My past blog posts have generally pertained to college education, but for this post I decided to talk about a semi-polarizing topic, Common Core. Common Core is a relatively new set of standards for teaching in grades kindergarten through twelfth. The purpose is to better prepare students for college, but the way in which it wants to has fostered controversy among school boards and parents across the country.
Standards include:
- Research and evidence based
- Clear, understandable, and consistent
- Aligned with college and career expectations
- Based on rigorous content and the application of knowledge through higher-order thinking skills
- Built upon the strengths and lessons of current state standards
- Informed by other top-performing countries to prepare all students for success in our global economy and society
Apparently, if these standards are achieved, students will be better equipped for college and career life in their futures.
Currently, eight states have not adopted Common Core standards. In Pennsylvania, Common Core was adopted in 2010, and fully implemented across the state by the 2013-14 school year. However, when I was in seventh grade (2011-12), my school had began following the new Common Core curriculum. I remember in math, we were learning concepts we had learned the year before, and it was confusing. Teachers would just tell us that “it is to put everyone in the country on the same page,” but parents were upset with the curriculum. I went to a private school, and one of the benefits of private school (at least in my area) is that we generally scored higher on standardized tests and received more college scholarships, so to be seemingly held back in math and English progression did not necessarily make anyone “happy.”
On the Common Core website, in their Myths v Facts page, the first “myth” is that schools with higher standards will be forced backwards, but they claim it is not true. However, I can speak to experience that I absolutely was taken backwards. It was such an issue that the school had an open forum with parents to discuss their frustrations. The school basically recognized their concerns, but since eventually they would be forced to follow Common Core, they decided to do so as soon as possible.
The push for Common Core stems from a low rank in education in the United States among other countries. In 2009, the year that the committee for establishing Common Core Standards was created, the United States was ranked 14th in reading, 17th in science, and 25th in math. At the time, US Secretary of Education called it a “an absolute wake up call for America.” Soon after, the Common Core was in production.
This calls the purpose of Common Core into question. Are they constructed to better prepare students for future careers, or simple to increase standardized test scores of American students? If so, than they are a threat to creativity and individuality of thought- if education is teaching to a test.
“Eight Problems with Common Core,” points out that Michelle Rhee, an educational reformer, was providing misinformation to the American public. When America tested so low in comparison to other countries, many argued that it was because all students- including those who are mentally challenged, homeless, in poverty, and those who English is a second language- were tested, and that considerably lowered scores.
In 2017, according to the Pew Research Center, the United States ranked 19th in science, 30th in math, so what really has Common Core achieved in its eight years or so in existence?
National Report Card shows that Common Core is actually failing students, as apparently two thirds of graduating seniors are not ready for college (according to the Core’s definition). Of those
given this Common Core “test of efficiency,” seventy five percent failed the math portion and sixty three percent failed the writing portion. These numbers are staggering, but I find it hard to believe that two thirds of all graduating seniors are not ready for college. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics report in 2017, 69.7% of 2016 high school graduates were enrolled in college the next fall. So 30% who were not, is far less than the two thirds not ready. That wou
ld mean there are many students in college who are apparently “not ready.” I just do not really understand that statistic, when more and more students are attending college than ever before, and many are thriving.
I just have a hard time accepting Common Core. It claims to be all about giving students better preparation for the future and giving them a better educational experience. While that may be its intended purposes, in practice it is not producing results. Also, by instilling a nationwide educational guideline, it ignores
differences in cities, suburbs, and general location. Southern states like Texas and New Mexico for example, have a higher Latino population, in which the students’ first language is not English. And while the Common Core is clearly established for the majority of students (who learned English as their first language), the minority students are not acknowledge in the same way. School boards in these particular states and communities should therefore have the power to implement guidelines based on the specific needs of the community. That is after all why we have state governments. The federal government cannot do everything.
Very interesting post here! I am also not a fan of Common Core, and I recognize how much of a detriment it has had on American school children. Our educational system DOES need reform; however, putting every child into the same box is not the way to do it. We should be cultivating our children’s differences and allowing them to flourish, not forcing all children to adhere to the same standard. Albert einstein once said, “Everybody is a Genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” By forcing all children to reach common core standards, we are neglecting children’s other attributes that will allow them to succeed in modern society. Really great post here!