UnboundEd presents David Liben, one of the lead authors of the Common Core State Standards Appendix A, as well as a former teacher and administrator. David discusses the ways in which new standards are succeeding in advancing knowledge, changes in students’ comprehension of pivotal moments in a text since implementation of CCSS, and several different programs offering alternatives to current trends in curricula. He addresses close reading and topic-based study, as well as the value of reading several texts in series on a single subject.