According to the Teaching Channel (Common Core for ELA, 2012) the Common Core State Standards were designed after gaps in our educational system became apparent. For starters, states began analyzing their assessments and found that their standards were inadequately preparing students for post secondary education and the workforce. Students and parents who moved between states also found it difficult adjusting to the different state standards. Further, educators found that when comparing our education system to those oversees, our students were significantly behind.
Given this dilemma, the National Governors
Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief
State School Officers (CCSSO) teamed with teachers, school administrators, and
experts from different states to design The Common Core State Standards in 2010 (Common
Core State Standards, 2010). The Common
Core Standards address the subjects of English Language Arts & Literacy, and Mathematics in
grades K-12. They are a collaborative effort
of states to restructure and unify our current standards, and are not a
nationalized federal approach to education.
They have no part in No Child Left Behind, and while the implementation of the standards is
not mandatory, 45 states
have already adopted them (Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2010).
In streamlining the Common Core Standard, many fear that the standards will lower the bar of achievement (Common
Core State Standards Initiative, 2102). On the
contrary, their goal is to raise the bar in order to be competitive with
education overseas. While our current standards are
an inch deep and mile wide, the Common Core's goal is to teach less concepts with a deeper understanding of each concept. They want to help students develop higher level thinking skills and a mastery of "core" areas. They do not tell a teacher how to teach, but inform them on what key areas their students need to know. According
to the Common Core State Standards Initiative, the Common Core Standards are
being created with the following criteria (2012).
1. Aligned with expectations for college and career success
1. Aligned with expectations for college and career success
· 2. Clear, so that
educators and parents know what they need to do to help students learn
· 3.
Consistent across all
states, so that students are not taught to a lower standard just because of
where they live
·
4. Include both content
and the application of knowledge through high-order skills
·
5. Build upon strengths
and lessons of current state standards and standards of top-performing nations
·
6. Realistic, for
effective use in the classroom
·
7. Informed by other top
performing countries, so that all students are prepared to succeed in our
global economy and society
· 8.
Evidence and
research-based criteria have been set by states, through their national
organizations CCSSO and the NGA Center.
According to the Teaching Channel, 90%
of what teachers are already doing in the classroom will stay the same with the
implementation of the Common Core State Standards (Common Core for Elementary,
2012). So
should teachers be intimidated of the Common Core? Is it going to make our job more
difficult? After much research, it seems that
our states are taking a refreshing step in the right direction. The Common Core is going to provide a more focused approach to education, and will challenge our students to think at a higher level. Our students should be better prepared for their professional life and real world applications. While we won't know for several years what their ultimate affect will be, they might be a friendly change after all.
(Please forgive my references I do not know why the computer is spacing them this way. They do not appear this way in my draft)
References:
1. California Department of State Standards. (2012). Common core state standards. Retrieved
on December 12, 2012 from http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/cc/
2. In the States Picture. (2012). California department of state standards. Retrieved on December 13, 2012
from http://www.corestandards.org/in-the-states
on December 12, 2012 from http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/cc/
2. In the States Picture. (2012). California department of state standards. Retrieved on December 13, 2012
from http://www.corestandards.org/in-the-states
3. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers.
(2010). Common core state standards initiative. Retrieved on December 12, 2012 from
http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards
December 12, 2012 from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/common-core-state-
standards-elementary-school
5. Teaching Channel. (2012). Common core state standards for ela and literacy. Retrieved on
December 12, 2012 from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/common-core-standards-ela
standards-elementary-school
5. Teaching Channel. (2012). Common core state standards for ela and literacy. Retrieved on
December 12, 2012 from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/common-core-standards-ela
6. Teaching
Channel. (2012). Common core state
standards for math. Retrieved on
December 12, 2012
from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/common-core-state-standards-for-math
from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/common-core-state-standards-for-math
Hi Christie
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you brought up this topic. Because we work at a private school, the pressure to conform to these new standards are not so heavy on us. However, I would like to understand more of these standards some way so that our school can stay on top of the game. I have heard so much about these standards from other public school teachers. Honestly, when I did my student teaching at the public schools, I didn't understand why the California State Standards were such a nuisance to teachers. I thought they provided a solid framework to guide teachers to fully cover the content. Many of the teachers complained that the Standards restricted them in how they should teach the class. I guess I didn't fully understand why. But as far as the Common Core Standards goes, it appears to provide more room and flexibility for teachers. Have you attended any classes on this new standard? I know this is something I'm interested in learning more about. I've spoken to our school counselor here on the South Campus and we both agreed we needed to find out more.
Connie,
DeleteThanks for your post. I haven't attended any classes on the Common Core yet, but I'm interested in finding out more about them. They seem like a great step in the right direction: a more focused approach to the key standards, flexibility with teaching, and higher level thinking. I agree that the standards don't seem as burdesome as others make them out to be, but I know I have a lot less pressure to "teach to the test" at our private school than other teachers do.
I think the common core standards give more freedom for creativity for the teacher. It gives them a guideline and a blue print on what criteria to meet, but leaves a lot up to interpretation for the teacher. The subject state standards are very specific and dry while the common core standards gives a general idea on how to reach those subject standards and every teacher can be on the same page. I agree with you that the old standards were a inch deep and mile wide, but with these new standards it gives the teacher more responsibility then ever because there is few specific standards that much be reached. I still feel that in high school and elementary giving the students a solid foundation of knowledge is a way to go. Some sort of basic facts and concepts to understand and to help them in the real world. Theory and critical thinking skills can be acquired in high school at very basic level, but it is the secondary school (college) to really prepare them for the working field. It is the high school's job to prepare them for college and without a solid foundation of skills and knowledge this is tough. I am very interested to see how out students pan out over the next decade or 2 with this new philosophy of teaching.
ReplyDeleteHi Christie, very interesting post! You make lots of great points and I agree with you that the Common Core Standards seem to offer an approach to educating children that is a step in the right direction. I really appreciate that these new standards help us as teachers to focus our instruction on providing our students with deeper and richer learning experiences. I see that in K-5, there is a definite shift as far as teaching and modeling thinking strategies that lead to deeper learning rather than just the grade-level skills themselves. I really think children will benefit from teachers using the Common Core to help guide instruction with the goal of providing students with more opportunities to engage in higher level thinking.
ReplyDeleteHi Christie, great overview of the CCSS. You provide a strong argument as to why the common core should be adopted and how this approach will be instrumental in raising the bar for our students. I agree the emphasis on Common core is to focus on higher order thinking skills that will push our students toward mastery rather than just focusing on performance in the classroom.
ReplyDelete