The Common Core State Standards

Nicole Haldeman

Common Core State Standards

Much is at stake for American education. The United States education system is slipping in the ranks when compared to other developed nations. American students ranked 24th out of the 29/30 OECD countries for both Mathematics and Problem-Solving. In science we ranked 21st. America fell at or below average in all three categories (www.oecd.org/statistics/). America ranks 17th out of the twenty best countries for education and has made little advancement in changing those rankings over the last few years (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/27/best-education-in-the-wor_n_2199795.html). Obviously, America is not doing something that the other 16 countries are doing.

            One step in the right direction towards bringing our education system up to par with other countries was to unify the standards used to create curriculums. Prior to the introduction of the Common Core Standards in 2009, states held the responsibility of creating and implementing their own set of academic standards. However, with the adoption of the core curriculum standards, each state will follow a clear set of internationally based educational standards in the subjects of mathematics and English language arts which will be utilized in kindergarten through the 12th grade. The core standards hope to put students in a position to excel in a technological and global workplace or in an advanced educational setting, such as a 2 or 4-year college or vocational school. The initiative, being designed and led by the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) with input from teachers, administration, experts, and parents, has already been voluntarily adopted and in some cases implemented in 45 of the states.

            Through thorough research a set of evidence based standards were developed in mathematics and English language arts. Importantly, these standards are internationally benchmarked and will hopefully allow our students to compete globally. The common core standards outlines what skills need to be taught to students and when. It tells the teacher what the student should be able to accomplish per grade level. For example, in the 3rd grade a student should be able to write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons. Additionally, the student must be able to use linking words and phrases (e.g., because, therefore) to connect opinions and reasons (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1 and CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1c). The core standards do not however tell teachers or schools how to teach the information outlined in the standards, rather, they can devise their own curriculums and lesson plans and implement it in ways that fit their own classroom and students.

Unfortunately, it is hard to tell the impact that the common core standards will have on the educational system for many years. Already, there have been some discussions on the positive and negative aspects of the core standards before they have even reached their fruition. On a positive note, the core standards initiative aims to lessen and close the gaps in achievement between higher and lower economic areas. All schools, regardless of where they are located or their student population’s economic status, will be held to the same high academic standards. This should appease colleges as well because a large complaint by many colleges and universities is that a large portion, around 73% of students in reading and 63% in mathematics, need remedial courses because they are not ready for the rigorous coursework of college (The Condition of Education, 2004). Additionally, states will benefit positively from the initiative because they will no longer need to develop unique tests for their state, rather, one test can be formulated with the cost split between participating states, saving money for every state involved. A benefit for teachers is that they are able to share information with the other participating states to widen their scope of the best practices in education, which allows for greater collaboration between teachers across the country. Student’s benefit because their progress is measured more easily with the standards in place due to progress and pre-test monitoring tools that are made available to educators. Now, if a student is lagging behind, it is easier to pinpoint earlier on because they will be frequently monitored individually throughout their school year (Meador, Pros and Cons of the Common Core Standards).

Despite the positives, there are some negative aspects that have been brought to light concerning the common core standards. In my opinion, the largest negative associated with the standards is the lack of an equivalent test for special needs students. Instead, they are expected to complete the same test as their general education peers. The common core state standards website states that there will be shared best practices and experiences to help students with disabilities and English language learners as well as information on the implementation of the standards for those children. I feel that the answer was vague and not well defined, there was no further information regarding this group of children. Another negative regarding the standards is the difficult adjustment for both teachers and students. However, I feel in time students and teachers will adjust, so although negative at first, I do not believe it will remain a negative of the initiative in the future. Additionally, some argue that the new program will be too rigorous and fast paced for school children, especially those in elementary school. I feel that after looking at statistics of where we fall globally that our students may need a more rigorous education. One negative I cannot deny is that schools will have to purchase newer textbooks and supplies to align with the standards which can prove costly for school districts (Meador, Pros and Cons of the Common Core Standards).

I feel, after reviewing the literature regarding the common core state standards, that this anticipated change in educational standards will help to lead America in the right direction. Looking towards the future, one can optimistically predict that with a more even playing field for students from diverse economic backgrounds and with more attention paid to elementary education that a larger number of students will graduate. With more students graduating, prepared to work and attend college, the economy should raise and our colleges will spend less money and tax dollars on remedial courses. A larger number of students will graduate from colleges because they will not be taking these non-credit remedial courses. The hope for American education is that, with the implementation of these standards, we will again rise in the world education ranks and be considered an OECD country with a top-notch education.  

References

Best Education In The World: Finland, South Korea Top Country Rankings, U.S. Rated Average. (2012, November 27). Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. Retrieved September 27, 2013, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/27/best-education-in-the-wor_n_2199795.html

Common Core State Standards Initiative | Home. (n.d.). Common Core State Standards Initiative | Home. Retrieved September 27, 2013, from http://www.corestandards.org/

Meador, D. (n.d.). Pros and Cons of the Common Core Standards - Pros and Cons of the Core Standards. Teaching - About Teaching and Educational Best Practices - Educational Professional - School Principal - School Administrator . Retrieved September 27, 2013, from http://teaching.about.com/od/assess/f/What-Are-Some-Pros-And-Cons-Of-The-Common-Core-Standards.htm

Statistics - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (n.d.). Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved September 27, 2013, from http://www.oecd.org/statistics/

The Condition of Education. (2004, June 1). National Center for Education. Retrieved

September 27, 2013, from nces.ed.gov/