Skip to main content
The API is in limited early release and is only available to some private beta usersBecause the API is an early release, current users should expect occasional breaking changes.

​
What you’ll learn

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to use the crosswalk data in Knowledge Graph to compare standards between the Common Core State Standards (CCSSM) and state frameworks. These crosswalks can help you determine which state standards are most similar to a given CCSSM standard and understand the similarities and differences between the standards. Crosswalks are evidence-based relationships between state standards and CCSSM standards, derived from overlapping sets of Learning Components (LCs). Each crosswalk includes similarity metrics, such as the Jaccard score and relative LC counts, to help you interpret how closely two standards align.
State standards to Common Core State Standard crosswalk diagram
This tutorial walks through how to:
  • Identify the closest state standards for a given CCSSM standard (focusing on Texas).
  • Interpret alignment strength using Jaccard and LC counts.
  • Retrieve detailed standards metadata to view comparison results.
  • Inspect the shared learning components that support each alignment.

​
What you’ll need

  • A Learning Commons Platform account
  • An API key generated in the Learning Commons Platform
  • Your base URL from the Learning Commons Platform
  • Node or Python (optional, for running code examples)

​
STEP 1: Set up environment variables

  1. Set up your environment variables for your API key and base URL:
# .env

# Knowledge Graph API credentials - get these from the Learning Commons Portal
API_KEY=your_api_key_here
BASE_URL=https://api.learningcommons.org/knowledge-graph/v0

​
Understanding the Jaccard Index

The Jaccard index quantifies how similar two standards are based on their shared Learning Components. It’s calculated as: Jaccard = Shared LCs / (State LCs + CCSS LCs - Shared LCs)
  • A Jaccard score of 1.0 means perfect overlap (identical LC sets)
  • A Jaccard score of 0.6+ indicates strong alignment
  • Lower scores suggest partial or weak overlap
For example, if a state standard has 5 LCs, a CCSS standard has 6 LCs, and they share 4 LCs:
  • Jaccard = 4 / (5 + 6 - 4) = 4/7 ≈ 0.57
This score helps you understand not just whether standards overlap, but how much they overlap relative to their total scope.

​
STEP 2: Find the best-matching state standards for a CCSSM standard

To find the best state standard matches (focusing on Texas) for a CCSSM standard, we’ll use the /crosswalks endpoint which automatically returns state standards that share learning components with your target CCSSM standard.
  1. First, find the CCSSM standard you want to compare using the /academic-standards/search endpoint:
curl -X GET \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.learningcommons.org/knowledge-graph/v0/academic-standards/search?statementCode=6.EE.B.5&jurisdiction=Multi-State"
This returns the standard with its caseIdentifierUUID that you’ll use in the next step: 
{
  "caseIdentifierUUID": "6b9f74c0-d7cc-11e8-824f-0242ac160002",
  "statementCode": "6.EE.B.5",
  "description": "Understand solving an equation or inequality as a process of answering a question: which values from a specified set, if any, make the equation or inequality true? Use substitution to determine whether a given number in a specified set makes an equation or inequality true.",
  "jurisdiction": "Multi-State"
}
  1. Use the /crosswalks endpoint to get Texas standards that align with this CCSSM standard:
# Replace CCSSM_UUID with the caseIdentifierUUID from the previous step
curl -X GET \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.learningcommons.org/knowledge-graph/v0/academic-standards/6b9f74c0-d7cc-11e8-824f-0242ac160002/crosswalks?jurisdiction=Texas"
This returns Texas standards with their alignment metrics: 
{
  "data": [
    {
      "caseIdentifierUUID": "18077fab-3aac-5dcc-89da-f8081e9045bd",
      "statementCode": "111.27.b.11.B",
      "description": "determine if the given value(s) make(s) one-variable, two-step equations and inequalities true; and",
      "jurisdiction": "Texas",
      "jaccard": 0.6667,
      "stateLCCount": 2,
      "ccssLCCount": 3,
      "sharedLCCount": 2
    },
    {
      "caseIdentifierUUID": "005fc52f-b920-506c-bea1-6857b886f6b6",
      "statementCode": "111.26.b.10.B",
      "description": "determine if the given value(s) make(s) one-variable, one-step equations or inequalities true.",
      "jurisdiction": "Texas",
      "jaccard": 0.2000,
      "stateLCCount": 3,
      "ccssLCCount": 3,
      "sharedLCCount": 1
    }
  ]
}
The /crosswalks endpoint significantly simplifies cross-state comparisons by handling all the relationship traversals automatically. It returns standards from the specified jurisdiction that share learning components with your target standard, along with overlap metrics.
This identifies the Texas state standards that contain the most similar skills and concept targets for student mastery to the given CCSSM standard. Because the Jaccard value represents the proportion of shared Learning Components, a score of 1.0 means the standards are supported by identical LCs (a perfect match). Scores closer to 0.0 indicate weaker or partial overlap.
A Jaccard threshold of 0.6 is a good starting point for identifying strong matches, but you can adjust it based on your use case.

​
STEP 3: Interpret the relationship metrics

Each crosswalk relationship carries additional context about the degree of overlap:
  • sharedLCCount shows how many deconstructed skills are shared.
  • stateLCCount and ccssLCCount show how many total skills support each standard.
  • Together with the Jaccard score, these counts help you interpret the strength and balance of the overlap. For example, whether one standard covers more ground than the other, or whether their scopes are roughly comparable.
This example shows how to read these values in context. Actual interpretation will vary depending on your use case.
stateLCCountccssLCCountsharedLCCountjaccardExample Interpretation
5640.57Substantial overlap between standards; many shared skills
4930.30Partial overlap; the CCSSM standard covers more content
3331.0Complete overlap; same set of underlying skills
You can interpret the Jaccard score and LC counts for each match:
  • Jaccard >= 0.9: Very strong overlap; standards share nearly all skills
  • Jaccard >= 0.7: Strong overlap; substantial shared skills
  • Jaccard >= 0.5: Moderate overlap; many shared skills
  • Jaccard >= 0.3: Partial overlap; some shared skills
  • Jaccard < 0.3: Weak overlap; few shared skills
For scope balance:
  • Similar LC counts (within 2): Both standards have similar scope
  • State LC count > CCSS LC count: State standard covers more content
  • CCSS LC count > State LC count: CCSS standard covers more content

​
STEP 4: Inspect shared learning components

Now that you have crosswalk pairs (CCSSM → state), you can see the actual skills behind each match by retrieving the Learning Components that support each standard. We’ll then identify which LCs are shared (the evidence behind the crosswalk) and which are unique to each standard.
  1. Get learning components for both the CCSS standard and the Texas standard:
# Get learning components for CCSS standard
curl -X GET \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.learningcommons.org/knowledge-graph/v0/academic-standards/6b9f74c0-d7cc-11e8-824f-0242ac160002/learning-components"

# Get learning components for Texas standard (using the top match from Step 1)
curl -X GET \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.learningcommons.org/knowledge-graph/v0/academic-standards/18077fab-3aac-5dcc-89da-f8081e9045bd/learning-components"
  1. Compare the LC identifiers from both responses to identify:
    • Shared LCs: Learning components present in both standards (concrete pedagogical overlap)
    • CCSS-only LCs: Learning components unique to the CCSS standard
    • State-only LCs: Learning components unique to the state standard
This analysis reveals the actual overlapping LCs and their descriptions, which represent the concrete pedagogical overlap between the two standards. Understanding which skills are shared and which are unique helps you make informed decisions about curriculum alignment and content adaptation.

​
Summary

You’ve learned how to use crosswalk data to compare state standards with CCSSM using the Knowledge Graph API. The /crosswalks endpoint provides a ready-made, evidence-based mapping layer that simplifies cross-state comparison and supports deeper curriculum analysis. Key takeaways:
  • Each crosswalk is a measurable alignment built from shared Learning Components.
  • The Jaccard index quantifies similarity; LC counts explain scope and overlap.
  • Crosswalks exist when at least one LC is shared between standards.
  • You can use this data to explore how state standards correspond to Common Core, identify close matches, and guide alignment work across frameworks.