... CCSS is still under development. Committing to CCSS while CCSS is still being written is a bit like signing a blank check which will be filled out by the other party at a later time.
This may not be cause for panic that the CCSS is a moving target - I think this quote merits some clarification. To date, CCSS covers only Math and English/Language Arts. The "further development of the CCSS" referred to in the quote is the addition of standards for Social Studies, not the increasing specificity of curriculum for the Math and English standards.
I apologize if that was not made clear in my post. Thank you for clarifying. Please know that I have not suggested cause for "panic" as you say, but rather being alert that the CCSS is not complete, and that as such new items are being added. Currently Social Sciences are being added.
However the CCSS is without statement of limitation as to what may be added once the school children of the USA are subject to it, and once the standardized tests which determine "college and career readiness" are constructed based on its content.
I will reiterate:
My points to... parents would be
1) looking for the CCSS alignment numbers when they are curious about where an assignment or exercise may fit, or what purpose(s) and standard(s) it may be intended to fulfill,
2) being alert that CCSS is still under development,
3) understanding that future standardized tests may draw from CCSS-recommended content,
4) remaining aware of who the various interrelated organizations are.
As future advocacy for gifted students may be taking place in the context of CCSS, parents may want to be familiar with these things so they may say definitively their child has met particular standards, or that they prefer their child be allowed to use other selected literature, assignments, exercises, spelling lists, etc, to demonstrate knowledge and understanding which fulfills particular standards.
