The Council of the Great City schools has used strategic support teams to make recommendations for enhancing central office systems to improve student achievement in language arts and literacy.

Additionally, with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Council continues to collaborate with both partner and national organizations to develop and disseminate a compilation of tools and supporting professional development opportunities that will facilitate the successful implementation of the Common Core State Standards and College and Career Readiness (CCR) standards.  The K-12 grade-specific standards in reading, writing, speaking, listening and language define end-of-year expectations that are relevant, rigorous, and attainable for all students.