The CCSS is absolutely tied to testing. It's a talking point to say that the two are separate. Reformers are trying to distance themselves from PARCC because the test is so flawed and the over testing is causing national protests.
The CCSS are now more involved (and require different methodology) so teachers take longer to meet the minimum standards. This slows the pace not just day to day but year to year.
Yes, the two are separate. The standards were developed as benchmarks saying, "Here's what a group of experts, aided by dozens of people and thousands of comments, agree on what kids should know BY THE END of a certain grade."
The tests are made by Big Ed companies trying to increase their profits, and they exist because some non-experts decided that bubble test are America's solution to a poor education system. The same companies write bad textbooks that were one inspiration for the Common Core.
The people who led the Common Core effort were well aware of the shortcomings of the textbooks and the fact that teacher education is flawed.
The standards are good. They're what we need. But they've been politicized by a number of different special interest groups and undermined by a decision to let Pearson et al. write bad tests.
The standards are no more tied to testing than geometry or US History is tied to testing.
Personally, I'm incredibly frustrated that Americans are so easily swayed by the lies and distortions.
