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As of the writing of this report, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are being implemented in 45 states and the District of Columbia. Approaches to implementing the standards, however, are highly varied. For the past 3 years, Research For Action (RFA) has been tracking how one approach to implementing the literacy standards--the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC)--has played out in diverse settings. In this document, the authors show how three of these settings--a medium-size urban/suburban district (Kenton County, Kentucky), a large urban district (Hillsborough County, Florida), and a regional educational service agency (Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13, Pennsylvania)--used LDC to help teachers align instruction with the CCSS. Their research shows that there are some best practices that are shared across all sites. Yet they also find that adapting to unique contextual factors is an integral part of successful implementation; and that there remain opportunities for further consideration and development at all sites. The cross-case study report is intended as a resource that can assist policymakers and education leaders in understanding the variation of best practices in LDC implementation, and also as a "road map" for sites that are considering adopting LDC tools. Four appendixes are included: (1) Data/Methodology; (2) Background Information; (3) Profile of Three Sites; and (4) Special Thanks.

1Boy Crusoe

By Allan Eric

Also published as" A Yankee Crusoe" . A 15 year old hard working and studious farm boy finds the lure of adventure on the seas as a merchant seaman more than he can resist. This is his story. " I was born in a little town in the State of Maine, near the close of the Civil War. My boyhood life did not differ materially from that of the average farmer's son in the remote country districts of New England--except, perhaps, that I read more and thought more. Hard work on the rugged soil, two terms each year in the little yellow country schoolhouse, a day's fishing now and then filled the early years of my life full to over-flowing. " What he gets is enough excitement and adventure to overflow his wildest dreams. How he experiences disaster and uses his wits and knowledge to overcome every problem makes for a great read. - Summary by Phil Chenevert