APA 2013) and Title V California Code of Regulations (Title V 2014), Marsh illustrates several methods by which teachers can present the concepts and skills defined by the grade-level standards, but modify the materials and assessment strategies to meet the specific needs of this group of students with moderate disabilities. [...]I would like to express my gratitude to journal Editor-in-Chief Michael Hass, Ph.D., and the staff of Springer Publications, especially Mr. Jesson Austria, for their guidance and assistance throughout the process of putting together this special issue.